Effects and safety of transcranial direct current stimulation on multiple health outcomes: an umbrella review of randomized clinical trials.

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), which delivers a direct current to the brain, emerged as a non-invasive potential therapeutic in treating a range of neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders. However, a comprehensive quantitative evidence synthesis on the effects of tDCS on a broad range of mental illnesses is lacking. Here, we systematically assess the certainty of the effects and safety of tDCS on several health outcomes using an umbrella review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs). The methodological quality of each included original meta-analysis was assessed by the A Measurement Tool for Assessing Systematic Reviews 2 (AMSTAR2), and the certainty of the evidence for each effect was evaluated with Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE). We followed an a priori protocol (PROSPERO CRD42023458700). We identified 15 meta-analyses of RCTs (AMSTAR 2; high 3, moderate 3, and low 9) that included 282 original articles, covering 22 unique health endpoints across 22 countries and six continents. From meta-analyses of RCTs supported by very low to high certainty of evidence, it was found that tDCS improved symptoms related to post-stroke, including post-stroke depression scale score (equivalent standardized mean difference [eSMD], 1.61 [95% confidence level, 0.72-2.50]; GRADE=moderate), activities of daily living independence (7.04 [3.41-10.67]; GRADE=high), motor recovery of upper and lower extremity (upper extremity: 0.15 [0.06-0.24], GRADE=high; lower extremity: 0.10 [0.03-0.16], GRADE=high), swallowing performance (GRADE=low), and spasticity (GRADE=moderate). In addition, tDCS had treatment effects on symptoms of several neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders, including obsessive-compulsive disorder (0.81 [0.44-1.18]; GRADE=high), pain in fibromyalgia (GRADE=low), disease of consciousness (GRADE=low), insight score (GRADE=moderate) and working memory (0.34 [0.01-0.67]; GRADE=high) in schizophrenia, migraine-related pain (-1.52 [-2.91 to -0.13]; GRADE=high), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (reduction in overall symptom severity: 0.24 [0.04-0.45], GRADE=low; reduction in inattention: 0.56 [0.02-1.11], GRADE=low; reduction in impulsivity: 0.28 [0.04-0.51], GRADE=low), depression (GRADE=low), cerebellar ataxia (GRADE=low), and pain (GRADE=very low). Importantly, tDCS induced an increased number of reported cases of treatment-emergent mania or hypomania (0.88 [0.62-1.13]; GRADE=moderate). We found varied levels of evidence for the effects of tDCS with multiple neurological and neuropsychiatric conditions, from very low to high certainty of evidence. tDCS was effective for people with stroke, obsessive-compulsive disorder, fibromyalgia, disease of consciousness, schizophrenia, migraine, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, depression, cerebellar ataxia, and pain. Therefore, these findings suggest the benefit of tDCS for several neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders; however, further studies are needed to understand the underlying mechanism and optimize its therapeutic potential.

Clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients with mpox during the 2022 mpox outbreak compared with those before the outbreak: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

On 23 July 2022, the World Health Organization declared the global mpox outbreak as a public health emergency of international significance. The mpox virus (MPXV) that caused the outbreak was classified as clade IIb, which belongs to the West African clade. However, the relationship between MPXV clades and symptoms, as well as the severity of mpox outcomes, is not fully understood. Thus, we aimed to investigate the global mpox prevalence and the differences in clinical manifestations and outcomes among patients with mpox between pre-outbreak (2003-2021) and the current mpox outbreak. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, Embase, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and Google Scholar were searched using the keyword "monkeypox" and "mpox" up to 13 October 2022. A random effects model was used to obtain the pooled prevalence and 95% confidence intervals. This study included 27 articles, and 5698 patients with mpox with 19 distinctive features from 19 countries across five continents were assessed. Patients with mpox during the 2022 mpox outbreak showed mild clinical manifestations and outcomes compared with those before the 2022 mpox outbreak: mild rash (relative ratio [RR]: 5.09, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.52-17.08), fever (0.68, 0.49-0.94), pruritus (0.25, 0.19-0.32), myalgia (0.50, 0.31-0.81), headache (0.56, 0.35-0.88), skin ulcer (0.32, 0.17-0.59), abdominal symptom (0.29, 0.20-0.42), pharyngitis (0.32, 0.18-0.58), nausea or vomiting (0.15, 0.02-0.93), conjunctivitis (0.11, 0.03-0.38), concomitant infection with HIV (1.70, 0.95-3 0.04), and death (0.02, 0.001-0.31). MPXV clade IIb exhibited higher infectivity but may cause mild disease symptoms and low mortality rate. It is important to consider MPXV infection in patients with mpox-related features and/or a history of sexual transmission to prevent the spread of the disease and recognise the current pandemic threat.

