Sample size and power considerations in network meta-analysis

Systematic Reviews

Volumn 1, Issue 1, 2012, Pages

  Thorlund, Kristian ^a   Mills, Edward J ^a  

^a MCMASTER UNIVERSITY   (Canada)

Author keywords

Indirect comparison; Network meta analysis; Power; Sample size; Strength of evidence

Indexed keywords

AMFEBUTAMONE; NICOTINE PATCH; VARENICLINE;

ARTICLE; CLINICAL STUDY; CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK; HUMAN; INTERMETHOD COMPARISON; MATHEMATICAL ANALYSIS; MEASUREMENT PRECISION; META ANALYSIS (TOPIC); METHODOLOGY; NETWORK META ANALYSIS; RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL (TOPIC); SAMPLE SIZE; SMOKING CESSATION; CLINICAL TRIAL (TOPIC); COMPARATIVE EFFECTIVENESS; EVIDENCE BASED MEDICINE; STATISTICAL MODEL;

CLINICAL TRIALS AS TOPIC; COMPARATIVE EFFECTIVENESS RESEARCH; EVIDENCE-BASED MEDICINE; HUMANS; META-ANALYSIS AS TOPIC; MODELS, STATISTICAL; RESEARCH DESIGN; SAMPLE SIZE;

EID: 84875878623     PISSN: None     EISSN: 20464053     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1186/2046-4053-1-41     Document Type: Article

References (38)

