All articles tagged with #cochrane review
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.