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Maternal anemia and the risk of preterm birth: a meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Globally, preterm birth continues to be a primary contributor to neonatal complications and fatalities. Anemia among the most common nutritional disorders in pregnancy has been proposed as a potential contributor to early delivery. Although extensively studied, the available evidence does not yet provide a clear consensus. This study aimed to conduct a meta-analysis to quantitatively assess the relationship between maternal anemia and the risk of preterm birth. METHODS: This meta-analysis was conducted and reported in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines and the MOOSE checklist. A systematic and exhaustive search was performed across multiple electronic databases PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, and the Cochrane Library to identify relevant studies published from inception to 1 January 2025. Effect sizes were combined using a random-effects meta-analysis. RESULTS: A total of 45 articles, reporting 60 independent study populations&#xa0;comprising 2,119,392 pregnant individuals were included. Considerable heterogeneity was found across the included studies (I2 = 95.54%, p&#x2009;<&#x2009;0.001), which justified the application of a random-effects model for pooling effect sizes. Maternal anemia was significantly associated with an increased risk of preterm birth (pooled odds ratio[OR]&#x2009;=&#x2009;1.28, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.20-1.36, p&#x2009;<&#x2009;0.001). Despite substantial heterogeneity, sensitivity analyses confirmed the robustness of this association. The relationship was strongest in studies conducted in Asia (OR = 1.30, 95% CI: 1.22-1.40; p&#x2009;<&#x2009;0.001) and the Europe (OR = 1.24, 95% CI: 1.08-1.41; p&#x2009;=&#x2009;0.001) and reached statistical significance when anemia was assessed during the first trimester (OR = 1.12, 95% CI: 1.03-1.51; p&#x2009;=&#x2009;0.007) and the third trimester (OR = 1.65, 95% CI: 1.42-1.91; p&#x2009;<&#x2009;0.001), while no significant associations were found in the second trimesters (OR = 1.10, 95% CI: 0.99-1.22; p&#x2009;=&#x2009;0.05). Funnel plot asymmetry and a significant Egger's test (p = 0.001) indicated potential publication bias, although Begg's test was not significant (p = 0.425). CONCLUSIONS: The current evidence suggests that maternal anemia, particularly in the third trimester, is significantly associated with an increased risk of preterm birth. These findings emphasize the clinical imperative for comprehensive and timely anemia screening during the third trimester. Integrating targeted interventions such as iron and micronutrient supplementation, is essential to mitigate the risk of preterm delivery and improve neonatal outcomes.

Humans

Metabolic ketosis attenuates NLRP3 inflammasome activation and is associated with improvements in hepatic steatosis and liver stiffness in MASLD: a pilot randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is increasingly recognized as a systemic metabolic-inflammatory disorder in which metabolic stress and innate immune activation, particularly through the NLRP3 inflammasome, contribute to disease progression. Metabolic ketosis, characterized by increased levels of circulating ketone bodies, especially &#x3b2;-hydroxybutyrate, has emerged as a promising strategy to modulate substrate utilization, inflammatory signaling, and hepatic injury. However, clinical evidence integrating molecular, metabolic, and hepatic outcomes remains limited. METHODS: In this pilot randomized controlled trial, 20 participants with newly diagnosed MASLD were randomly assigned to either a 3-month intervention with a daily C8-enriched medium-chain fatty acid formulation (m-CAP; meta-Capridin, providing approximately 20 g/day of C8) or a standardized low-carbohydrate dietary protocol. Metabolic indices, inflammatory mediators, adipokines, and hepatic enzymes were assessed. The expression of key inflammasome components (NLRP3, caspase-1, and ASC) was evaluated in peripheral blood mononuclear cells, and hepatic steatosis and liver stiffness were measured via transient elastography. RESULTS: The C8-enriched intervention was associated with increased circulating &#x3b2;-hydroxybutyrate levels, indicating the achievement of nutritional ketosis. Changes over time were observed in metabolic parameters, including fasting serum glucose (p < 0.05), HOMA-IR (p < 0.05), body fat percentage (p < 0.05), and BMI (p < 0.05). Alterations in inflammatory mediators and adipokine-related outcomes were also observed following the intervention. At the molecular level, changes in inflammasome-related markers were detected, including caspase-1 mRNA expression (p < 0.05) and NLRP3 expression at the transcriptional (p < 0.05) and protein levels (p < 0.01), whereas ASC expression remained unchanged. Changes in hepatic steatosis (p < 0.01) and liver stiffness measurements were observed following the intervention. Given the absence of significant Group &#xd7; Time interactions for several secondary outcomes, these findings should be interpreted as exploratory and hypothesis-generating. CONCLUSIONS: Induction of metabolic ketosis was associated with changes in metabolic, inflammatory, and hepatic parameters in patients with MASLD. The observed associations between ketosis, inflammasome-related markers, and noninvasive liver outcomes warrant further investigation of ketosis-based interventions as adjunctive approaches in MASLD. Larger and longer-term clinical trials are needed to confirm these findings and to determine whether short-term changes in liver stiffness reflect sustained alterations in hepatic status rather than structural fibrosis regression. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (IRCT); Unique identifier: IRCT20170315033086N12; Registration date: 19 September 2024; Registry URL: https://www.irct.ir. IRCT is a primary registry in the WHO Registry Network (https://www.who.int/tools/clinical-trials-registry-platform/network/primary-registries).

