Table 4.
Subgroup analysis of other iron parameters by outcome.
| Subgroup | No. of trials | MD (95% CI) | I 2 | p for heterogeneity test |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ferritin | 22 | –0.50 (–0.71, –0.29) | 81.48% | <0.001 |
| Control drug | ||||
| Placebo | 12 | –0.75 (–0.98, –0.51) | 67.12% | <0.001 |
| EPO | 10 | –0.20 (–0.46, 0.06) | 78.22% | <0.001 |
| Clinical characteristics of participants | ||||
| HD | 9 | – 0.28 (–0.59, 0.03) | 77.43% | <0.001 |
| CKD | 13 | –0.64 (–0.90, –0.38) | 80.09% | <0.001 |
| Transferrin | 11 | 0.91 (0.52, 1.30) | 86.97% | <0.001 |
| Control drug | ||||
| Placebo | 6 | 1.03 (0.34, 1.73) | 91.68% | <0.001 |
| EPO | 5 | 0.82 (0.54, 1.09) | 43.54% | 0.133 |
| Clinical characteristics of participants | ||||
| HD | 6 | 0.93 (0.57, 1.30) | 70.32% | <0.001 |
| CKD | 5 | 0.89 (0.12, 1.66) | 92.56% | <0.001 |
| Total iron binding capacity | 22 | 1.08 (0.83, 1.34) | 86.25% | <0.001 |
| Control drug | ||||
| Placebo | 13 | 1.30 (1.01, 1.58) | 78.29% | <0.001 |
| EPO | 9 | 0.78 (0.38, 1.17) | 87.95% | <0.001 |
| Clinical characteristics of participants | ||||
| HD | 9 | 1.16 (0.66, 1.65) | 90.50% | <0.001 |
| CKD | 13 | 1.04 (0.75, 1.33) | 82.12% | <0.001 |
| Iron | 16 | 0.09 (–0.09, 0.27) | 65.43% | <0.001 |
| Control drug | ||||
| Placebo | 8 | –0.07 (–0.25, 0.11) | 21.36% | 0.24 |
| EPO | 8 | 0.28 (–0.01, 0.57) | 75.04% | <0.001 |
| Clinical characteristics of participants | ||||
| HD | 8 | 0.32 (0.02, 0.62) | 72.90% | 0.0033 |
| CKD | 8 | –0.13 (–0.27, 0.02) | 0% | 0.90 |
| Transferrin saturation | 21 | –0.38 (–0.63, –0.13) | 91.81% | <0.001 |
| Control drug | ||||
| Placebo | 12 | –0.50 (–0.73, –0.28) | 65.24% | 0.0013 |
| EPO | 9 | –0.19 (–0.69, 0.30) | 92.53% | <0.001 |
| Clinical characteristics of participants | ||||
| HD | 9 | –0.35 (–0.96, 0.26) | 94.10% | <0.001 |
| CKD | 12 | –0.41 (–0.53, –0.29) | 0% | 0.78 |
EPO: erythropoietin; MD: mean difference; CI: confidence interval.