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Table 2 (A) NMA and TMA results for menstrual frequency, total testosterone, BMI, and glycometabolism; (B) NMA and TMA results for lipid levels and gastrointestinal adverse events

From: Comparative efficacy of oral insulin sensitizers metformin, thiazolidinediones, inositol, and berberine in improving endocrine and metabolic profiles in women with PCOS: a network meta-analysis

Outcomes

Studies

Participants

Traditional pairwise meta-analysis (TMA)

Network meta-analysis (NMA)

Heterogeneity

Effect estimate (95% CI)

Studies

Effect estimate (95% CI)

(A)

Menstrual frequency

 TZDs vs Met

6

299

(P = 0.002); I2 = 74%

1.17 [0.43, 3.17]

7

1.20 [0.52, 2.76]

 TZDs + Met vs Met

3

167

(P = 0.88); I2 = 0%

3.91 [1.75, 8.72]

3

2.41 [0.75, 7.71]

 MI vs Met

1

46

Not applicable

1.11 [0.24, 5.11]

4

0.89 [0.14, 5.56]

 MI + DCI vs Met

1

64

Not applicable

11.67 [2.37, 57.36]

3

14.70 [2.31, 93.58]

 MI + DCI vs MI

2

44

(P = 0.38); I2 = 0%

21.92 [2.99, 160.44]

3

16.51 [2.56, 106.64]

TT

 TZDs vs Met

7

322

(P = 0.22); I2 = 27%

5.27 [0.98, 9.55]

8

3.90 [1.10, 6.71]

 TZDs + Met vs Met

4

307

(P = 0.44); I2 = 0%

− 3.14 [− 6.19, − 0.09]

4

− 3.66 [− 6.60, − 0.72]

 MI vs Met

2

120

(P = 0.66); I2 = 0%

0.31 [− 0.69, 1.32]

6

0.37 [− 0.63, 1.37]

 MI + DCI vs Met

1

64

Not applicable

− 5.48 [− 10.27, − 0.69]

3

− 6.72 [− 10.24, − 3.20]

 BBR + Met vs Met

2

140

(P = 1.00); I2 = 0%

− 11.53 [− 16.91, − 6.15]

2

− 11.53 [− 16.91, − 6.15]

 MI + DCI vs MI

2

72

(P = 0.63); I2 = 0%

− 8.50 [− 13.60, − 3.40]

3

− 7.09 [− 10.62, − 3.56]

BMI

 TZDs vs Met

8

322

(P = 0.42); I2 = 1%

1.26 [0.78, 1.75]

7

1.23 [0.75, 1.70]

 TZDs + Met vs Met

4

171

(P = 0.68); I2 = 0%

− 0.03 [− 1.02, 0.95]

3

0.22 [− 0.71, 1.14]

 MI vs Met

5

279

(P = 0.47); I2 = 0%

0.28 [0.06, 0.50]

8

0.29 [0.09, 0.49]

 MI + DCI vs Met

/

/

/

/

3

− 0.19 [− 1.61, 1.23]

 BBR + Met vs Met

2

140

(P = 0.32); I2 = 0%

− 1.85 [− 2.76, − 0.94]

2

− 1.85 [− 2.76, − 0.94]

 MI + DCI vs MI

3

80

(P = 0.98); I2 = 0%

− 0.48 [− 1.89, 0.93]

3

− 0.48 [− 1.89, 0.93]

FPG

 TZD vs Met

7

272

(P < 0.00001); I2 = 86%

− 0.10 [− 0.21, 0.01]

5

− 0.12 [− 0.21, − 0.02]

 TZD + Met vs Met

5

307

(P = 0.79); I2 = 0%

− 0.05 [− 0.15, 0.06]

5

0.00 [− 0.14, 0.15]

 MI vs Met

3

173

(P = 0.22); I2 = 34%

− 0.05 [− 0.12, 0.02]

5

− 0.05 [− 0.19, 0.09]

 MI + DCI vs Met

1

64

Not applicable

− 0.09 [− 0.17, − 0.01]

6

− 0.18 [− 0.37, 0.02]

 MI + DCI vs MI

2

72

(P = 0.22); I2 = 35%

− 0.25 [− 0.56, 0.05]

3

− 0.13 [− 0.33, 0.08]

FINS

 TZDs vs Met

8

357

(P < 0.00001); I2 = 97%

− 2.50 [− 6.23, 1.23]

7

− 2.38 [− 4.94, 0.19]

 TZDs + Met vs Met

4

259

(P = 0.19); I2 = 37%

− 1.83 [− 3.12, − 0.55]

4

− 2.56 [− 6.03, 0.92]

 MI vs Met

3

173

(P = 0.23); I2 = 32%

− 0.22 [− 0.75, 0.32]

5

− 0.40 [− 4.08, 3.27]

 MI + DCI vs Met

1

64

Not applicable

− 1.37 [− 1.56, − 1.18]

3

− 1.38 [− 6.14, 3.38]

 MI + DCI vs MI

2

72

(P = 0.36); I2 = 0%

− 0.76 [− 1.94, 0.42]

3

− 0.98 [− 5.28, 3.33]

