Background: Cutaneous aging is characterized by progressive degradation of the extracellular matrix, manifesting as diminished hydration, loss of elasticity, and increased wrinkle depth. While oral hydrolyzed collagen peptides (HCPs) are increasingly utilized as systemic nutricosmetics, previous evidence syntheses have been limited by severe methodological heterogeneity and the inability to account for highly influential statistical outliers. This updated systematic review and meta‐analysis evaluated the clinical efficacy of oral collagen peptides for skin rejuvenation using an advanced statistical framework. Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted on PubMed (MEDLINE), Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar from inception to November 2025. Randomized controlled trials evaluating oral collagen supplementation in healthy adults were included. Data were synthesized using random effect models. To differentiate true clinical signals from statistical artifacts, analyses were reinforced with multilevel meta‐analysis, leave‐one‐out sensitivity testing, and dose–response spline regressions. Results: Thirty‐five randomized controlled trials comprising 2534 participants were included. Primary analysis revealed that oral collagen supplementation yielded statistically significant improvements in instrumental measures of skin hydration (SMD = 0.44; 95% CI: 0.15–0.73), skin elasticity (SMD = 0.62; 95% CI: 0.15–1.10), and barrier function via reduced transepidermal water loss (SMD = −0.39; 95% CI: −0.62 to −0.16). Efficacy appeared predominantly time‐dependent rather than dose‐dependent, with elasticity and barrier improvements requiring at least 12 weeks of supplementation. Conversely, rigorous sensitivity and multilevel analyses demonstrated that apparent improvements in structural parameters, specifically skin wrinkles, roughness, and dermal density, were statistical artifacts driven by high‐leverage outliers and severe inter‐study heterogeneity. Conclusion: Oral collagen peptide supplementation is an effective functional systemic moisturizer that produces significant time‐dependent improvements in cutaneous hydration, elasticity, and barrier retention. However, current evidence from trials of standard duration remains limited and inconsistent regarding structural anti‐aging effects, including macroscopic wrinkle reduction and dermal densification, and the existing data are simply not robust enough to support definitive conclusions in these domains.

Objective: This study aimed to estimate the trends, projections, and determinants of standalone and coexisting forms of malnutrition (CFM) at the global, regional, national, and individual level among children under five in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). It also assessed the projection trajectory towards the 2030 global nutrition targets (GNTs) for child growth including stunting, wasting, obesity, and CFM. Methods: Data from 48 LMICs were analyzed using the Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS) and Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS). Children with complete anthropometry were included for national- and individual-level descriptive analyses. Projected prevalence of each form of malnutrition, including CFM, was calculated using the Annual Rate of Change. Inferential analyses employed generalized linear regression models with two-way interaction terms to identify determinants of each malnutrition type. Findings: By 2030, 22 of 48 LMICs are projected to achieve the GNT of stunting, wasting, and obesity, that is up from 10 countries currently, while Yemen and Zimbabwe are expected to remain off-track. Stunting is the most prevalent form, affecting 42 countries, with nine nations projected to have over 50% of children affected by a form of malnutrition. Wasting, obesity, and CFM are rising in several countries. Maternal education and household wealth were the strongest determinants, with children of uneducated mothers and from poorest households at the highest risk. Inequalities are narrowing slowly by 1–2% per year, and marked regional disparities persist. Conclusions: Many LMICs are off-track to meet child-growth targets when CFM is considered alongside standalone indicators. The government and global health partners must strengthen nutrition surveillance systems and equity-focused policies and programs to routinely capture CFM and prevent as well as manage all forms of malnutrition at the national and individual levels.

