Nutrition as prevention for improved cancer health outcomes: a systematic literature review

BACKGROUND

Among adults with cancer, malnutrition is associated with decreased treatment completion, more treatment harms and use of health care, and worse short-term survival. To inform the National Institutes of Health Pathways to Prevention workshop, "Nutrition as Prevention for Improved Cancer Health Outcomes," this systematic review examined the evidence for the effectiveness of providing nutrition interventions before or during cancer therapy to improve outcomes of cancer treatment.

METHODS

We identified randomized controlled trials enrolling at least 50 participants published from 2000 through July 2022. We provide a detailed evidence map for included studies and grouped studies by broad intervention and cancer types. We conducted risk of bias (RoB) and qualitative descriptions of outcomes for intervention and cancer types with a larger volume of literature.

RESULTS

From 9798 unique references, 206 randomized controlled trials from 219 publications met the inclusion criteria. Studies primarily focused on nonvitamin or mineral dietary supplements, nutrition support, and route or timing of inpatient nutrition interventions for gastrointestinal or head and neck cancers. Most studies evaluated changes in body weight or composition, adverse events from cancer treatment, length of hospital stay, or quality of life. Few studies were conducted within the United States. Among intervention and cancer types with a high volume of literature (n = 114), 49% (n = 56) were assessed as high RoB. Higher-quality studies (low or medium RoB) reported mixed results on the effect of nutrition interventions across cancer and treatment-related outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

Methodological limitations of nutrition intervention studies surrounding cancer treatment impair translation of findings into clinical practice or guidelines.

Benefits and Harms of Prescription Drugs and Supplements for Treatment of Clinical Alzheimer-Type Dementia

BACKGROUND

Effects of drug treatment of clinical Alzheimer-type dementia (CATD) are uncertain.

PURPOSE

To summarize evidence on the effects of prescription drugs and supplements for CATD treatment.

DATA SOURCES

Electronic bibliographic databases (inception to November 2019), ClinicalTrials.gov (to November 2019), and systematic review bibliographies.

STUDY SELECTION

English-language trials of prescription drug and supplement treatment in older adults with CATD that report cognition, function, global measures, behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD), or harms. Minimum treatment was 24 weeks (≥2 weeks for selected BPSD).

DATA EXTRACTION

Studies with low or medium risk of bias (ROB) were analyzed. Two reviewers rated ROB. One reviewer extracted data; another verified extraction accuracy.

DATA SYNTHESIS

Fifty-five studies reporting non-BPSD outcomes (most ≤26 weeks) and 12 reporting BPSD (most ≤12 weeks) were analyzed. Across CATD severity, mostly low-strength evidence suggested that, compared with placebo, cholinesterase inhibitors produced small average improvements in cognition (median standardized mean difference [SMD], 0.30 [range, 0.24 to 0.52]), no difference to small improvement in function (median SMD, 0.19 [range, -0.10 to 0.22]), no difference in the likelihood of at least moderate improvement in global clinical impression (median absolute risk difference, 4% [range, 2% to 4%]), and increased withdrawals due to adverse events. In adults with moderate to severe CATD receiving cholinesterase inhibitors, low- to insufficient-strength evidence suggested that, compared with placebo, add-on memantine inconsistently improved cognition and improved global clinical impression but not function. Evidence was mostly insufficient about prescription drugs for BPSD and about supplements for all outcomes.

LIMITATION

Most drugs had few trials without high ROB, especially for supplements, active drug comparisons, BPSD, and longer trials.

CONCLUSION

Cholinesterase inhibitors and memantine slightly reduced short-term cognitive decline, and cholinesterase inhibitors slightly reduced reported functional decline, but differences versus placebo were of uncertain clinical importance. Evidence was mostly insufficient on drug treatment of BPSD and on supplements for all outcomes.

PRIMARY FUNDING SOURCE

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. (PROSPERO: CRD42018117897).

