Topical, light-based, and complementary interventions: which works better to treat acne and its complications? Key messages • We did not find enough good-quality evidence about benzoyl peroxide, topical antibiotics, and topical retinoids for treating acne. We found that the included systematic reviews only provided a small amount of evidence on these clinically important drugs for us to summarise. • Future research should focus on areas that are important to patients, researchers, and decision-makers, such as new drugs for acne treatment, topical antibiotics and retinoids, and acne...

Risk of fracture in users of hormonal contraception This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To assess the effects of hormonal contraception used for pregnancy prevention on fracture risk in individuals who are currently or were previously capable of becoming pregnant. This is a protocol....

Is artificial intelligence (AI) better than humans for diagnosing the eye condition 'exudative age-related macular degeneration'? Key messages • Compared to human experts, artificial intelligence (AI)-based tests may be comparably accurate at detecting the exudative (or wet) form of age-related macular degeneration (eAMD). • There were no significant differences in the performance regardless of the other eye conditions in the image dataset or the image types used. • More research and consistent reporting are needed to define the role of AI in the diagnosis of eAMD. What is...

What are the benefits and risks of vitamin E for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease? Key messages It is unclear whether long-term treatment (18 months to 24 months) with vitamin E alone or in combination with vitamin C affects death due to any cause, serious unwanted effects, health-related quality of life, or non-serious unwanted effects when compared with placebo (dummy pill) or no treatment. Vitamin E alone probably reduces alanine transaminase and aspartate aminotransferase (liver enzyme) levels slightly. Further research is needed to increase our confidence in the evidence. What is...

Alpha 1 antitrypsin augmentation for alpha 1 antitrypsin deficiency associated lung disease This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To assess the effects of alpha 1 antitrypsin augmentation therapy on respiratory disease in people with alpha 1 antitrypsin deficiency. This is a protocol....

Do low blood pressure targets provide additional benefits for people with chronic kidney disease and high blood pressure compared to standard targets? Key messages • Lowering blood pressure in individuals with high blood pressure (hypertension) provides health benefits. But we do not know by how much blood pressure targets should be lowered for people with both hypertension and chronic kidney disease. • Compared to standard blood pressure targets, intensive (lower than standard) targets probably do not reduce deaths, serious unwanted and harmful events, or cardiovascular events (problems...

How accurate are alternative laboratory-based molecular tests (to RT-PCR with prior RNA extraction/purification) for identifying people infected by SARS-CoV-2? Key messages: * Transcription-mediated amplification (TMA) tests and commercially available reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests specifically designed to omit/adapt RNA extraction/purification appear accurate enough to replace the method of RT-PCR with prior RNA (a molecule essential for most biological functions) extraction/purification for identifying people infected by severe acute respiratory syndrome...

The experiences and perspectives of abortion seekers who travel for care: a qualitative evidence synthesis This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (qualitative). The objectives are as follows: This QES aims to address the following question: What are the lived experiences and perceptions of abortion seekers (i.e. pregnant women, transgender men, and non-binary people of any gender) traveling to obtain care? The review objectives are to: synthesize the qualitative evidence to address the review question; identify factors that influence abortion travel experiences and perspectives, which may...

What are the benefits and harms of patient navigation for children and adolescents with chronic diseases? Key messages – We are very uncertain about the effects of patient navigator programmes compared with usual care on the quality of life of children and adolescents; the quality of life of their families; how many times they are admitted to hospital or go to the emergency department; how many school, day care, or college days they miss; and how much this costs. – There is currently a lack of evidence to determine the effects of patient navigator programmes on children and adolescents with...

What interventions help to prevent or treat BK virus infection in kidney transplant recipients? Key messages • People who have received a transplanted kidney because of kidney failure (a condition where the kidneys no longer function well enough to keep a person alive) are at risk of infection. This is because they have to take strong medications to dampen down the body's immune system (immunosuppressants) to prevent their body from fighting (rejecting) this new kidney. This puts them at risk of developing infection, which may affect the way the new kidney functions. A virus (BK virus) with...