Thalassemia imposes a substantial and unequal global health burden, yet its temporal evolution stratified by sociodemographic development remains incompletely characterized using the most recent Global Burden of Disease (GBD) data. Using GBD 2023 data, we analyzed incidence, prevalence, deaths, and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) for thalassemia across five Socio-Demographic Index (SDI) quintiles from 1990 to 2023. Age-standardized rates and absolute counts were extracted from the IHME GBD Results Tool. Joinpoint regression was applied to identify statistically significant inflection points and calculate average annual percentage changes (AAPCs) and annual percentage changes (APCs) for each burden indicator across SDI strata. Age-standardized mortality and DALY rates declined significantly across all SDI groups, with the largest reductions in high SDI (AAPC: −4.12% and − 4.20%, respectively) and high-middle SDI regions (AAPC: −3.86% and − 3.93%). By contrast, low SDI regions experienced a 16% rise in absolute deaths and a 66% surge in absolute prevalence, reaching 321,005 cases by 2023. The low-middle SDI group was the only stratum with a statistically significant net increase in age-standardized incidence (AAPC: +0.12%). Joinpoint analysis revealed non-linear, multi-phase trajectories across all strata, with recent reversals in incidence and prevalence rates in low and low-middle SDI regions. By 2023, a nearly six-fold disparity in age-standardized death and DALY rates persisted between the highest and lowest SDI quintiles. Thalassemia burden has declined substantially in high-SDI settings, driven by advances in prevention, screening, and treatment. However, low and low-middle SDI regions continue to face rising absolute burdens and recent trend reversals, underscoring critical inequities in access to care. Targeted, equitable strategies including expanded premarital screening, strengthened blood supply systems, and health system investment are urgently needed to close the persistent SDI-linked gap in thalassemia outcomes.

Background: Worldwide, the awareness about childhood obesity as a public health concern is increasing, particularly in developing countries like Pakistan. Obesity during early childhood may persist into later ages, increasing the risk of chronic illnesses such as diabetes and hypertension. Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the relationship of different types of food groups with obesity among children with normal and stunted growth trajectories in Pakistan. Methods: This cross-sectional study conducted a secondary analysis of Pakistan Demographic and Health Surveys (PDHSs) conducted in the years 2012–2013 and 2017–2018. Data of 1230 healthy and obese children with either normal or stunted growth were analysed after excluding those who were aged below six months, wasted, underweight, or had missing anthropometric or dietary data. The relationship of different food groups with obesity among the children with normal and stunted growth was analysed by bivariate logistic regression. Results: The prevalence of paediatric obesity dropped from 7.3% in 2012–2013 to 2.4% in 2017–2018. However, the coexistence of stunting with obesity—termed the nutritional paradox—slightly increased from 2.8% in 2012–2013 to 3% in 2017–2018. Among the different food groups, the continuation of breastmilk was associated with lowering the odds of obesity by 69% (25% to 88%) among children with normal growth. Conversely, among children with stunted growth, the continuation of breastmilk was associated with an increase in the odds of obesity by 3.71 (1.08 to 12.62) times. Conclusion: Despite the 4.9% reduction in paediatric obesity, cases of the nutritional paradox are still escalating in Pakistan. This reflects an urgent need for targeted nutritional interventions to mitigate the impact of obesogenic diets and reduce the prevalence of childhood obesity in Pakistan.

Background: The Naples Prognostic Score (NPS) is a composite inflammatory‐nutritional index that integrates serum albumin, total cholesterol, neutrophil‐to‐lymphocyte ratio, and lymphocyte‐to‐monocyte ratio to predict outcomes in acute myocardial infarction (MI); however, its independent prognostic value remains incompletely defined. Objective: To assess the correlation between the NPS and outcomes in patients with acute MI. Methods: We searched PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane, Embase, and Wiley Online Library for studies evaluating the NPS in patients with acute MI. Pooled odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using random‐effects models, and heterogeneity was assessed using the I ² statistic. Results: Nine observational cohort studies comprising 15,998 patients with MI were analyzed. Higher NPS was associated with increased odds of all‐cause mortality (OR 3.31; 95% CI: 1.62–6.77, p = 0.0130), no‐reflow phenomenon (OR 1.40; 95% CI 1.11–1.76; p = 0.0248), and new‐onset atrial fibrillation (OR 2.17; 95% CI: 1.62–2.91; p = 0.008). The association with in‐hospital mortality did not reach statistical significance in the primary pooled analysis (OR 1.90; 95% CI: 0.66–5.44, p = 0.147), with substantial heterogeneity driven by a single influential study. Conclusion: Higher NPS was correlated with higher risk of all‐cause mortality, no‐reflow phenomenon, and new‐onset atrial fibrillation in patients with acute MI. All estimates are based on observational data that have not been adjusted for any factors; there were three to four cohorts per outcome, and eight of nine studies were from one country. The findings are exploratory and do not warrant the use of NPS as a clinical risk stratification tool; future, adjusted, multinational validation is needed.