Long-Term Autoimmune Inflammatory Rheumatic Outcomes of COVID-19 : A Binational Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Some data suggest a higher incidence of diagnosis of autoimmune inflammatory rheumatic diseases (AIRDs) among patients with a history of COVID-19 compared with uninfected patients. However, these studies had methodological shortcomings. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of COVID-19 on long-term risk for incident AIRD over various follow-up periods. DESIGN: Binational, longitudinal, propensity-matched cohort study. SETTING: Nationwide claims-based databases in South Korea (K-COV-N cohort) and Japan (JMDC cohort). PARTICIPANTS: 10 027 506 Korean and 12 218 680 Japanese patients aged 20 years or older, including those with COVID-19 between 1 January 2020 and 31 December 2021, matched to patients with influenza infection and to uninfected control patients. MEASUREMENTS: The primary outcome was onset of AIRD (per appropriate codes from the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision) 1, 6, and 12 months after COVID-19 or influenza infection or the respective matched index date of uninfected control patients. RESULTS: Between 2020 and 2021, among the 10 027 506 Korean participants (mean age, 48.4 years [SD, 13.4]; 50.1% men), 394 274 (3.9%) and 98 596 (0.98%) had a history of COVID-19 or influenza, respectively. After propensity score matching, beyond the first 30 days after infection, patients with COVID-19 were at increased risk for incident AIRD compared with uninfected patients (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.25 [95% CI, 1.18 to 1.31]) and influenza-infected control patients (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.30 [CI, 1.02 to 1.59]). The risk for incident AIRD was higher with more severe acute COVID-19. Similar patterns were observed in the Japanese cohort. LIMITATIONS: Referral bias due to the pandemic; residual confounding. CONCLUSION: SARS-CoV-2 infection was associated with increased risk for incident AIRD compared with matched patients without SARS-CoV-2 infection or with influenza infection. The risk for incident AIRD was higher with greater severity of acute COVID-19. PRIMARY FUNDING SOURCE: National Research Foundation of Korea.

Global burden of vaccine-associated multiple sclerosis, 1967-2022: A comprehensive analysis of the international pharmacovigilance database.

Vaccine-associated multiple sclerosis (MS) is rare, with insufficient evidence from case reports. Given the scarcity of large-scale data investigating the association between vaccine administration and adverse events, we investigated the global burden of vaccine-associated MS and potential related vaccines from 1967 to 2022. Reports on vaccine-associated MS between 1967 and 2022 were obtained from the World Health Organization International Pharmacovigilance Database (total number of reports = 120 715 116). We evaluated global reports, reporting odds ratio (ROR), and information components (IC) to investigate associations between 19 vaccines and vaccine-associated MS across 156 countries and territories. We identified 8288 reports of vaccine-associated MS among 132 980 cases of all-cause MS. The cumulative number of reports on vaccine-associated MS gradually increased over time, with a substantial increase after 2020, owing to COVID-19 mRNA vaccine-associated MS. Vaccine-associated MS develops more frequently in males and adolescents. Nine vaccines were significantly associated with higher MS reporting, and the highest disproportional associations were observed for hepatitis B vaccines (ROR 19.82; IC025 4.18), followed by encephalitis (ROR 7.42; IC025 2.59), hepatitis A (ROR 4.46; IC025 1.95), and papillomavirus vaccines (ROR 4.45; IC025 2.01). Additionally, MS showed a significantly disproportionate signal for COVID-19 mRNA vaccines (ROR 1.55; IC025 0.52). Fatal clinical outcomes were reported in only 0.3% (21/8288) of all cases of vaccine-associated MS. Although various vaccines are potentially associated with increased risk of MS, we should be cautious about the increased risk of MS following vaccination, particularly hepatitis B and COVID-19 mRNA vaccines, and should consider the risk factors associated with vaccine-associated MS.

National Trends in Allergic Rhinitis and Chronic Rhinosinusitis and COVID-19 Pandemic-Related Factors in South Korea, from 1998 to 2021.

