Clinical effectiveness of fluticasone furoate nasal spray for perennial allergic rhinitis in children: a comprehensive review.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the clinical effectiveness of fluticasone furoate nasal spray (FFNS) versus placebo on nasal symptoms and safety in children with perennial allergic rhinitis (AR). METHODS: A comprehensive review was conducted with data obtained from Medline and Embase databases up to April 2023. The population of interest was patients aged 2-12 years with perennial AR. The selection was limited to randomized controlled trials (RCTs), comparing FFNS with placebo. Outcomes of interest included the reflective total nasal symptoms scores (rTNSS) and safety. To assess the minimal clinically important difference for rTNSS, the Cohen's guideline was used. If the pooled standardized mean difference (SMD) and the lower limit of the 95 percent confidence interval (CI) exceeded the threshold of -0.20, effects were considered clinically significant. RESULTS: Three RCTs (959 pediatric patients) were selected. One study evaluated the short-term use of FFNS, another evaluated the long-term use of FFNS, and another evaluated both the short-term and long-term use of FFNS. FFNS produced a statistically significant reduction over placebo in rTNSS (SMD -0.18; 95 percent CI -0.35 to -0.01, p = 0.03) in long-term treatment studies, but not in short-term treatment studies. However, since the mean reduction did not reach the minimum clinically important difference (SMD -0.20), these results were considered clinically not relevant. Safety outcomes with FFNS were similar to placebo. CONCLUSIONS: The currently available evidence suggests that FFNS, 110 µg once daily, compared to placebo, does not produce a meaningful clinical effect on nasal symptom in children with perennial AR.

Prevalencia y componentes del síndrome metabólico premórbido en trabajadores asegurados al seguro social de salud en una zona de altitud moderada en Perú

Objetivo : Analizar la prevalencia y componentes del Síndrome Metabólico (SM) premórbido en trabajadores asegurados al seguro social de salud en una zona de altitud moderada (Chachapoyas, Perú). Materiales y métodos : Se realizó un estudio transversal con datos de diverso tipo de trabajadores pertenecientes a un programa de EsSalud enfocado a diagnosticar SM premórbido, obesidad y sobrepeso en trabajadores en sus centros laborales durante el periodo octubre 2017 a agosto 2018. Se trabajó con datos previamente registrados por el programa mencionado. El SM se diagnosticó según los criterios de la guía "Harmonizing the Metabolic Syndrome". Resultados: Se incluyeron un total de 1021 sujetos. La prevalencia global de SM premórbido fue de 32,8 % (312/952). En hombres, la prevalencia fue de 35,4 % (160/452) y en mujeres de 30,4 % (152/500), no existiendo diferencias estadísticamente significativas entre ambos sexos (p=0,101). La frecuencia de los componentes del SM en la población total del estudio fue: Obesidad central 73,4 %, hipertrigliceridemia 45,6 %, HDL-C bajo 66,3 %, hiperglicemia 10,0 % y presión arterial elevada 6,5 %. Los participantes con SM premórbido fueron significativamente mayores en edad que aquellos sin SM premórbido (44 versus 36 años, p<0,001). Conclusiones : Existe una alta prevalencia de SM premórbido en trabajadores residentes en Chachapoyas, contrariamente a lo sugerido por la evidencia previa.

Objective : To analyze the prevalence and components of pre-morbid Metabolic Syndrome (MS) in workers insured by social health in a moderate altitude area (Chachapoyas, Peru). Materials and methods : A cross-sectional study was conducted with data from various types of workers belonging to a program focused on diagnosing pre-morbid MS, obesity and overweight in workers in their workplaces during the period from October 2017 to August 2018. Data previously recorded by the program were used. MS was diagnosed according to the criteria of the guide "Harmonizing the Metabolic Syndrome". Results : A total of 1021 subjects were included. The overall prevalence of pre-morbid MS was 32.8% (312/952). In men, the prevalence was 35.4% (160/452) and in women 30.4% (152/500), with no statistically significant differences between sexes (p = 0.101). The frequency of the components of MS in the total population of the study was: Central obesity 73.4%, hypertriglyceridemia 45.6%, low HDL-C 66.3%, hyperglycemia 10.0% and high blood pressure 6.5%. Participants with premorbid MS were significantly older than those without pre-morbid MS (44 versus 36 years, p <0.001). Conclusions : There is a high prevalence of pre-morbid MS in workers residing in Chachapoyas, contrary to what previous evidence suggests.

Glycated hemoglobin as a surrogate for evaluating the effectiveness of drugs in diabetes mellitus trials: a systematic review and trial-level meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to investigate whether glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) is a valid surrogate for evaluating the effectiveness of antihyperglycemic drugs in diabetes mellitus (DM) trials. METHODS: We conducted a systematic review of placebo-controlled randomized clinical trials (RCTs) evaluating the effect of a treatment on HbA1c (mean difference between groups) and clinical outcomes (relative risk of mortality, myocardial infarction, stroke, heart failure, and/or kidney injury) in patients with DM. Then, we investigated the association between treatment effects on HbA1c and clinical outcomes using regression analysis at the trial level. Lastly, we interpreted the correlation coefficients (R) using the cut-off points suggested by the Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Healthcare (IQWiG). HbA1c was considered a valid surrogate if it demonstrated a strong association: lower limit of the 95 percent confidence interval (95 percent CI) of R greater than or equal to .85. RESULTS: Nineteen RCTs were identified. All studies included adults with type 2 DM. None of the associations evaluated was strong enough to validate HbA1c as a surrogate for any clinical outcome: mortality (R = .34; 95 percent CI -.14 to .69), myocardial infarction (R = .20; -.30 to .61), heart failure (R = .08; -.40 to .53), kidney injury (R = -.04; -.52 to .47), and stroke (R = .81; .54 to .93). CONCLUSIONS: The evidence from multiple placebo-controlled RCTs does not support the use of HbA1c as a surrogate to measure the effectiveness of antihyperglycemic drugs in DM studies.

Impact of COVID-19 induced lockdown on physical activity and sedentary behavior among university students: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has entailed a significant socio-economic impact on various layers of the population. In many countries, attempts to control viral dissemination involved lockdown measures that limited citizens' overall mobility and professional and leisure activities. OBJECTIVE: This systematic review investigates the impact of COVID-19-induced lockdowns on university student physical activity and sedentary behav-ior, as these relate to physical and mental well-being. METHODS: Data was collected through PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, SCOPUS, and APA PsycInfo databases until January 2021. RESULTS: Seven studies conducted in five different countries (United States, Spain, Italy, China, and United Kingdom) were included in the final review. Overall, most studies reported a significant decrease in mild physical activity (i.e., walking) among undergraduate students but not among graduate students. Consistently, most studies reported a significant increase in sedentary time (i.e., sitting time on weekdays) in undergraduate students but not in graduate students. We observed that students who were more sedentary previous to lockdown, increased or did not change their moderate and/or vigorous physical activity. In contrast, those who were less sedentary previous to lockdown decreased their moderate and/or vigorous physical activity. CONCLUSIONS: COVID 19 induced lockdowns appear to have negatively affected walking and sedentary behavior among undergraduate students but not among graduate students. Our results highlight the importance of promoting the World Health Organization recommendations for physical activity and sedentary behavior among university students to improve health outcomes.