Comparison 7. Glucocorticosteroid avoidance or withdrawal versus glucocorticosteroid‐containing immunosuppression (pre‐2000 and post‐2000 subgroups).

Outcome or subgroup title	No. of studies	No. of participants	Statistical method	Effect size
1 Mortality	15	1323	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	1.15 [0.93, 1.44]
1.1 Pre‐2000	4	386	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	1.36 [0.90, 2.06]
1.2 Post‐2000	11	937	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	1.08 [0.83, 1.40]
2 Graft loss including death	11	1002	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	1.15 [0.90, 1.46]
2.1 Pre‐2000	3	282	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	1.25 [0.65, 2.40]
2.2 Post‐2000	8	720	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	1.13 [0.87, 1.47]
3 Acute rejection	16	1347	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	1.33 [1.08, 1.64]
3.1 Pre‐2000	5	410	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	1.26 [0.91, 1.75]
3.2 Post‐2000	11	937	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	1.37 [1.05, 1.80]
4 Infection	8	778	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.88 [0.73, 1.05]
4.1 Pre‐2000	3	323	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.70 [0.48, 1.04]
4.2 Post‐2000	5	455	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.94 [0.77, 1.15]
5 Chronic rejection	9	974	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	1.08 [0.56, 2.10]
5.1 Pre‐2000	5	410	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.76 [0.25, 2.31]
5.2 Post‐2000	4	564	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	1.32 [0.57, 3.03]
6 Glucocorticosteroid‐resistant rejection	10	1020	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	2.14 [1.13, 4.02]
6.1 Pre‐2000	3	282	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	2.17 [0.84, 5.57]
6.2 Post‐2000	7	738	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	2.11 [0.90, 4.96]
7 Diabetes mellitus	12	1185	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.81 [0.66, 0.99]
7.1 Pre‐2000	3	341	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.56 [0.36, 0.88]
7.2 Post‐2000	9	844	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.90 [0.72, 1.13]
8 CMV infection	7	786	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.74 [0.48, 1.16]
8.1 Pre‐2000	3	282	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.80 [0.20, 3.21]
8.2 Post‐2000	4	504	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.74 [0.46, 1.17]
9 HCV recurrence	10	477	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	1.03 [0.92, 1.15]
9.1 Pre‐2000	5	229	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	1.01 [0.84, 1.22]
9.2 Post‐2000	5	248	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	1.05 [0.92, 1.19]
10 Malignancy	3	528	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.52 [0.16, 1.74]
10.1 Pre‐2000	1	174	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.54 [0.05, 5.80]
10.2 Post‐2000	2	354	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.52 [0.13, 2.08]
11 Post‐transplant lymphoproliferative disorder	2	330	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	2.39 [0.36, 15.95]
11.1 Pre‐2000	1	174	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	3.21 [0.13, 77.77]
11.2 Post‐2000	1	156	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	2.0 [0.19, 21.61]
12 Renal insufficiency	4	447	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.93 [0.73, 1.19]
12.1 Pre‐2000	1	63	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	1.29 [0.85, 1.96]
12.2 Post‐2000	3	384	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.83 [0.62, 1.12]
13 Creatinine	4	309	Mean Difference (IV, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.11 [0.07, 0.16]
13.1 Pre‐2000	1	45	Mean Difference (IV, Fixed, 95% CI)	‐0.10 [‐0.19, ‐0.01]
13.2 Post‐2000	3	264	Mean Difference (IV, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.17 [0.12, 0.22]
14 Hypertension	10	1098	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.76 [0.65, 0.90]
14.1 Pre‐2000	3	341	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.57 [0.40, 0.79]
14.2 Post‐2000	7	757	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.86 [0.72, 1.03]
15 Hyperlipidaemia	4	400	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.75 [0.38, 1.48]
15.1 Pre‐2000	2	237	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.76 [0.30, 1.91]
15.2 Post‐2000	2	163	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.73 [0.27, 2.01]
16 Cholesterol	6	611	Mean Difference (IV, Fixed, 95% CI)	‐18.49 [‐22.02, ‐14.96]
16.1 Pre‐2000	2	149	Mean Difference (IV, Fixed, 95% CI)	‐40.42 [‐61.73, ‐19.11]
16.2 Post‐2000	4	462	Mean Difference (IV, Fixed, 95% CI)	‐17.87 [‐21.45, ‐14.29]