Differences in Function and Comorbidities Between Older Adult Users and Nonusers of Chiropractic and Osteopathic Manipulation: A Cross-sectional Analysis of the 2012 National Health Interview Survey

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to compare functional limitations and comorbidity prevalence between older adult users and nonusers of chiropractic and osteopathic (DC/DO) manipulation to inform provider training.

METHODS

We conducted a secondary analysis of the 2012 National Health Interview Survey data. Adults age 65 or older who responded to the survey were included. Descriptive statistics are reported for adults who used DC/DO manipulation (vs nonusers) regarding function, comorbidities, musculoskeletal complaints, and medical services. Weighted percentages were derived using SAS and compared with χ² tests.

RESULTS

The DC/DO users were more often female, overweight or obese, and of white race than nonusers. More DC/DO users reported arthritis (55.3% vs 47.0%, <0.01) or asthma (15.0% vs 10.0%, P < .01) than nonusers; hypertension (61.9% vs 55.5%, P = .02) and diabetes (20.3% vs 15.7%, P = .02) were more prevalent in nonusers; and other comorbidities were comparable. The DC/DO users reported more joint pain/stiffness (55.7% vs 44.8%), chronic pain (19.8% vs 14.2%), low back pain (27.8% vs 18.4%), low back with leg pain (18.8% vs 10.6%), and neck pain (24.2% vs 13.1%) than nonusers (all P < .01). Functional limitations affected two-thirds overall, but DC/DO users reported more difficulties stooping and bending; other limitations were comparable. One in 9 reported activities of daily living or instrumental activities of daily living limitations; nonusers were more affected. Surgery was more common among DC/DO users (26.1% vs 19.3%, <0.01); emergency room visits were comparable.

CONCLUSION

Differences existed between older adult manipulation users and nonusers, especially surgical utilization, musculoskeletal complaints, and comorbidities; functional differences were modest. Our findings highlight areas for provider training and awareness regarding comorbidity burden and management needs in older patients who may simultaneously use manipulation and medical care for musculoskeletal complaints.

Long-Term Drug Therapy and Drug Discontinuations and Holidays for Osteoporosis Fracture Prevention: A Systematic Review

BACKGROUND

Optimal long-term osteoporosis drug treatment (ODT) is uncertain.

PURPOSE

To summarize the effects of long-term ODT and ODT discontinuation and holidays.

DATA SOURCES

Electronic bibliographic databases (January 1995 to October 2018) and systematic review bibliographies.

STUDY SELECTION

48 studies that enrolled men or postmenopausal women aged 50 years or older who were being investigated or treated for fracture prevention, compared long-term ODT (>3 years) versus control or ODT continuation versus discontinuation, reported incident fractures (for trials) or harms (for trials and observational studies), and had low or medium risk of bias (ROB).

DATA EXTRACTION

Two reviewers independently rated ROB and strength of evidence (SOE). One extracted data; another verified accuracy.

DATA SYNTHESIS

Thirty-five trials (9 unique studies) and 13 observational studies (11 unique studies) had low or medium ROB. In women with osteoporosis, 4 years of alendronate reduced clinical fractures (hazard ratio [HR], 0.64 [95% CI, 0.50 to 0.82]) and radiographic vertebral fractures (both moderate SOE), whereas 4 years of raloxifene reduced vertebral but not nonvertebral fractures. In women with osteopenia or osteoporosis, 6 years of zoledronic acid reduced clinical fractures (HR, 0.73 [CI, 0.60 to 0.90]), including nonvertebral fractures (high SOE) and clinical vertebral fractures (moderate SOE). Long-term bisphosphonates increased risk for 2 rare harms: atypical femoral fractures (low SOE) and osteonecrosis of the jaw (mostly low SOE). In women with unspecified osteoporosis status, 5 to 7 years of hormone therapy reduced clinical fractures (high SOE), including hip fractures (moderate SOE), but increased serious harms. After 3 to 5 years of treatment, bisphosphonate continuation versus discontinuation reduced radiographic vertebral fractures (zoledronic acid; low SOE) and clinical vertebral fractures (alendronate; moderate SOE) but not nonvertebral fractures (low SOE).