INTRODUCTION: Existing studies provide insights into the prevalence and environmental factors associated with allergic rhinitis (AR) and chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) globally. However, limitations still persist in these studies, particularly regarding cohort sizes and the duration of follow-up periods, indicating a need for more comprehensive and long-term research in these fields. Our study aimed to investigate the prevalence, long-term trends, and underlying factors of these conditions in the general population of adult participants (≥19 years) in Korea. METHOD: We analyzed data from adult participants (≥19 years) from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) study to determine the prevalence of AR and CRS from 1998 to 2021. To analyze prevalence trends before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, we employed a weighted linear regression model and obtained ß-coefficients with 95% confidence intervals (CI). RESULTS: Between 1998 and 2021, over a span of 24 years, the comprehensive KNHANES study included 146,264 adult participants (mean age: 47.80 years, standard deviation: 16.49 years; 66,177, 49.3% men). The prevalence of AR and CRS increased from 1998 to 2021, with AR prevalence rising from 5.84% (95% CI, 5.57-6.10) in 1998-2005 to 8.99% (8.09-9.91) in 2021 and CRS from 1.84% (1.70-1.97) in 1998-2005 to 3.70% (3.18-4.23) in 2021. However, the increasing trend has slowed down during the COVID-19 pandemic era. CONCLUSIONS: The significance of continuous monitoring and focused interventions for AR and CRS is underscored by this study. The observed deceleration in the rising prevalence of AR and CRS during the pandemic indicates the possibility of beneficial impacts from lifestyle modifications triggered by the pandemic. These findings call for additional research to explore potential protective effects in greater depth.

Incidence, prevalence, and global burden of ADHD from 1990 to 2019 across 204 countries: data, with critical re-analysis, from the Global Burden of Disease study.

Data on incidence, prevalence and burden of ADHD are crucial for clinicians, patients, and stakeholders. We present the incidence, prevalence, and burden of ADHD globally and across countries from 1990 to 2019 from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study. We also: (1) calculated the ADHD prevalence based on data actually collected as opposed to the prevalence estimated by the GBD with data imputation for countries without prevalence data; (2) discussed the GBD estimated ADHD burden in the light of recent meta-analytic evidence on ADHD-related mortality. In 2019, GBD estimated global age-standardized incidence and prevalence of ADHD across the lifespan at 0.061% (95%UI = 0.040-0.087) and 1.13% (95%UI = 0.831-1.494), respectively. ADHD accounted for 0.8% of the global mental disorder DALYs, with mortality set at zero by the GBD. From 1990 to 2019 there was a decrease of -8.75% in the global age-standardized prevalence and of -4.77% in the global age-standardized incidence. The largest increase in incidence, prevalence, and burden from 1990 to 2019 was observed in the USA; the largest decrease occurred in Finland. Incidence, prevalence, and DALYs remained approximately 2.5 times higher in males than females from 1990 to 2019. Incidence peaked at age 5-9 years, and prevalence and DALYs at age 10-14 years. Our re-analysis of data prior to 2013 showed a prevalence in children/adolescents two-fold higher (5.41%, 95% CI: 4.67-6.15%) compared to the corresponding GBD estimated prevalence (2.68%, 1.83-3.72%), with no significant differences between low- and middle- and high-income countries. We also found meta-analytic evidence of significantly increased ADHD-related mortality due to unnatural causes. While it provides the most detailed evidence on temporal trends, as well as on geographic and sex variations in incidence, prevalence, and burden of ADHD, the GBD may have underestimated the ADHD prevalence and burden. Given the influence of the GBD on research and policies, methodological issues should be addressed in its future editions.

Methodological rigour in preclinical urology: a systematic review reporting research quality over a 14-year period.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence and trends of essential study design elements in preclinical urological studies, as well as key factors that may improve methodological rigour, as the demand for methodological rigour in preclinical studies is increasing since research reproducibility and transparency in the medico-scientific field are being questioned. METHODS AND RESULTS: PubMed was searched to include preclinical urological studies published between July 2007 to June 2021. A total of 3768 articles met the inclusion criteria. Data on study design elements and animal models used were collected. Citation density was also examined as a surrogate marker of study influence. We performed an analysis of the prevalence of seven critical study design elements and temporal patterns over 14 years. Randomisation was reported in 50.0%, blinding in 15.0%, sample size estimation in 1.0%, inclusion of both sexes in 6.3%, statistical analysis in 97.1%, housing and husbandry in 47.7%, and inclusion/exclusion criteria in 5.0%. Temporal analysis showed that the implementation of these study design elements has increased, except for inclusion of both sexes and inclusion/exclusion criteria. Reporting study design elements were associated with increased citation density in randomisation and statistical analysis. CONCLUSIONS: The risk of bias is prevalent in 14-year publications describing preclinical urological research, and the quality of methodological rigour is barely related to the citation density of the article. Yet five study design elements (randomisation, blinding, sample size estimation, statistical analysis, and housing and husbandry) proposed by both the National Institutes of Health and Animal Research: Reporting of In Vivo Experiments guidelines have been either well reported or are being well reported over time. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD42022233125.

