Table 1.

Efficacy meta-analysis of the therapeutic alternatives and rescue therapy

A	Study or subgroup	Metformin		Placebo			Odds ratio	Odds Ratio 95% CI
		Events	Total	Events	Total	Weight	95% CI
	DeFronzo and Goodman26	72	143	37	146	27.1%	2.99 [1.82, 4.91]
	Del Prato et al27	161	284	40	144	31.2%	3.40 [2.21, 5.25]
	Garber et al28	67	161	26	161	25.5%	3.70 [2.19, 6.25]
	Horton et al29	55	178	9	172	16.2%	8.10 [3.85, 17.02]
	Total (95% CI)		766		623	100.0%	3.86 [2.72, 5.47]
	Total events	355		112
	Heterogeneity: Tau2 = 0.05; Chi2 = 5.17; df = 3 (P = 0.16); I2 = 42%
	Test for overall effect: Z = 7.59 (P < 0.00001)
B		Glibenclamide		Placebo			Odds ratio	Odds Ratio M-H, Random, 95% CI
	Fischer et al30	14	27	2	25	9.3%	12.38 [2.43, 63.22]
	Garber et al28	82	161	26	161	90.7%	5.39 [3.20, 9.08]
	Total (95% CI)		188		186	100.0%	5.82 [3.54, 9.56]
	Total events	96		28
	Heterogeneity: Tau2 = 0.00; Chi2 = 0.91; df = 1 (P = 0.34); I2 = 0%
	Test for overall effect: Z = 6.95 (P < 0.00001)
C		Acarbose		Placebo			Odds ratio	Odds Ratio M-H, Random, 95% CI
	Chan et al31	6	25	2	25	23.6%	3.63 [0.66, 20.11]
	Fischer et al30	19	63	7	63	76.4%	3.45 [1.33, 8.95]
	Total (95% CI)		88		88	100.0%	3.50 [1.52, 8.03]
	Total events	25		9
	Heterogeneity: Tau2 = 0.00; Chi2 = 0.00; df = 1 (P = 0.96); I2 = 0%
	Test for overall effect: Z = 2.95 (P = 0.003)
D		Glib + met		Glibenclamide			Odds ratio	Odds Ratio M-H, Random, 95% CI
	Blonde et al33	35	137	6	132	23.2%	7.21 [2.92, 17.80]
	DeFronzo and Goodman26	101	213	25	209	76.8%	6.64 [4.04, 10.91]
	Total (95% CI)		350		341	100.0%	6.76 [4.38, 10.46]
	Total events	136		31
	Heterogeneity: Tau2 = 0.00; Chi2 = 0.02; df = 1 (P = 0.88); I2 = 0%
	Test for overall effect: Z = 8.60 (P < 0.00001)

Notes: (A) Metformin versus placebo; (B) glibenclamide versus placebo; (C) acarbose versus placebo; (D) glibenclamide + metformin versus glibenclamide.

Abbreviations: CI, confidence interval; df, degrees of freedom; glib, glibenlamide; met, metformin.