Clinical research, public health and biomedicine — summarized conservatively, with evidence levels and limitations.
Articles in this section summarize medical research for general information. They are not medical advice, and every article shows its evidence level and limitations.
A systematic review and network meta-analysis examined statins, metformin, and vitamin D in eight randomized trials involving 4,078 high-risk pregnant women. Some higher-dose vitamin D regimens were associated with lower estimated risks of preeclampsia than placebo, but the evidence was limited, heterogeneous, and rated low certainty.
A randomized trial in 219 children aged 6 to 12 with high myopia compared three concentrations of atropine eyedrops over 24 months. Children assigned to 0.10% atropine had less average myopia progression than those assigned to 0.01%, while light sensitivity was reported more often with the higher concentration. The findings apply to children similar to those studied and do not establish how the results compare with other approaches.
A systematic review examined research on strategies used to address childhood obesity in Nigeria and the barriers that affect them. Across eight included studies, physical activity and dietary changes were the most commonly reported approaches, but the review found that family, school, economic and cultural conditions can affect implementation.
This article proposes a framework for classifying and reporting age-based sexual interests according to developmental stages. It is a conceptual review, not a study of patients or a test of whether the framework improves prevention, diagnosis, or treatment. The authors state that the framework still requires empirical evaluation.
This clinical practice guideline updates earlier guidance on urinary tract infections in children from 8 days through 5 years of age. It reviews evidence and provides recommendations for evaluation, antibiotic treatment, imaging, and assessment of related conditions. The guideline reports that most key recommendations are based on low or very low certainty evidence.
A systematic review examined clinical research on ambroxol in people with Gaucher disease and GBA1-related Parkinson disease. It found some reported biochemical and neurological changes in selected patients, but the studies were generally small, uncontrolled and varied substantially. The review concluded that ambroxol remains investigational and that its long-term safety and clinical effectiveness are uncertain.
This systematic review examined clinical, lung-function, imaging, and workplace findings in people diagnosed with artificial stone silicosis, an occupational lung disease associated with dust exposure during artificial-stone work. Across the reviewed reports, some patients had severe lung changes even when standard lung tests or chest radiographs did not detect early disease.
A scoping review examined nine studies published from 2005 through November 2025 on donor funding disruptions and paediatric HIV services in sub-Saharan Africa. The included studies linked funding transitions, particularly those involving PEPFAR, with health-system disruptions across several stages of children’s HIV care.
A systematic review and meta-analysis examined 18 randomized controlled trials involving adults with type 2 diabetes. Compared with intensified insulin strategies, injectable incretin-based regimens were associated with slightly greater HbA1c reductions, less hypoglycemia, and lower body weight, while gastrointestinal side effects were more frequent.
This systematic review examined quality-of-life outcomes at least three months after caesarean delivery among women who reported persistent postsurgical pain. Across 30 studies involving 28,295 women, persistent pain was associated with difficulties in daily activities, sleep, mood and energy, although the studies used different definitions and measures.
Researchers examined prescribing patterns among 239,995 Danish residents with type 2 diabetes who were diagnosed at age 40 or older. Nearly one third had at least one possible omission under the study's general prescribing criteria, and prescribing gaps involving cardiovascular care were common. The study found associations with being female and living alone, but it did not show that these factors caused the prescribing differences.
This review examines off-label prescribing in children, meaning medicines used outside the terms of their official approval. It argues that such prescribing is not automatically inappropriate, but that its acceptability depends on the available evidence, the clinical setting, and safety monitoring. The article also describes continuing delays, incomplete studies, and a lack of suitable child-specific formulations.
Researchers analysed double-blind randomised trials of adults with major depressive disorder to compare 10 antidepressants with placebo during the first eight weeks of treatment. Some medicines were associated with longer QTc intervals, a heart rhythm measurement, but the analysis did not find higher rates of early major cardiovascular events or non-suicidal death compared with placebo.
Researchers studied 4,695 very preterm infants in Sweden and compared outcomes among those who did and did not receive a three-strain probiotic supplement. Probiotic exposure was associated with lower rates of death and necrotizing enterocolitis, a serious intestinal disease, but was not clearly associated with culture-confirmed sepsis.
This narrative review examined research on oral effects reported in people taking systemic isotretinoin for acne. It found that reduced saliva, dry mouth, chapped lips, and other dryness-related symptoms were the most consistent findings, while evidence about cavities and gum health was less uniform.
