Liraglutide (LRG) is an analog of glucagon-like-peptide-1 which has beneficial effects on controlling glycemic in diabetes patients. However, the effect of liraglutide on the C-reactive protein (CRP) was controversial in different studies. So, this study aimed to investigate the effect of LRG on CRP in adults with type 2 diabetes (T2DM).
Through March 2024, Web of Science, PubMed, and Scopus electronic databases were searched for pertinent studies. Calculation of 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) and mean differences was done using random effects model. Standard methods assessed dose-response, meta-regression, sensitivity, and publication bias. GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation) was used to calculate evidence certainty.
Finally, after reviewing 9 eligible studies with 10 arms including 1494 participants, a significant decrease in CRP levels was observed after treatment with LRG (WMD = −0.692 mg/L, 95 % CI: −1.01, −0.37, P<0.001). According to the results of the subgroup, LRG had greater effects in obese patients (Body mass index ≥30), high-quality studies, dosages >1.6 mg/d and durations ≥24 weeks. Linear (P<0.001) and non-linear (P dose-response =0.009) dose-response associations were observed between LRG dosages and CRP levels. According to the GRADE, evidence for CRP was high.
LRG had beneficial effects on CRP levels in adults with T2DM, especially in obese patients.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease, as currently available medications such as riluzole and edaravone aim to slow disease progression and manage symptoms, they are often expensive, have adverse side effects, and offer limited therapeutic outcomes. Therefore, it is crucial to explore complementary and alternative medicines in ALS treatment along with their possible mechanism(s). This paper investigates the potential benefits of herbal remedies in ALS management, focusing on their ability to alleviate symptoms, improve quality of life, and potentially delay disease progression.
The review includes articles published from 1999 to 2024 and were searched using various databases including Web of Science, Scopus, Google Scholar and Clinical trial. The search was performed using different keywords such as ‘amyotrophic lateral sclerosis’, ‘pathogenesis’, ‘prevalence’, ‘herbal products’, ‘natural medicines’, ‘safety’, ‘efficacy’, ‘clinical trials’, ‘herbal-drug interaction’, ‘in vitro’, ‘in vivo’, phytochemicals, ‘alternative medicine’. Further studies were screening by assessing abstracts, cross references and previously published review and research articles.
A number of herbal products are reported in preclinical and clinical studies indicating their efficacy against ALS. These prominent phytoconstituents exhibiting anti- amyotrophic lateral sclerosis effect are mainly present in different parts of the plant and include curcumin, epigallocatechin gallate, quercetin, resveratrol, tetrahydrocannabidiol, diallyl trisulfide, withanolides, genistein, and madecassoside. The plant extract containing these phytoconstituents exert their therapeutic effect via modulating inflammatory mediators, trapping free radicals, targeting various enzymes and/or by harnessing autophagy.
Although, various preclinical studies have shown beneficial effects of herbs in treating this debilitating disease. Further investigation is necessary to confirm the safety and efficacy of these botanical therapies in clinics.