Table 3.
Efficacy: effects of two different drugs on blood pressure separately and in combination (summary results from 119 randomised placebo controlled comparisons; adapted from Law et al7)
|
Average (SE) fall in blood pressure (mm Hg) (treated minus placebo)
|
||
|---|---|---|
| Treatment | Systolic | Diastolic |
| Observed | ||
| “First” drug alone | 7.0 (0.4) | 4.1 (0.3) |
| “Second “drug alone | 8.1 (0.3) | 4.6 (0.3) |
| Both drugs together | 14.6 (0.5) | 8.6 (0.4) |
| Expected | ||
| Sum of first and second drugs alone | 15.1 | 8.7 |
| Difference between observed and expected (95% CI) | −0.5 (−1.4 to 0.4) | −0.1 (−1.0 to 0.8) |