Date of Award
2019
Degree Type
Selective Evidence-Based Medicine Review
Degree Name
Master of Science in Health Sciences - Physician Assistant
Department
Physician Assistant Studies
Department Chair
Laura Levy, DHSc, PA-C
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether or not stem cell injections improve the quality of life in patients with cardiopathy.
STUDY DESIGN: Review of three randomized controlled trial (RCT) articles. All articles were published between 2012 – 2017 and were all printed in the English language.
DATA SOURCES: All three RCT articles were found through PubMed.
OUTCOMES MEASURED: One of the outcomes measured in each of the articles were improvement in quality of life in patients with cardiopathy. Among the three review articles, quality of life was measured using either the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (KCCQ) and/or the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire (MLHFQ). Questionnaires were given to patients at either three, six, and/or twelve months after stem cell or visually matched placebo injections. Higher scores for MLHFQ indicated a decrease in quality of life. Whereas, higher scores in the KCCQ indicated improvement in the quality of life.
RESULTS: All three studies used in this selective EBM review reported improvement in the quality of life at 3, 6, and/or 12-month assessment periods. Hare et al. study reported a p-value of 0.05 and 0.0167 versus baseline for the MLHFQ and KCCQ respectively. Similarly, the Hamshere et al. study also reported that a combination of G-CSF with IC BMC demonstrated an improvement the quality of life and reported a significant p-value of 0.005 at the one year assessment period. Improvement in quality of life was also reported in the Hare et al. study. A p-value of 0.009 was reported for autologous stem cell injections.
CONCLUSIONS: The three RCT used in this EBM review concluded that stem cell injections improved cardiac function resulting in the improvement of the quality of life in patients with cardiopathy.
Recommended Citation
Casillas, Shoua Shue, "Does Stem Cell Injection Improve Quality of Life in Patients with Cardiopathy Patients?" (2019). PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship. 448.
https://digitalcommons.pcom.edu/pa_systematic_reviews/448