Alzheimer's disease treatment is still an open problem. The diversity of symptoms, the alterations in common pathophysiology, the existence of asymptomatic cases, the different types of sporadic and familial Alzheimer's and their relevance with other types of dementia and comorbidities, have already created a myth-fear against the leading disease of the twenty first century. Many failed latest ...

When multiple parameters are estimated from the same synthesis model, it is likely that correlations will be induced between them. Network meta-analysis (mixed treatment comparisons) is one example where such correlations occur, along with meta-regression and syntheses involving multiple related outcomes. These correlations may affect the uncertainty in incremental net benefit when treatment op...

INTRODUCTION Chinese medicine is commonly used to combine with pharmacotherapy for the treatment of acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD). Six Chinese herb formulas involving Weijing decoction, Maxingshigan decoction, Yuebijiabanxia decoction, Qingqihuatan decoction, Dingchuan decoction and Sangbaipi decoction are recommended in Chinese medicine clinical guideline...

INTRODUCTION Novel oral anticoagulants have been tested against warfarin for atrial fibrillation, yet no direct comparison is available. We thus aimed to perform pair-wise (direct) and warfarin-adjusted network (i.e. indirect) meta-analyses of novel oral anticoagulants for atrial fibrillation. METHODS Databases were searched for randomized warfarin-controlled trials of novel anticoagulants fo...

Linear mixed models are able to handle an extraordinary range of complications in regression-type analyses. Their most common use is to account for within-subject correlation in longitudinal data analysis. They are also the standard vehicle for smoothing spatial count data. However, when treated in full generality, mixed models can also handle spline-type smoothing and closely approximate krigi...

In the investigation of disease dynamics, the effect of covariates on the hazard function is a major topic. Some recent smoothed estimation methods have been proposed, both frequentist and Bayesian, based on the relationship between penalized splines and mixed models theory. These approaches are also motivated by the possibility of using automatic procedures for determining the optimal amount o...

There has been a recent growth in the use of Bayesian methods in medical research. The main reasons for this are the development of computer intensive simulation based methods such as Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC), increases in computing power and the introduction of powerful software such as WinBUGS. This has enabled increasingly complex models to be fitted. The ability to fit these complex ...

INTRODUCTION Leprosy is a disease that is directly linked to poverty. The number of cases in Vit6ria, the capital city of Espírito Santo, has been decreasing in recent years, but the disease remains highly endemic. This research aimed to identify relationships between the epidemiological status of leprosy and socioeconomic indicators during the period from 2005 to 2009. METHODS An ecological ...

BACKGROUND Controversies persist regarding the effect of prokinetics for the treatment of functional dyspepsia (FD). This study aimed to assess the comparative efficacy of prokinetic agents for the treatment of FD. METHODS Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of prokinetics for the treatment of FD were identified from core databases. Symptom response rates were extracted and analyzed using odd...

BACKGROUND Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a major public health problem that may lead to end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Renal transplantation has become the treatment modality of choice for the majority of patients with ESRD. It is therefore necessary to monitor the disease progression of patients who have undergone renal transplantation. In order to monitor the disease progression, the conti...