Evidence map›Paper›PMID 9549450›Full record

SynthesisBMJ (Clinical research ed.)1998

Meta-analysis of short-term low dose prednisolone versus placebo and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in rheumatoid arthritis.

P C Gøtzsche, H K Johansen

Open access · bronzeAbstract readMeta-Analysis
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in BMJ (Clinical research ed.), 1998. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 30 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
30citing papers in PubMed, 4 pooled it
4.1field-weighted citation impact, top 6% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

30 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 111 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Oral steroids for adhesive capsulitis.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2006
    Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. Moderate-term, low-dose corticosteroids for rheumatoid arthritis.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2000
    Pooled it
  5. Trial
  6. Trial
  7. Article
  8. Article
  9. Review
  10. Review
  11. Review
  12. Review
  13. Review
  14. Article
  15. Article
  16. Review
  17. Review
  18. Observational
  19. Observational
  20. Pharmacotherapy options in rheumatoid arthritis.Clinical medicine insights. Arthritis and musculoskeletal disorders · 2013
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

2 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

P C GøtzscheNordic Cochrane Centre, Rigshospitalet, Department 7112, Copenhagen, Denmark.
H K Johansen
Cochrane · DK

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTo determine whether short-term, oral low dose prednisolone (< or = 15 mg daily) is superior to placebo and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

designMeta-analysis of randomised trials of oral corticosteroids compared with placebo or a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug.

settingTrials conducted anywhere in the world. SUBJECTS: Patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

main outcome measuresJoint tenderness, pain, and grip strength. Outcomes measured on different scales were combined by using the standardised effect size (difference in effect divided by SD of the measurements).

resultsTen studies were included in the meta-analysis. Prednisolone had a marked effect over placebo on joint tenderness (standardised effect size 1.31; 95% confidence interval 0.78 to 1.83), pain (1.75; 0.87 to 2.64), and grip strength (0.41; 0.13 to 0.69). Measured in the original units the differences were 12 (6 to 18) tender joints and 22 mm Hg (5 mm Hg to 40 mm Hg) for grip strength. Prednisolone also had a greater effect than non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs on joint tenderness (0.63; 0.11 to 1.16) and pain (1.25; 0.26 to 2.24), whereas the difference in grip strength was not significant (0.31; -0.02 to 0.64). Measured in the original units the differences were 9 (5 to 12) tender joints and 12 mm Hg (-6 mm Hg to 31 mm Hg). The risk of adverse effects during moderate and long term use seemed acceptable.

conclusionPrednisolone in low doses (< or = 15 mg daily) may be used intermittently in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, particularly if the disease cannot be controlled by other means.

Indexed as

Administration, OralAnti-Inflammatory AgentsAnti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-SteroidalArthritis, RheumatoidHand StrengthHumansPainPrednisoloneRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicTreatment OutcomeAnti-Inflammatory AgentsAnti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-SteroidalPrednisolone

Identifiers

PMID9549450
PMCPMC28482
OpenAlexW2007650860

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.