Bell Palsy and the Risk of Cardio-Cerebrovascular Disease: A Population-Based Follow-Up Study

Incidence and Risk Factors of Cardio-Cerebrovascular Disease in Korean Menopausal Women: A Retrospective Observational Study using the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study data

PURPOSE

Cardio-cerebrovascular diseases constitute the most common and fatal disease among menopausal women. However, the risk of cardio-cerebrovascular diseases in menopausal women compared to men has been underestimated, with insufficient related studies. Therefore, we examined the incidence and risk factors of cardio-cerebrovascular diseases among Korean menopausal women.

METHODS

A retrospective observational study design with secondary analysis was conducted using data from the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study survey. We used the study's data of 1,197 menopausal women, aged 40-64 years, who did not have cardio-cerebrovascular diseases at baseline and their related data from the biennial follow-ups over 14 years. Cardio-cerebrovascular diseases were defined as hypertension, coronary artery disease, or stroke. The incidence of cardio-cerebrovascular diseases was calculated per person-years, and multivariate Cox proportional hazards models were used to determine the predictors of cardio-cerebrovascular diseases during the follow-up period.

RESULTS

Of the 1,197 cases, 264 were early or surgical menopausal women. The overall incidence of cardio-cerebrovascular diseases was 18.75 per 1,000 person-years. Early or surgical menopause (HR = 4.32, p < .001), along with family history of cardiovascular disease (HR = 1.87, p = .024), elevated blood pressure (HR = 1.79, p < .001), abdominal obesity (HR = 1.37, p = .046), or duration of menopause at the same age (HR = 1.01, p = .001), were strong predictors of cardio-cerebrovascular diseases.

CONCLUSION

Based on the results of this study, it is necessary to identify and closely monitor women with early or surgical menopause for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases prevention. Also, prevention of cardio-cerebrovascular diseases through blood pressure and abdominal obesity management is vital for menopausal women.

Effectiveness and safety of acupuncture and moxibustion for peripheral facial paralysis: A protocol for an overview of systematic reviews and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Peripheral facial paralysis (PFP) seriously affects patients' quality of life and work and even causes psychological problems such as anxiety and depression for them. Acupuncture (ACU) and moxibustion have been widely used to treat the disease with satisfactory results. Several systematic reviews and meta-analyses have reported the effectiveness of acupuncture for patients with PFP. However, the evidence has not been systematically synthesized. This overview aims to synthesize and assess the reliability of evidence generated from these systematic reviews (SRs) and meta-analyses of ACU and moxibustion for PFP.

METHODS

We will make a comprehensive retrieval in 9 databases as following: (1) Embase; (2) Cochrane Library; (3) Pubmed; (4) Chinese databases SinoMed (previously called the Chinese Biomedical Database); (5) Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI); (6) Chinese Scientific Journals Database (VIP); (7) Wanfang Data (WF). The time is limited from the construction of the library to August 2020. We will use the Assessment of Multiple Systematic Reviews-2 (AMSTAR-2) tool to evaluate methodological quality. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis Protocols (PRISMA-P) will be used in the report checklist to assess the quality of reports in the study. The Grading of the Classification of Recommendations, Evaluation, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) will be used to evaluate the included SRs and meta-analysis. Our reviewers will conduct systematic reviews, qualification evaluation, data extraction, methodological quality and evidence quality screening in pairs. The outcomes of interest include: the effective rate, the House-Brackmann (H-B) score, cure rate, and side effects. Or any other scale used to assess the level of illness. The evidence will be synthesized where appropriate based on patient subgroups and outcomes.

RESULTS

The results will be published in a peer-reviewed journal.

CONCLUSION

This overview will provide comprehensive evidence of ACU and moxibustion for patients with PFP.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

INPLASY202080016.

Effectiveness comparisons of acupuncture treatments for Bell palsy in adults: A protocol for systematic review and Bayesian network meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Bell palsy (BP) is a simple peripheral facial paralysis. A variety of acupuncture treatments have been reported effective for the recovery of BP. However, the relative effectiveness of these acupuncture treatments is still unclear. Therefore, we plan to summarize the evidence and determine the most effective acupuncture treatment for BP.

METHODS

We will search the following database, including The Cochrane Library, PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, China BioMedical Literature (CBM),China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Chinese Scientific Journals Database (VIP), and Wanfang database, from their inceptions to April 30, 2020, in order to collect randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on acupuncture in the treatment of BP. We will use Stata16.0 and WinBUGS software for statistical analysis and draw surface under the cumulative ranking curve (SUCRA) graph for each outcome indicator to predict the order of curative effect of treatment measures.

RESULTS

This study will compare and rank the effectiveness of different acupuncture methods in the treatment of BP, and the outcome indicators will include House-Brackmann Grading Scale, sequelae, Facial Disability Index score, Sunnybrook facial grading system, Portmann score, and adverse events.

CONCLUSION

Our study will provide supports for clinical practice.INPLASY registration number: INPLASY202040019.