Breastfeeding Is Associated With a Reduced Maternal Cardiovascular Risk: Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis Involving Data From 8 Studies and 1 192 700 Parous Women

Background Breastfeeding has been robustly linked to reduced maternal risk of breast cancer, ovarian cancer, and type 2 diabetes. We herein systematically reviewed the published evidence on the association of breastfeeding with maternal risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) outcomes. Methods and Results Our systematic search of PubMed and Web of Science of articles published up to April 16, 2021, identified 8 relevant prospective studies involving 1 192 700 parous women (weighted mean age: 51.3 years at study entry, 24.6 years at first birth; weighted mean number of births: 2.3). A total of 982 566 women (82%) reported having ever breastfed (weighted mean lifetime duration of breastfeeding: 15.6 months). During a weighted median follow‐up of 10.3 years, 54 226 CVD, 26 913 coronary heart disease, 30 843 stroke, and 10 766 fatal CVD events were recorded. In a random‐effects meta‐analysis, the pooled multivariable‐adjusted hazard ratios comparing parous women who ever breastfed to those who never breastfed were 0.89 for CVD (95% CI, 0.83–0.95; I 2 =79.4%), 0.86 for coronary heart disease (95% CI, 0.78–0.95; I 2 =79.7%), 0.88 for stroke (95% CI, 0.79–0.99; I 2 =79.6%), and 0.83 for fatal CVD (95% CI, 0.76–0.92; I 2 =47.7%). The quality of the evidence assessed with the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation tool ranged from very low to moderate, which was mainly driven by high between‐studies heterogeneity. Strengths of associations did not differ by mean age at study entry, median follow‐up duration, mean parity, level of adjustment, study quality, or geographical region. A progressive risk reduction of all CVD outcomes with lifetime durations of breastfeeding from 0 up to 12 months was found, with some uncertainty about shapes of associations for longer durations. Conclusions Breastfeeding was associated with reduced maternal risk of CVD outcomes.

Age Demographics of Subjects Enrolled in Global, Interventional Phase 3 Melanoma Clinical Trials

Background Melanoma is a skin cancer with a rising worldwide incidence of just over 280,000 individuals with the greatest burden of illness in European, New Zealander, and Australian populations. Patients are diagnosed with melanoma with the mean and median ages being 65 and 59 years old, respectively. Phase 3 trials not only provide a wide representation of the target population but also study the efficacy for a certain intervention. Objective The objective of this literature review is to analyze patient demographics of phase 3 trials for melanoma and identify if there is a true disparity between the clinical trial age demographics and the natural epidemiological age demographics. Data Sources The authors conducted a search on clinicaltrials.gov, a publicly available resource that lists clinical trials and their data. The reported mean and median ages for each trial were extracted after determining if each trial meets our inclusion criteria. Weighted mean and median ages were calculated using an online calculator. Data Summary Data from 35 trials were evaluated with 30 trials reporting a weighted mean age of 55.85 years and 5 trials reporting a weighted median age of 55.14 years. Conclusion Based on the results, melanoma clinical trials enroll patients who are younger than the epidemiological mean and median ages. Due to this underrepresentation of the elderly patients with melanoma, clinical trials may provide limited application for the use of their results.

Convergent Validity of Ratings of Perceived Exertion During Resistance Exercise in Healthy Participants: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background The validity of ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) during aerobic training is well established; however, its validity during resistance exercise is less clear. This meta-analysis used the known relationships between RPE and exercise intensity (EI), heart rate (HR), blood lactate (BLa), blood pressure (BP) and electromyography (EMG) to determine the convergent validity of RPE as a measure of resistance exercise intensity and physiological exertion, during different forms of resistance exercise. Additionally, this study aims to assess the effect of several moderator variables on the strength of the validity coefficients, so that clearer guidance can be given on the use of RPE during resistance exercise. Methods An online search of 4 databases and websites (PubMed, Web of Science SPORTDiscus and ResearchGate) was conducted up to 28 February 2020. Additionally, the reference lists of the included articles were inspected manually for further unidentified studies. The inclusion criteria were healthy participants of any age, a rating scale used to measure RPE, resistance exercise of any type, one cohort receiving no other intervention, and must present data from one of the following outcome measures: EI, HR, BP, EMG or BLa. Weighted mean effect sizes (r) were calculated using a random-effects model. Heterogeneity was assessed using the τ2 and I2 statistics. Moderator analysis was conducted using random-effects meta-regression. Results One-hundred and eighteen studies were included in the qualitative synthesis, with 75 studies (99 unique cohorts) included in the meta-analysis. The overall weighted mean validity coefficient was large (0.88; 95% CI 0.84–0.91) and between studies heterogeneity was very large (τ2 = 0.526, I2 = 96.1%). Studies using greater workload ranges, isometric muscle actions, and those that manipulated workload or repetition time, showed the highest validity coefficients. Conversely, sex, age, training status, RPE scale used, and outcome measure no significant effect. Conclusions RPE provides a valid measure of exercise intensity and physiological exertion during resistance exercise, with effect sizes comparable to or greater than those shown during aerobic exercise. Therefore, RPE may provide an easily accessible means of prescribing and monitoring resistance exercise training. Trial Registration The systematic review protocol was registered on the PROSPERO database (CRD42018102640).

