Background: Metabolic syndrome refers to the coexistence of several known cardiovascular risk factors, including insulin resistance, obesity, atherogenic dyslipidemia, and hypertension. These conditions are interrelated and share underlying mediators, mechanisms, and pathways. Improvement in dietary habits has been shown to improve metabolic parameters in patients undergoing treatment with different diets. Methods: A systematic search in different databases was realized using the keywords “Metabolic syndrome”, “X syndrome”, “Dash dietary” and “Dash diet”. Finally, six studies were included in this meta-analysis. Results: All articles comparing the DASH diet vs. other diet modalities reported significant differences in favor of the DASH diet on Systolic blood pressure (SBP) (standardized mean difference [SMD] = −8.06, confidence interval [CI] = −9.89 to −7.32, and p < 0.00001), Diastolic blood pressure (SMD = −6.38, CI = −7.62 to −5.14, and p < 0.00001), Cholesterol HDL (SMD = 0.70, CI = 0.53 to 0.88, and p < 0.00001) and Cholesterol LDL (SMD = −1.29, CI = −1.73 to −0.85, and p < 0.00001) scales. Conclusions: The DASH diet has been shown to be beneficial in altered parameters in patients with MS, and the resulting improvements can significantly affect the daily health of these patients. We therefore recommend that professionals who manage these pathologies promote the use of the DASH diet for the management of specific symptoms.

The Mediterranean diet (MD) is one of the healthiest diets, high in fiber, antioxidants, and unsaturated fats. MD improves lipid profiles, reduces inflammation, controls blood pressure, decreases insulin resistance, and enhances the sensitivity to this hormone, lowering the risks of Metabolic syndrome (MS). MS is characterized by central obesity, hypertension, insulin resistance, and dyslipidemia, increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease and type II diabetes. The objective of this study was to know the effectiveness of the MD versus other treatments in patients with MS. A systematic search across multiple databases, Medline, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus, Google Scholar, and Cinahl, was conducted using keywords such as “Mediterranean diet”, “Mediterranean food”, “eat mediterranean”, “Metabolic syndrome”, and “x syndrome”. A total of 12 studies met the inclusion criteria. Mediterranean diet at different doses versus other diets or other treatments showed significant improvements in clinical parameters, including BMI (mean difference of −0.83 95% CI: −0.93 to −0.74; p < 0.00001),waist circumference (mean difference = −1.81, CI = −2.63 to −0.99, p < 0.00001) triglycerides (mean difference = −22.38, CI = −32.86 to −11.90, p < 0.00001), Glucose (mean difference = −4.28, CI = −7.64 to −0.93, p = 0.005) and, HOMA IR (mean difference = −0.72, CI = −0.78 to −0.65, p < 0.00001), and Insulin resistance (mean difference = −2.98, CI = −3.27 to −2.69, p < 0.00001), all of which improved, Although there were more outcomes, these are the most important changes for patients with metabolic syndrome. MD improves metabolic and cardiovascular health, but study heterogeneity limits the results’ generalizability. Because of that, further research is needed to standardize approaches and explore their mechanisms. MD should be part of an optimized strategy that includes education and physical activity. The strength of the evidence was very low according to the GRADE approach. Further research is needed to support the efficacy of the Mediterranean diet in patients with MS.

Background: Variations in renal veins are quite common, and most people do not experience issues due to them. However, these variations are important for healthcare professionals, especially in surgical procedures and imaging studies, as precise knowledge of vascular anatomy is essential to avoid complications during medical interventions. The purpose of this study was to expose the frequency of anatomical variations in the renal vein (RV) and detail their relationship with the retroperitoneal and renal regions. Methods: A systematic search was conducted in the Medline, Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, CINAHL, and LILACS databases from their inception until January 2024. Two authors independently carried out the search, study selection, and data extraction and assessed methodological quality using a quality assurance tool for anatomical studies (AQUA). Ultimately, consolidated prevalence was estimated using a random effects model. Results: In total, 91 studies meeting the eligibility criteria were identified. This study included 91 investigations with a total of 46,664 subjects; the meta-analysis encompassed 64 studies. The overall prevalence of multiple renal veins was 5%, with a confidence interval (CI) of 4% to 5%. The prevalence of the renal vein trajectory was 5%, with a CI of 4% to 5%. The prevalence of renal vein branching was 3%, with a CI of 0% to 6%. Lastly, the prevalence of unusual renal vein origin was 2%, with a CI of 1% to 4%. Conclusions: The analysis of these variants is crucial for both surgical clinical management and the treatment of patients with renal transplant and hemodialysis.