Humans

Smartphone Apps for Preventing Adolescent Health Problems Among Health Care Professionals: Systematic Search and Quality Assessment.

BACKGROUND: Health care professionals must consider multiple dimensions of prevention when consulting with adolescents. Identifying risky behaviors early in adolescence is crucial for reducing both morbidity and mortality. General practitioners are increasingly eager to incorporate digital tools for prevention into their consultations with adolescents; however, the relevance and clinical validity of these digital tools are not always established or well-known. Consequently, primary care professionals require guidance and support in selecting relevant mobile health (mHealth) tools. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to identify relevant and useful digital apps to help primary care professionals detect at-risk adolescents across all recommended areas of prevention: orthopedics, mental health, substance abuse, risk behaviors, sexual health, vaccinations, social relationships, and nutrition. METHODS: A systematic review of smartphone apps, with an analysis of content quality, was carried out by 4 researchers using the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) checklist. The App Store and Google Play Store platforms were surveyed. The inclusion criteria were as follows: free of charge, date of last update, availability in French or English, relevance of the preventive approach to adolescents, and scientific validation. Four health care professionals assessed the apps: 2 selected the apps relevant to health care professionals, then 3 analyzed these apps using the French version of the Mobile App Rating Scale (MARS-F). Intraclass correlation coefficient, model (2,1) (2-way random effects, absolute agreement, single measures); standard error of measurement; and mean absolute error were also calculated. RESULTS: A total of 976 apps were identified, 49 of which had disappeared from the platforms prior to analysis. Nine apps were retained. Seven (0.72%) were included after evaluation using the MARS-F: 2 on mental health and 5 on sexual health (including 3 on contraception only). The mean MARS-F interrater score ranged from 2.5/5 to 3.8/5. The global MARS-F score demonstrated a pooled SD of 0.60 and an intraclass correlation coefficient (2,1) of 0.0003, resulting in a calculated standard error of measurement of 0.60. The average discrepancy between raters was a mean absolute error of 0.53. CONCLUSIONS: No similar studies have been identified in the literature that specifically focus on mobile apps designed to support health care professionals in delivering preventive care to adolescents. Of the 8 areas of prevention identified as relevant for adolescents, only 3 are addressed by the apps validated through our methodology (5 focus on sexual health). Consequently, current apps are insufficient to support health care professionals in their overall preventive work with adolescents. Such a review should be conducted systematically prior to the development of any new tool to prevent duplication and channel creative efforts toward truly innovative digital solutions. Furthermore, a thorough analysis of relevant, recommended websites is essential, as these resources complement the use of mobile apps designed for health care professionals.

Humans