Table 2.
Relative Risks (RR), Heterogeneity (I2), Number of Studies (n), and P-Values After Stratification of Cohorts for Various Variables
Variable | Cohort Name: | Total Group of Studies | Dose Reduction Group | Discontinuation (Stop) Group | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pools | n | RR (95%CI) | I 2 (%) | P | n | RR (95%CI) | I 2 (%) | P | n | RR (95% CI) | I 2 (%) | P | ||
Reduction Characteristics | Medication | Discontinued | 25 | 2.63 (2.14 to 3.22) | 5 | .034 | na | na | ||||||
Dose reduced | 27 | 1.78 (1.32 to 2.39) | 42 | |||||||||||
End-dose 3mg divide | 0 mg | 25 | 2.63 (2.14 to 3.22) | 5 | .000 | na | na | |||||||
0–3 mg | 10 | 2.90 (1.90 to 4.44) | 38 | 10 | 2.90 (1.90 to 4.44) | 38 | .000 | |||||||
3 mg+ | 14 | 1.16 (0.90 to 1.50) | 0 | 14 | 1.16 (0.90 to 1.50) | 0 | ||||||||
End-dose 5mg divide | 0 mg | 25 | 2.63 (2.14 to 3.22) | 5 | .000 | na | na | |||||||
0–5 mg | 14 | 2.22 (1.46 to 3.39 | 46 | 14 | 2.22 (1.46 to 3.39) | 46 | .016 | |||||||
5 mg+ | 10 | 1.20 (0.91 to 1.58) | 0 | 10 | 1.20 (0.91 to 1.58) | 0 | ||||||||
Dose reduction style | Abrupt | 17 | 2.42 (1.94 to 3.01) | 0 | .353 | 15 | 2.23 (1.75 to 2.85) | 0 | .093 | |||||
Gradual | 35 | 2.05 (1.56 to 2.68) | 44 | 11 | 3.27 (2.25 to 4.73) | 15 | ||||||||
Duration of dose reduction | 0 week | 17 | 2.42 (1.94 to 3.01) | 0 | .022 | 19 | 1.94 (1.33 to 2.84)# | 52 | .066 | 15 | 2.32 (1.75 to 2.85) | 0 | .099 | |
1–10 weeks | 26 | 2.28 (1.64 to 3.17) | 52 | 9 | 3.34 (2.21 to 5.05) | 25 | ||||||||
>10 weeks | 6 | 1.02 (0.58 to 1.81) | 0 | 6 | 1.02 (0.58 to 1.81) | 0 | ||||||||
Patient Characteristics | Age | 0–42 years | 24 | 2.32 (1.72 to 3.14) | 56 | .303 | 16 | 1.85 (1.28 to 2.67) | 54 | .577 | 8 | 3.37 (2.25 to 5.04) | 28 | .042 |
>42 years | 22 | 1.90 (1.50 to 2.41) | 0 | 9 | 1.54 (0.90 to 2.61) | 13 | 13 | 2.04 (1.55 to 2.68) | 0 | |||||
Male percentage | 0–49% | 8 | 2.37 (1.64 to 3.44) | 0 | .016 | 4 | 2.12 (1.20 to 3.74) | 0 | .199 | |||||
50–99% | 29 | 1.84 (1.42 to 2.38) | 44 | 10 | 2.75 (1.92 to 3.95) | 37 | ||||||||
100% | 10 | 4.26 (2.54 to 7.15) | 0 | 7 | 4.45 (2.45 to 8.07) | 0 | ||||||||
Patient setting | Inpatients | 25 | 2.58 (1.88 to 3.54) | 41 | .262 | 10 | 2.14 (1.20 to 3.82) | 56 | .401 | 15 | 2.72 (1.93 to 3.84) | 16 | .425 | |
Outpatients | 22 | 1.98 (1.41 to 2.77) | 41 | 15 | 1.59 (1.08 to 2.35) | 42 | 7 | 3.50 (2.09 to 5.88) | 4 | |||||
Duration of Illness | 0–10 years | 9 | 2.14 (1.03 to 4.45) | 66 | .199 | 8 | 1.79 (0.85 to 3.75) | 64 | .592 | 11 | 2.79 (2.13 to 3.65)# | 0 | .038 | |
11–15 years | 14 | 2.07 (1.53 to 2.81) | 21 | 4 | 1.15 (0.72 to 1.83) | 0 | ||||||||
15+ years | 13 | 1.50 (1.20 to 1.88) | 0 | 8 | 1.22 (0.88 to 1.69) | 0 | 5 | 1.80 (1.32 to 2.46) | 0 | |||||
Method of administration | Oral | 30 | 2.48 (2.01 to 3.07) | 4 | .282 | 15 | 2.39 (1.74 to 3.27) | 7 | .046 | 8 | 3.00 (2.10 to 4.29) | 8 | .647 | |
LAI | 19 | 1.97 (1.38 to 2.83) | 58 | 11 | 1.39 (0.91 to 2.13) | 47 | 15 | 2.68 (1.96 to 3.67) | 10 | |||||
Study Characteristics | Follow-up 16 | 0–16 weeks | 16 | 2.80 (1.54 to 5.10) | 46 | .433 | 5 | 0.87 (0.36 to 2.12) | 31 | .090 | 11 | 4.68 (2.76 to 7.94) | 0 | .016 |
>16 weeks | 36 | 2.18 (1.79 to 2.70) | 31 | 22 | 1.97 (1.45 to 2.67) | 41 | 14 | 2.34 (1.92 to 2.86) | 0 | |||||
Follow-up 26 | 0–26 weeks | 28 | 2.70 (1.98 to 3.70) | 22 | .152 | 11 | 1.78 (0.99 to 3.19) | 48 | .925 | 17 | 3.39 (2.35 to 4.88) | 0 | .145 | |
>26 weeks | 24 | 2.02 (1.59 to 2.58) | 42 | 16 | 1.72 (1.23 to 2.41) | 36 | 8 | 2.40 (1.80 to 3.20) | 28 | |||||
Blind | Yes | 41 | 2.21 (1.74 to 2.79) | 42 | .475 | 21 | 1.67 (1.15 to 2.41) | 51 | .242 | 20 | 2.50 (2.04 to 3.06) | 38 | .462 | |
No | 11 | 2.56 (1.85 to 3.53) | 0 | 6 | 2.34 (1.52 to 3.63) | 0 | 5 | 3.30 (1.63 to 6.70) | 0 | |||||
Relapse definition | Clinical judgement | 28 | 2.98 (2.18 to 4.08) | 17 | .030 | 12 | 1.38 (1.31 to 4.33) | 41 | .218 | 16 | 3.11 (2.19 to 4.42) | 0 | .320 | |
Scales | 24 | 1.93 (1.52 to 2.45) | 43 | 15 | 1.56 (1.17 to 2.14) | 537 | 9 | 2.47 (1.84 to 3.30) | 25 |
Note: Analyses have been done for the total group of studies, and for different subgroups of studies: dose-reduction studies, discontinuation studies, and other subgroups. The latter are presented in Supplementary Table 4. Blank Boxes Indicate an Insufficient Number of Studies (<4).
Note: na, not applicable; # rows combined because of insufficient number of studies in one of the rows (<4).