Objective. Examine the effects of exercise on femoral neck (FN) and lumbar spine (LS) bone mineral density (BMD) in premenopausal women. Methods. Meta-analysis of randomized controlled exercise trials ≥24 weeks in premenopausal women. Standardized effect sizes (g) were calculated for each result and pooled using random-effects models, Z score alpha values, 95% confidence intervals (CIs), and nu...

BACKGROUND Chinese herbal medicine has been used to treat millions of people with schizophrenia for thousands of years. AIMS To evaluate Chinese herbal medicine as a treatment for schizophrenia. METHOD A systematic review of randomised controlled trials (RCTs). RESULTS Seven trials were included. Most studies evaluated Chinese herbal medicine in combination with Western antipsychotic drug...

OBJECTIVE To perform a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine whether taking antiemetic drugs reduces vomiting and decreases the need for further intervention in children with gastroenteritis without causing significant adverse effects. DATA SOURCES Computerized databases, reference lists, and expert recommendations. STUDY SELECTION Prospective controlled trials evaluating medicat...

I completely concur with Dr Des Spence: Big Pharma is manipulating doctors and exploiting patients, and Big Medicine is neglecting its role to protect patients.1 I can remember, shortly after becoming a GP Principal in 1987, a drug representative trying to persuade us to prescribe evening primrose oil capsules for itching in eczema. The glossy presentation and neurolinguistic programming attemp...

Two mesoscale numerical weather prediction models, Eta and the Rapid Update Cycle (RUC), are currently being run operationally at the U.S. National Weather Service’s National Meteorological Center to produce nationwide weather forecasts. Improvements in weather forecast accuracy depend on increasing model resolution, which is limited by available computing resources. Massively Parallel Processi...

BACKGROUND Studies that are the basis of recommended volume thresholds for CABG surgery are outdated and not reflective of recent advances in the field. This study examines both hospital and surgeon volume-mortality relations for CABG surgery through the use of a population-based clinical data set. METHODS AND RESULTS Data from New York's clinical CABG surgery registry from 1997 to 1999 (tota...

BACKGROUND Anxiety and depression in children and adolescents are undertreated. Computer- and Internet-based cognitive behavioral treatments (cCBT) may be an attractive treatment alternative to regular face-to-face treatment.This meta-analysis aims to evaluate whether cCBT is effective for treating symptoms of anxiety and depression in youth. METHODS AND FINDINGS We conducted systematic searc...

INTRODUCTION Biologic therapies have improved the clinical management of ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Few head-to-head studies have directly compared the efficacy of these agents. This study was conducted to indirectly compare the efficacy of biologic agents for treatment of active AS. METHODS A targeted literature review was conducted to identify randomized clinical trials for adalimumab, in...

OBJECTIVES To evaluate the impact of labouring in water during first stage of labour on rates of epidural analgesia and operative delivery in nulliparous women with dystocia. DESIGN Randomised controlled trial. SETTING University teaching hospital in southern England. PARTICIPANTS 99 nulliparous women with dystocia (cervical dilation rate < 1 cm/hour in active labour) at low risk of compl...

Implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICD) are highly effective in the prevention of sudden arrhythmic deaths. [1-3] The recurrence rate following an out of hospital cardiac arrest or ventricular tachycardia is as high as 24-44% over the ensuing 18-36 months that secondary prevention is an important consideration in patients without a clearly defined reversible cause such as acute ischemia o...