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El-Fatatry BM, El-Haggar SM, Ibrahim OM, Shalaby KH. Repurposing fexofenadine as a promising candidate for diabetic kidney disease: randomized clinical trial. Int Urol Nephrol 2024; 56:1395-1402. [PMID: 37741921 PMCID: PMC10923951 DOI: 10.1007/s11255-023-03804-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 09/25/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is a devastating complication of diabetes mellitus. Inflammation and histamine are potentially involved in the disease progression. This study aimed to evaluate the role of fexofenadine in patients with DKD. METHODS From January 2020 to February 2022, out of 123 patients screened for eligibility, 61 patients completed the study. Patients were randomized into two groups, the fexofenadine group (n = 30): received ramipril plus fexofenadine, and the control group (n = 31): received ramipril only for six months. Changes in urinary albumin to creatinine ratio (UACR) and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) were considered primary outcomes. Measurements of urinary cyclophilin A, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), 8-hydroxy-2' deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), and podocalyxin (PCX) were considered secondary outcomes. The study was prospectively registered on clinicaltrial.gov on January 13, 2020, with identification code NCT04224428. RESULTS At the end of the study, fexofenadine reduced UACR by 16% (95% CI, - 23.4% to - 9.3%) versus a noticeable rise of 11% (95% CI, 4.1% to 17.8%) in UACR in the control group, (p < 0.001). No significant difference in eGFR was revealed between the two groups. However, the control group showed a significant decrease of - 3.5% (95% CI, - 6.6% to - 0.3%) in eGFR, compared to its baseline value. This reduction was not reported in the fexofenadine group. Fexofenadine use was associated with a significant decline in MCP-1, 8-OHdG, and PCX compared to baseline values. CONCLUSION Fexofenadine is a possible promising adjuvant therapy in patients with DKD. Further large-scale trials are needed to confirm our preliminary results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Basma Mahrous El-Fatatry
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tanta University, Al-Guiesh Street, Tanta, 31527, Egypt.
| | - Sahar Mohamed El-Haggar
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Professor of Clinical Pharmacy, Tanta University, Al-Geish Street, Tanta, Egypt
| | - Osama Mohamed Ibrahim
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Professor of Clinical Pharmacy, Tanta University, Al-Geish Street, Tanta, Egypt
| | - Khaled Hamed Shalaby
- Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Lecturer of Internal Medicine, Tanta University, Al-Geish Street, Tanta, Egypt
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Reder M, Hofheinz C, Melzner L, Prinz G, Kröger C. Outpatient follow-up of tumour diseases through video-based value-oriented behavioural activation (ViVA): study protocol for a randomised controlled trial. Trials 2024; 25:121. [PMID: 38355525 PMCID: PMC10865710 DOI: 10.1186/s13063-024-07953-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In Germany, approximately half a million people are diagnosed with cancer annually; this can be traumatic and lead to depression, anxiety, and adjustment disorders necessitating psycho-oncological intervention. Value-oriented behavioural activation, adopted from depression psychotherapy, aims to provide structured support to help patients adjust their personal values, goals, and activities within the context of their changed life situation. This trial aims to evaluate the effectiveness of video-based value-oriented behavioural activation against German S3-Guideline-compliant aftercare for cancer patients dealing with psychological distress. METHODS This trial will use covariate-adaptive randomisation according to gender and type of tumour disease to assign participants to one of two study arms (value-oriented behavioural activation consisting of 12 manualised follow-up sessions delivered via video consultation vs. S3-Guideline-compliant aftercare comprising three supportive talks). Psychological strain, psychosocial distress, quality of life, work-related outcomes, fear of cancer recurrence, goal adjustment, satisfaction with the consultant-participant relationship, and rumination will be measured at baseline, twice during treatment, posttreatment, and at the 6-month follow-up. The target sample of 146 tumour patients experiencing high psychosocial distress will be recruited at the Rehazentrum Oberharz, Germany. DISCUSSION This trial aims to test the effectiveness of value-oriented behavioural activation in aftercare for tumour patients, focusing on its capacity to reduce distress and the potential for long-term effects evaluated through a 6-month follow-up. The study's possible challenges include enrolling a sufficient sample and ensuring adherence to treatment, mitigated through in-person recruitment and rigorous training of staff. If successful, the results will be of high public health relevance, especially for psychotherapeutic care in rural areas and among patients with limited mobility considering the video-based approach of the trial. TRIAL REGISTRATION This study was registered at the German Clinical Trials Register: DRKS00031900 on Sep 19, 2023.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maren Reder
- Institute of Psychology, University of Hildesheim, Universitätsplatz 1, Hildesheim, 31141, Germany.