Are interventions aimed at people with schizophrenia and their families more effective than standard care? Key messages • Family interventions may reduce relapse in individuals with schizophrenia. • Family interventions probably reduce caregiver burden and may improve expressed emotion (i.e. adverse family environment including family relationships and interaction patterns) in families of individuals with schizophrenia. • Additional studies are needed to allow any strong conclusions about family interventions for people with schizophrenia and their families. What is schizophrenia and how...

Can psychological or educational interventions (or combinations of both) reduce falls in older adults who live at home? Key messages – A psychological intervention (involving motivational interviewing (a method that aims to change behaviours by addressing uncertainties and encouraging personal commitment) and coaching) combined with tailored education (for example, advice on exercise or medication) makes little to no difference in the number of people who fall (fallers), but likely reduces the number of times people fall (though it is unclear by how much). - There was not enough good-quality...

What are the benefits and risks of vitamin D supplementation for adults with obesity undergoing weight-loss surgery? Key messages – There is limited evidence on the benefits of vitamin D supplements for adults with obesity after weight-loss surgery. We are not confident that taking high or moderate doses of vitamin D after weight-loss surgery improves vitamin D levels or reduces the diseases of the parathyroid glands (four pea-sized glands in the neck that manage calcium levels in the body). – There are no data on the risk of bone fractures, and little information on changes in bone strength...

Psychological interventions for emotional well-being in adults with advanced progressive life-limiting illness This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To determine the benefits and harms of psychological interventions compared to treatment as usual, waiting list, active control, or another psychological intervention to improve emotional well-being in adults with an advanced progressive life-limiting illness. This is a protocol....

Vitamin D to treat chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (chronic inflammatory lung disease) Key messages This Cochrane review does not find that vitamin D offers protection against acute flare-ups of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a chronic, inflammatory lung disease that causes breathing difficulties. It also does not find that vitamin D improves symptoms overall in people with COPD. Why did we think that vitamin D might benefit people with COPD? Low blood levels of vitamin D (the 'sunshine vitamin') have been linked to an increased risk of severe COPD flare-ups. In these...

What are the benefits and risks of exergaming for people with dementia or mild cognitive impairment? Key messages • Playing video games that involve physical activity ('exergaming') may help people with dementia and mild cognitive impairment to improve thinking skills such as learning and remembering items, but we are not totally sure about it. • There is little evidence at present to suggest exergaming might help improve the ability of people with dementia and mild cognitive impairment to walk, keep their balance, or handle daily tasks like paying bills or going shopping. What are dementia...

What are the benefits and harms of 'fertility-sparing' surgery to treat low-risk gestational trophoblastic neoplasia that has not spread to other parts of the body? Key messages • We are very uncertain about the benefits and harms of surgery that does not affect fertility ('fertility-sparing' surgical interventions), with or without chemotherapy, for low-risk gestational trophoblastic neoplasia that has not spread to other parts of the body ('non-metastatic'). • Larger, well‐designed studies would be needed to determine the benefits and harms of fertility-sparing surgery for women...

Can assistive technology help improve stiff joints caused by shortened muscles and tendons in adults after a stroke? Key messages • As we only found seven poor-quality studies, we cannot conclude with certainty whether treatment with assistive technology is better than conventional treatment. • Further research is needed to measure the benefits and harms of assistive technology for the management of contractures in adults who have had a stroke. What are contractures? After a stroke, many people develop limb deformities caused by muscles and tendons getting shorter and stiffer. The main cause...

Predictive value of homologous recombination deficiency status for survival outcomes in primary tubo-ovarian high-grade serous carcinoma This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (prognosis). The objectives are as follows: To evaluate the predictive value of the prognostic factor HRD status, as determined by various clinically validated HRD assays at the time of staging laparotomy, compared to BRCA1/2 mutation status for progression-free survival and overall survival in patients with tubo-ovarian high-grade serous carcinoma treated in the first-line setting with a combination of surgery and...

Do long-term antibiotics help to reduce rheumatic fever recurrence and progression of rheumatic heart disease? Key messages In people who have had previous rheumatic fever (the body attacking itself in response to bacterial infection) or have rheumatic heart disease (long-term damage to the heart due to rheumatic fever): - long-term antibiotics (either injected into the muscle every month or taken as a tablet every day) probably reduce the risk of getting more episodes of rheumatic fever compared to no antibiotics; - intramuscular antibiotics probably reduce the progression (getting worse)...