Prenatal and postnatal exposure to antibiotics and risk of food allergy in the offspring: A nationwide birth cohort study in South Korea.

BACKGROUND: There are only preliminary studies examining the associations of postnatal antibiotic exposure with food allergy in childhood, and the effect of antibiotic exposure in utero has not been resolved. Thus, we aimed to investigate the effect of prenatal and postnatal antibiotic exposure on the risk of food allergy in childhood. METHODS: Using the nationwide birth cohort in South Korea, all 3,163,206 infants (pairing mother; n = 2,322,735) born in South Korea between 2010 and 2017 were included in the analysis. The primary outcome was the diagnosis of food allergy, and the observation period was between January 1, 2009, and December 31, 2020. We implemented four different designs for the study, which consisted of a full unmatched cohort, 1:1 propensity-matched cohort, sibling comparison cohort, and health screening cohort along with multiple subgroup analyses. RESULTS: During the follow-up period (median 6.92 years [IQR, 4.72-9.00]) of the 3,161,858 infants (52.6% male) in the birth cohort, 29,973 (1.9%) were diagnosed with food allergies. After a 1:1 propensity score matching, the use of antibiotics increased the risk of overall food allergy (prenatal [HR, 1.05; 95% CI, 1.04-1.09] and postnatal [HR, 1.05; 95% CI, 1.01-1.10] periods). The association was more significantly accentuated when antibiotic exposure was used in the short term, and the children were born preterm or with low birthweight; however, a trimester-specific effect was not observed. We observed more pronounced risks of food allergy in the health screening cohort (prenatal, 17%; postnatal, 15%), thus addressing the adverse effects of critical factors including maternal BMI, smoking status, and type of infant feeding. Similar trends were observed across all four differnt cohorts. CONCLUSION: This study reported a moderate association between early-life antibiotic use and subsequent food allergy during childhood throughout four different designs of analyses. This study suggests that clinicians need to consider the risks and benefits of antibiotics when administering antibiotics to individuals in the prenatal and postnatal periods.

Temporal trends of carbonated soft-drink consumption among adolescents aged 12-15 years from eighteen countries in Africa, Asia and the Americas.

Carbonated soft-drink consumption is detrimental to multiple facets of adolescent health. However, little is known about temporal trends in carbonated soft-drink consumption among adolescents, particularly in non-Western countries. Therefore, we aimed to examine this trend in representative samples of school-going adolescents from eighteen countries in Africa, Asia and the Americas. Cross-sectional data from the Global School-based Student Health Survey 2009-2017 were analysed. Carbonated soft-drink consumption referred to drinking carbonated soft-drinks at least once per day in the past 30 d. The prevalence of carbonated soft-drink consumption was calculated for each survey, and crude linear trends were assessed by linear regression models. Data on 74 055 students aged 12-15 years were analysed (mean age 13·9 (sd 1·0) years; 49·2 % boys). The overall mean prevalence of carbonated soft-drink consumption was 42·1 %. Of the eighteen countries included in the study, significant decreasing, increasing and stable trends of carbonated soft-drink consumption were observed in seven, two and nine countries, respectively. The most drastic decrease was observed in Kuwait between 2011 (74·4 %) and 2015 (51·7 %). Even in countries with significant decreasing trends, the decrease was rather modest, while some countries with stable trends had very high prevalence across time (e.g. Suriname 80·5 % in 2009 and 79·4 % in 2016). The prevalence of carbonated soft-drink consumption was high in all countries included in the present analysis, despite decreasing trends being observed in some. Public health initiatives to reduce the consumption of carbonated soft-drink consumption among adolescents are urgently required.

Risk profile and mode of transmission of Mpox: A rapid review and individual patient data meta-analysis of case studies.

