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While renal biopsy remains the preferred diagnostic method for assessing proteinuria, hematuria, or renal failure, laparoscopic renal biopsy (LRB) can serve as an alternative for high-risk patients when percutaneous kidney biopsy (PKB) is not recommended. This study was aimed to evaluate the safety of LRB. In study 1, Fourteen patients from January 2021 to January 2023 had a LRB taken for various indications, such as morbid obesity, abnormal kidney construction, uncontrolled hypertension, and coagulopathy. We also conducted a Meta-analysis of the success rate and complication rate of previous LRB in study 2. All the patients completed biopsies and adequate renal tissues were obtained. The success rate was 100%. The median number of glomeruli obtained was 22.5 (range:12.0, 45.0). The complication rate was 7.1% (urinary tract infection). There were no significant differences between levels of hemoglobin, serum creatinine, and urinary NAGL before and after surgery. In the meta-analysis, the success rate of operation, satisfactory rate of sample, and complication rate of surgery were 99.9%, 99.1%, and 2.6% respectively. LRB can achieve a good success rate and specimen retrieval and does not increase the risk of complications for high-risk patients. It can present as one of the alternative methods for patients with glomerular diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: To evaluate the impact of a dual glucose‐dependent insulinotropic peptide (GIP) and glucagon‐like peptide‐1 (GLP‐1) receptor agonist tirzepatide (TZP), and its potential dose‐response effect, on heart rate. Methods: Articles were searched from PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Cochrane Library, and clinical trials registries (ClinicalTrials.gov) databases. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing TZP at doses of 5, 10 and 15 mg in adults with type 2 diabetes were included. Six study arms were summarized from original research (TZP 5, 10 and 15 mg, GLP‐1 receptor agonists [GLP‐1RAs], insulin, placebo). The GLP‐1RA and non‐GLP‐1RA groups were combined to form a control group. Two reviewers independently extracted data and assessed the quality of each study. Mean differences (MDs) were calculated as effect estimates for continuous outcomes. Pairwise meta‐analyses and network meta‐analyses were conducted. The study protocol was prospectively registered (PROSPERO ID: CRD42023418551). Results: Eight articles were included in this systematic review and meta‐analysis. The mean baseline heart rate ranged from 65.2 to 75.7 beats per minute. Pairwise meta‐analysis showed that, compared with combined the control group, there were significantly greater increases in heart rates in the TZP group (MD 1.82, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.75, 2.89). Similar significant rises were identified when comparing TZP with GLP‐1RAs and non‐GLP‐1RAs (GLP‐1 RAs: MD 2.29, 95% CI 1.00, 3.59; non‐GLP‐1RAs: MD 1.58, 95% CI 0.26, 2.91). TZP 5 mg was associated with smaller increases in heart rates compared to TZP 10 mg and TZP 15 mg (TZP 10 mg: MD −0.97, 95% CI −1.79, −0.14; TZP 15 mg: MD −2.57, 95% CI −3.79, −1.35). TZP 10 mg increased heart rate less than TZP 15 mg (MD −1.5, 95% CI −2.38, −0.82). Network meta‐analysis indicated that TZP 15 mg was associated with significant increases in heart rate compared with TZP 5 mg (MD 2.53, 95% CI 1.43, 3.62), TZP 10 mg (MD 1.44, 95% CI 0.35, 2.53), GLP‐1RAs (MD 3.46, 95% CI 1.67, 5.25), insulin (MD 2.86, 95% CI 1.32, 4.41) and placebo (MD 2.96, 95% CI 1.36, 4.57). Conclusions: Our study showed not only that there was a greater increase in heart rate in the TZP group than in the control, GLP‐1RA and non‐GLP‐1RA groups, but also that the 15‐mg dose of TZP had the strongest impact on increasing heart rates compared with the other five inventions, with a TZP dose‐response impact on heart rate. Further research on the effects of TZP treatment‐related increases in heart rate is required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Synchronous distance education (SDE) has been widely used for health science students in recent years. This study examined the effectiveness and acceptance of SDE compared with traditional education for health science students and explored the potential moderators that could impact the pooled results. Methods: A systematic review and meta‐analysis was conducted of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) from January 2000 to March 2020 searched on nine electronic databases, including Web of Science, PubMed, Cochrane Library, Scopus, EMBASE, CINAHL, ERIC, PsycINFO, and ProQuest Dissertations and Theses. The outcomes measured were knowledge, skills with objective assessments and overall satisfaction with subjective evaluations. The pooled results were calculated using random‐model effects, and moderators were explored through meta‐regression. Results: A total of seven RCTs with 594 participants were included. At the post‐test level, the pooled effect size of knowledge acquisitions (SMD 0.12, 95% CI −0.07‐0.32) showed insignificant difference between the SDE and traditional education groups (P =.207), with low heterogeneity (I2 = 17.6%). Subgroup analyses observed no factors that significantly impacted the pooled results of knowledge acquisition at the post‐test levels (P for interaction > 0.05). Knowledge gains from pretest to post‐test in SDE groups also did not differ significantly between groups (SMD 0.15, 95% CI −0.22‐0.53; P =.428). The pooled effect size of skills (SMD 0.02, 95% CI −0.24‐0.28; P =.735) was similarly insignificant. The pooled effect size of overall satisfaction (SMD 0.60, 95% CI 0.38‐0.83; P <.001) significantly favoured SDE over traditional education. Incorporating two‐group studies without randomisations did