TABLE 3.

Results of subgroup analyses of the comparison of BMI in those with the highest vs. the lowest relative telomere length (rTLT) according to the study or participants “characteristics”.

Group	No. of studies	WMD (95% CI)	P	Pheterogeneity	I2, %	Pbetween study heterogeneity
Total*	12	−0.75 −1.19, −0.31	0.001	< 0.001	99.4
Health status						< 0.001
Apparently healthy	11	1.00 −0.11, 2.11	<0.001	< 0.001	99.5
Patients with CVD risk factors, Barrett’s Esophagus	1	−0.87 −1.32, −0.42	0.077	−	−
Continent						< 0.001
United States	8	−0.83 −1.33, −0.32	0.001	< 0.001	99.6
Europe	1	−0.90 −1.92, 0.19	0.083	−	−
Asia/Australia	3	−0.46 −1.75, 0.82	0.478	0.018	75.1
Sample size						< 0.001
≤ 1,000	4	−0.49 −1.57, 0.58	0.364	0.016	71.1
1,000–5,000	5	−0.74 −1.50, 0.02	0.056	< 0.001	89.8
> 5,000	3	−1.009 −1.77, −0.24	0.010	< 0.001	99.9
Gender						< 0.001
Both	10	−0.80 −1.28, −0.32	0.001	< 0.001	99.5
Men or women	2	−0.48 −0.8, −0.17	0.003	0.403	0
Quality score						< 0.001
5 ≥	3	−1.047 −2.853, 0.760	0.256	< 0.001	94.9
5–9	7	−0.478 −1.177, 0.22	0.703	< 0.001	100
≥ 9	3	−0.348 −2.138, 1.44	0.179	< 0.001	88.1
Age range						< 0.001
> 18–20	4	−1.09 −1.80, −0.39	0.002	< 0.001	99.8
30–75	6	−0.73 −1.49, −0.03	0.041	< 0.001	87.6
> 65	2	0.081 −1.04, 1.20	0.888	0.135	55.3

*Note that because all of included studies had cross-sectional designs, and the relative telomere length measurement method was quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR); therefore, subgrouping according to these parameters was not performed.