Since May 2022, an outbreak of Mpox in non-endemic countries has become a potential public health threat. The objective of this rapid review was to examine the risk profile and modes of transmission of Mpox. PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus were searched from inception through July 30 to collect case reports/series on patients with Mpox infection. For meta-analysis, data on the total number of participants and deaths by binary categories of exposure (age, sex, country, other co-infections or existing conditions, and mode of contagion) were used. A total of 62 studies (4659 cases) were included. Most cases came from Africa (84.3%), followed by Europe (13.9%). In 63.6% of the cases, the mode of contagion was human contact, while 22.8% of the cases were by animal contact, and 13.5% were unknown or not reported. The mortality rate was 6.5% throughout these studies. The risk of mortality was higher in the younger age group (risk difference: 0.19; 95% CI: 0.02-0.36), in cases with other co-infections or current chronic conditions (risk difference: 0.03; 95% CI: 0.01-0.05) and in the category of low- and middle-income countries (risk difference: 0.06; 95% CI: 0.05-0.08). There were no significant differences with respect to sex or mode of contagion. These results help to understand the major infection pathways and mortality risk profiles of Mpox and underscores the importance of preventing outbreaks in specific settings, especially in settings densely populated by children, such as day care centres and schools.

Genetics, structure, transmission, epidemiology, immune response, and vaccine efficacies of the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant: A comprehensive review.

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Delta variant (B.1.617.2) was the predominant variant behind the surges of COVID-19 in the United States, Europe, and India in the second half of 2021. The information available regarding the defining mutations and their effects on the structure, transmission, and vaccine efficacy of SARS-CoV-2 is constantly evolving. With waning vaccine immunity and relaxation of social distancing policies across the globe driving the increased spread of the Delta variant, there is a great need for a resource aggregating the most recent information for clinicians and researchers concerning the Delta variant. Accordingly, this narrative review comprehensively reviews the genetics, structure, epidemiology, clinical course, and vaccine efficacy of the Delta variant. Comparison with the omicron variant is also discussed. The Delta variant is defined by 15 mutations in the Spike protein, most of which increase affinity for the ACE-2 receptor or enhance immune escape. The Delta variant causes similar symptoms to prototypical COVID-19, but it is more likely to be severe, with a greater inflammatory phenotype and viral load. The reproduction number is estimated to be approximately twice the prototypical strains present during the early pandemic, and numerous breakthrough infections have been reported. Despite studies demonstrating breakthrough infection and reduced antibody neutralisation, full vaccination effectively reduces the likelihood of severe illness and hospitalisation.

Effects of COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy on SARS-CoV-2 infection and maternal and neonatal outcomes: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy is associated with adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes, but no systematic synthesis of evidence on COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy against these outcomes has been undertaken. Thus, we aimed to assess the collective evidence on the effects of COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy on maternal and neonatal outcomes. PubMed/MEDLINE, CENTRAL, and EMBASE were systematically searched for articles published up to 1 November 2022. A systematic review and meta-analysis were performed to calculate pooled effects size and 95% confidence interval (CI). We evaluated 30 studies involving 862,272 individuals (308,428 vaccinated and 553,844 unvaccinated). Overall pooled analyses in pregnant women during pregnancy showed reduced risks of SARS-CoV-2 infection by 60% (41%-73%), COVID-19 hospitalisation during pregnancy by 53% (31%-69%), and COVID-19 intensive care unit (ICU) admission by 82% (12%-99%). Neonates of vaccinated women were 1.78 folds more likely to acquire SARS-CoV-2 infection during the first 2, 4 and 6 months of life during the Omicron period. The risk of stillbirth was reduced by 45% (17%-63%) in association with vaccination (vs. no vaccination) in pregnancy. A decrease of 15% (3%-25%), 33% (14%-48%), and 33% (17%-46%) in the odds of preterm births before 37, 32 and 28 weeks' gestation were associated with vaccination (vs. no vaccination) in pregnancy, respectively. The risk of neonatal ICU admission was significantly lower by 20% following COVID-19 vaccination in pregnancy (16%-24%). There was no evidence of a higher risk of adverse outcomes including miscarriage, gestational diabetes, gestational hypertension, cardiac problems, oligohydramnios, polyhydramnios, unassisted vaginal delivery, cesarean delivery, postpartum haemorrhage, gestational age at delivery, placental abruption, Apgar score at 5 min below 7, low birthweight (<2500 g), very low birthweight (<1500 g), small for gestational age, and neonatal foetal abnormalities. COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy is safe and highly effective in preventing maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection in pregnancy, without increasing the risk of adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes, and is associated with a reduction in stillbirth, preterm births, and neonatal ICU admission. Importantly, maternal vaccination did not reduce the risk of neonatal SARS-CoV-2 infection during the first 6 months of life during the Omicron period.