Background: This systematic review explores the most current evidence regarding the mechanisms of neuropathic pain in patients with different types of diabetes and how this pain affects different functional and structural components of the neuroanatomical pain pathways. The review also seeks to provide guidelines for the best approach and treatment for patients experiencing this type of pain. The objective is to determine the effectiveness of alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) in improving functional and symptomatic outcomes in patients with diabetes mellitus type I and type II. Objective: To determine the effectiveness of alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) in improving functional and symptomatic outcomes in patients with diabetes mellitus type I and type II. Methods: We systematically search MEDLINE (via PubMed), EMBASE, SCOPUS, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and Web of Science databases. Results: The findings of this review show that different forms of ALA do not present statistically significant changes for any of the scales included, including total symptom score (standardized mean difference [SMD] = −3.59, confidence interval [CI] = −4.16 to −3.02, and P < .00001), neuropathy impairment score (SMD = −1.42, CI = −3.68 to 0.84, and P = .22), and neuropathy symptom checklist (SMD = −0.09, CI = −0.15 to −0.02, and P = .01). Conclusion: In comparison to the use of a placebo, the findings suggest that ALA does not exhibit significant differences in terms of pain reduction and different functional scales. Moreover, no specific dosages are identified to support the use of ALA for the reduction of neuropathic pain.

Background: Glioblastoma is a primary malignant brain tumor; it is aggressive with a high degree of malignancy and unfavorable prognosis and is the most common type of malignant brain tumor. Glioblastomas can be located in the brain, cerebellum, brainstem, and spinal cord, originating from glial cells, particularly astrocytes. Methods: The databases MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and CINAHL were researched up to January 2024. Two authors independently performed the search, study selection, and data extraction. Methodological quality was evaluated with an assurance tool for anatomical studies (AQUA). The statistical mean, standard deviation, and difference of means calculated with the Student’s t-test for presence between hemispheres and presence in the frontal and temporal lobes were analyzed. Results: A total of 123 studies met the established selection criteria, with a total of 6224 patients. In relation to the mean, GBM between hemispheres had a mean of 33.36 (SD 58.00) in the right hemisphere and a mean of 34.70 (SD 65.07) in the left hemisphere, due to the difference in averages between hemispheres. There were no statistically significant differences, p = 0.35. For the comparison between the presence of GBM in the frontal lobe and the temporal lobe, there was a mean in the frontal lobe of 23.23 (SD 40.03), while in the temporal lobe, the mean was 22.05 (SD 43.50), and for the difference in means between the frontal lobe and the temporal lobe, there was no statistically significant difference for the presence of GBM, p = 0.178. Conclusions: We believe that before a treatment, it will always be correct to know where the GBM is located and how it behaves clinically, in order to generate correct conservative or surgical treatment guidelines for each patient. We believe that more detailed studies are also needed to show why GBM is associated more with some regions than others, despite the brain structure being homologous to other regions in which GMB occurs less frequently, which is why knowing its predominant presence in brain regions is very important.

Objective: The aim of this study was to describe the main anatomical variants and morphofunctional alterations in the lower limb that compress surrounding nervous structures in the gluteal region, thigh region, and leg and foot region. Methods: We searched the Medline, Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, CINAHL, and LILACS databases from their inception up to October 2023. An assurance tool for anatomical studies (AQUA) was used to evaluate methodological quality, and the Joanna Briggs Institute assessment tool for case reports was also used. Forest plots were generated to assess the prevalence of variants of the gluteal region, thigh, and leg. Results: According to the forest plot of the gluteal region, the prevalence was 0.18 (0.14–0.23), with a heterogeneity of 93.52%. For the thigh region, the forest plot presented a prevalence of 0.10 (0.03–0.17) and a heterogeneity of 91.18%. The forest plot of the leg region was based on seven studies, which presented a prevalence of 0.01 (0.01–0.01) and a heterogeneity of 96.18%. Conclusions: This review and meta-analysis showed that, in studies that analyzed nerve compressions, the prevalence was low in the thigh and leg regions, while in the gluteal region, it was slightly higher. This is mainly due to the PM region and its different variants. We believe that it is important to analyze all the variant regions defined in this study and that surgeons treating the lower limb should be attentive to these possible scenarios so that they can anticipate possible surgical situations and thus avoid surgical complications.