Table 5.
Analysis of adverse events (AEs).
| Adverse events | No. of trials | Risk ratio (95% CI) | I2 | p for heterogeneity test |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hypertension | 12 | 1 (0.71, 1.40) | 0% | 0.90 |
| Placebo | 6 | 1.42 (0.70, 2.86) | 10.31% | 0.61 |
| EPO | 6 | 0.89 (0.59, 1.34) | 0% | 0.98 |
| Headache | 6 | 1.11 (0.51, 2.41) | 0% | 0.52 |
| Placebo | 5 | 1.30 (0.58, 2.89) | 0% | 0.75 |
| EPO | 1 | 0.10 (0.64, 2.44) | – | 1.00 |
| Vomiting | 6 | 1.72 (0.69, 4.26) | 0% | 0.60 |
| Placebo | 3 | 1.12 (0.27, 4.66) | 0% | 0.83 |
| EPO | 3 | 2.12 (0.52, 8.66) | 19.78% | 0.26 |
| Nausea | 7 | 2.20 (1.06, 4.52) | 0% | 0.68 |
| Placebo | 4 | 2.86 (1.13, 7.24) | 0% | 0.92 |
| EPO | 2 | 0.79 (0.13, 5.00) | 27.57% | 0.24 |
| Nasopharyngitis | 6 | 1.41 (0.68, 2.94) | 24.95% | 0.36 |
| Placebo | 4 | 0.86 (0.42, 1.79) | 0% | 0.76 |
| EPO | 1 | 3.16 (0.41, 24.05) | – | 1.00 |
| Diarrhea | 12 | 1.75 (1.06, 2.92) | 0% | 0.997 |
| Placebo | 7 | 1.90 (0.99, 3.60) | 0% | 0.97 |
| EPO | 4 | 1.51 (0.54, 4.26) | 0% | 0.83 |
| Hyperkalemia | 8 | 1.88 (0.80, 4.39) | 35% | 0.211 |
| Placebo | 5 | 2.23 (1.04, 4.85) | 0% | 0.85 |
| EPO | 2 | 4.22 (0.57, 31.19) | 22.2% | 0.26 |
| Cardiovascular events | 12 | 1.22 (0.65, 2.27) | 0% | 0.94 |
| Placebo | 6 | 1.48 (0.47, 4.71) | 0% | 0.61 |
| EPO | 4 | 1.14 (0.37, 1.30) | 0% | 0.81 |
| Vascular access thrombosis | 6 | 0.81 (0.22, 3.00) | 0% | 0.74 |
| Placebo | 3 | 0.64 (0.09, 4.44) | 0% | 0.93 |
| EPO | 3 | 0.98 (0.14, 6.82) | 16.4% | 0.29 |
CI: confidence interval.