LIMITATION

No trials studied men, clinical fracture data were sparse, methods for estimating harms were heterogeneous, and no trials compared sequential treatments or different durations of drug holidays.

CONCLUSION

Long-term alendronate and zoledronic acid therapies reduce fracture risk in women with osteoporosis. Long-term bisphosphonate treatment may increase risk for rare adverse events, and continuing treatment beyond 3 to 5 years may reduce risk for vertebral fractures. Long-term hormone therapy reduces hip fracture risks but has serious harms.

PRIMARY FUNDING SOURCE

National Institutes of Health and Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. (PROSPERO: CRD42018087006).

Did a Minimum Case Requirement Improve Resident Surgical Volume for Closed Wrist and Forearm Fracture Treatment in Orthopedic Surgery?

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study is to determine whether the 2013 implementation of ACGME minimum case requirements was associated with increased documented case volume of closed manipulation of forearm and wrist fractures (CMFWF) for graduating orthopedic surgery residents.

DESIGN

We reviewed ACGME case log data for CMFWF among graduating orthopedic surgery residents from 2007 to 2016. Annual national mean, and median number of CMFWF performed by residents in the 10th, 30th, 50th, and 90th case volume percentile were evaluated. Preminimum (2007-2010) data was compared to postminimum (2013-2016) values to assess the impact of ACGME minimum requirements on resident case volume.

SETTING

Review of publically available ACMGE Orthopedic Surgery Residency Program case log data.

PARTICIPANTS

ACGME case log data for orthopedic surgery residents graduating between 2007 and 2016.

RESULTS

National mean number of CMFWF increased significantly pre- to postminimum requirement (30.0 ± 2.84 to 45.0 ± 3.36, p < 0.001). Between 2010 and 2016 there was a 1100%, 300%, 83%, and 9% increase in the median number of CMFWF within the 10th, 30th, 50th, and 90th percentiles, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

ACGME's 2013 case minimum requirement corresponded to an increase in case counts for CMFWF; the greatest increase occurred in residents below the 50th percentile of case volume. Implementation of case minimum requirements may allow for more accurate depiction of resident experience and program strengths with regards to procedural exposure. However, the current case log system measures only case quantity, which may inaccurately depict mastery of given procedures. Future work should focus not only on improving case counts in underperforming residents and training sites, but also on refining metrics that ensure accurate assessment of resident skill for essential orthopedic procedures prior to graduation.

Tranexamic Acid Reduced the Percent of Total Blood Volume Lost During Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis Surgery

Background

Multilevel posterior spine fusion is associated with significant intraoperative blood loss. Tranexamic acid is an antifibrinolytic agent that reduces intraoperative blood loss. The goal of this study was to compare the percent of total blood volume lost during posterior spinal fusion (PSF) with or without tranexamic acid in patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS).

Methods

Thirty-six AIS patients underwent PSF in 2011-2014; the last half (n=18) received intraoperative tranexamic acid. We retrieved relevant demographic, hematologic, intraoperative and outcomes information from medical records. The primary outcome was the percent of total blood volume lost, calculated from estimates of intraoperative blood loss (numerator) and estimated total blood volume per patient (denominator, via Nadler's equations). Unadjusted outcomes were compared using standard statistical tests.

Results

Tranexamic acid and no-tranexamic acid groups were similar (all p>0.05) in mean age (16.1 vs. 15.2 years), sex (89% vs. 83% female), body mass index (22.2 vs. 20.2 kg/m2), preoperative hemoglobin (13.9 vs. 13.9 g/dl), mean spinal levels fused (10.5 vs. 9.6), osteotomies (1.6 vs. 0.9) and operative duration (6.1 hours, both). The percent of total blood volume lost (TBVL) was significantly lower in the tranexamic acid-treated vs. no-tranexamic acid group (median 8.23% vs. 14.30%, p = 0.032); percent TBVL per level fused was significantly lower with tranexamic acid than without it (1.1% vs. 1.8%, p=0.048). Estimated blood loss (milliliters) was similar across groups.

