The impact of one-way SMS on health outcomes in Africa is unclear. We aimed to conduct a systematic review of one-way SMS randomised trials in Africa and a meta-analysis of their effect on healthcare ...appointments attendance and medicine adherence.
PubMed, Embase, CENTRAL, The Global Health Library, ClinicalTrials.gov, ICTRP, and PACTR were searched for published and unpublished trials in Africa without language restriction (up to April 2018). Trials reporting effect estimates on healthcare appointment attendance and medicine adherence were assessed for risk of bias and included in meta-analyses using random-effects models. Other outcomes were reported descriptively. The protocol is registered in PROSPERO, ID:CRD42018081062.
We included 38 one-way SMS trials conducted in Africa within a broad range of clinical conditions. Eighteen trials were included in the meta-analyses, and four were assessed as overall low risk of bias. One-way SMS improved appointment attendance, OR:2·03; 95% CI:1·40-2·95 (12 trials, 6448 participants), but not medicine adherence, RR:1·10; 95% CI:0·98-1·23 (nine trials, 4213 participants). Subgroup analyses showed that one-way SMS had the highest impact on childhood immunization attendance, OR:3·69; 95% CI:1·67-8·13 (three trials, 1943 participants). There was no clear evidence of one-way SMS improving facility delivery, knowledge level (reproductive/antenatal health, hypertension), diabetes- and hypertension management.
In an African setting, the clinical effect of one-way SMS is uncertain except for appointment attendance where the effect seems to vary depending on which clinical condition it is used in.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Transgender identity is often associated with gender dysphoria and minority stress. Gender-affirming hormone treatment (GAHT) includes masculinising or feminising treatment and is expected to be ...lifelong in most cases. Sex and sex hormones have a differential effect on metabolism and CVD in cisgender people, and sex hormone replacement in hypogonadism is associated with higher vascular risk, especially in ageing individuals. Using narrative review methods, we present evidence regarding metabolic and cardiovascular outcomes during GAHT and propose recommendations for follow-up and monitoring of metabolic and cardiovascular risk markers during GAHT. Available data show no increased risk for type 2 diabetes in transgender cohorts, but masculinising GAHT increases lean body mass and feminising GAHT is associated with higher fat mass and insulin resistance. The risk of CVD is increased in transgender cohorts, especially during feminising GAHT. Masculinising GAHT is associated with a more adverse lipid profile, higher haematocrit and increased BP, while feminising GAHT is associated with pro-coagulant changes and lower HDL-cholesterol. Assigned male sex at birth, higher age at initiation of GAHT and use of cyproterone acetate are separate risk factors for adverse CVD markers. Metabolic and CVD outcomes may improve during gender-affirming care due to a reduction in minority stress, improved lifestyle and closer surveillance leading to optimised preventive medication (e.g. statins). GAHT should be individualised according to individual risk factors (i.e. drug, dose and form of administration); furthermore, doctors need to discuss lifestyle and preventive medications in order to modify metabolic and CVD risk during GAHT. Follow-up programmes must address the usual cardiovascular risk markers but should consider that biological age and sex may influence individual risk profiling including mental health, lifestyle and novel cardiovascular risk markers during GAHT.Transgender identity is often associated with gender dysphoria and minority stress. Gender-affirming hormone treatment (GAHT) includes masculinising or feminising treatment and is expected to be lifelong in most cases. Sex and sex hormones have a differential effect on metabolism and CVD in cisgender people, and sex hormone replacement in hypogonadism is associated with higher vascular risk, especially in ageing individuals. Using narrative review methods, we present evidence regarding metabolic and cardiovascular outcomes during GAHT and propose recommendations for follow-up and monitoring of metabolic and cardiovascular risk markers during GAHT. Available data show no increased risk for type 2 diabetes in transgender cohorts, but masculinising GAHT increases lean body mass and feminising GAHT is associated with higher fat mass and insulin resistance. The risk of CVD is increased in transgender cohorts, especially during feminising GAHT. Masculinising GAHT is associated with a more adverse lipid profile, higher haematocrit and increased BP, while feminising GAHT is associated with pro-coagulant changes and lower HDL-cholesterol. Assigned male sex at birth, higher age at initiation of GAHT and use of cyproterone acetate are separate risk factors for adverse CVD markers. Metabolic and CVD outcomes may improve during gender-affirming care due to a reduction in minority stress, improved lifestyle and closer surveillance leading to optimised preventive medication (e.g. statins). GAHT should be individualised according to individual risk factors (i.e. drug, dose and form of administration); furthermore, doctors need to discuss lifestyle and preventive medications in order to modify metabolic and CVD risk during GAHT. Follow-up programmes must address the usual cardiovascular risk markers but should consider that biological age and sex may influence individual risk profiling including mental health, lifestyle and novel cardiovascular risk markers during GAHT.