1. Sutton AJ, Higgins JP. Recent developments in meta-analysis. Stat Med 2008, 27:625-650. 10.1002/sim.2934, 17590884.
2. Ioannidis JP. Integration of evidence from multiple meta-analyses: a primer on umbrella reviews, treatment networks and multiple treatments meta-analyses. Cmaj 2009, 181:488-493. 10.1503/cmaj.081086, 2761440, 19654195.
3. Jansen JP, Crawford B, Bergman G, Stam W. Bayesian meta-analysis of multiple treatment comparisons: an introduction to mixed treatment comparisons. Value Health 2008, 11:956-964. 10.1111/j.1524-4733.2008.00347.x, 18489499.
4. Lu G, Ades AE. Combination of direct and indirect evidence in mixed treatment comparisons. Stat Med 2004, 23:3105-3124. 10.1002/sim.1875, 15449338.
5. Mills EJ, Bansback N, Ghement I, Thorlund K, Kelly S, Puhan MA, Wright J. Multiple treatment comparison meta-analyses: a step forward into complexity. Clin Epidemiol 2011, 3:193-202. 3130904, 21750628.
6. Salanti G, Higgins JP, Ades AE, Ioannidis JP. Evaluation of networks of randomized trials. Stat Methods Med Res 2008, 17:279-301.
7. Sutton A, Ades AE, Cooper N, Abrams K. Use of indirect and mixed treatment comparisons for technology assessment. Pharmacoeconomics 2008, 26:753-767. 10.2165/00019053-200826090-00006, 18767896.
8. Glenny AM, Altman DG, Song F, Sakarovitch C, Deeks JJ, D'Amico R, Bradburn M, Eastwood AJ. Indirect comparisons of competing interventions. Health Technol Assess 2005, 9:1-134. iii-iv.
9. Song F, Altman DG, Glenny AM, Deeks JJ. Validity of indirect comparison for estimating efficacy of competing interventions: empirical evidence from published meta-analyses. BMJ 2003, 326:472. 10.1136/bmj.326.7387.472, 150178, 12609941.
10. Song F, Loke YK, Walsh T, Glenny AM, Eastwood AJ, Altman DG. Methodological problems in the use of indirect comparisons for evaluating healthcare interventions: survey of published systematic reviews. BMJ 2009, 338:b1147. 10.1136/bmj.b1147, 2665205, 19346285.
11. Song F, Xiong T, Parekh-Bhurke S, Loke YK, Sutton AJ, Eastwood AJ, Holland R, Chen YF, Glenny AM, Deeks JJ, Altman DG. Inconsistency between direct and indirect comparisons of competing interventions: meta-epidemiological study. BMJ 2011, 343:d4909. 10.1136/bmj.d4909, 3156578, 21846695.
12. Higgins JPT, Green S(Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions Version 5.0.2 [updated September 2009]. The Cochrane Collaboration 2009,
13. Mills EJ, Ioannidis JPA, Thorlund K, Schünemann HJ, Puhan MA, Guyatt GH. How to use an article reporting a multiple treatment comparison meta-analysis. JAMA 2012, 308:1246-53. 10.1001/2012.jama.11228, 23011714.
14. Brok J, Thorlund K, Gluud C, Wetterslev J. Trial sequential analysis reveals insufficient information size and potentially false positive results in many meta-analyses. J Clin Epidemiol 2008, 61:763-769. 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2007.10.007, 18411040.
15. Brok J, Thorlund K, Wetterslev J, Gluud C. Apparently conclusive meta-analyses may be inconclusive-Trial sequential analysis adjustment of random error risk due to repetitive testing of accumulating data in apparently conclusive neonatal meta-analyses. Int J Epidemiol 2009, 38:287-298.
16. Guyatt GH, Oxman AD, Kunz R, Brozek J, Alonso-Coello P, Rind D, Devereaux PJ, Montori VM, Freyschuss B, Vist G, et al. GRADE guidelines 6. Rating the quality of evidence--imprecision. J Clin Epidemiol 2011, 64:1283-1293. 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2011.01.012, 21839614.
17. Higgins JP, Whitehead A, Simmonds M. Sequential methods for random-effects meta-analysis. Stat Med 2011, 30:903-921. 10.1002/sim.4088, 3107948, 21472757.
18. Ioannidis J, Lau J. Evolution of treatment effects over time: empirical insight from recursive cumulative metaanalyses. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 2001, 98:831-836. 10.1073/pnas.98.3.831, 14669, 11158556.
19. Pogue J, Yusuf S. Overcoming the limitations of current meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. Lancet 1998, 351:47-52. 10.1016/S0140-6736(97)08461-4, 9433436.
20. Pogue JM, Yusuf S. Cumulating evidence from randomized trials: utilizing sequential monitoring boundaries for cumulative meta-analysis. Control Clin Trials 1997, 18:580-593. discussion 661-586, 10.1016/S0197-2456(97)00051-2, 9408720.
21. Thorlund K, Devereaux PJ, Wetterslev J, Guyatt G, Ioannidis JP, Thabane L, Gluud LL, Als-Nielsen B, Gluud C. Can trial sequential monitoring boundaries reduce spurious inferences from meta-analyses?. Int J Epidemiol 2009, 38:276-286.
22. Thorlund K, Imberger G, Walsh M, Chu R, Gluud C, Wetterslev J, Guyatt G, Devereaux PJ, Thabane L. The number of patients and events required to limit the risk of overestimation of intervention effects in meta-analysis-a simulation study. PLoS One 2011, 6:e25491. 10.1371/journal.pone.0025491, 3196500, 22028777.
23. Wetterslev J, Thorlund K, Brok J, Gluud C. Trial sequential analysis may establish when firm evidence is reached in cumulative meta-analysis. J Clin Epidemiol 2008, 61:64-75. 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2007.03.013, 18083463.
24. Wetterslev J, Thorlund K, Brok J, Gluud C. Estimating required information size by quantifying diversity in random-effects model meta-analyses. BMC Med Res Methodol 2009, 9:86. 10.1186/1471-2288-9-86, 2809074, 20042080.
25. van der Tweel I, Bollen C. Sequential meta-analysis: an efficient decision-making tool. Clin Trials 2010, 7:136-146. 10.1177/1740774509360994, 20338906.
26. Thorlund K, Anema A, Mills E. Interpreting meta-analysis according to the adequacy of sample size. An example using isoniazid chemoprophylaxis for tuberculosis in purified protein derivative negative HIV-infected individuals. Clin Epidemiol 2010, 2:57-66. 2943189, 20865104.
27. Pereira TV, Ioannidis JP. Statistically significant meta-analyses of clinical trials have modest credibility and inflated effects. J Clin Epidemiol 2011, 64:1060-1069. 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2010.12.012, 21454050.
28. Thorlund K, Engstrom J, Wetterslev J, Brok J, Imberger G, Gluud C. User manual for trial sequential analysis (TSA). In Book User manual for trial sequential analysis (TSA) 2011, Copenhagen Trial Unit, City.
29. Mills EJ, Ghement I, O'Regan C, Thorlund K. Estimating the power of indirect comparisons: a simulation study. PLoS One 2011, 6:e16237. 10.1371/journal.pone.0016237, 3025012, 21283698.
30. Lumley T. Network meta-analysis for indirect treatment comparisons. Stat Med 2002, 21:2313-2324. 10.1002/sim.1201, 12210616.
31. Mills EJ, Wu P, Lockhart I, Thorlund K, Puhan MA, Ebbert JO. Comparison of high-dose and combination nicotine replacement therapy, varenicline, and buproprion for smoking cessation: A systematic review and multiple treatment meta-analysis. Ann Med 2012, 44:588-97. 10.3109/07853890.2012.705016, 22860882.
32. Bucher HC, Guyatt GH, Griffith LE, Walter SD. The results of direct and indirect treatment comparisons in meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. J Clin Epidemiol 1997, 50:683-691. 10.1016/S0895-4356(97)00049-8, 9250266.
33. Higgins JP, Whitehead A. Borrowing strength from external trials in a meta-analysis. Stat Med 1996, 15:2733-2749. 10.1002/(SICI)1097-0258(19961230)15:24<2733::AID-SIM562>3.0.CO;2-0, 8981683.
34. Higgins JP, Thompson SG. Quantifying heterogeneity in a meta-analysis. Stat Med 2002, 21:1539-1558. 10.1002/sim.1186, 12111919.
35. Borenstein M, Hedges L, Higgins JP. Introduction to meta-analysis 2009, John Wiley and Sons, Chichester, 25.
36. Thorlund K, Imberger G, Johnston B, Walsh M, Awad T, Thabane L, Gluud C, Devereaux PJ, Wetterslev J. Evolution of heterogeneity (I2) estimates and their 95% confidence intervals in large meta-analyses. PLoS One 2012, 7:e39471. 10.1371/journal.pone.0039471, 3405079, 22848355.
37. Whitehead A, Whitehead J. A general parametric approach to the meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials. Stat Med 1991, 10:1665-1677. 10.1002/sim.4780101105, 1792461.
38. Thorlund K, Imberger G, Wetterslev J, Brok J, Gluud C. Comments on 'Sequential meta-analysis: an efficient decision-making tool' by I van der Tweel and C Bollen. Clin Trials 2010, 7:752-753. author reply 754, 10.1177/1740774510386255, 21138922.