Conclusions

Tranexamic acid significantly reduced the percentage of total blood volume lost versus no tranexamic acid in AIS patients who underwent PSF using a standardized blood loss measure.Level of Evidence: 3. Institutional Review Board status: This medical record chart review (minimal risk) study was approved by the University of Minnesota Institutional Review Board.

Inpatient pulmonary embolism after elective primary total hip and knee arthroplasty in the United States

BACKGROUND

The incidence of inpatient pulmonary embolism in patients who have elective primary hip and knee arthroplasty in the United States is unknown. Prior studies have included patients with cancer, trauma, or revisions. The goal of this study was to determine the incidence and risks of inpatient pulmonary embolism after elective arthroplasty by type of procedure.

METHODS

We used the 1998 to 2009 Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Nationwide Inpatient Sample for this retrospective cohort study. Patients who were sixty years of age or older and underwent elective primary total hip or knee arthroplasty were included. The study variable was the type of arthroplasty: total hip, total knee, or two joints. Inpatient pulmonary embolism was the primary outcome; mortality was secondary. Logistic regression determined the adjusted odds ratios of inpatient pulmonary embolism by procedure, adjusting for age, sex, Charlson Comorbidity Index, atrial fibrillation, and surgical indication.

RESULTS

Records represented 5,044,403 hospital discharges after primary total hip or knee arthroplasty. Total knee arthroplasty comprised 66% of the admissions. Less than 5% of patients had two joint procedures. The overall incidence of pulmonary embolism was 0.358% (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.338, 0.378). The incidence of pulmonary embolism differed by procedure and was highest among patients who had two-joint arthroplasty (0.777%; 95% CI, 0.677, 0.876), was lowest in recipients of total hip arthroplasty (0.201%; 95% CI, 0.179, 0.223), and was intermediate in patients who had total knee arthroplasty (0.400%; 95% CI, 0.377, 0.423). The adjusted odds ratios of pulmonary embolism in patients who had two joint procedures were 3.89 times higher than among patients who had total hip arthroplasty, controlling for other factors.

CONCLUSIONS

Elective total knee arthroplasty is associated with a higher incidence and odds of inpatient pulmonary embolism than is total hip arthroplasty; multiple procedures pose the highest risk for pulmonary embolism and associated mortality.

Evidence summary: systematic review of surgical treatments for geriatric hip fractures

BACKGROUND

There is a growing body of literature on surgical treatments for elderly patients with a hip fracture and the effects of various surgical procedures on complications and postoperative outcomes. No single review has previously summarized the literature on the effects of surgical procedures on outcomes after treatment across all types of hip fractures. We conducted a comprehensive systematic literature review to organize the clinical evidence for patient-centered outcomes across all types of geriatric hip fractures.

METHODS

We searched MEDLINE, the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Scirus, and ClinicalTrials.gov for randomized clinical trials and observational studies published between 1985 and 2008. We also manually searched reference lists from relevant systematic reviews.

RESULTS

We found eighty-four [corrected] articles representing seventy-four [corrected] unique, randomized, controlled trials, including thirty-three [corrected] on femoral neck fractures, forty on intertrochanteric fractures, and one on subtrochanteric fractures. Nine observational studies addressed the link between patient characteristics and outcome variables by fracture type. Age, sex, prefracture functioning, and cognitive impairment are related to mortality and functional outcomes. Fracture type does not appear to be independently related to patient outcomes. Mortality, pain, function, and quality of life did not differ by surgical implant class, or by implants within a class. Neither the randomized controlled trials nor the observational literature include the full complement of potential covariates that can impact treatment outcomes after treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

The broader questions about the relationship of patient factors, fracture type, and specific treatments to the outcomes of mortality, functional status, and quality of life cannot be addressed with the existing literature. Research should include comprehensive conceptual models that capture complete sets of important independent variables. Studies of musculoskeletal outcomes, including hip fracture, require well-defined patient groups and consistent use of validated outcome measures.

