Although more research is needed to support its efficacy, meta-analysis studies have shown depression patients to benefit more from acupuncture combined with antidepressants versus the use of medication alone.
Thus, our efficacy meta-analysis sample size (N = 1,410) was adequately powered to detect valganciclovir superiority.
The efficacy meta-analysis consisted of seven trials comparing valganciclovir against ganciclovir (N = 1,410) [7], [10], [11], [13] [16]: two randomized [7], [10]; two cohort [11], [13]; and three case-control studies [14] [16].
These data, combined with the results of the current study and the encouraging efficacy meta-analysis data described earlier [ 11], support the role of formoterol bronchodilator therapy in patients with COPD, with the potential caveat of excluding patients with an asthma component, as recommended in the current GOLD guidelines [ 9].
Clinical trials (efficacy) or meta-analyses of clinical trials are the preferred sources of outcome data in six agencies [ 7, 19, 21, 25, 30, 35].
The lack of a consistent or sufficiently detailed reporting of variables and outcome measures limits the efficacy of meta-analysis to resolve these debates.
As for the efficacy outcome, meta-regression was used to investigate the effect of rescue medication, while controlling for other potentially confounding variables.
These searches were supplemented with data from PsycINFO and manual searches of the bibliographies of efficacy studies, meta-analyses, and review articles.
Results of the male trials were pooled using Bayesian random effects models, incorporating prior information of anti-fracture efficacy from meta-analyses of women.
In addition to the efficacy outcomes, meta-analyses were performed for the most commonly reported adverse events: nausea, insomnia, abnormal dreams, and headache.
The estimates of the relative efficacy with meta-regression for each drug versus placebo for each type of fracture were similar to the estimates of Bayesian analysis for odds ratios.
