The evidence-based medicine (EBM) movement was established to combat capricious reasoning in clinical care, particularly arguments from authority. Critique of authority and appraisal of evidence remain EBM's core values and should be revisited in this era of EBM's maturity and influence. We are now faced with a new form of under-questioned authority: evidence from well-designed and methodologic...

After a non-inferiority clinical trial, a new therapy may be accepted as effective, even if its treatment effect is slightly smaller than the current standard. It is therefore possible that, after a series of trials where the new therapy is slightly worse than the preceding drugs, an ineffective or harmful therapy might be incorrectly declared efficacious; this is known as 'bio-creep'. Several ...

BACKGROUND Recruitment to clinical trials is often problematic, with many trials failing to recruit to their target sample size. As a result, patient care may be based on suboptimal evidence from underpowered trials or non-randomised studies. METHODS For many conditions patients will require treatment on several occasions, for example, to treat symptoms of an underlying chronic condition (suc...

Background: The use of antioxidants in treatment of infertile men has been suggested, although the evidence base for this practice is unclear. A systematic review of randomized studies was conducted to evaluate the effects of oral antioxidants (vitamins C and E, zinc, selenium, folate, carnitine and carotenoids) on sperm quality and pregnancy rate in infertile men. Materials and Methods: MEDLIN...

objective: to review the potential role and specific impact of statin drugs in women with pcos. the evidence for this use of statins in pcos is limited and still under further investigation. materials and methods: a search was conducted using pubmed, dynamed and pubmedhealth databases through october 16, 2016 using the terms polycystic ovary syndrome, pcos, hydroxymethylglutaryl-coa reductase i...

      There are evidences that statins have anti-inflammatory effects beyond their cholesterol lowering properties. The study was conducted to assess the effects of atorvastatin on asthma as an inflammatory disease. Patients with moderate to severe asthma were entered this randomized, double blind, crossover clinical trial. The impact of oral atorvastatin (10 mg/day) on the lung function of nor...

Background: Super oxidized water (SOW), as a novel antiseptic solution, is used with claims of effectiveness and cost effectiveness in healing chronic wounds such as diabetic foot, infectious post-operative ulcers and burn ulcers. We conducted a health technology assessment to evaluate the clinical evidence from clinical and randomized trials for this disinfection. This study aims to evaluate t...

Background & aim: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrine and metabolic disorder. Recently, the tendency towards complementary therapies such as using herbs with anti-androgenic effects has been increased. This study reviewed the documents related to the effect of four types of herbal teas on the treatment of PCOS based on the literature review. Methods: The searched databases in...

background and aims: immunosuppressive regimens are a key component for successful kidney transplantation. this systematic review aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of combination therapy of everolimus with tacrolimus in kidney transplantation recipients. methods: results were limited to english-language articles. trials where recipients received another regimen were excluded. the cochrane...