Conflicting results identifying the association between tooth loss and cardiovascular disease and stroke have been reported. Therefore, a dose-response meta-analysis was performed to clarify and quantitatively assess the correlation between tooth loss and cardiovascular disease and stroke risk. Up to March 2017, seventeen cohort studies were included in current meta-analysis, involving a total of 879084 participants with 43750 incident cases. Our results showed statistically significant increment association between tooth loss and cardiovascular disease and stroke risk. Subgroups analysis indicated that tooth loss was associated with a significant risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke in Asia and Caucasian. Furthermore, tooth loss was associated with a significant risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke in fatal cases and nonfatal cases. Additionally, a significant dose-response relationship was observed between tooth loss and cardiovascular disease and stroke risk. Increasing per 2 of tooth loss was associated with a 3% increment of coronary heart disease risk; increasing per 2 of tooth loss was associated with a 3% increment of stroke risk. Subgroup meta-analyses in study design, study quality, number of participants and number of cases showed consistent findings. No publication bias was observed in this meta-analysis. Considering these promising results, tooth loss might provide harmful health benefits.

PURPOSE: Advanced hepatocellular carcinoma often combined with portal vein tumor thrombus (PVTT), transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) is recommended as an effective treatment. Recent studies showed that TACE plus iodine-125 ( 125 I) seed for hepatocellular carcinoma with PVTT can improve the remission rate. This study aimed to systematically evaluate the efficacy and safety of 125 I seed implantation in patients with PVTT. METHODS AND MATERIALS: The Embase, Medline/PubMed, Cochrane Library, and OVID databases were systematically searched from the earliest to October 2018. The references included in the literature were searched. The primary endpoints were remission rate and overall survival, and the secondary endpoints were portal venous pressure and adverse event. The odds ratio (OR) and hazard ratio (HR) were combined using either fixed or random effects model. Meta-analysis was performed using Stata 12.0 software. RESULTS: Eight studies were included with 1098 patients, 591 patients received 125 I seed implantation, and 507 in the control group. Meta-analysis showed that 125 I seed implantation improved the remission rate in patients with PVTT (OR 5 2.24, 95% confidence interval (CI) 5 1.68e2.99, p 5 0.000) and survival rate (HR 5 0.27, 95% CI 5 0.14e0.40, p 5 0.000); it also reduced patient's mortality risk (HR 5 0.46, 95% CI 5 0.37e0.54, p 5 0.000). Subgroup analysis suggested that the death risk of patients who responded to 125 I seed implantation declined 55% (HR 5 0.45, 95% CI 5 0.34e0.55, p 5 0.000). 125 I seed implantation is more effective against PVTT delivered at a dose higher than 110 Gy. There was no difference in the occurrence adverse event between the two groups (OR 5 1.07, 95% CI 5 0.92e1.25, p 5 0.262). CONCLUSION: TACE plus 125 I seed implantation is more effective in treating PVTT. The use of 125 I seeds dose O110 Gy will show better results.

The inter-arm systolic blood pressure difference (SBPD) is recommended to be in relation to potential cardiovascular disease (CVD). Previous studies yielded controversial results about the association between an inter-arm SBPD ≥ 10 mmHg or ≥15 mmHg and the risk of cardiovascular mortality. Therefore, we conducted this meta-analysis to investigate this association. We searched PubMed and Embase databases through December 31, 2014, and examined the references of retrieved articles to identify relevant cohort studies. We utilized Newcastle-Ottawa scale to assess the quality of included studies and calculated the summary risk estimates in a fixed/random-effect model. All data analyses were conducted using STATA version 11.0. A total of seven studies were identified. Compared with participants with an inter-arm SBPD < 10 mmHg, the pooled hazard ratio (HR) of CVD mortality of those with an inter-arm SBPD ≥ 10 mmHg was 1.58 (95% CI: 1.3-1.93), and the pooled HR of cardiovascular mortality of participants with an inter-arm SBPD ≥ 15 mmHg versus those with an inter-arm SBPD < 15 mmHg was 1.88 (95% CI: 1.33-2.66). The findings from the present meta-analysis indicated that the detection of an inter-arm SBPD may define a subpopulation at high risk of CVD events.