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Background: Emerging research indicates buprenorphine, used in management of opioid use disorder, has attracted interest for its potential in treating a variety of psychiatric conditions. This meta-analysis aimed to determine the efficacy of buprenorphine in treating symptoms of depression. Methods: Using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines, a search was conducted of several databases until April 25, 2022, for English language articles related to buprenorphine and its use in treating various mental health conditions. Standardized mean differences (SMDs) and its 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were reported for the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D) and the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) scores. Statistical analyses were performed using Cochrane RevMan 5. Results: Of the 1,347 identified studies, six clinical trials were included. MADRS-10 least square mean difference (LSMD) inter-group assessment favored buprenorphine over placebo, but it lacked statistical significance. Similarly, MADRS scores as well as HAM-D inter-group assessment were in favor of buprenorphine, however, were not statistically significant. These findings suggest a potential therapeutic role for buprenorphine in treating depression, albeit with caution due to the observed lack of statistical significance and the potential for confounding factors. Conclusions: Preliminary evidence suggests potential efficacy of buprenorphine at lower doses in improving improving outcomes specifically related to depression. However, due to limitations in statistical significance and possible confounding factors, entail cautious interpretation. Further rigorous research is needed to investigate the long-term effects, optimal dosing, and determine the role of adjuvant drug therapy.
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Purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on mental health worldwide, with depression and sleep problems among the most common issues experienced by many individuals. Depression can lead to sleep problems, which can increase the risk of developing depressive symptoms. However, it is unclear which United States (US) sub-population was most affected by depression and sleep problems during the pandemic. Methods: We conducted a secondary analysis using self-reported data from the 2021 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), focusing on adults aged 18 years and above (n=29,763). We utilized self-reported responses to questions about prescription medication and frequency of depressive feelings to determine participants' depression status. Appropriate weights were applied to account for the sampling design of the surveys. Our analysis involved descriptive statistics and chi-squared tests to compare sociodemographic, clinical, behavioral, and sleep-related characteristics between US adults with and without depression. Additionally, logistic regression was used to examine the associations between sleep duration, sleep quality and depression. Results: The overall prevalence of depression in our sample was 44.4%. It were higher in certain demographic groups, including younger adults (18-39 years, 47.7%), non-Hispanic whites (47.9%), females (50.1%), those at the lower income bracket (52.2%), those with no college or degree (48.7%) uninsured individuals (45.2%), and those reporting poor general health (71.9%). Individuals with depression had a 12% increased odds of experiencing short sleep (aOR: 1.12, 95% CI:1.04-1.20, p<0.001), 34% increased odds of experiencing long sleep (aOR: 1.34, 95% CI: 1.20-1.50, p < 0.001) and more than 2.5 fold increased odds of reporting poor sleep quality (aOR:2.57, 95% CI: 2.40-2.78; p<0.0001). In the multivariate analysis, all variables (sex, race/ethnicity, education, health insurance coverage, marital status, general health status and use of sleep medications, smoking and alcohol use status) were significantly predictors of poor sleep quality, with the exceptions of age and family income. Conclusion: The findings emphasize the need to address sleep health in treating depression, especially during times of public health crises.
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Introduction: The relationship between cardiovascular disorders and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has been extensively studied. To better pool this data and make a more definite conclusion, we performed a meta-analysis to evaluate the association between NAFLD and the thickness of media and intima of carotid artery (CIMT) and cardiovascular disorders. Methods: We searched PubMed, Ovid, Scopus, ProQuest, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library, and analyzed the pooled data using R studio and the "metafor" package. Results: The final analysis included a total of 59 studies with 16,179 cases and 26,120 control individuals. NAFLD was shown to be associated with an increase of 0.1231 mm (20.6%) in carotid artery intima-media thickness (CIMT) (p = 0.002, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.0462-0.2000) in individuals with NAFLD. The prevalence of atherosclerotic plaques in the carotid arteries and the occurrence of NAFLD are significantly correlated, according to a meta-analysis based on 17 distinct studies (p = 0.001, 1.28-1.43, 95% CI, odds ratio = 1.356). Conclusion: Patients with increased CIMT are considerably more likely to have NAFLD. Large prospective investigations are required to corroborate these findings and their prognostic significance, along with the effectiveness of the available interventions.
