ABSTRACT
Background Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is increasingly recognized as a cause of chronic liver disease. It can lead to complications such as decompensated liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Objectives This study aimed to assess liver stiffness using point shear wave elastography in patients with diabetes and NAFLD and to compare the results with the FIB-4 (fibrosis-4) score, AST/ALT (aspartate aminotransferase-to-alanine aminotransferase) ratio, and APRI (AST-to-Platelet Ratio Index). Materials and methods A cross-sectional study was conducted on type 2 diabetes patients who underwent point shear wave liver elastography for liver stiffness estimation between January 2020 and February 2023. Demographic data such as age, sex, and laboratory data (AST, ALT, and platelet count) were recorded. FIB-4 score, APRI, and AST/ALT ratio were calculated for these patients. The results of the FIB-4 score and APRI were then compared with the shear wave liver elastography fibrosis scores. Results The analysis included 60 patients, of whom 50 (83.33%) were male, with a mean age of 44.8 years (SD: 11.02; range: 21-69). Thirty-six patients (60%) had significant fibrosis. There was a significant positive correlation between the shear wave elastography results and the FIB-4 and APRI scores. Conclusion The findings revealed that nearly two-thirds of the study group had significant fibrosis (≥F2), highlighting the need for early NAFLD diagnosis and treatment. Noninvasive laboratory serum markers, in conjunction with shear wave liver elastography, are useful for diagnosing severe fibrosis.
ABSTRACT
Introduction: Glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RA) have been extensively used to treat obesity in recent years. These novel drugs are effective at reducing body weight and also the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events in individuals with type 2 diabetes. However, the data of its efficacy in reducing cardiovascular events in individuals without type 2 diabetes is not as robust. We aim to update and conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the same. Methods: The study was conducted according to the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis) guideline. Researchers searched PubMed, EMBASE, and Clinicaltrails.gov for English literature from inception to 2024. Randomized Controlled trails enrolling adult participants (age ≥ 18 years) who are overweight or obese (BMI > 25â Kg/m2) with a comparison of all cardiovascular events between patients taking GLP1-RA and placebo were included. The analysis was done by Revman version 5.4. Results: A total of 17 RCTs among 34,419 participants were included in the analysis. The pooled risk ratio from 17 studies illustrated that patients with GLP-1 RA had a significantly lower risk of cardiovascular events compared to patients who had a placebo (RR = 0.75; 95% confidence interval 0.64-0.89, p-value = 0.0008). Semaglutide was found to have a statistically significant greatest risk reduction than other drug types. Conclusions: This meta-analysis found that GLP-1 RA significantly reduced all types of cardiovascular events in overweight and obese patients without diabetes. Semaglutide was found to be superior to others in CV event reductions. But still, the results of ongoing trials are needed. Systematic Review Registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=553048, PROSPERO (CRD42024553048).
ABSTRACT
The ideal antithrombotic therapy post transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) remains uncertain. We performed a network meta-analysis of RCTs to report the outcomes with various antithrombotic strategies to determine the optimal therapy. A systematic search of the PubMed/Medline and Cochrane databases was performed through January 6, 2022. The primary outcome was stroke and the secondary outcomes were major/life-threatening bleeding, myocardial infarction, all-cause mortality, and cardiac mortality. A network meta-analysis was conducted with a random-effects model. All analysis was carried out using R version 4.0.3. Six RCTs were included in the final analysis. SAPT when compared with DAPT was associated with a reduced risk of major or life-threatening bleeding [OR: 0.42; 95% CI: 0.25-0.70]. Other antithrombotic strategies were associated with similar odds of major and life-threatening bleeding post TAVR compared with DAPT. There was no difference in the incidence of stroke, myocardial infarction, all-cause and cardiac mortality between the various antithrombotic strategies post TAVR. The present analysis reported SAPT as the preferred antithrombotic regimen post TAVR compared with other regimens in patients who do not have other indications for anticoagulation. Additional studies such as ADAPT-TAVR, CLOE and ATLANTIS trials will further add to our understanding of the adequate antithrombotic regimen post TAVR in patients with otherwise no indication for anticoagulation.