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Abstract We aimed to evaluate the association between systemic sclerosis (SSc) and major cerebrovascular/cardiovascular risks through a systematic approach. Databases were systematically searched from their inception to October 10, 2023 for studies comparing cerebrovascular/cardiovascular event rates between patients with SSc and controls. The primary outcome was the stroke risk in patients with SSc. Secondary outcomes included risk of myocardial infarction (MI), cardiovascular disease (CVD), peripheral vascular disease (PVD), and venous thromboembolism (VTE). Seventeen studies with 6,642,297 participants were included. SSc was associated with a significantly increased risk of stroke (HR, 1.64; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.35–2.01), CVD (HR, 2.12; 95% CI, 1.36–3.3), MI (HR, 2.15; 95% CI, 1.23–3.77), VTE (HR, 2.75; 95% CI, 1.77–4.28), and PVD (HR, 5.23; 95% CI, 4.25–6.45). Subgroup analysis revealed a significantly increased stroke risk in the non-Asian group (HR, 1.55; 95% CI, 1.26–1.9), while the Asian group displayed a higher but not statistically significant risk (HR, 1.86; 95% CI, 0.97–3.55). The study found that SSc is associated with a significantly increased risk of cerebrovascular/cardiovascular events. These findings highlight the importance of vasculopathy in SSc and suggest the need for enhanced clinical monitoring and preventive measures in this high-risk population.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the efficacy and safety of herbal medicine and acupuncture combination for pediatric epilepsy treatment.MethodsDatabases were searched from their interception until October 2023 to identify randomized controlled trials focusing on the therapeutic efficacy of herbal medicine-acupuncture combination (intervention group) for pediatric epilepsy. The primary outcome was the risk of treatment failure, whereas the secondary outcomes included the risk of post-treatment electroencephalogram (EEG) abnormalities and adverse events. Subgroup analyses were conducted based on the type of herbal compound formulas. Meta-regression analysis was conducted to examine the influence of patient demographics and clinical history on the therapeutic efficacy of herbal medicine-acupuncture combination for pediatric epilepsy. To assess the cumulative evidence, trial sequential analysis (TSA) was performed.ResultsThe analysis included 10 trials involving a total of 882 pediatric patients. Meta-analysis revealed that the intervention group had a lower risk of treatment failure than the control group (risk ratio [RR] = 0.3, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.19-0.47, PConclusionThe meta-analysis suggested that combined use of herbal medicine and acupuncture is a promising and safe clinical approach for pediatric epilepsy treatment. Further large-scale studies are necessary to conclusively determine the efficacy and safety of herbal medicine and acupuncture in pediatric epilepsy treatment.

The use of ultrasonography to predict spinal-induced hypotension (SIH) has gained significant attention. This diagnostic meta-analysis aimed to investigate the reliability of the inferior vena cava collapsibility index (IVCCI) in predicting SIH in patients undergoing various surgeries. Databases, including Embase, Cochrane Library, Medline, and Google Scholar, were screened until 28 July 2023, yielding 12 studies with 1076 patients (age range: 25.6–79 years) undergoing cesarean section (CS) (n = 4) or non-CS surgeries (n = 8). Patients with SIH had a significantly higher IVCCI than those without SIH (mean difference: 11.12%, 95% confidence interval (CI): 7.83–14.41). The pooled incidence rate of SIH was 40.5%. IVCCI demonstrated satisfactory overall diagnostic reliability (sensitivity, 77%; specificity, 82%). The pooled area under the curve (AUC) was 0.85, indicating its high capability to differentiate patients at risk of PSH. The Fagan nomogram plot demonstrated a positive likelihood ratio (PLR) of 4 and a negative likelihood ratio (NLR) of 0.28. The results underscore the robustness and discriminative ability of IVCCI as a predictive tool for SIH. Nevertheless, future investigations should focus on assessing its applicability to high-risk patients and exploring the potential enhancement in patient safety through its incorporation into clinical practice.

Although the fibrinogen-to-albumin ratio (F/R ratio) has been used as an inflammation marker to predict clinical outcomes in patients with cardiovascular diseases, its association with the prognosis of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) remains unclear. Electronic databases including EMBASE, MEDLINE, Google Scholar, and Cochrane Library were searched from inception to 20 June 2022. The associations of F/R ratio with poor prognosis (defined as the occurrence of mortality or severe disease) were investigated in patients with COVID-19. A total of 10 studies (seven from Turkey, two from China, one from Croatia) involving 3675 patients published between 2020 and 2022 were eligible for quantitative syntheses. Merged results revealed a higher F/R ratio in the poor prognosis group (standardized mean difference: 0.529, p < 0.001, I2 = 84.8%, eight studies) than that in the good prognosis group. In addition, a high F/R ratio was associated with an increased risk of poor prognosis (odds ratio: 2.684, I2 = 59.5%, five studies). Pooled analysis showed a sensitivity of 0.75, specificity of 0.66, and area under curve of 0.77 for poor prognosis prediction. In conclusion, this meta-analysis revealed a positive correlation between F/A ratio and poor prognostic outcomes of COVID-19. Because of the limited number of studies included, further investigations are warranted to support our findings.

The associations of prognostic nutritional index (PNI) with disease severity and mortality in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) remain unclear. Electronic databases, including MEDLINE, EMBASE, Google scholar, and Cochrane Library, were searched from inception to 10 May 2022. The associations of PNI with risk of mortality (primary outcome) and disease severity (secondary outcome) were investigated. Merged results from meta-analysis of 13 retrospective studies (4204 patients) published between 2020 and 2022 revealed a lower PNI among patients in the mortality group [mean difference (MD): −8.65, p < 0.001] or severity group (MD: −5.19, p < 0.001) compared to those in the non-mortality or non-severity groups. A per-point increase in PNI was associated with a reduced risk of mortality [odds ratio (OR) = 0.84, 95% CI: 0.79 to 0.9, p < 0.001, I2 = 67.3%, seven studies] and disease severity (OR = 0.84, 95% CI: 0.77 to 0.92, p < 0.001, I2 = 83%, five studies). The pooled diagnostic analysis of mortality yielded a sensitivity of 0.76, specificity of 0.71, and area under curve (AUC) of 0.79. Regarding the prediction of disease severity, the sensitivity, specificity, and AUC were 0.8, 0.61, and 0.65, respectively. In conclusion, this study demonstrated a negative association between PNI and prognosis of COVID-19. Further large-scale trials are warranted to support our findings.