Table 1.

Consistent medication user and nonusers sample sizes as well as ranking of potential benefits based on the sum of effect sizes for joint space width and WOMAC pain change analyzed from the eight sets of comparisons.

Medication	Overall samplesize (n)		Smallest available sample size in a comparison (n)		Ranking of potential benefit
	Users	Nonusers	Users	Nonusers	JSW250 change:	JSW250 change:	WOMAC pain change:	WOMAC pain change:
					Right knee	Left knee	Right knee	Left knee
					Sum of ES	Sum of ES	Sum of ES	Sum of ES
Strong potential signal
Alpha-adrenergic blockers	92	2718	36	31	−0.60	1.68	−1.70	−0.29
Anticoagulants	69	2740	27	22	0.63	2.54	0.19	−2.52
Anti-estrogen	61	2835	23	13	3.30	0.85	−0.63	0.59
Antilipemic agents (excluding statins and fibric acid)	63	2647	17	13	2.57	0.40	−0.59	−1.52
Weak potential signal
Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors	404	2229	149	145	1.54	0.21	−0.14	0.41
Antihistamines	108	2587	41	40	−0.26	1.75	1.31	−0.91
Antineoplastic agents	48	2765	21	13	1.54	2.83	1.53	−1.39
Beta-adrenergic blockers	476	2157	178	160	0.98	0.49	−0.44	0.09
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (antidepressants)	205	2495	71	71	0.87	1.29	−0.32	−0.42
Thiazide diuretics	423	2012	157	157	−0.44	−0.32	−1.00	−0.69
Thyroid agents	419	2426	145	145	0.20	0.47	−0.50	−0.10
No potential signal of benefit
Angiotensin II receptor antagonist	279	2391	105	105	−0.77	−0.28	−0.22	−1.18
Anticonvulsants	67	2740	17	17	3.23	−0.94	0.28	−0.39
Antidepressants (not selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors)	150	2581	54	58	0.86	0.56	−0.54	−0.18
Antigout	59	2850	25	19	−0.12	0.53	1.52	1.81
Antiulcer agents	357	2150	139	139	−0.03	0.81	0.57	0.70
Anxiolytics	42	2744	17	11	−2.93	−0.98	2.96	−1.64
Bisphosphonates	265	2406	79	79	0.26	0.17	0.60	0.10
Calcium channel blockers	307	2396	127	122	0.11	−1.35	0.62	−0.12
Cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors	52	2668	22	19	−1.73	−1.26	0.46	0.12
Estrogen	137	2645	50	44	0.26	0.20	0.75	−0.34
Fibric acid	41	2848	17	13	0.24	−3.33	−0.19	1.12
Hypoglycemics (oral)	143	2683	54	49	0.25	−0.02	−0.29	0.02
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs	81	2491	35	25	−0.71	−1.59	1.38	−0.77
Progestogens	56	2800	22	16	−0.28	0.33	1.59	−1.04
Statins	839	1542	301	300	0.48	−0.03	−0.68	−0.03
Sulfonylureas	70	2801	27	23	−1.73	0.28	0.83	1.44
Vitamin B complex	49	2767	16	15	−1.12	−1.98	1.00	−0.03

Note: green = potential beneficial effect for users; red = potential negative effect for users.

ES, effect size; JSW250, joint space width at x = 0.250; WOMAC, Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index.