Provider factors associated with intramedullary nail use for intertrochanteric hip fractures

BACKGROUND

Intramedullary nails provide no clear outcomes benefit in the majority of patients with intertrochanteric hip fracture, yet their use in the United States continues to increase. Non-patient factors that are associated with intramedullary nail use among Medicare patients have not been examined. The goal of this study was to identify the surgeon and hospital characteristics that were associated with the use of intramedullary nails compared with plate-and-screw devices among elderly Medicare patients with intertrochanteric hip fractures.

METHODS

Medicare beneficiaries who were sixty-five years of age or older and underwent inpatient surgery to treat an intertrochanteric femoral fracture with use of an intramedullary nail or a plate-and-screw device were identified from the United States Medicare files for 2000 to 2002. Surgeon and hospital characteristics from the Medicare provider enrollment files were merged with the claims. Generalized linear mixed models with fixed and random effects modeled the association between surgeon and hospital factors and intramedullary nail use (compared with plate and screws), controlling for patient age, sex, and race; subtrochanteric fracture; Charlson comorbidity score; nursing home residence; and Medicaid-administered assistance. The adjusted odds ratios of receiving an intramedullary nail by year, surgeon, and hospital factors are reported.

RESULTS

There were 192,365 claims for surgery to treat an intertrochanteric hip fracture that met the inclusion criteria and matched with surgeon and hospital information. There were 15,091 surgeons who performed intertrochanteric hip fracture surgeries in Medicare patients in 3480 hospitals between March 1, 2000, and December 31, 2002. The surgeon factors associated with intramedullary nail use include younger surgeon age (less than forty-five years old), an osteopathy degree, and operating at more than one hospital. The hospital factors associated with intramedullary nail use include a higher volume of intertrochanteric hip fracture surgeries, teaching hospital status, and having resident assistance during surgery. Surgeon factors improved the model fit more than hospital factors.

CONCLUSIONS

The use of intramedullary nails was strongly associated with early-career surgeons and surgeon training programs. Our findings suggest that orthopaedic faculty at teaching hospitals and younger surgeons may be selecting orthopaedic implants on the basis of factors other than clinical outcomes evidence. We expect that intramedullary nail use will continue to increase as long as new surgeons are preferentially trained in intramedullary nailing procedures and surgeon reimbursement remains insulated from the treating hospital's burden of their choices for higher cost devices under the Medicare payment system.

Ninety-day mortality after intertrochanteric hip fracture: does provider volume matter?

BACKGROUND

Research on the relationship between orthopaedic volume and outcomes has focused almost exclusively on elective arthroplasty procedures. Geriatric patients who have sustained an intertrochanteric hip fracture are older and have a heavier comorbidity burden in comparison with patients undergoing elective arthroplasty; therefore, any advantage of provider volume in terms of mortality could be overwhelmed by the severity of the hip fracture condition itself. This study examined the association between surgeon and hospital volumes of procedures performed for the treatment of intertrochanteric hip fractures in Medicare beneficiaries and inpatient through ninety-day postoperative mortality.

METHODS

The Medicare 100% files of hospital and physician claims plus the beneficiary enrollment files for 2000 through 2002 identified beneficiaries who were sixty-five years of age or older and who underwent inpatient surgery for the treatment of an intertrochanteric hip fracture with internal fixation. Provider volumes of intertrochanteric hip fracture cases were calculated with use of unique surgeon and hospital provider numbers in the claims. Fixed effects regression analysis using generalized estimating equations was used to model the association between hospital and surgeon intertrochanteric hip fracture volume and inpatient through ninety-day mortality, controlling for age, sex, race, Charlson comorbidity score, subtrochanteric fracture, prefracture nursing home residence, Medicaid-administered assistance, surgical device, and year. The unadjusted inpatient, thirty, sixty, and ninety-day mortality rates and adjusted relative risks are reported.

