Supplementation and screening for iron-deficiency anemia (IDA) in young children may improve grow... more Supplementation and screening for iron-deficiency anemia (IDA) in young children may improve growth and development outcomes. The goal of this study was to review the evidence regarding the benefits and harms of screening and routine supplementation for IDA for the US Preventive Services Task Force. We searched Medline and Cochrane databases (1996-August 2014), as well as reference lists of relevant systematic reviews. We included trials and controlled observational studies regarding the effectiveness and harms of routine iron supplementation and screening in children ages 6 to 24 months conducted in developed countries. One author extracted data, which were checked for accuracy by a second author. Dual quality assessment was performed. No studies of iron supplementation in young children reported on the diagnosis of neurodevelopmental delay. Five of 6 trials sparsely reporting various growth outcomes found no clear benefit of supplementation. After 3 to 12 months, Bayley Scales of ...
Screening could identify preschool-aged children with vision problems at a critical period of vis... more Screening could identify preschool-aged children with vision problems at a critical period of visual development and lead to treatments that could improve vision. To determine the effectiveness of screening preschool-aged children for impaired visual acuity on health outcomes. We searched Medline from 1950 to July 2009 and the Cochrane Library through the third quarter of 2009, reviewed reference lists, and consulted experts. We selected randomized trials and controlled observational studies on preschool vision screening and treatments, and studies of diagnostic accuracy of screening tests. One investigator abstracted relevant data, and a second investigator checked data abstraction and quality assessments. Direct evidence on the effectiveness of preschool vision screening for improving visual acuity or other clinical outcomes remains limited and does not adequately address whether screening is more effective than no screening. Regarding indirect evidence, a number of screening tests have utility for identification of preschool-aged children with vision problems. Diagnostic accuracy did not clearly differ for children stratified according to age, although testability rates were generally lower in children 1 to 3 years of age. Treatments for amblyopia or unilateral refractive error were associated with mild improvements in visual acuity compared with no treatment. No study has evaluated school performance or other functional outcomes. Although treatments for amblyopia or unilateral refractive error can improve vision in preschool-aged children and screening tests have utility for identifying vision problems, additional studies are needed to better understand the effects of screening compared with no screening.
The prevalence of hypertension is increasing in children, and may persist into adulthood. This sy... more The prevalence of hypertension is increasing in children, and may persist into adulthood. This systematic review was conducted for the US Preventive Services Task Force recommendation on the effectiveness of screening asymptomatic children and adolescents for hypertension in order to prevent cardiovascular disease. Eligible studies were identified from Medline and the Cochrane Library (through July 2012). We included trials and controlled observational studies in asymptomatic children and adolescents on the effectiveness and harms of screening and treatment, as well as accuracy of blood pressure measurement. One author extracted study characteristics and results, which were checked for accuracy by a second author. No studies evaluated the effects of screening for hypertension on health outcomes. Two studies of screening tests for elevated blood pressure reported moderate sensitivities (0.65, 0.72) and specificities (0.75, 0.92). Sensitivities and specificities of child hypertension for the later presence of adult hypertension (7 studies) were wide ranging (0-0.63 and 0.77-1.0, respectively), and associations between child hypertension and carotid intima media thickening and proteinuria in young adults (3 studies) were inconsistent. Seven studies reported that drug interventions effectively lowered blood pressure in adolescents over short follow-up periods. No serious treatment-related adverse effects were reported. There is no direct evidence that screening for hypertension in children and adolescents reduces adverse cardiovascular outcomes in adults. Additional studies are needed to improve diagnosis and risk stratification of children with elevated blood pressure and to quantify risks and benefits of interventions.
Appendix B3 displays an accounting of studies reviewed for the evidence report. A total of 7920 s... more Appendix B3 displays an accounting of studies reviewed for the evidence report. A total of 7920 studies were identified through searches of online databases and other sources as being potentially relevant to the evidence report. Of those, 7085 were excluded at the title ...
Background: Coronary heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States in adults. ... more Background: Coronary heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States in adults. Traditional risk factors do not account for all of the excess risk associated with coronary heart disease. Screening for abnormalities with resting or exercise ...
Background: Screening with prostate-specific antigen testing can detect prostate cancer in earlie... more Background: Screening with prostate-specific antigen testing can detect prostate cancer in earlier, asymptomatic stages, when treatments might be more effective. However, treatments for prostate cancer are also associated with potential harms.
BACKGROUND: Osteoporosis and related fractures are common in older individuals and lead to premat... more BACKGROUND: Osteoporosis and related fractures are common in older individuals and lead to premature mortality, loss of function and independence, reduced quality of life, and high costs. Despite its importance, osteoporosis is under detected in the United States. This ...
