Summary of findings for the main comparison. Anticonvulsants versus placebo for alcohol dependence.
| Anticonvulsants versus placebo for alcohol dependence | ||||||
| Patient or population: patients with alcohol dependence Settings: Intervention: anticonvulsants versus placebo | ||||||
| Outcomes | Illustrative comparative risks* (95% CI) | Relative effect (95% CI) | No. of participants (studies) | Quality of the evidence (GRADE) | Comments | |
| Assumed risk | Corresponding risk | |||||
| Control | Anticonvulsants versus placebo | |||||
| Dropouts Follow‐up: mean 12 weeks | Study population | RR 0.94 (0.74 to 1.19) | 1675 (16 studies) | ⊕⊕⊕⊝ moderate1 | ||
| 329 per 1000 | 309 per 1000 (243 to 391) | |||||
| Moderate | ||||||
| 245 per 1000 | 230 per 1000 (181 to 292) | |||||
| Continuous abstinence Follow‐up: mean 15.5 weeks | Study population | RR 1.21 (0.97 to 1.52) | 634 (eight studies) | ⊕⊕⊕⊝ moderate2 | ||
| 299 per 1000 | 362 per 1000 (290 to 455) | |||||
| Moderate | ||||||
| 309 per 1000 | 374 per 1000 (300 to 470) | |||||
| Drinks/drinking day Follow‐up: mean 11.9 weeks | Mean drinks/drinking day in the intervention groups was 1.49 lower (2.32 to 0.65 lower) | 1126 (11 studies) | ⊕⊕⊕⊝ moderate3 | |||
| Heavy drinking Follow‐up: mean 11.2 weeks | Mean heavy drinking in the intervention groups was 0.35 standard deviations lower (0.51 to 0.19 lower) | 1129 (12 studies) | ⊕⊕⊕⊝ moderate4 | |||
| Adverse events—withdrawn for medical reasons Follow‐up: mean 16 weeks | Study population | RR 1.22 (0.58 to 2.56) | 1410 (12 studies) | ⊕⊕⊕⊝ moderate1 | ||
| 52 per 1000 | 64 per 1000 (30 to 134) | |||||
| Moderate | ||||||
| 67 per 1000 | 82 per 1000 (39 to 172) | |||||
| *The basis for the assumed risk (e.g. the median control group risk across studies) is provided in footnotes. The corresponding risk (and its 95% confidence interval) is based on the assumed risk in the comparison group and the relative effect of the intervention (and its 95% CI). CI: Confidence interval; RR: Risk 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. | ||||||
1Heterogeneity. 2206 events. 3Six/11 studies with unclear allocation concealment and/or blinding or incomplete outcome data. 4Five/12 studies with unclear allocation concealment and/or blinding or incomplete outcome data.