Clinical manifestations of human Mpox infection: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Little is known about the ongoing monkeypox (mpox) outbreak, and the clinical features of mpox in patients worldwide have not been rigorously analysed. Thus, we aimed to investigate the clinical features associated with mpox infection and understand the pathophysiology and characteristics of the disease. For this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, Google Scholar, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews for articles published till 16 September 2022. We used a random effects model to calculate the pooled prevalence and 95% confidence interval (CI). We used the I2 statistic to assess heterogeneity, Egger's test to assess publication bias, 95% prediction interval to determine the level of uncertainty, and the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale and Joanna Briggs Institute quality assessment tool to assess the risk of bias. Twenty-six relevant articles from 19 countries across 5 continents were included, and data on 5472 mpox patients with 18 unique features were analysed. The pooled prevalence of clinical features of mpox were rash (85.7%, 95% CI: 68.3-94.3; k = 21), chills (77.8%, 95% CI: 70.5-83.7; k = 3), and fever (62.3%, 95% CI: 51.3-71.6; k = 25), lymphadenopathy (58.6%, 95% CI: 47.2-69.2; k = 21), lethargy or exhaustion (46.8%, 95% CI: 30.7-63.5; k = 14), pruritus (40.6%, 95% CI: 28.5-54.0; k = 5), myalgia (36.0%, 95% CI: 24.3-49.7; k = 16), headache (34.6%, 95% CI: 23.4-47.8; k = 17), skin ulcer (31.1%, 95% CI: 18.6-47.1; k = 7), abdomen symptom (24.2%, 95% CI: 17.9-31.9; k = 11), pharyngitis (23.0%, 95% CI: 12.7-37.9; k = 14), respiratory symptom (19.5%, 95% CI: 6.8-44.6; k = 6), nausea or vomiting (13.0%, 95% CI: 4.6-31.9; k = 3), scrotal or penile oedema (10.7%, 95% CI: 6.3-17.7; k = 4), conjunctivitis (7.1%, 95% CI: 2.4-18.9; k = 6), and death (0.9%, 95% CI: 0.4-2.0; k = 26). This is the first international and comprehensive study to examine all clinical presentations of human mpox infection. Our systematic review proposes a comprehensive understanding of the current mpox outbreak and may serve as key data for future studies on the pathological mechanisms and epidemiology of mpox infections.

COVID-19 susceptibility and clinical outcomes in inflammatory bowel disease: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis.

The susceptibility, risk factors, and prognosis of COVID-19 in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) remain unknown. Thus, our study aims to assess the prevalence and clinical outcomes of COVID-19 in IBD. We searched PubMed, EMBASE, and medRxiv from 2019 to 1 June 2022 for cohort and case-control studies comparing the prevalence and clinical outcomes of COVID-19 in patients with IBD and in the general population. We also compared the outcomes of patients receiving and not receiving 5-aminosalicylates (ASA), tumour necrosis factor antagonists, biologics, systemic corticosteroids, or immunomodulators for IBD. Thirty five studies were eligible for our analysis. Pooled odds ratio of COVID-19-related hospitalisation, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, or death in IBD compared to in non-IBD were 0.58 (95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.28-1.18), 1.09 (95% CI = 0.27-4.47), and 0.67 (95% CI = 0.32-1.42), respectively. Inflammatory bowel disease was not associated with increased hospitalisation, ICU admission, or death. Susceptibility to COVID-19 did not increase with any drugs for IBD. Hospitalisation, ICU admission, and death were more likely with 5-ASA and corticosteroid use. COVID-19-related hospitalisation (Odds Ratio (OR): 0.53; 95% CI = 0.38-0.74) and death (OR: 0.13; 95% CI = 0.13-0.70) were less likely with Crohn's disease than ulcerative colitis (UC). In conclusion, IBD does not increase the mortality and morbidity of COVID-19. However, physicians should be aware that additional monitoring is needed in UC patients or in patients taking 5-ASA or systemic corticosteroids.

Impact of the 2008 economic crisis on the burden of hepatitis B and C diseases in Southern European countries.