The Danish National Patient Registry (DNPR) has been the source of several epidemiological studies of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). However, the validation dates back to 1996 and lacks outpatient ...records and disease classification. The aim of this study was to update the validation and assess the validity and reliability of using the registry in disease classification.
Validation of the registry was done using a population-based inception cohort of IBD patients from 2003 to 2011 consisting of 513 patients. Specificity and sensitivity were calculated for the diagnoses of Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), age at diagnosis and disease classification according to the Montreal Classification at both time of diagnosis and end of follow-up.
The registry showed high validity and reliability in identifying CD and UC patients concerning correct age classification and identifying perianal disease. The registry showed inconsistent, unreliable results in further disease classification.
The DNPR has good validity and reliability in identifying patients with CD and UC, and defining the age of patients at diagnosis. However, categorising IBD patients according to the Montreal Classification should not be carried out using DNPR data in their current form, except when identifying CD patients with perianal disease.
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is associated with obesity and low grade inflammation and the risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) could be increased in PCOS.
National register-based study ...including women with PCOS and no previous diagnosis of CVD, hypertension, or dyslipidemia. PCOS Denmark (N = 18,112) included women with PCOS in the Danish National Patient Register. PCOS Odense University Hospital (OUH, N = 1165) was an embedded cohort including premenopausal women with PCOS and clinical and biochemical examination. Three age-matched controls were included per patient in PCOS Denmark (N = 52,769). The main study outcome was CVD events including hypertension and dyslipidemia defined according to nationwide in- and outpatient hospital contact diagnosis codes and/or inferred from filled medicine prescriptions.
The age at inclusion was median (quartiles) 29 (23-35) years and follow up was 11.1 (6.9-16.0) years. The Hazard ratio (95% CI) for development of CVD in PCOS Denmark was 1.7 (1.7; 1.8) (P < 0.001) and the total event rate of CVD was 22.6 per 1000 patient years in PCOS Denmark vs. 13.2 per 1000 patient years in controls (P < 0.001). The median age at diagnosis of CVD was 35 (28-42) years in PCOS Denmark vs. 36 (30-43) years in controls (P < 0.001). Obesity, diabetes, and infertility, and previous use of oral contraceptives were associated with increased risk of development of CVD in PCOS Denmark (P < 0.001). Women in PCOS OUH resembled women in PCOS Denmark regarding risk of CVD. Age, BMI, blood pressure, lipid status, and glycemic status predicted development of CVD in PCOS OUH.
The event rate of CVD including hypertension and dyslipidemia was higher in PCOS compared to controls. The risk of developing CVD must be considered even in young women with PCOS.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Abstract
Background
Perianal complications in patients with Crohn’s disease are common and have a negative impact on the patients’ quality of life. Data about the long-term disease course of perianal ...Crohn’s disease in the era of biological treatment are limited. In this population-based cohort study, we sought to investigate the occurrence, clinical risk factors, and disease course of perianal disease.
Methods
A total of 213 Crohn’s disease patients were included in a prospective population-based inception cohort. Data were retrieved from medical records and national health administrative databases. Perianal disease was defined as a perianal fistula and/or abscess. Associations between outcomes and covariates were analyzed by Cox regression analysis.
Results
A total of 48 (22.5%) patients developed perianal disease after 10 years. Colonic disease location (hazard ratio HR, 1.99; 95% confidence interval CI, 1.01–3.92) and penetrating behavior (HR, 5.65; 95% CI, 2.65–12.03) were associated with the development of perianal disease. The cumulative risk of undergoing abdominal surgery was 51% after 10 years. Patients with perianal disease had a higher rate of resection (HR, 3.92; 95% CI, 1.86–8.67) and hospitalization (HR, 1.01; 95% CI, 1.00–1.01). There was no significant difference in the rate of sick leave, unemployment, or disability pension between patients with and without perianal disease.