RESULTS

Between March 1, 2000, and December 31, 2002, 192,365 claims met inclusion criteria and matched with provider information. The unadjusted inpatient, thirty-day, sixty-day, and ninety-day mortality rates were 2.91%, 7.92%, 12.34%, and 15.19%, respectively. Patients managed at lower-volume hospitals had significantly higher (10% to 20%) adjusted risks of inpatient mortality than those managed at the highest-volume hospitals. By sixty days postoperatively, the increased mortality risk persisted only among patients managed at the lowest-volume hospitals (six cases per year or fewer). Patients who were managed by surgeons who treated an average of two or three cases per year had the highest mortality risks when compared with patients managed by the highest-volume surgeons.

CONCLUSIONS

Only the highest-volume hospitals showed an inpatient mortality benefit for Medicare patients with intertrochanteric hip fractures. Unlike the situation with elective arthroplasty procedures, our findings do not indicate a need to direct patients with routine hip fractures exclusively to high-volume centers, although the higher mortality rates found in the lowest-volume hospitals warrant further investigation.

Geographic variation in device use for intertrochanteric hip fractures

BACKGROUND

Hip fractures in the elderly are a common and costly problem, with intertrochanteric fractures accounting for almost half of these fractures. Most intertrochanteric fractures are treated with either a plate-and-screw device or an intramedullary nail device. We assessed the degree of geographic variation in use of intramedullary nailing for intertrochanteric femoral fractures among Medicare beneficiaries between 2000 and 2002.

METHODS

Medicare 100% files (hospital and physician claims, and enrollment) for 2000 through 2002 were used to identify beneficiaries, sixty-five years of age or older, who had undergone inpatient surgery for the treatment of an intertrochanteric femoral fracture with a plate-and-screw device or an intramedullary nail. We used multiple logistic regression analysis to model the use of an intramedullary nail (as opposed to a plate-and-screw device) by state and year, after adjusting for patient age, sex, race, subtrochanteric fracture, comorbidities, and Medicaid-administered assistance. The odds ratios of receiving an intramedullary nail device are reported. The adjusted state rates of intramedullary nailing per 100 Medicare patients with an intertrochanteric fracture are reported for 2000 through 2002.

RESULTS

In this study, 212,821 claims for operations to treat patients with an intertrochanteric fracture from 2000 through 2002 met the inclusion criteria. There was considerable geographic variation in intramedullary nail use by state across all years. The mean adjusted intramedullary nailing rate per 100 Medicare patients with an intertrochanteric fracture increased nationally from 7.84 in 2000 to 16.98 in 2002. In 2000, surgeons in sixteen states used an intramedullary nail in fewer than one of every twenty Medicare patients with an intertrochanteric fracture. By 2002, surgeons in only two states used an intramedullary nail in fewer than one of every twenty patients with an intertrochanteric fracture, and in eight states they used an intramedullary nail in more than one of every four patients with an intertrochanteric fracture.

CONCLUSIONS

There was substantial geographic variation in the use of intramedullary nailing by state from 2000 through 2002 that was largely not explained by patient-related factors.

Chiropractors' Perceptions About Intimate Partner Violence: A Cross-Sectional Survey

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study is to assess chiropractors' attitudes, beliefs, knowledge, and experience about intimate partner violence (IPV).

METHODS

This cross-sectional survey was developed by members of the Violence Against Women Health Research Collaborative. The survey was disseminated to a voluntary, nonrandom convenience sample of chiropractors attending a 3-day continuing education seminar. Surveys were distributed at the entrances of the seminar session rooms and placed on luncheon tables. Respondents returned surveys to collection boxes.

RESULTS

Ninety-three doctors of chiropractic completed the survey. Respondents estimated that only 5.2% (95% confidence interval, 3.3%-7.0%) of their female patients were victims of IPV. General knowledge of IPV was good among respondents. Knowledge of clinical indicators and victim's management was fair to poor. Only 22% of respondents identified the most commonly injured body regions among battered women. Lack of knowledge, personal discomfort, and time constraints were all cited as barriers to IPV screening.

CONCLUSIONS

Our survey indicates that doctors of chiropractic underestimate the prevalence of IPV among their female patients. Like other health care specialists, chiropractors cite multiple IPV screening barriers, especially lack of knowledge. Doctors of chiropractic would benefit from education and training in IPV to enable them to better identify and assist patients who are victims of IPV.