not significantly change the overall results of knowledge acquisition at the post‐test level (SMD −0.002, 95% CI −0.11‐0.10; P =.994), with moderate heterogeneity (I2 = 61.9%). Conclusions: Synchronous distance education was not significantly different from traditional education in effectiveness and had higher satisfaction ratings. Our findings might provide indications for adoptions of online remote education in health science education centres. Synchronous distance education appears to be neither better nor worse than traditional education but is often preferred. The findings should facilitate consideration now of how education might continue to evolve post‐pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The cardiovascular efficacy of glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are well documented; however, the differences in cardiovascular efficacy among subpopulations remain unknown. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to explore the differences in cardiovascular efficacy of long-acting GLP-1RAs among subpopulations of patients with T2DM and to assess the drug safety. Methods: Relevant studies up to March 31, 2020 were searched for in six electronic databases, namely PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, Clinical Trials, Science Direct, and Web of Science. The primary outcome was three-point major adverse cardiovascular events (including cardiovascular mortality, non-fatal myocardial infarction, and non-fatal stroke). Subpopulations were defined using ten selected influential factors, and the differences in cardiovascular efficacy in subpopulations stratified by different influential factors were accessed by synthesizing studies with random-effects models one by one. Results: A total of six cardiovascular outcome trials of long-acting GLP-1RAs, comprising 49,936 participants, were included. Among stratified subpopulations, no significant differences in the cardiovascular efficacy of long-acting GLP-1RAs were observed across the ten characteristics of subjects (all P for interaction > 0.05). Favorable trends were observed in the subpopulation with established cardiovascular disease (CVD) compared to that without (P = 0.171). With regards to safety, long-acting GLP-1RAs did not significantly increase the risk of retinopathy (OR 1.09; 95% CI 0.92–1.29; P = 0.316), but increase the risk of serious gastrointestinal events (OR 1.37; 95% CI 1.02–1.83; P = 0.037). Long-acting GLP-1RAs did not significantly increase the risk of serious adverse events (OR 0.92; 95% CI 0.85–1.00; P = 0.039). Conclusions: Our analysis suggested no subpopulation differences in the cardiovascular efficacy of long-acting GLP-1RAs among stratified subpopulations, and favorable trends were only observed in the subpopulation with established CVD. These findings may have implications for the management of long-acting GLP-1RAs across subpopulations of patients with T2DM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Acupuncture had long been a primary treatment in the healthcare system of China. In recent years, there were more and more network meta-analyses (NMAs) in the field of acupuncture and moxibustion, but the quality evaluation of NMAs was rare. Objectives. The goal of this study was to evaluate the methodological and reporting quality of NMAs and summarize the effects of different treatments of acupuncture and moxibustion. Methods. PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure Database (CNKI), WanFang Database (WF), Chinese Scientific Journal Database (VIP), and Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (CBM) were searched from inception to January 2020 without any language restriction. In addition, the unpublished studies and the references of initially included literature were also retrieved manually. We included all relevant NMAs treated with acupuncture and moxibustion; other therapies such as traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine may also be included, but at least three types fall under the category of acupuncture in each NMA. Outcome indicators were not limited. We selected AMSTAR2 and PRISMA-NMA to evaluate the methodological and reporting quality of eligible studies, respectively. Results. In total, 29 NMAs were included finally, including 12 Chinese references and 17 English references. All eligible studies were published from May 2013 to August 2019. The number of interventions was between 4 and 22. The number of clinical trials included ranged from 10 to 121, with a total of 1098 clinical trials. The NMAs were involved in up to 23 diseases, knee osteoarthritis and primary dysmenorrhea covered with 3 NMAs separately, others focusing on chronic functional constipation, lumbar disc herniation, chronic fatigue syndrome, and the like. The Jadad scale and RoB scale were used as the bias risk assessment tools. Among them, 7 articles adopted the Jadad scale, 22 articles adopted the RoB scale (1 article adopted both the Jadad scale and RoB scale), and only 1 article did not mention the risk assessment tool. The AMSTAR2 methodological evaluation showed that the highest score was 13.5 points and the lowest was 4, with an average of 8.64 and a median of 9.5. According to the quality criteria, only one of them was in high quality, twenty-four were in medium quality, and four were in low quality. The PRISMA-NMA reporting quality evaluation showed that the highest score was 29 points and the lowest was 13.5, with an average of 23.62 and a median of 24.5; severe flaws also existed in some items, especially in "Structured summary," "Protocol and registration," "Search," "Data collection process," "Data items," "Additional analyses," "Risk of bias across studies," and "Results of additional analyses." Conclusion. The number of NMAs in the field of acupuncture and moxibustion was still in the