| | - Christine Hofheinz
- Institute of Psychology, University of Hildesheim, Universitätsplatz 1, Hildesheim, 31141, Germany
| | - Lena Melzner
- Institute of Psychology, University of Hildesheim, Universitätsplatz 1, Hildesheim, 31141, Germany
| | - Gabriele Prinz
- Institute of Psychology, University of Hildesheim, Universitätsplatz 1, Hildesheim, 31141, Germany
| | - Christoph Kröger
- Institute of Psychology, University of Hildesheim, Universitätsplatz 1, Hildesheim, 31141, Germany
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Flight L, Julious SA. Practical guide to sample size calculations: Installation of the app SampSize. Pharm Stat 2022; 21:1109-1110. [PMID: 35535737 DOI: 10.1002/pst.2215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2022] [Revised: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 04/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
In 2016 we published three articles in Pharmaceutical Statistics that gave a practical guide to sample size calculations. In each of the articles there were instructions on how to obtain the App SampSize. This short communication updates these instructions and highlights the updates and added functionality to the App.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Flight
- School of Health and Related Research (ScHARR), The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Steven A Julious
- School of Health and Related Research (ScHARR), The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
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Rowaiye OO, Kusztal M, Zabinska M, Bartoszek D, Myszka M, Kościelska-Kasprzak K, Banasik M, Mazanowska O, Klinger M, Krajewska M. Anti-ETAR and suPAR as markers of disease activity in renal ANCA-associated vasculitis. Adv Med Sci 2022; 67:23-28. [PMID: 34781174 DOI: 10.1016/j.advms.2021.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2020] [Revised: 08/26/2021] [Accepted: 11/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE In anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV), there is a lack of reliable biomarkers of disease activity. The aim of the study was to evaluate soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR) and anti-endothelin-1 type A receptor (anti-ETAR) antibodies levels in active phase and remission of AAV. PATIENTS AND METHODS We enrolled 60 patients (median age 63.0 years) with renal AAV into this study. Plasma suPAR, urine suPAR (expressed as urine suPAR/creatinine ratio) and serum anti-ETAR antibodies were assayed by ELISA. Disease activity was assessed using Birmingham Vasculitis Activity Score (BVAS) and patients were divided into 2 subgroups based on their BVAS scores, namely: active AAV subgroup (BVAS≥1) and remission subgroup (BVAS = 0). Median follow-up was 12 months. RESULTS Patients with active AAV had higher levels of all candidate biomarkers in comparison to those in remission (p < 0.05). C-statistics for plasma suPAR, urine suPAR/creatinine ratio and serum anti-ETAR were 0.807, 0.713 and 0.783, respectively. In multivariable analysis, no clear associations were found between serum anti-ETAR and BVAS, while both plasma suPAR and serum anti-ETAR were independently influenced by estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). CONCLUSIONS Plasma suPAR better discriminated between active AAV and remission in comparison to urine suPAR/creatinine ratio and serum anti-ETAR antibodies.