Efficacy and safety of non-penetrating glaucoma surgery with phacoemulsification versus non-penetrating glaucoma surgery: a Meta-analysis

AIM: To compare the clinical efficacy and safety of non-penetrating glaucoma surgery (NPGS) plus phacoemulsification (Phaco-NPGS) and NPGS-alone. METHODS: We systematically searched various databases and reviewed studies that had evaluated the effects of Phaco-NPGS or NPGS-alone for patients with glaucoma. Primary outcomes included postoperative intraocular pressure (IOP) and the number of postoperative antiglaucoma medications. Secondary outcomes were the prevalence of complications, incidence of needling or goniopuncture, and surgical success rate. RESULTS: In total, 380 and 424 eyes in NPGS-alone and Phaco-NPGS groups respectively were included. Both postoperative IOP and number of medications were significantly lowered in the Phaco-NPGS group than that in the NPDS-alone group [weighted mean difference (WMD)=-1.12, 95% confidence interval (CI): -2.11 to -0.12, P=0.03; WMD= -0.31, 95%CI: -0.53 to -0.09, P=0.006]. Moreover, Phaco-NPGS had a significantly lower prevalence of complications and postoperative procedures compared to NPGS-alone, while no significant difference existed for surgical success. CONCLUSION: Phaco-NPGS superior to NPGS-alone in the reduction of IOP and medications. Phaco-NPGS can be recommended for glaucoma patients with coexisting cataracts owing to its superior efficacy, fewer complications, and postoperative procedures.

Post Occupancy Evaluation of Students’ Satisfaction with Hostel Facilities in Federal Polytechnic Offa, Kwara State, Nigeria

The study focuses on post occupancy evaluation of students’ satisfaction with hostels facilities in Federal Polytechnic Offa, Kwara State with a view to determine factors that promote users’ satisfaction with the hostel facility in terms of its services/amenities provided, structural features, environmental features, accommodation details and locational attributes. The hostel is wholly under the management and control of the Polytechnic. Four Hundred and Sixty (460) respondents were taken as the sample size for the study. 28 structured questionnaires were administered to the workforce of the hostel management using purposive sampling while 432 structured questionnaires were administered to the students occupying the school hostel. A total of 341 (74%) questionnaires was returned and found valid for analysis. Data analysis was conducted using descriptive statistical techniques such as frequency distribution table, Weighted Mean Score (WMS) and Relative Importance Indexes (RII). Findings revealed that there were mixed levels of satisfaction with elements of student hostel facilities. There was a strong indication of satisfaction with the environmental features compared to the other four elements of the hostel facilities. The students were dissatisfied with facilities either because they are inadequate in number or quality or because of the location. The study recommends that the polytechnic management should ensure that facilities that aid students' academic performance should be prioritized. This will help to improve the satisfaction level among students with hostel facilities.

Associations Between Time After Stroke and Exercise Training Outcomes: A Meta‐Regression Analysis

Background Knowledge gaps exist regarding the effect of time elapsed after stroke on the effectiveness of exercise training interventions, offering incomplete guidance to clinicians. Methods and Results To determine the associations between time after stroke and 6‐minute walk distance, 10‐meter walk time, cardiorespiratory fitness and balance (Berg Balance Scale score [BBS]) in exercise training interventions, relevant studies in post‐stroke populations were identified by systematic review. Time after stroke as continuous or dichotomized (≤3 months versus >3 months, and ≤6 months versus >6 months) variables and weighted mean differences in postintervention outcomes were examined in meta‐regression analyses adjusted for study baseline mean values (pre‐post comparisons) or baseline mean values and baseline control‐intervention differences (controlled comparisons). Secondary models were adjusted additionally for mean age, sex, and aerobic exercise intensity, dose, and modality. We included 148 studies. Earlier exercise training initiation was associated with larger pre‐post differences in mobility; studies initiated ≤3 months versus >3 months after stroke were associated with larger differences (weighted mean differences [95% confidence interval]) in 6‐minute walk distance (36.3 meters; 95% CI, 14.2–58.5), comfortable 10‐meter walk time (0.13 m/s; 95% CI, 0.06–0.19) and fast 10‐meter walk time (0.16 m/s; 95% CI, 0.03–0.3), in fully adjusted models. Initiation ≤3 months versus >3 months was not associated with cardiorespiratory fitness but was associated with a higher but not clinically important Berg Balance Scale score difference (2.9 points; 95% CI, 0.41–5.5). In exercise training versus control studies, initiation ≤3 months was associated with a greater difference in only postintervention 6‐minute walk distance (baseline‐adjusted 27.3 meters; 95% CI, 6.1–48.5; fully adjusted, 24.9 meters; 95% CI, 0.82–49.1; a similar association was seen for ≤6 months versus >6 months after stroke (fully adjusted, 26.6 meters; 95% CI, 2.6–50.6). Conclusions There may be a clinically meaningful benefit to mobility outcomes when exercise is initiated within 3 months and up to 6 months after stroke.