Press review
The essentials of recent medical publications, unpacked by our newsroom into a clear, sourced digest, specialty by specialty.
PneumonologyThe NHANES Lymphocyte-Neutrophil Report predicts all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in COPD-affected adults in the United States: NHANES results 1999-2018
The neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is considered a biomarker of systemic inflammation and immune activation. However, its relationship to mortality risk in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is unclear.Data were collected through the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) between January 1999 and December 2018. The method for calculating NLR is to divi
Pharmacology and ToxicologyIron homeostasis and ferroptosis in human diseases: mechanisms and therapeutic perspectives
Iron, an essential mineral in the body, is involved in many physiological processes, making maintaining iron homeostasis crucial to overall health. Iron overload and deficiency can cause various disorders and human diseases. Ferroptosis, a form of iron-dependent cell death, is characterized by significant peroxidation of lipids. Unlike other types of conventional unprogrammed cell death, ferroptos
Dermatology and VenereologyEarly identification of primary atopic disorders (PAT) through early use of clinical-guided genomic sequencing
Primary atopic disorders (TAP) are monogeny disorders caused by pathogenic variants of genes coding for proteins essential to maintaining a healthy skin barrier and a strong immune system. Physicians are challenged to find unique and extremely rare TAP patients/families among the millions of individuals with common allergic diseases. The authors describe case scenarios with characteristic TAPs. Th
Endocrinology and MetabolismBurden of disease attributable to high body mass index: an analysis of data from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021
Obesity is a major global health challenge with important clinical implications. The authors conducted a systematic analysis of global disability-adjusted deaths and years of life (ACIV) attributable to high BMI. They used the methodology and analytical approaches of the 2021 Global Morbidity Burden (GBD) study. A high BMI was defined as a BMI greater than 25 kg/m2 for people aged 20. The Socio-de
Urology-nephrologyFolate intake and the risk of endometrial cancer: a dose-response meta-analysis
The relationship between folate intake and endometrial cancer risk is debatable.Up to February 1, 2024, the authors conducted an extensive search using PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library and Web of Science. Stata 14 software was used to analyse the results of the article. The study protocol was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42024505943), and the meta-analysis was performed according to PRISMA guide
NeurologyComparative effects of different drugs for the acute management of migraine episodes in adults: systematic review and network meta-analysis
Data sources: Until 24 June 2023, the Cochrane Register of Controlled Trials, Medline, Embase, ClinicalTrials.gov, the EU Clinical Trials Register, the WHO International Clinical Trials Registration System, and the websites of regulatory agencies and pharmaceutical companies without language restriction.Methods: Selection, data extraction, coding and assessment of risk of bias were performed indep
Urology-nephrologyEfficacy of drug treatment in patients with endometrial hyperplasia with or without atypia: a systematic review and network meta-analysis
During follow-up, some endometrial hyperplasia has progressed to endometrial cancer. Prompt treatment is crucial to improve the overall prognosis of these patients.The authors searched PubMed, ClinicalTrials.gov and Embase for studies published from inception to 31 March 2023. The methodological quality of each study was assessed in accordance with the Cochrane Collaboration's risk of bias assessm
RhumatologySimilarities and differences between osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis: insights from Mendelian randomization and transcriptome analysis
Osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis are often difficult to distinguish at an early stage of the disease.The authors first performed a correlation analysis of phenotypic data from genome-wide association studies, arthrosis and rheumatoid arthritis. They then proceeded to the functional enrichment and pathways of genes differentially expressed in patients with osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthriti
Dermatology and VenereologyEfficacy and safety of upadacitinib in the treatment of moderate to severe atopic dermatitis in adolescents: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials
A comprehensive search was conducted using PubMed, Medline, Embase, Web of Science, Clinical Trials Website and Cochrane Library databases from inception to 18 February 2024. The review included all randomised controlled trials examining the efficacy of upadacitinib in the management of moderate to severe atopic dermatitis in adolescent patients. The methodological quality of the selected studies
Endocrinology and MetabolismRelationship between obesity, depression and infertility: results from the NHANES 2013-2018 cross-sectional study and a Mendelian randomisation study
Depression is increasingly recognised as a factor affecting infertility but the causal relationship between them remains controversial. The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between depression and infertility using Mendelian randomisation (MR) and a cross-sectional study, and to explore the potential mediating role of obesity.The cross-sectional study used data from the National He
Gastroenterology and HepatologyDiscovery of vitexin as a novel VDR agonist that attenuates the transition from chronic intestinal inflammation to colorectal cancer
Colitis-associated colorectal cancer (CAC) frequently develops in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) who have been exposed to a prolonged state of chronic inflammation.The study of pharmacological agents and their mechanisms for preventing precancerous lesions and inhibiting their progression remains a major objective and challenge in CAC research.Previous studies have demonstrated tha
NeurologyNeurofilament light chain as a promising biomarker for the diagnosis of depression: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Light chains (NfL), which are associated with axonal neuronal damage, have been identified as a promising biomarker that could aid in the early diagnosis of depression, personalised treatment and monitoring of disease progression. This study used a meta-analysis to assess the potential of plasma NfL as a biomarker for patients with depression.A systematic search following PRISMA guidelines was per