initial stage. Overall, their methodology and reports were of moderate quality. However, severe flaws also existed in some items. Because the eligible NMAs were limited, the conclusion needed further research to confirm its authenticity and reliability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a noninfectious inflammatory disease caused by allergic individuals exposed to allergens. Western medicine therapy for treating AR causes obvious adverse events, while thunder fire moxibustion (TFM) is known as a safe and effective treatment for AR. Therefore, we conducted this meta-analysis to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of TFM for treating AR. Methods. PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, the Cochrane Library, CNKI, WanFang, VIP, and CBM from inception to April 5, 2020, were searched without any language restriction. Reviewers identified studies, extracted data, and assessed the quality, independently. The primary outcomes were the total effective rate and the TNSS. The secondary outcomes included TNNSS, RQLQ, VAS, serum IgE, IgA, or IgG level, and adverse events. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were collected; methodological quality was evaluated using the Cochrane risk of bias assessment tool (RoB), and the level of evidence was rated using the GRADE approach. Meta-analysis was performed using the RevMan5.3.0 software. Results. A total of 18 RCTs were included, including 1600 patients. The results of this meta-analysis showed a statistically significant effect in a total effective rate of T = TFM (RR = 1.07; 95% CI [1.03, 1.12]; P = 0.45 ; I2 = 0%) and T = TFM + other treatments (RR = 1.18; 95% CI [1.11, 1.25]; P = 0.03 ; I2 = 53%). In addition, TFM intervention also showed significant difference in total symptom score (T = TFM + other treatments) (MD = −1.42; 95% CI [−1.55, −1.29]; P = 0.03 ; I2 = 60%) in patients with AR. Conclusion. Existing evidence shows that TFM is safe and effective for AR. Due to the universal low quality of the eligible trials and low evidence level, we should draw our conclusions with caution. Therefore, clinical researchers should carry out more large-sample, multicentre, high-quality randomized controlled clinical trials in the future to verify the clinical efficacy of TFM in treating AR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Acupuncture and moxibustion have been accepted as treatment options for primary dysmenorrhea (PD). So far, several systematic reviews (SRs) and meta-analyses (MAs) have reported on the efficacy and safety of acupuncture and moxibustion in treating PD. Objectives. The aim of this study was to critically summarize the evidence from relevant SRs and MAs reporting on the efficacy and safety of acupuncture and moxibustion in treatment of PD. Materials and Methods. Seven electronic databases, including Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, EMBASE, PubMed, SinoMed, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Chinese Science and Technology Periodical Database (VIP), and Wanfang database, were systematically searched. SRs or MAs about acupuncture for PD published up to May 2019 were included in the analysis. More than two authors independently assessed the quality of the evidence by AMSTAR2, PRISMA, PRISMA-A, and GRADE approach. Results. A total of 28 SRs and MAs, 281 original studies, reporting on 26,459 female patients were analyzed. The majority of the SRs were of moderate reporting quality and poor methodological quality. Moderate-quality evidence suggested that acupuncture and moxibustion were more effective compared to indomethacin or Fenbid in treating PD. Low-quality evidence suggested that, compared to NSAIDs, acupuncture and moxibustion could relieve pain with less adverse effects. Conclusion. Acupuncture and moxibustion seem to be effective and safe approaches in treatment of PD; yet, the methodological quality of most of the studies and the quality of evidence were low. Thus, additional studies are required to further confirm these results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Acupuncture and moxibustion have been accepted as treatment options for primary dysmenorrhea (PD). So far, several systematic reviews (SRs) and meta-analyses (MAs) have reported on the efficacy and safety of acupuncture and moxibustion in treating PD. Objectives. The aim of this study was to critically summarize the evidence from relevant SRs and MAs reporting on the efficacy and safety of acupuncture and moxibustion in treatment of PD. Materials and Methods. Seven electronic databases, including Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, EMBASE, PubMed, SinoMed, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Chinese Science and Technology Periodical Database (VIP), and Wanfang database, were systematically searched. SRs or MAs about acupuncture for PD published up to May 2019 were included in the analysis. More than two authors independently assessed the quality of the evidence by AMSTAR2, PRISMA, PRISMA-A, and GRADE approach. Results. A total of 28 SRs and MAs, 281 original studies, reporting on 26,459 female patients were analyzed. The majority of the SRs were of moderate reporting quality and poor methodological quality. Moderate-quality evidence suggested that acupuncture and moxibustion were more effective compared to indomethacin or Fenbid in treating PD. Low-quality evidence suggested that, compared to NSAIDs, acupuncture and moxibustion could relieve pain with less adverse effects. Conclusion. Acupuncture and moxibustion seem to be effective and safe approaches in treatment of PD; yet, the methodological quality of most of the studies and the quality of evidence were low. Thus, additional studies are required to further confirm these results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]