METHODS: The studies used in this systematic review were selected from the articles published from 1996 to 2019, in national and international databases including SID, Magiran, Iranmedex, Irandoc, Google Scholar, Cochrane, Embase, ScienceDirect, Scopus, PubMed and Web of Science (ISI). These databases were thoroughly searched, and the relevant ones were selected based on some plausible keywords to the aim of this study. Heterogeneity index between studies was determined using Cochran's test and I2. Due to heterogeneity in studies, the random effects model was used to estimate standardized mean difference.
RESULTS: From the systematic review, a meta-analysis was performed on 31 articles which were fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The sample including of 714 subjects was selected from the intervention group, and almost the same sample size of 720 individuals were selected in the control group. Based on the results derived from this meta-analysis, the standardized mean difference between the intervention group before and after the intervention was respectively estimated to be 23.8 ± 6.2 and 16.9 ± 3.2, which indicates that the physical exercise reduces fatigue in patients with MS.
CONCLUSION: The results of this study extracted from a detailed meta-analysis reveal and confirm that physical exercise significantly reduces fatigue in patients with MS. As a results, a regular exercise program is strongly recommended to be part of a rehabilitation program for these patients.
METHODS: Various databases (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, and ScienceDirect) along with Google Scholar search engine were hired for systematic searching in the field of the prevalence of FSD (by July 2022). The heterogeneity of the studies was assessed using I2 index, and random effects model was used to perform the analysis (CMA software, v.2).
RESULTS: Following assessment of 14 included studies with the sample size of 2115 women, a total prevalence of sexual dysfunction (SD) in women with MS was reported 62.5% (95% CI 53.9-70.5). Meta-regression assessment also showed that FSD accelerates following increasing the sample size and the year of the studies.
CONCLUSION: The total prevalence of SD in women with MS was found considerably high (62.5%) in the world, which needs more serious attention by health policymakers. Correct implementation of health policies can potentially increase the society's awareness and successful treatment of SD in MS patients.