Ginger for Pain Management in Primary Dysmenorrhea: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: Primary dysmenorrhea is a common gynecological disorder that affects many women of reproductive age. Ginger, a widely used spice with anti-inflammatory properties, has been suggested as a potential treatment for the painful cramps associated with this condition. Objective: The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to evaluate the efficacy of ginger for pain management in primary dysmenorrhea. Methods: Our systematic review was registered in Prospero (CRD42023418001). Six English (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, PsycINFO, CINAHL complete, and Cochrane) and one Persian electric database (SID) was searched up to May 2023 for English or Persian studies that measure the effect of ginger on pain in dysmenorrhea. The Cochrane tool was used to assess the risk of bias of the included studies. Random effects meta-analyses were performed to obtain standardized mean differences (SMD) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results: Out of the 804 articles initially identified from the search, 24 were included for qualitative analysis and 12 for quantitative analysis after a full-text evaluation. The combined results of the studies indicate that ginger is notably more effective than placebo in reducing both the intensity (SMD = -1.13; 95% CI = -1.59 to -0.68, I2 = 81.05%) and duration of pain (SMD = -0.29; 95% CI = -0.46 to -0.12). There were no differences between ginger and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) (SMD = 0.01; 95% CI = -0.24 to 0.25), or exercise (SMD = 0.06; 95% CI = -0.66 to 0.78) for pain intensity. Safety-related data were infrequently reported. Conclusions: The results of this meta-analysis suggest that ginger can effectively reduce pain associated with dysmenorrhea. The findings are limited due to risk of bias in the included studies and the unclear risk-benefit ratio.

The safety and efficacy of bevacizumab in treatment of recurrent low-grade glioma: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Central nervous system (CNS) tumors are among the most common malignancies in various age ranges. Low-grade glioma (LGG) can account for nearly 30% of pediatric CNS malignancies. Progression or recurrence after the first-line treatments is common among these patients. Therefore, more treatments are required. Bevacizumab as an anti-VEGF antibody has come into the spotlight recently and is especially used in relapse or recurrence settings. This review aims to study the safety and efficacy of bevacizumab for patients with recurrent LGG. METHODS: This study was conducted according to The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses. PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Embase were comprehensively searched using the relevant key terms until 24th August 2023 to retrieve the studies that investigated clinical outcomes of bevacizumab in patients with recurrent LGG. All statistical analysis was performed by STATA v.17. RESULTS: A total of 1306 papers were gathered, out of which 13 were incorporated in the meta-analysis. The pooled incidence rate of treatment according to the RANO scale was 70% (95% CI = 43-98%) for objective response rate, 26% (95% CI = 58-96%) for partial response, 21% (95% CI = 15-28%) for minor response, 14% (95% CI = 3-24%) for complete response, 48% (95% CI = 37-59%) for stable disease, and 8% (95% CI = 4-11%) for progressive disease. Furthermore, according to progressive survival after treatment, it was 4% (95% CI = -1 to 9%) for 6-month PFS, 41% (95% CI = 32-50%) for 2-year PFS, and 29% (95% CI = 22-35%) for 3-year PFS. CONCLUSION: According to the RANO scale and PFS, clinicians should be aware that Bevacizumab could be a favorable alternative therapy for recurrent LGG. Furthermore, bevacizumab exhibits minimal toxicity and high tolerability in recurrent LGG.

Is beta-carotene consumption associated with thyroid hormone levels?

The thyroid hormones play a pivotal role in various physiological processes, including growth, metabolism regulation, and reproduction. While non-modifiable factors are known to impact thyroid function, such as genetics and age, nutritional factors are also important. Diets rich in selenium and iodine are conventionally acknowledged to be beneficial for the production and release of thyroid hormones. Recent studies have suggested a potential link between beta-carotene, a precursor to vitamin A (retinol), and thyroid function. Beta-carotene is known for its antioxidant properties and has been shown to play a role in the prevention of various clinical conditions such as cancer and cardiovascular and neurological diseases. However, its impact on thyroid function is still unclear. Some studies have suggested a positive association between beta-carotene levels and thyroid function, while others have found no significant effect. Conversely, the hormone produced by the thyroid gland, thyroxine, enhances the conversion of beta-carotene to retinol. Furthermore, vitamin A derivatives are being explored as potential therapeutic options for thyroid malignancies. In this review, we highlight the mechanisms through which beta-carotene/retinol and thyroid hormones interact and review the findings of clinical studies examining the association between beta-carotene consumption and thyroid hormone levels. Our review underscores the need for further research to clarify the relationship between beta-carotene and thyroid function.

The Impact of Neutrophil-Lymphocyte Ratio in Febrile Seizures: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

This meta-analysis was conducted to determine the relationship between neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and febrile seizure (FS). Our study was registered with the PROSPERO (ID: CRD42021259944). Web of Science, Embase, PubMed, Scopus, and ProQuest Central were searched, and finally, 17 studies were included. Standardized mean difference (SMD) was reported with a 95% confidence interval (CI) for the NLR levels. Compared with the febrile control group, the FS patients' NLR levels were significantly higher (SMD = 0.49; 95%CI = 0.26 to 0.72, P < 0.001). Furthermore, we conducted a comparison of NLR levels between febrile controls against simple and complex FS cases separately and found that NLR levels of children with either simple or complex FS were higher compared with those of febrile controls (SMD = 0.42, 95%CI = 0.14 to 0.69, P = 0.003 and SMD = 0.90, 95%CI = 0.71 to 1.09, P < 0.001, respectively). Also, in comparison with the NLR levels of the simple FS group, the complex FS patients' NLR levels were significantly higher (SMD = 0.59, 95%CI = 0.34 to 0.85, P < 0.001). Our study indicated that NLR could be recommended as an inexpensive diagnostic biomarker for FS. In addition, it can be useful when distinguishing between simple FS and complex FS.