Table 2.
The quality of evidence
| Outcomes | Illustrative comparative risks* (95% CI) | Relative effect (95% CI) | No. of Participants (studies) | Quality of the evidence (GRADE) | Comments | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assumed risk | Corresponding risk | |||||
| NSAIDs | Diacerein | |||||
| WOMAC | The mean WOMAC in the intervention groups was 0.09 standard deviations higher (0.1 lower to 0.28 higher) | 1429 (8 studies) | OO low1,2,3 | SMD 0.09 (−0.1 to 0.28) | ||
| VAS | The mean vas in the intervention groups was 0.19 standard deviations lower (0.65 lower to 0.27 higher) | 1367 (8 studies) | OO low1,2,3 | SMD −0.19 (−0.65 to 0.27) | ||
| Global efficacy judgements by the patients | Study population | OR 1.97 (1.18 to 3.29) | 766 (4 studies) | OO low3,4,5 | ||
| 747 per 1000 | 853 per 1000 (777 to 907) | |||||
| Moderate | ||||||
| 792 per 1000 | 882 per 1000 (818 to 926) | |||||
| Global efficacy judgements by the investigator | Study population | OR 2.18 (0.99 to 4.81) | 766 (4 studies) | OO low2,3,4 | ||
| 742 per 1000 | 862 per 1000 (740 to 932) | |||||
| Moderate | ||||||
| 783 per 1000 | 887 per 1000 (781 to 946) | |||||
| Safety | Study population | OR 0.83 (0.57 to 1.21) | 1222 (10 studies) | OOO very low1,3,5 | ||
| 290 per 1000 | 253 per 1000 (189 to 331) | |||||
| Moderate | ||||||
| 184 per 1000 | 158 per 1000 (114 to 214) | |||||
CI Confidence interval; OR Odds ratio
GRADE Working Group grades of evidence
High quality: Further research is very unlikely to change our confidence in the estimate of effect
Moderate quality: Further research is likely to have an important impact on our confidence in the estimate of effect and may change the estimate
Low quality: Further research is very likely to have an important impact on our confidence in the estimate of effect and is likely to change the estimate
Very low quality: We are very uncertain about the estimate
1High risk of bias due to the lack of blinding
2High heterogeneity
3Wide CI
4Small sample size
5Moderate heterogeneity