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Tang Y, Diao H, Jin F, Pu Y, Wang H. The effect of peer education based on adolescent health education on the resilience of children and adolescents: A cluster randomized controlled trial. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0263012. [PMID: 35108312 PMCID: PMC8809556 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0263012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2021] [Accepted: 01/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND An increasing number of children and adolescents have reported mental health problems, and resilience is a protective factor against these problems. Therefore, the aim of the study is to verify the effect of peer education based on adolescent health education on adolescent resilience. METHOD A cluster randomized controlled trial was conducted including 1,613 students who were divided into an intervention group (19 classes, 732 participants) and a control group (24 classes, 881 participants). One-year peer education was performed in the intervention group, and the control group had no interventions. The Resilience Scale for Chinese Adolescents by Yueqin Hu and a self-designed basic information questionnaire were used to collect data. Chi-square test and rank-sum test were used to compare the differences of demographic characteristics between the two groups. A linear mixed model was used to compare the changes of resilience between the two groups after intervention, and the intra-cluster correlation coefficient (ICC) was calculated. A generalized linear mixed model (GLMM) was used to verify the effect of peer education on adolescent resilience. The significance was set at P < 0.05. RESULTS After intervention, compared with the control group, the intervention group showed significant improvement in target focus, emotion adjustment, interpersonal assistance and total resilience (P < 0.05). The ICC range was 0.003 to 0.034. The GLMM results indicated that peer education based on adolescent health education had significant effects on adolescents' target focus (β = 0.893, P = 0.002), emotional adjustment (β = 1.766, P < 0.001), interpersonal assistance (β = 1.722, P = 0.016) and total mental resilience (β = 5.391, P < 0.001), and the effect was greater for boys than for girls. CONCLUSIONS Peer education based on adolescent health education is effective for improving adolescents' target focus, emotional adjustment, interpersonal assistance, and total resilience, especially for males. Future research should devote more attention to positive cognition and family support as well as gender differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yinshuang Tang
- School of Public Health and Management, Chongqing Medical University, Research Center for Medicine and Social Development, Collaborative Innovation Center of Social Risks Governance in Health, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Hua Diao
- School of Public Health and Management, Chongqing Medical University, Research Center for Medicine and Social Development, Collaborative Innovation Center of Social Risks Governance in Health, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Feng Jin
- School of Public Health and Management, Chongqing Medical University, Research Center for Medicine and Social Development, Collaborative Innovation Center of Social Risks Governance in Health, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yang Pu
- School of Public Health and Management, Chongqing Medical University, Research Center for Medicine and Social Development, Collaborative Innovation Center of Social Risks Governance in Health, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Hong Wang
- School of Public Health and Management, Chongqing Medical University, Research Center for Medicine and Social Development, Collaborative Innovation Center of Social Risks Governance in Health, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
- * E-mail:
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Heath A, Myriam Hunink MG, Krijkamp E, Pechlivanoglou P. Prioritisation and design of clinical trials. Eur J Epidemiol 2021; 36:1111-1121. [PMID: 34091766 PMCID: PMC8629779 DOI: 10.1007/s10654-021-00761-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2020] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Clinical trials require participation of numerous patients, enormous research resources and substantial public funding. Time-consuming trials lead to delayed implementation of beneficial interventions and to reduced benefit to patients. This manuscript discusses two methods for the allocation of research resources and reviews a framework for prioritisation and design of clinical trials. The traditional error-driven approach of clinical trial design controls for type I and II errors. However, controlling for those statistical errors has limited relevance to policy makers. Therefore, this error-driven approach can be inefficient, waste research resources and lead to research with limited impact on daily practice. The novel value-driven approach assesses the currently available evidence and focuses on designing clinical trials that directly inform policy and treatment decisions. Estimating the net value of collecting further information, prior to undertaking a trial, informs a decision maker whether a clinical or health policy decision can be made with current information or if collection of extra evidence is justified. Additionally, estimating the net value of new information guides study design, data collection choices, and sample size estimation. The value-driven approach ensures the efficient use of research resources, reduces unnecessary burden to trial participants, and accelerates implementation of beneficial healthcare interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Heath
- Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Division of Biostatistics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Statistical Science, University College London, London, UK
| | - M G Myriam Hunink
- Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands. .,Department of Radiology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands. .,Netherlands Institute for Health Sciences, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands. .,Center for Health Decision Science, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Eline Krijkamp
- Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands.,Netherlands Institute for Health Sciences, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Petros Pechlivanoglou
- Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Institute of Health Policy Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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Hermida RC, Smolensky MH, Balan H, Castriotta RJ, Crespo JJ, Dagan Y, El-Toukhy S, Fernández JR, FitzGerald GA, Fujimura A, Geng YJ, Hermida-Ayala RG, Machado AP, Menna-Barreto L, Mojón A, Otero A, Rudic RD, Schernhammer E, Skarke C, Steen TY, Young ME, Zhao X. Guidelines for the design and conduct of human clinical trials on ingestion-time differences - chronopharmacology and chronotherapy - of hypertension medications. Chronobiol Int 2020; 38:1-26. [PMID: 33342316 DOI: 10.1080/07420528.2020.1850468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Current hypertension guidelines fail to provide a recommendation on when-to-treat, thus disregarding relevant circadian rhythms that regulate blood pressure (BP) level and 24 h patterning and medication pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. The ideal purpose of ingestion-time (chronopharmacology, i.e. biological rhythm-dependent effects on the kinetics and dynamics of medications, and chronotherapy, i.e. the timing of pharmaceutical and other treatments to optimize efficacy and safety) trials should be to explore the potential impact of endogenous circadian rhythms on the effects of medications. Such investigations and outcome trials mandate adherence to the basic standards of human chronobiology research. In-depth review of the more than 150 human hypertension pharmacology and therapeutic trials published since 1974 that address the differential impact of upon-waking/morning versus at-bedtime/evening schedule of treatment reveals diverse protocols of sometimes suboptimal or defective design and conduct. Many have been "time-of-day," i.e. morning versus evening, rather than circadian-time-based, and some relied on wake-time office BP rather than around-the-clock ambulatory BP measurements (ABPM). Additionally, most past studies have been of too small sample size and thus statistically underpowered. As of yet, there has been no consensual agreement on the proper design, methods and conduct of such trials. This Position Statement recommends ingestion-time hypertension trials to follow minimum guidelines: (i) Recruitment of participants should be restricted to hypertensive individuals diagnosed according to ABPM diagnostic thresholds and of a comparable activity/sleep routine. (ii) Tested treatment-times should be selected according to internal biological time, expressed by the awakening and bed times of the sleep/wake cycle. (iii) ABPM should be the primary or sole method of BP assessment. (iv) The minimum-required features for analysis of the ABPM-determined 24 h BP pattern ought to be the asleep (not "nighttime") BP mean and sleep-time relative BP decline, calculated in reference to the activity/rest cycle per individual. (v) ABPM-obtained BP means should be derived by the so-called adjusted calculation procedure, not by inaccurate arithmetic averages. (vi) ABPM should be performed with validated and calibrated devices at least hourly throughout two or more consecutive 24 h periods (48 h in total) to achieve the highest reproducibility of mean wake-time, sleep-time and 48 h BP values plus the reliable classification of dipping status. (vii) Calculation of minimum required sample size in adherence with proper statistical methods must be provided. (viii) Hypertension chronopharmacology and chronotherapy trials should preferably be randomized double-blind, randomized open-label with blinded-endpoint, or crossover in design, the latter with sufficient washout period between tested treatment-time regimens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramón C Hermida
- Bioengineering & Chronobiology Laboratories; Atlantic Research Center for Information and Communication Technologies (atlanTTic), University of Vigo , Vigo, Spain.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Cockrell School of Engineering, the University of Texas at Austin , Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Michael H Smolensky
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Cockrell School of Engineering, the University of Texas at Austin , Austin, Texas, USA.,Division of Cardiology, McGovern School of Medicine, the University of Texas at Houston , Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Horia Balan
- Department of Internal Medicine, "Carol Davila" University of Medicine and Pharmacy , Bucharest, Romania
| | - Richard J Castriotta
- Department of Medicine; Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine; Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California , Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Juan J Crespo
- Bioengineering & Chronobiology Laboratories; Atlantic Research Center for Information and Communication Technologies (atlanTTic), University of Vigo , Vigo, Spain.,Centro de Salud de Bembrive, Estructura de Xestión Integrada de Vigo, Servicio Galego de Saúde (SERGAS) , Vigo, Spain
| | - Yaron Dagan
- Applied Chronobiology Research Center, Tel-Hai Academic College, Israel; Human Biology Department, Haifa University , Israel.,Sleep and Fatigue Institute, Assuta Medical Center , Israel
| | - Sherine El-Toukhy
- Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, National Institutes of Health , Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - José R Fernández
- Bioengineering & Chronobiology Laboratories; Atlantic Research Center for Information and Communication Technologies (atlanTTic), University of Vigo , Vigo, Spain