BACKGROUND: The economic crisis that began in 2008 has severely affected Southern (Greece, Italy, Portugal, Spain) Western European (SWE) countries of Western Europe (WE) and may have affected ongoing efforts to eliminate viral hepatitis. This study was conducted to investigate the impact of the economic crisis on the burden of HBV and HCV disease. METHODS: Global Burden of Diseases 2019 data were used to analyse the rates of epidemiological metrics of HBV and HCV acute and chronic infections in SWE and WE. Time series modelling was performed to quantify the impact of healthcare expenditure on the time trend of HBV and HCV disease burden in 2000-2019. RESULTS: Declining trends in incidence and prevalence rates of acute HBV (aHBV) and chronic HBV were observed in SWE and WE, with the pace of decline being slower in the post-austerity period (2010-2019) and mortality due to HBV stabilised in SWE. Acute HCV (aHCV) metrics and chronic HCV incidence and mortality showed a stable trend in SWE and WE, whereas the prevalence of chronic HCV showed an oscillating trend, decreasing in WE in 2010-2019 (p < 0.001). Liver cancer due to both hepatitis infections showed a stagnant burden over time. An inverse association was observed between health expenditure and metrics of both acute and chronic HBV and HCV. CONCLUSIONS: Epidemiological metrics for HBV and HCV showed a slower pace of decline in the post-austerity period with better improvement for HBV, a stabilisation of mortality and a stagnant burden for liver cancer due to both hepatitis infections. The economic crisis of 2008 had a negative impact on the burden of hepatitis B and C. Elimination of HBV and HCV by 2030 will be a major challenge in the SWE countries.

The separate and joint effects of recent interpersonal abuse and cannabis use on psychotic experiences: findings from students in higher education in the United States.

BACKGROUND: Various forms of interpersonal abuse (e.g., physical, emotional, sexual) and cannabis use across the lifespan have both been known to increase odds of psychotic experiences; however, there have been few studies examining their separate and joint effects in the United States. METHODS: We analyzed data from the Healthy Minds Study (2020-2021) and used multivariable logistic regression and interaction contrast ratios to assess separate and joint effects of interpersonal abuse (past 12 months) and cannabis use (past 30 days) on psychotic experiences (past 12 months). RESULTS: Students who only used cannabis had significantly greater odds of psychotic experiences (aOR: 1.70; 95% CI 1.58-1.82), as well as those who only experienced interpersonal abuse (aOR: 2.40; 95% CI 2.25-2.56). However, those who reported both cannabis use and interpersonal abuse had the greatest odds, exceeding the sum of these individual effects (the combined effect aOR: 3.46; 95% CI 3.19-3.76). CONCLUSIONS: Recent interpersonal abuse and recent cannabis use both separately and jointly increase odds of having recent psychotic experiences. Future research should continue to examine the potential interactive and additive impact of multiple known exposures to better inform primary and secondary prevention efforts.

Prevalence of sarcopenia in Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies.

BACKGROUND: Existing literature suggests that sarcopenia is a highly prevalent condition in older people. However, most studies to date reporting data on its prevalence have been mainly carried out in Western countries, while data on sarcopenia in Africa is scarce. With this systematic review and meta-analysis, we aimed to determine the prevalence of sarcopenia in African countries and to explore potential factors that could explain higher or lower prevalence of this condition in Africa. METHODS: Major databases for studies reporting data on sarcopenia in African countries were searched from inception to June 2023. We conducted a meta-analysis of the prevalence [and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs)] of sarcopenia in Africa, applying a random effect model. Several sensitivity and meta-regression analyses were run. RESULTS: Among 147 articles initially screened, six articles (with seven cohorts) including a total of 10,656 participants were included. Mean age of participants was 66.9 years, and the majority were female (58.1%). The weighted prevalence of sarcopenia in the selected countries of Africa was 25.72% (95%CI: 18.90-32.55). This outcome was characterized by a high heterogeneity (I2 = 99%) and by publication bias. Among the factors investigated, sarcopenia was lower when assessed using only one anthropometric measure, or in South Africa. CONCLUSION: Sarcopenia is a prevalent condition in Africa and thus research regarding this topic is a public health priority. Future studies that cover African countries for which data are not available and using standardized criteria are needed.

Mild cognitive impairment predicts the onset of Sarcopenia: a longitudinal analysis from the English Longitudinal Study on Ageing.