Conclusions
Patients with perianal disease carry a higher risk of surgery and hospitalization, and this suggests a more severe disease course and poorer prognosis among these patients, even in the era of biological treatment. These findings underline the importance of optimizing treatment strategies for patients with perianal disease.
Background & Aims
The underlying pathogenesis of cirrhotic cardiomyopathy remains unclear. Structural myocardial changes including diffuse fibrosis may be involved and can be accurately assessed by ...cardiac MRI (CMR) with quantification of the extracellular volume (ECV).This is the first application of this technique in patients with cirrhosis. We aimed to investigate the presence of diffuse myocardial fibrosis and to determine the relation to disease severity, cardiac function and outcome.
Methods
A prospective study including 52 cirrhotic patients and 10 healthy controls. All patients underwent CMR with ECV quantification, tissue Doppler echocardiography, and biochemical assessments. Patients were followed up for a median of 25 months with registration of death and liver transplantation (LT).
Results
Myocardial ECV was higher in the patients compared with healthy controls (31.2 ± 6 vs 27.4 ± 3%, P = .04). Furthermore, ECV increased across the Child Pugh A/B/C classes (26.9 ± 4/31.5 ± 5/34.4 ± 6%, P = .02). Four‐teen patients experienced the composite end‐point of death/LT during follow‐up and these patients had higher ECV (33.2 ± 4 vs 30.4 ± 6%, P = .04). In a univariate Cox regression analysis ECV was associated with poor transplant‐free survival (HR 3.6 1.1‐11.6; P = .03). However, MELD and CRP remained the strongest predictors in a multivariate analysis. ECV correlated with cardiac index (r = 0.44, P = .001), CRP (r = 0.46, P = .001), proANP (r = 0.50, P < .001), and proBNP (r = 0.40, P = .005).
Conclusions
Myocardial ECV is increased in patients with cirrhosis and seems related to disease severity and transplant‐free survival. These changes most likely reflect subclinical diffuse myocardial fibrosis and may represent a structural element of cirrhotic cardiomyopathy.
In this population-based 7-year follow-up of incident patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) or Crohn's disease (CD), we aimed to describe disease progression and surgery rates in an era influenced by ...the increased use of immunosuppressants and the introduction of biological therapy.
From 1 January 2003 to 31 December 2004, all incident cases (562) of patients diagnosed with UC, CD, or inflammatory bowel disease unclassified in a well-defined Copenhagen area were registered. Medical records were reviewed from 1 November 2011 to 30 November 2012, and clinical data were registered. Clinical data on surgery, cancer, and death were cross-checked with register data from national health administrative databases in order to include missed data.
In total, 513 patients (213 CD and 300 UC) entered the follow-up study. Twenty-six patients changed diagnosis during the follow-up. Changes in disease localization and behavior in CD according to the Vienna classification were observed in 23.9% and 15.0% of the patients, respectively, during follow-up. In total, 28.3% of the 300 UC patients had disease progression during the follow-up. The overall use of systemic steroids, immunomodulators, and anti-tumor necrosis factor agents in CD was 86.4%, 64.3%, and 23.5%, respectively. The rate of first-time intestinal resection in CD was 29.1% (n=62), and the 7-year cumulative risk was 28.5%. The cumulative risk of colectomy in UC was 12.5% at 7 years.
UC and CD are dynamic diseases that progress in extent and behavior over time. The resection rate in CD and the colectomy rate in UC are still relatively high, although the rates seem to have decreased compared with historic data, which could be due to an increase in the use of immunomodulating therapy.
Objective
Active acromegaly is subject to sex differences in growth hormone (GH) and Insulin like growth factor 1 (IGF‐I) patterns as well as clinical features but whether this also pertains to ...controlled disease is unclear.
Design
In a cross‐sectional, multi‐centre study, 84 patients with acromegaly (F = 43, M = 41), who were considered controlled after surgery alone (n = 23) or during continued somatostatin receptor ligand (SRL) treatment (n = 61), were examined.