| | - Garret A FitzGerald
- Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, Smilow Center for Translational Research, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania , Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Akio Fujimura
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Jichi Medical University , Tochigi, Japan.,Department of Internal Medicine, Shin-Kaminokawa Hospital , Tochigi, Japan
| | - Yong-Jian Geng
- Department of Internal Medicine, McGovern School of Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston , Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Ramón G Hermida-Ayala
- Chief Pharmacology Officer, Circadian Ambulatory Technology & Diagnostics (CAT&D) , Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | | | - Luiz Menna-Barreto
- Escola de Artes, Ciências e Humanidades, Grupo Multidisciplinar de Desenvolvimento e Ritmos Biológicos (GMDRB), Universidade de São Paulo , São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Artemio Mojón
- Bioengineering & Chronobiology Laboratories; Atlantic Research Center for Information and Communication Technologies (atlanTTic), University of Vigo , Vigo, Spain
| | - Alfonso Otero
- Servicio de Nefrología, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Ourense, Estructura de Xestión Integrada de Ourense, Verín e O Barco de Valdeorras, Servicio Galego de Saúde (SERGAS) , Ourense, Spain
| | - R Daniel Rudic
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Augusta University , Augusta, Georgia, USA
| | - Eva Schernhammer
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H Chan School of Public Health , Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Department of Epidemiology, Center for Public Health, Medical University of Vienna , Vienna, Austria.,Channing Division of Network Medicine, Harvard Medical School , Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Carsten Skarke
- Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, Smilow Center for Translational Research, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania , Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Tomoko Y Steen
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, Georgetown University , Washington, DC, USA
| | - Martin E Young
- Division of Cardiovascular Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham , Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Xiaoyun Zhao
- Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine Department, Sleep Medicine Center, Tianjin Chest Hospital , Tianjin, China
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Cook JA, Julious SA, Sones W, Hampson LV, Hewitt C, Berlin JA, Ashby D, Emsley R, Fergusson DA, Walters SJ, Wilson EC, MacLennan G, Stallard N, Rothwell JC, Bland M, Brown L, Ramsay CR, Cook A, Armstrong D, Altman D, Vale LD. Practical help for specifying the target difference in sample size calculations for RCTs: the DELTA 2 five-stage study, including a workshop. Health Technol Assess 2019; 23:1-88. [PMID: 31661431 PMCID: PMC6843113 DOI: 10.3310/hta23600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The randomised controlled trial is widely considered to be the gold standard study for comparing the effectiveness of health interventions. Central to its design is a calculation of the number of participants needed (the sample size) for the trial. The sample size is typically calculated by specifying the magnitude of the difference in the primary outcome between the intervention effects for the population of interest. This difference is called the 'target difference' and should be appropriate for the principal estimand of interest and determined by the primary aim of the study. The target difference between treatments should be considered realistic and/or important by one or more key stakeholder groups. OBJECTIVE The objective of the report is to provide practical help on the choice of target difference used in the sample size calculation for a randomised controlled trial for researchers and funder representatives. METHODS The Difference ELicitation in TriAls2 (DELTA2) recommendations and advice were developed through a five-stage process, which included two literature reviews of existing funder guidance and recent methodological literature; a Delphi process to engage with a wider group of stakeholders; a 2-day workshop; and finalising the core document. RESULTS Advice is provided for definitive trials (Phase III/IV studies). Methods for choosing the target difference are reviewed. To aid those new to the topic, and to encourage better practice, 10 recommendations are made regarding choosing the target difference and undertaking a sample size calculation. Recommended reporting items for trial proposal, protocols and results papers under the conventional approach are also provided. Case studies reflecting different trial designs and covering different conditions are provided. Alternative trial designs and methods for choosing the sample size are also briefly considered. CONCLUSIONS Choosing an appropriate sample size is crucial if a study is to inform clinical practice. The number of patients recruited into the trial needs to be sufficient to answer the objectives; however, the number should not be higher than necessary to avoid unnecessary burden on patients and wasting precious resources. The choice of the target difference is a key part of this process under the conventional approach to sample size calculations. This document provides advice and recommendations to improve practice and reporting regarding this aspect of trial design. Future work could extend the work to address other less common approaches to the sample size calculations, particularly in terms of appropriate reporting items. FUNDING Funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC) UK and the National Institute for Health Research as part of the MRC-National Institute for Health Research Methodology Research programme.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan A Cook
- Centre for Statistics in Medicine, Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Steven A Julious