BACKGROUND: Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and sarcopenia are two common conditions in older people. It is not widely known if MCI could predict the onset of sarcopenia. Therefore, we aimed to investigate whether MCI could predict the occurrence of sarcopenia in a population of older adults. METHODS: In the ELSA (English Longitudinal Study on Ageing), MCI was defined as the absence of dementia, preserved functional capacity and low performance in three objective cognitive tests. Sarcopenia was diagnosed as having low handgrip strength and low skeletal muscle mass index during follow-up. The longitudinal association between MCI at the baseline and incident sarcopenia was assessed using a multivariable logistic regression model, reporting the data as adjusted odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI). RESULTS: 3,106 participants (mean age of 63.1 years; 55.3% males) were included. People with MCI reported significantly lower mean handgrip strength values and Skeletal Mass Index (SMI), as well as a higher prevalence of obesity at baseline. At baseline, 729 people had MCI and during the ten years follow-up period, 12.1% of the initial population included had sarcopenia. On multivariate analysis, adjusted for 18 potential confounders, the presence of MCI (OR = 1.236; 95%CI: 1.090-1.596, p = 0.01) significantly predicted the onset of sarcopenia during follow-up. CONCLUSION: The presence of MCI at baseline was associated with a higher incidence of sarcopenia at ten-years follow-up, demonstrating a likely role of MCI as a predictor of the onset of sarcopenia in older people.

Association between sedentary behavior and dynapenic abdominal obesity among older adults from low- and middle-income countries.

BACKGROUND: Sedentary behavior, or time spent sitting, may increase risk for dynapenic abdominal obesity (DAO), but there are currently no studies on this topic. AIMS: Therefore, we investigated the association between sedentary behaviour and DAO in a nationally representative sample of older adults from six low- and middle-income countries. METHODS: Cross-sectional data from the Study on Global AGEing and Adult Health were analysed. Dynapenia was defined as handgrip strength < 26 kg for men and < 16 kg for women. Abdominal obesity was defined as waist circumference of > 88 cm (> 80 cm for Asian countries) for women and > 102 cm (> 90 cm) for men. DAO was defined as having both dynapenia and abdominal obesity. Self-reported sedentary behavior was categorized as ≥ 8 h/day (high sedentary behaviour) or < 8 h/day. Multivariable multinomial logistic regression was conducted. RESULTS: Data on 20,198 adults aged ≥ 60 years were analyzed [mean (SD) age 69.3 (13.1) years; 54.1% females]. In the overall sample, ≥ 8 h of sedentary behavior per day (vs. <8 h) was significantly associated with 1.52 (95%CI = 1.11-2.07) times higher odds for DAO (vs. no dynapenia and no abdominal obesity), and this was particularly pronounced among males (OR = 2.27; 95%CI = 1.42-3.62). Highly sedentary behavior was not significantly associated with dynapenia alone or abdominal obesity alone. DISCUSSION: High sedentary behaviour may increase risk for DAO among older adults. CONCLUSIONS: Interventions to reduce sedentary behaviour may also lead to reduction of DAO and its adverse health outcomes, especially among males, pending future longitudinal research.

Safety of Early Surgery in Hip Fracture Patients Taking Clopidogrel and/or Aspirin: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to investigate the safety of early surgery in hip fracture patients who took clopidogrel and/or aspirin. METHODS: A systematic search was conducted using databases, including PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science, for studies relating to early arthroplasty or internal fixation for femoral neck fractures, intertrochanteric fractures, and subtrochanteric fractures in patients taking clopidogrel and/or aspirin. A total of 20 observational studies involving 3,077 patients were included in this meta-analysis, and analyzed in groups of early surgery versus delayed surgery, and clopidogrel and/or aspirin versus nonantiplatelet agents. RESULTS: Patients in the clopidogrel and/or aspirin group who underwent early surgery had significantly more intraoperative blood loss than those in the non-antiplatelet group (mean difference = 17.96, 95% confidence interval [CI] [4.37, 31.55], P = .01), and patients in the clopidogrel and/or aspirin group had a lower overall incidence of complications after early surgery than those in the delayed surgery group (odds ratio = 0.26, 95% CI [0.14, 0.29], P < .001) and a shorter length of hospital stay (odds ratio = 0.26, 95% CI [0.14, 0.29], P < .001). There was no significant difference in postoperative mortality and other related indicators. CONCLUSIONS: Early surgery in hip fracture patients taking clopidogrel and/or aspirin appears to be safe based on the available evidence and needs to be clarified by higher quality studies. However, the increased risk of cardiovascular events associated with discontinuation of clopidogrel or clopidogrel combined with aspirin dual antiplatelet therapy requires attention in the perioperative period.