HOMA-IR

 TZDs vs Met

6

317

(P < 0.00001); I2 = 97%

− 0.92 [− 1.64, − 0.19]

4

− 0.72 [− 1.11, − 0.34]

 TZDs + Met vs Met

4

259

(P = 0.04); I2 = 65%

− 0.85 [− 1.21, − 0.49]

4

− 0.86 [− 1.29, − 0.43]

 MI vs Met

4

219

(P = 0.004); I2 = 78%

− 0.20 [− 0.42, 0.01]

6

− 0.28 [− 0.66, 0.10]

 MI + DCI vs Met

1

64

Not applicable

− 1.15 [− 1.25, − 1.05]

3

− 0.89 [− 1.46, − 0.32]

 BBR + Met vs Met

2

140

(P = 0.37); I2 = 0%

− 0.25 [− 0.36, − 0.14]

2

− 0.25 [− 0.81, 0.31]

 MI + DCI vs MI

2

72

(P = 0.97); I2 = 0%

− 0.39 [− 0.83, 0.06]

3

− 0.61 [− 1.18, − 0.05]

(B)

TG

 TZDs vs Met

7

261

(P = 0.0002); I2 = 77%

− 0.01 [− 0.19, 0.16]

7

− 0.66 [− 1.00, − 0.32]

 TZDs + Met vs Met

3

178

(P = 0.74); I2 = 0%

− 0.24 [− 0.43, − 0.06]

3

− 0.08 [− 0.16, − 0.00]

 MI vs Met

3

173

(P = 0.60); I2 = 0%

− 0.03 [− 0.06, 0.00]

3

0.14 [0.07, 0.21]

 MI + DCI vs Met

1

64

Not applicable

− 0.08 [− 0.16, − 0.00]

4

0.21 [− 0.26, 0.68]

 TZDs + Met vs TZDs

2

88

(P = 0.10); I2 = 0%

0.15 [− 0.18, 0.48]

3

− 0.51 [− 0.88, − 0.14]

TC

 TZDs vs Met

8

346

(P < 0.00001); I2 = 93%

− 0.06 [− 0.41, 0.29]

8

− 0.18 [− 0.46, 0.10]

 TZDs + Met vs Met

3

178

(P = 0.98); I2 = 0%

− 0.30 [− 0.53, − 0.07]

3

− 0.15 [− 0.57, 0.27]

 MI vs Met

3

173

(P = 0.67); I2 = 0%

0.03 [− 0.01, 0.07]

3

0.19 [− 0.29, 0.66]

 MI + DCI vs Met

1

64

Not applicable

− 0.07 [− 0.16, 0.02]

4

− 0.07 [− 0.69, 0.55]

HDL

 TZDs vs Met

8

346

(P < 0.00001); I2 = 96%

0.14 [− 0.03, 0.30]

8

0.13 [0.03, 0.24]

 TZDs + Met vs Met

4

259

(P = 0.53); I2 = 0%

− 0.00 [− 0.09, 0.09]

4

0.05 [− 0.10, 0.20]

 MI vs Met

3

173

(P = 0.10); I2 = 57%

0.05 [0.03, 0.07]

3

0.02 [− 0.14, 0.17]

 MI + DCI vs Met

1

64

Not applicable

0.00 [− 0.11, 0.11]

4

0.00 [− 0.28, 0.28]

LDL

 TZDs vs Met

7

261

(P = 0.02); I2 = 59%

− 0.11 [− 0.29, 0.08]

7

− 0.19 [− 0.27, − 0.11]

 TZDs + Met vs Met

4

259

(P = 0.96); I2 = 0%

− 0.10 [− 0.25, 0.05]

4

− 0.08 [− 0.24, 0.07]

 MI vs Met

3

173

(P = 0.84); I2 = 0%

0.01 [− 0.03, 0.05]

3

0.01 [− 0.03, 0.05]

 MI + DCI vs Met

1

64

Not applicable

− 0.07 [− 0.21, 0.07]

4

− 0.07 [− 0.21, 0.07]

Gastrointestinal adverse events

 TZDs vs Met

6

253

(P = 0.88); I2 = 0%

0.11 [0.03, 0.41]

6

0.13 [0.04, 0.46]

 TZDs + Met vs Met

3

237

(P = 0.33); I2 = 11%

0.67 [0.23, 1.93]

3

0.76 [0.25, 2.27]

 MI vs Met

1

50

Not applicable

0.13 [0.01, 2.58]

1

0.13 [0.01, 2.58]

 MI + DCI vs Met

1

64

Not applicable

0.08 [0.00, 1.45]

1

0.08 [0.00, 1.45]

 BBR vs Met

1

60

Not applicable

3.10 [0.12, 79.23]

1

3.10 [0.12, 79.23]

  1. Bolded results show statistical significance at the 0.05 level
  2. Met Metformin, TZDs thiazolidinediones, MI myo-inositol, DCI d-chiro-inositol, BBR berberine, TT total testosterone, BMI body mass index, FPG fasting plasma glucose, FINS fasting insulin, HOMA-IR Homeostatic Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance, TG triglyceride, TC total cholesterol, HDL-C high density lipoprotein cholesterol, LDL-C low density lipoprotein cholesterol