A 2005 U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) review found good evidence that HIV screening... more A 2005 U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) review found good evidence that HIV screening is accurate and that antiretroviral therapy (ART) for immunologically advanced disease is associated with substantial clinical benefits, but insufficient evidence to determine the effects on transmission or in less immunologically advanced disease. To update the 2005 USPSTF review on benefits and harms of HIV screening in adolescents and adults, focusing on research gaps identified in the prior review. MEDLINE (2004 to June 2012) and the Cochrane Library (through the second quarter of 2012). Randomized trials and observational studies that compared HIV screening strategies and reported clinical outcomes, evaluated the effects of starting ART at different CD4 cell count thresholds and long-term harms, or reported the effects of interventions on transmission risk. 2 authors abstracted and checked study details and quality using predefined criteria. No study directly evaluated the effects on clinical outcomes of screening versus no screening for HIV infection. A randomized trial and a subgroup analysis from a randomized trial found that ART initiation at CD4 counts less than 0.250 × 109 cells/L was associated with a higher risk for death or AIDS-defining events than initiation at CD4 counts greater than 0.350 × 109 cells/L (hazard ratios, 1.7 [95% CI, 1.1 to 2.5] and 5.3 [CI, 1.3 to 9.6]). Large, fair-quality cohort studies also consistently found that ART initiation at CD4 counts of 0.350 to 0.500 × 109 cells/L was associated with lower risk for death or AIDS-defining events than delayed initiation. New evidence from good-quality cohorts with longer-term follow-up confirms a previously observed small increased risk for cardiovascular events associated with certain antiretrovirals. Strong evidence from 1 good-quality randomized trial and 7 observational studies found that ART was associated with a 10- to 20-fold reduction in risk for sexual transmission of HIV. Only English-language articles were included. Observational studies were included. Studies done in resource-poor or high-prevalence settings were included but might have limited applicability to general screening in the United States. Previous studies have shown that HIV screening is accurate, targeted screening misses a substantial proportion of cases, and treatments are effective in patients with advanced immunodeficiency. New evidence indicates that ART reduces risk for AIDS-defining events and death in persons with less advanced immunodeficiency and reduces sexual transmission of HIV. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
Supplementation and screening for iron-deficiency anemia (IDA) in young children may improve grow... more Supplementation and screening for iron-deficiency anemia (IDA) in young children may improve growth and development outcomes. The goal of this study was to review the evidence regarding the benefits and harms of screening and routine supplementation for IDA for the US Preventive Services Task Force. We searched Medline and Cochrane databases (1996-August 2014), as well as reference lists of relevant systematic reviews. We included trials and controlled observational studies regarding the effectiveness and harms of routine iron supplementation and screening in children ages 6 to 24 months conducted in developed countries. One author extracted data, which were checked for accuracy by a second author. Dual quality assessment was performed. No studies of iron supplementation in young children reported on the diagnosis of neurodevelopmental delay. Five of 6 trials sparsely reporting various growth outcomes found no clear benefit of supplementation. After 3 to 12 months, Bayley Scales of ...
Screening could identify preschool-aged children with vision problems at a critical period of vis... more Screening could identify preschool-aged children with vision problems at a critical period of visual development and lead to treatments that could improve vision. To determine the effectiveness of screening preschool-aged children for impaired visual acuity on health outcomes. We searched Medline from 1950 to July 2009 and the Cochrane Library through the third quarter of 2009, reviewed reference lists, and consulted experts. We selected randomized trials and controlled observational studies on preschool vision screening and treatments, and studies of diagnostic accuracy of screening tests. One investigator abstracted relevant data, and a second investigator checked data abstraction and quality assessments. Direct evidence on the effectiveness of preschool vision screening for improving visual acuity or other clinical outcomes remains limited and does not adequately address whether screening is more effective than no screening. Regarding indirect evidence, a number of screening tests have utility for identification of preschool-aged children with vision problems. Diagnostic accuracy did not clearly differ for children stratified according to age, although testability rates were generally lower in children 1 to 3 years of age. Treatments for amblyopia or unilateral refractive error were associated with mild improvements in visual acuity compared with no treatment. No study has evaluated school performance or other functional outcomes. Although treatments for amblyopia or unilateral refractive error can improve vision in preschool-aged children and screening tests have utility for identifying vision problems, additional studies are needed to better understand the effects of screening compared with no screening.
