Dinu M, Abbate R, Gensini GF, Casini A, Sofi F Vegetarian, vegan diets and multiple health outcomes: A systematic review with meta-analysis of observational studies. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2017 Nov 22;57(17):3640-3649. doi: 10.1080/10408398.2016.1138447. Review.
Mishra S, Xu J, Agarwal U, Gonzales J, Levin S, Barnard ND A multicenter randomized controlled trial of a plant-based nutrition program to reduce body weight and cardiovascular risk in the corporate setting: the GEICO study. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2013 Jul;67(7):718-24. doi: 10.1038/ejcn.2013.92. Epub 2013 May 22.
Wang X, Lin X, Ouyang YY, Liu J, Zhao G, Pan A, Hu FB Red and processed meat consumption and mortality: dose-response meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. Public Health Nutr. 2016 Apr;19(5):893-905. doi: 10.1017/S1368980015002062. Epub 2015 Jul 6. Review.
World Health Organization (2017). Cardiovascular Diseases. Obtained from: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs317/en/
Yang C, Pan L, Sun C, Xi Y, Wang L, Li D Red Meat Consumption and the Risk of Stroke: A Dose-Response Meta-analysis of Prospective Cohort Studies. J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis. 2016 May;25(5):1177-1186. doi: 10.1016/j.jstrokecerebrovasdis.2016.01.040. Epub 2016 Feb 27. Review.
Relation of Vegetarian Diets With Incident Cardiovascular Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Prospective Cohort Studies
Interventional studies are often prospective and are specifically tailored to evaluate direct impacts of treatment or preventive measures on disease.
Observational studies are often retrospective and are used to assess potential causation in exposure-outcome relationships and therefore influence preventive methods.
Expanded access is a means by which manufacturers make investigational new drugs available, under certain circumstances, to treat a patient(s) with a serious disease or condition who cannot participate in a controlled clinical trial.
Clinical trials are conducted in a series of steps, called phases - each phase is designed to answer a separate research question.
Phase 1: Researchers test a new drug or treatment in a small group of people for the first time to evaluate its safety, determine a safe dosage range, and identify side effects.
Phase 2: The drug or treatment is given to a larger group of people to see if it is effective and to further evaluate its safety.
Phase 3: The drug or treatment is given to large groups of people to confirm its effectiveness, monitor side effects, compare it to commonly used treatments, and collect information that will allow the drug or treatment to be used safely.
Phase 4: Studies are done after the drug or treatment has been marketed to gather information on the drug's effect in various populations and any side effects associated with long-term use.
