Table 2.

Subgroup analyses for the effects of FMD on the markers of endothelial function.

Trial characteristic	Meta-regression analysis		Subgroup analysis
	P value	95% CI	Stratification variable	Number of effect sizes	Pooled WMD	95% CI	P value within subgroups	I 2 (%)
Age	0.16	(−5.29, 1.14)	≤35 y	7	2.41	(1.15, 3.68)	<0.001	84.4
			≥60 y	5	0.66	(−0.70, 2.01)	0.008	74.5
Gender	0.42	(−3.70, 1.82)	>50% male	10	2.20	(0.83, 3.56)	<0.001	90.8
			≤50% male	2	0.28	(−0.66, 1.21)	0.839	0
Health status	0.86	(−4.25, 4.90)	Asymptomatic	9	1.82	(0.47, 3.16)	<0.001	91.4
			Diseased	3	1.91	(−1.22, 5.04)	0.016	82.7
Ethnicity	0.05	(−0.45, 3.62)	American	3	3.56	(3.00, 4.12)	0.64	0
			European	8	0.85	(−0.21, 1.92)	<0.001	81.5
			Asian	1	3.60	(1.48, 5.72)
Treatment duration	0.68	(−1.99, 1.40)	5 min	2	0.14	(−0.91, 1.18)	0.64	0
			15 min	3	3.56	(3.00, 4.12)	0.64	0
			20 min	7	1.45	(0.08, 2.83)	<0.001	86.6