← Metformin × all-cause mortality

SynthesisInternational urology and nephrology2017

The impact of metformin use on survival in kidney cancer patients with diabetes: a meta-analysis.

Yang Li et al.PubMed ↗Full text ↗Publisher ↗

  • Metformin uselooks good hereLower overall survival, fewer deaths, lower cancer-specific survival.Correlation only, not a test of it.

What moved togetherboth groups pooled, not the treatment’s effect

Correlation, not cause

Metformin use went with lower overall survival

−36%−48% to −20%

metformin use vs no metformin use

Bigger than 8 in 10 for all-cause mortality

As reported

HR 0.643, 95% CI 0.52–0.80

Correlation, not cause

Metformin use went with fewer deaths

−29%−44% to −10%

metformin use vs no metformin use

Bigger than 8 in 10 for all-cause mortality

As reported

HR 0.711, 95% CI 0.56–0.90 · the paper's word: risk of death

Correlation, not cause

Metformin use went with lower overall survival

−37%−56% to −9%

metformin use vs no metformin use, in localized renal cell carcinoma patients

Bigger than 8 in 10 for all-cause mortality

As reported

HR 0.634, 95% CI 0.44–0.91

+2 more in the walkthrough ↓

Who was studied, and how

people with kidney disease, in this paper

Already taking metformin use, or nottheir own situation, not assigned

on metformin use
not on metformin use

Metformin use went with lower overall survival−36%

Metformin use went with fewer deaths−29%

Metformin use went with lower cancer-specific survival−38%

correlation, not a test

the abstract, start to end

… improve the overall survival (OS) (HR 0.643, 95% CI 0.520-0.795, P < 0.001) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) (HR 0.618, 95% CI 0.446-0.858, P = 0.004) …

… of death in kidney cancer patients (HR 0.711, 95% CI 0.562-0.899, P = …

… renal cell carcinoma patients (OS: HR 0.634, 95% CI 0.440-0.913, P = 0.014; CSS: HR 0.476, 95% CI 0.295-0.768, P = …

← favours treatmentfavours comparator →
could be chance
Overall survival (OS)metformin use vs no metformin use
HR 0.6430.52–0.80
Risk of deathmetformin use vs no metformin use
HR 0.7110.56–0.90
Overall survival (OS)metformin use vs no metformin use, in localized renal cell carcinoma patients
HR 0.6340.44–0.91
Cancer-specific survival (CSS)metformin use vs no metformin use
HR 0.6180.45–0.86
Cancer-specific survival (CSS)metformin use vs no metformin use, in localized renal cell carcinoma patients
HR 0.4760.29–0.77
MetforminAll-cause mortality
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Full record →Abstract, authors, funding and every citing paper · PMID 28271326