- Medical Statistics Group, School of Health and Related Research, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - William Sones
- Centre for Statistics in Medicine, Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Lisa V Hampson
- Statistical Methodology and Consulting, Novartis Pharma AG, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Catherine Hewitt
- York Trials Unit, Department of Health Sciences, University of York, York, UK
| | | | - Deborah Ashby
- Imperial Clinical Trials Unit, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Richard Emsley
- Department of Biostatistics and Health Informatics, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Dean A Fergusson
- Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Stephen J Walters
- Medical Statistics Group, School of Health and Related Research, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Edward Cf Wilson
- Cambridge Centre for Health Services Research, Cambridge Clinical Trials Unit University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Health Economics Group, Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
| | - Graeme MacLennan
- Centre for Healthcare Randomised Trials, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Nigel Stallard
- Warwick Medical School, Statistics and Epidemiology, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK
| | - Joanne C Rothwell
- Medical Statistics Group, School of Health and Related Research, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Martin Bland
- Department of Health Sciences, University of York, York, UK
| | - Louise Brown
- MRC Clinical Trials Unit, Institute of Clinical Trials and Methodology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Craig R Ramsay
- Health Services Research Unit, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Andrew Cook
- Wessex Institute, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - David Armstrong
- School of Population Health and Environmental Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Douglas Altman
- Centre for Statistics in Medicine, Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Luke D Vale
- Health Economics Group, Institute of Health & Society, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
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Lactobacillus bulgaricus improves antioxidant capacity of black garlic in the prevention of gestational diabetes mellitus: a randomized control trial. Biosci Rep 2019; 39:BSR20182254. [PMID: 31362999 PMCID: PMC6689107 DOI: 10.1042/bsr20182254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2018] [Revised: 07/14/2019] [Accepted: 07/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives:Lactobacillus bulgaricus may improve antioxidant capacity of black garlic in the prevention of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Methods: Black garlic was prepared with or without L. bulgaricus. Volatile and polysaccharides were analyzed by using LC-MS, Fourier Transform infrared (FTIR) and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). The study design was parallel randomized controlled trial and 226 GDM patients were randomly assigned into BG (black garlic and L. bulgaricus) and CG (black garlic) groups, and allocation ratio was 1:1. The treatment duration was 40 weeks. Fasting blood glucose (FBG) and 1- and 2-h blood glucose (1hBG and 2hBG) after oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) were detected. Antioxidant function of black garlic was determined by measuring plasma malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX) and total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) in GDM patients. The comparison between two groups was made using two independent samples t test. Results: The intake of nutrients was similar between two groups (P>0.05). L. bulgaricus promoted the transformation of the glucopyranoside to glucofuranoside. L. bulgaricus increased the abilities of black garlic for scavenging hydroxyl radicals, 2,2′-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzenthiazoline-6-sulfonic) acid (ABTS) and DPPH free radicals. L. bulgaricus reduced the levels of FBG, 1hBG and 2hBG, and incidence of perinatal complications (P<0.01). Plasma MDA level in the BG group was lower than in the CG group, whereas the levels of SOD, GSH-PX and T-AOC in the BG group were higher than in the CG group (P<0.01). Conclusions:L. bulgaricus improves antioxidant capacity of black garlic in the prevention of GDM.
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Julious SA. Calculation of confidence intervals for a finite population size. Pharm Stat 2018; 18:115-122. [PMID: 30411472 DOI: 10.1002/pst.1901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2018] [Revised: 04/11/2018] [Accepted: 07/31/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
For any estimate of response, confidence intervals are important as they help quantify a plausible range of values for the population response. However, there may be instances in clinical research when the population size is finite, but we wish to take a sample from the population and make inference from this sample. Instances where you can have a fixed population size include when undertaking a clinical audit of patient records or in a clinical trial a researcher could be checking for transcription errors against patient notes. In this paper, we describe how confidence interval calculations can be calculated for a finite population. These confidence intervals are narrower than confidence intervals from population samples. For the extreme case of when a 100% sample from the population is taken, there is no error and the calculation is the population response. The methods in the paper are described using a case study from clinical data management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven A Julious
- Medical Statistics Group, School of Health and Related Research (ScHARR), University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S1 4DA, UK
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