The prevalence of hypertension is increasing in children, and may persist into adulthood. This sy... more The prevalence of hypertension is increasing in children, and may persist into adulthood. This systematic review was conducted for the US Preventive Services Task Force recommendation on the effectiveness of screening asymptomatic children and adolescents for hypertension in order to prevent cardiovascular disease. Eligible studies were identified from Medline and the Cochrane Library (through July 2012). We included trials and controlled observational studies in asymptomatic children and adolescents on the effectiveness and harms of screening and treatment, as well as accuracy of blood pressure measurement. One author extracted study characteristics and results, which were checked for accuracy by a second author. No studies evaluated the effects of screening for hypertension on health outcomes. Two studies of screening tests for elevated blood pressure reported moderate sensitivities (0.65, 0.72) and specificities (0.75, 0.92). Sensitivities and specificities of child hypertension for the later presence of adult hypertension (7 studies) were wide ranging (0-0.63 and 0.77-1.0, respectively), and associations between child hypertension and carotid intima media thickening and proteinuria in young adults (3 studies) were inconsistent. Seven studies reported that drug interventions effectively lowered blood pressure in adolescents over short follow-up periods. No serious treatment-related adverse effects were reported. There is no direct evidence that screening for hypertension in children and adolescents reduces adverse cardiovascular outcomes in adults. Additional studies are needed to improve diagnosis and risk stratification of children with elevated blood pressure and to quantify risks and benefits of interventions.
Appendix B3 displays an accounting of studies reviewed for the evidence report. A total of 7920 s... more Appendix B3 displays an accounting of studies reviewed for the evidence report. A total of 7920 studies were identified through searches of online databases and other sources as being potentially relevant to the evidence report. Of those, 7085 were excluded at the title ...
Background: Coronary heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States in adults. ... more Background: Coronary heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States in adults. Traditional risk factors do not account for all of the excess risk associated with coronary heart disease. Screening for abnormalities with resting or exercise ...
Background: Screening with prostate-specific antigen testing can detect prostate cancer in earlie... more Background: Screening with prostate-specific antigen testing can detect prostate cancer in earlier, asymptomatic stages, when treatments might be more effective. However, treatments for prostate cancer are also associated with potential harms.
BACKGROUND: Osteoporosis and related fractures are common in older individuals and lead to premat... more BACKGROUND: Osteoporosis and related fractures are common in older individuals and lead to premature mortality, loss of function and independence, reduced quality of life, and high costs. Despite its importance, osteoporosis is under detected in the United States. This ...
A 2005 U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) review found good evidence that HIV screening... more A 2005 U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) review found good evidence that HIV screening is accurate and that antiretroviral therapy (ART) for immunologically advanced disease is associated with substantial clinical benefits, but insufficient evidence to determine the effects on transmission or in less immunologically advanced disease. To update the 2005 USPSTF review on benefits and harms of HIV screening in adolescents and adults, focusing on research gaps identified in the prior review. MEDLINE (2004 to June 2012) and the Cochrane Library (through the second quarter of 2012). Randomized trials and observational studies that compared HIV screening strategies and reported clinical outcomes, evaluated the effects of starting ART at different CD4 cell count thresholds and long-term harms, or reported the effects of interventions on transmission risk. 2 authors abstracted and checked study details and quality using predefined criteria. No study directly evaluated the effects on clinical outcomes of screening versus no screening for HIV infection. A randomized trial and a subgroup analysis from a randomized trial found that ART initiation at CD4 counts less than 0.250 × 109 cells/L was associated with a higher risk for death or AIDS-defining events than initiation at CD4 counts greater than 0.350 × 109 cells/L (hazard ratios, 1.7 [95% CI, 1.1 to 2.5] and 5.3 [CI, 1.3 to 9.6]). Large, fair-quality cohort studies also consistently found that ART initiation at CD4 counts of 0.350 to 0.500 × 109 cells/L was associated with lower risk for death or AIDS-defining events than delayed initiation. New evidence from good-quality cohorts with longer-term follow-up confirms a previously observed small increased risk for cardiovascular events associated with certain antiretrovirals. Strong evidence from 1 good-quality randomized trial and 7 observational studies found that ART was associated with a 10- to 20-fold reduction in risk for sexual transmission of HIV. Only English-language articles were included. Observational studies were included. Studies done in resource-poor or high-prevalence settings were included but might have limited applicability to general screening in the United States. Previous studies have shown that HIV screening is accurate, targeted screening misses a substantial proportion of cases, and treatments are effective in patients with advanced immunodeficiency. New evidence indicates that ART reduces risk for AIDS-defining events and death in persons with less advanced immunodeficiency and reduces sexual transmission of HIV. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
Uploads