Methods
Serum concentrations of GH, insulin, glucose and free fatty acid (FFA) were measured during an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) together with baseline serum IGF‐I and completion of two HR‐Qol questionnaires (acromegaly quality of life questionnaire AcroQol and Patient‐assessed Acromegaly Symptom Questionnaire PASQ).
Results
The mean age at the time of the study was 57 (±1.1) years and the majority of females (were postmenopausal. Females had significantly higher fasting GH but comparable IGF‐I standard deviation scores (SDS). Using fasting GH < 1.0 µg/L as cut off, disease control was less prevalent in females (F: 56% vs. M: 83%, p = .007) whereas a comparable figure was observed using IGF‐I SDS < 2 (F:79% vs. M:76%, p = .71). Compared with males, female patients showed impaired AcroQol physical score (p = .05), higher fasting FFA (p = .03) and insulin concentrations during the OGTT (p = .04).
Conclusion
In patients with acromegaly considered controlled, postmenopausal females exhibited higher GH levels than males despite comparable IGF‐I levels, which also translated into impaired metabolic health and well‐being. Our findings point to the relevance of including GH measurements in the assessment of disease control and suggest that disease‐specific sex differences prevail after treatment.
Objective To compare the metabolic profiles of normo- and hyperandrogenic women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) with those of control women at different ages during reproductive life. Design ...Case-control study. Setting Not applicable. Patient(s) In all, 1,550 women with normoandrogenic (n = 686) or hyperandrogenic (n = 842) PCOS and 447 control women were divided into three age groups: <30, 30–39, and >39 years). Interventions(s) None. Main Outcome Measure(s) Body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, blood pressure, glucose, insulin, cholesterol, lipoproteins, triglycerides and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein. Result(s) Both normo- and hyperandrogenic women with PCOS were more obese, especially abdominally. They had increased serum levels of insulin (fasting and in oral glucose tolerance tests), triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein, and total cholesterol, higher blood pressure, and lower high-density lipoprotein levels independently from BMI compared with the control population as early as from young adulthood until menopause. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome was two- to fivefold higher in women with PCOS compared with control women, depending on age and phenotype, and the highest prevalence was observed in hyperandrogenic women with PCOS at late reproductive age. Conclusion(s) When evaluating metabolic risks in women with PCOS, androgenic status, especially abdominal obesity and age, should be taken into account, which would allow tailored management of the syndrome from early adulthood on.
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is associated with insulin resistance. Few randomized controlled trials (RCT) compared myoinositol (MI) with metformin (MET) regarding insulin resistance in PCOS. ...This was an open-label six-month RCT in women with PCOS (n = 45) with interventions MI 4 g/day or MET 2 g/day. Primary outcome was the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). Secondary outcomes were fasting glucose, weight, cycle length, lipids, testosterone, adverse effects, quality of life, and depression scores. Median age was 26 years. Body mass was index was 34.4 kg/m2. HOMA-IR was unchanged during MI (p = 0.31) and MET (p = 0.11) (MI vs. MET, p = 0.09). Median fasting glucose changed +0.2 mmol/L during MI (p < 0.001) and −0.1 mmol/L during MET (p = 0.04) (MI vs. MET p < 0.001). Median weight changed −2.3 kg during MI (p = 0.98) and −6.1 kg during MET (p < 0.001) (MI vs. MET, p = 0.02). Median cycle length decreased nine days during MI (p = 0.03) and 13 days during MET (p = 0.03) (MI vs. MET, p = 0.93). High-density lipoprotein (HDL) changed +0.1 mmol/L during MET (p = 0.04) (MI vs. MET, p = 0.07). All other blood parameters and scores of quality of life and depression remained unchanged during MI and MET (all p > 0.06) (MI vs. MET, all p > 0.27). Adverse effects appeared in four women during MI and 16 women during MET (MI vs. MET, p = 0.001). In conclusion, there was no effect on the metabolic outcomes during MI, but positive effects on fasting blood glucose, weight, and HDL during MET. The effect on cycle length was comparable during MI and MET. Adverse effects were less frequent during MI.
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