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. 2017 Mar 28;2017(3):CD011648. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD011648.pub2

Summary of findings for the main comparison. Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) versus no intervention for primary biliary cholangitis.

UDCA versus no intervention for primary biliary cholangitis
Patient or population: people with primary biliary cholangitis
Settings: secondary or tertiary care
Intervention: UDCA
Comparison: no intervention
Outcomes Illustrative comparative risks* (95% CI) Relative effect
 (95% CI) No of participants
 (trials) Quality of the evidence
 (GRADE)
Assumed risk Corresponding risk
No intervention UDCA
Mortality at maximal follow‐up
Follow‐up: 12 to 89 months
208 per 1000 206 per 1000 
 (136 to 301) OR 0.99 
 (0.60 to 1.64) 734 
 (6 trials) ⊕⊝⊝⊝
 Very low1,2
Serious adverse events (proportion)
Follow‐up: 12 to 41 months
There were no events in either group 380 
 (3 trials) ⊕⊝⊝⊝
 Very low1,2,3
Serious adverse events (number of events) None of the trials reported this outcome.
Health‐related quality of life None of the trials reported this outcome.
*The basis for the assumed risk is the mean control group proportion across all the trials. 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; OR: odds ratio; UDCA: ursodeoxycholic acid.
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.

1 Risk of bias in the trial(s) was high (downgraded by two levels).
 2 Sample sizes were small and 95% confidence intervals overlapped clinically significant and clinically insignificant or no effect (downgraded by two levels).

3 There was moderate heterogeneity (downgraded by one level).