ObjectiveTo systematically review the efficacy and safety of simvastatin and its different doses in the adjunct therapy of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).MethodsPubMed, EMbase, Web of Science, The Cochrane Library, CNKI, WanFang Data, CBM and VIP databases were electronically searched to collect randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on adjunct therapy of simvastatin in patients with COPD from inception to May 15th, 2020. Two reviewers independently screened literature, extracted data and assessed risk bias of included studies; then, meta-analysis was performed by using Stata 14.0 software.ResultsA total of 22 RCTs involving 2 377 patients were included. The results of meta-analysis showed that treatment with 20 mg simvastatin could improve FEV1%pred, FEV1/FVC, and reduce inflammatory indexes such as CRP, hs-CRP, IL-8 and TNF-α, while 40 mg failed to improve. Simvastatin could reduce COPD score (CAT), but failed to increase the 6-minute walking distance or alleviate acute exacerbation.ConclusionsCurrent evidence shows that treatment with 20 mg simvastatin can improve pulmonary function, reduce inflammatory index and optimize CAT score in COPD patients, but it cannot increase the 6-minute walking distance and reduce the number of acute exacerbations of COPD. Due to the limited quantity and quality of included studies, the above conclusions are needed to be verified by more high-quality studies.
Multimorbidity is becoming a major issue in global health due to the increased prevalence of chronic diseases and the accelerated aging of the population. Clinical practice guidelines, as key tools for guiding clinical practice, play an important role in the field of multimorbidity, but also face many challenges. In this paper, we will review the necessity of developing multimorbidity guidelines, the current situation, challenges and opportunities, and on this basis, we will put forward our thoughts and suggestions to promote the development of guidelines in the field of multimorbidity in China.
Large Language Models (LLMs) are highly sophisticated deep learning models pre-trained on massive datasets, with ChatGPT representing a prominent application of LLMs in the field of generative models. Since the release of ChatGPT at the end of 2022, generative chatbots have become widely employed across various medical disciplines. As a crucial discipline guiding clinical practices, the usage of generative chatbots like ChatGPT in Evidence-Based Medicine (EBM) is gradually increasing. However, the potential, challenges, and intricacies of their application in the domain of EBM remain unclear. This paper aims to explore and discuss the prospects, challenges, and considerations associated with the application of ChatGPT in the field of EBM through a review of relevant literature. The discussion spans four aspects: evidence generation, synthesis, assessment, dissemination, and implementation, providing researchers with insights into the latest developments and future research suggestions.
Objectives To investigate the participation of magazines or journals' editors in the clinical practice guidelines in China. Methods WanFang Data, VIP, CNKI, CBM databases, as well as Baidu, Google and www.medlive.cn were searched online to collect incorporated guidelines in which magazines or journal editors participated in. Data was then analyzed. Results In total, 68 guidelines were selected, with 51 (75.00%) led by magazines and 17 (25.00%) edited by editors. 55 guidelines (80.88%) were the same in published and participated journals. Circulatory diseases (27.94%), diagnosis and treatment (54.41%) were the most concerned. 15 guidelines (22.06%) were updated. 17 guidelines reported the roles of the editors who were mostly expert group members (13.24%). 7 guidelines, 3 of which affirmed no relevant conflicts of interest, reported the sponsorship. The quality was higher than the domestic average while lower than the international guidelines. Conclusions The number of clinical practice guidelines magazines or editors participating in China is relatively small, while the quality was higher. The primary form of the participation is journal-led, however, the process, methods, roles, and conflicts of interest in the guidelines require further definition.
The Rapid Advice Guidelines (RAGs), prepared in the form of evidence-based guidelines for responding to public health emergencies in a short period, are characterized by their capability to significantly reduce the time for the development of guidelines to the maximum extent while ensuring quality. Therefore, the RAGs are primarily used to guide and respond to public health emergencies. This article will introduce the definition, characteristics, current situation, applicable situation, development methods, advantages and limitations of the RAGs. Our study proposes several suggestions for RAGs developers and researchers to improve development of RAGs in China.
Traditional Chinese medicine has been used for the treatment of many diseases including acute infections often associated with public health emergencies for thousands of years. However, clinical evidence supporting the use of these treatments is insufficient, and the mechanism for using Chinese medicine therapy in the public health setting has not been fully established. In this report, the Evidence-based Traditional and Integrative Chinese medicine Responding to Public Health Emergencies Working Group proposed five recommendations to facilitate the inclusion of Chinese medicine as part of our responses to public health emergencies. It is expected that the Working Group’s proposals may promote the investigation and practice of Chinese Medicine in public health settings.
Objective The purpose of the extension of the RIGHT statement for introductions and interpretations of clinical practice guidelines (RIGHT for INT) was to promote the development of comprehensive and clear article those introduced and interpreted clinical practice guidelines. MethodsThe RIGHT for INT checklist was developed following methods recommended by the EQUATOR Network. The development process included three stages. In the first stage, a multidisciplinary team of experts was recruited by email and WeChat and further divided into three groups (a steering group, a consensus group, and a secretariat group); in the second stage, the initial items were collected by literature review and brainstorming; and in the third stage, the final items were formed through a Delphi survey and expert consultation. ResultsA total of 40 initial items were collected through literature review and brainstorming. A final checklist of 27 items was formed after the Delphi survey and expert consultation. ConclusionThe RIGHT for INT checklist provides guidance for guideline interpreters on how to introduce and interpret clinical practice guidelines in a scientific and comprehensive manner.
In the clinical evidence-based decision-making process, factors including benefits and harms, evidence certainty, cost and feasibility of interventions should be considered based on the best evidence. The development of decision threshold of effect size (DTES) for patient health outcomes can help stakeholders understand the benefits and harms of interventions, assess evidence certainty, and interpret research results. Based on international experience, the MERGE Working Group through group discussions, semi-structured interviews, expert consensus, and pilot application developed a set of 8-step guidelines for the development of DTES for health outcomes. These steps included necessity assessment, formation of working groups, selection of patient important outcomes, creation of scenarios based on the best evidence, design of expert consultation questionnaires, analysis of expert consultation results, face-to-face expert consensus, dissemination of the application and reevaluation. The DTES guideline development is intended to provide methodological guidance for stakeholders to develop DTES for health outcome indicators in different domains.