Tag

Cochrane Review

All articles tagged with #cochrane review

health1 month ago•4 min saved

Nicotine Vapes Shown More Effective Than Patches or Gum for Quitting Smoking, New Review Finds

An updated Cochrane review of 80 randomized trials (29,861 participants) finds nicotine-containing e-cigarettes more effective for six‑month smoking cessation than nicotine-replacement therapies (like patches or gum) and often outperform counselling. About 8–10% quit with nicotine vapes versus ~6% with NRT, with roughly 2 extra quitters per 100 compared with non-nicotine devices and about 5 per 100 more than counselling. Harms appear not greater, but long‑term outcomes are uncertain since most studies follow participants for six months and newer devices may be more effective. The review did not assess health benefits of switching or outcomes after quitting vaping. Policy notes: Australia restricts nicotine vapes to quitting schemes; New Zealand is more permissive in encouraging vaping to reduce smoking. Overall, vaping may be a valuable quit aid for those who fail other therapies.

via The Conversation|

#cochrane-review #health #nicotine-replacement-therapy

health1 month ago•6 min saved

Vaping May Help Quitting Smoking, But Safety Questions Persist

A living Cochrane review of around 80 randomized trials (nearly 30,000 smokers) finds regulated nicotine e-cigarettes boost quit rates more than nicotine replacement therapies and non-nicotine vapes, adding about 4 extra quitters per 100 versus NRT and about 2 per 100 versus non-nicotine options. The evidence is rated high certainty for vaping’s relative effectiveness, and experts say regulated devices are substantially less harmful than smoking. However, the review does not answer whether people stay off nicotine or vaping long term, and warns about unlicensed devices, potential long-term and cancer risks, and the need for more rigorous safety data. Funding came from Cancer Research UK, the NIH/NCI, and the FDA Center for Tobacco Products; published in Cochrane Database.

via ScienceAlert|

#cochrane-review #e-cigarettes #health

health1 month ago•3 min saved

Vaping Beats Traditional Aids for Quitting Smoking, Major Review Finds

A Cochrane review of 80 trials and nearly 30,000 participants finds nicotine e-cigarettes to be more effective than patches, gum, or support programs at helping smokers quit, boosting success rates from about 6% to around 10%. Non-nicotine vapes also help, and vaping may outpace the anti-smoking pill cytisine, though more research is needed. While long-term risks aren’t fully known, regulated vaping products are considered far safer than smoking; unregulated devices carry safety concerns and regulators warn against use by youths.

via BBC|

#cochrane-review #health #nicotine

health4 months ago•7 min saved

New PSA screening data hint at mortality benefit, but gains remain modest

A updated Cochrane review, incorporating data from nearly 800,000 people and longer follow-up, suggests PSA-based prostate cancer screening likely reduces mortality and does not notably increase biopsy or treatment harms, reversing previous Cochrane findings from 2006 and 2013. The absolute benefit is small, and guidelines worldwide remain mixed due to concerns about overdiagnosis and overtreatment.

via Nature|

#cancer-screening #cochrane-review #health

health4 months ago•6 min saved

PSA screening may cut prostate cancer deaths, but benefits are modest and conditional

A new Cochrane review finds PSA blood testing likely reduces death from prostate cancer with moderate certainty, reporting about two fewer disease-specific deaths per 1,000 men screened across six long-term European and North American trials. The benefit is modest and depends on careful implementation, ongoing medical follow-up, and selective biopsies to minimize overdiagnosis and overtreatment; the study does not issue guidelines but supports PSA screening in appropriately selected patients.

via statnews.com|

#cochrane-review #health #mortality

health5 months ago•4 min saved

Amyloid-targeting Alzheimer’s drugs fall short on patient benefit, review finds

A Cochrane review of 17 trials with over 20,000 people with mild cognitive impairment or early dementia found that seven anti-amyloid drugs, including donanemab and lecanemab, do not deliver a clinically meaningful benefit, even though they reduce brain amyloid. The findings challenge the idea that removing amyloid improves patient outcomes and have fueled ongoing debate over the amyloid hypothesis and the drugs’ high costs and risks.

via ScienceAlert|

#alzheimers #amyloid #clinical-trials

health7 months ago•7 min saved

Intermittent fasting falls short for weight loss, new review says

A Cochrane review of 22 randomized trials involving about 2,000 adults found intermittent fasting produced little to no meaningful weight loss compared with standard dieting or no intervention, with results barely better than doing nothing. Most studies lasted up to 12 months and participants were largely White adults from high-income countries, limiting generalizability. Experts say long-term sustainability matters and advise a case-by-case approach, often favoring balanced, sustainable diets like the Mediterranean or DASH; intermittent fasting may help some people (e.g., for blood sugar control in Type 2 diabetes) but is not universally superior for weight loss.

via Fox News|

#cochrane-review #diet-trends #health

health7 months ago•4 min saved

Large review questions intermittent fasting as a weight-loss boost

A Cochrane review of 22 studies involving nearly 2,000 adults finds short-term intermittent fasting (up to 12 months) makes little to no difference in weight loss or quality of life compared with standard dieting or no advice, though it may offer other health benefits that require more evidence. Individual responses vary, and more robust, diverse research is needed to draw firmer conclusions.

via BBC|

#cochrane-review #dieting #health

health7 months ago•3 min saved

Intermittent fasting fails to outperform standard diets, major review finds

A Cochrane review of 22 randomized trials (1,995 adults) finds intermittent fasting produces about 3% body-weight loss over up to 12 months, roughly on par with traditional dietary advice and far below a 5% clinically meaningful target, with little evidence of quality-of-life gains; overall evidence quality is variable, so fasting should be viewed as one option among several, not a miracle solution.

via The Guardian|

#cochrane-review #diets #health

health8 months ago•4 min saved

Move to Mood: Exercise Emerges as a Viable Depression Treatment

A Cochrane review of 73 randomized trials involving nearly 5,000 adults finds that exercise modestly reduces depressive symptoms, with effects roughly comparable to psychotherapy and, with less certainty, antidepressants in the short term. Light-to-moderate activity and about 13–36 sessions appear most effective, though individual responses vary and long-term outcomes require more research; tailoring to the person is important.

via ScienceAlert|

#cochrane-review #depression #exercise

health9 months ago•2 min saved

Exercise as Effective as Therapy and Medication for Depression

A Cochrane review found that regular exercise can be as effective as psychological therapy and medication in reducing depression symptoms, with light to moderate activity and varied exercise types showing the most benefit, though more high-quality research is needed to confirm long-term effects.

via ScienceDaily|

#cochrane-review #depression #exercise