Outcome | Analysis description | Number of studies | Number of strata | Number of participants | Effect estimate | Range of estimates | Inconsistency (I2) |
FMD (%) | All studies* | 8 | 9 | 652 | 0.79% (0.35 to 1.23), P<0.001 | −0.40% (−1.72 to 0.92)–2.36% (−1.71 to 6.43) | 0% |
CRP (mg/L) | All studies | 25 | 26 | 1578 | −0.01 mg/L (−0.06 to 0.03), P=0.59† | −5.53 mg/L (−11.96 to 0.90)–0.60 mg/L (−2.44 to 3.64) | 20% |
Imputed SD excluded‡ | 19 | 20 | 1244 | −0.01 mg/L (−0.06 to 0.04), P=0.71 | −5.53 mg/L (−11.96 to 0.90)–0.60 mg/L (−2.44 to 3.64) | 26% | |
Total adiponectin (μg/mL) | All studies* | 7 | 7 | 506 | 0.29 µg/mL (−0.63 to 1.21), P=0.53 | −9.80 µg/mL (−23.99 to 4.39)–10.60 µg/mL (6.39 to 14.81) | 79% |
TNF-α (pg/mL) | All studies* | 8 | 8 | 482 | −0.05 pg/mL (−0.13 to 0.02), P=0.17 | −3.70 pg/mL (−6.93 to–0.47)–0.70 pg/mL (−0.41 to 1.81) | 2% |
IL-6 (pg/mL) | All studies | 13 | 13 | 906 | −0.02 pg/mL (−0.12 to 0.08), P=0.65, | −1.55 pg/mL (−2.80 to –0.30)–0.46 pg/mL (−0.22 to 1.14) | 10% |
Imputed SD excluded | 11 | 11 | 800 | −0.09 pg/mL (−0.23 to 0.05), P=0.19 | −0.50 pg/mL (−1.62 to 0.62)–0.46 pg/mL (−0.22 to 1.14) | 0% | |
ICAM-1 (ng/mL) | All studies | 14 | 15 | 1047 | 0.68 ng/mL (−0.53 to 1.89), P=0.27 | −80.63 ng/mL (−209.62 to 48.36)–16.76 ng/mL (1.44 to 32.08) | 0% |
Imputed SD excluded | 13 | 14 | 1011 | 0.68 ng/mL (−0.53 to 1.89), P=0.27 | −80.63 ng/mL (−209.62 to 48.36)–16.76 ng/mL (1.44 to 32.08) | 0% | |
VCAM-1 (ng/mL) | All studies | 13 | 14 | 804 | 2.83 ng/mL (−8.85 to 14.51), P=0.63 | −99.72 ng/mL (−316.35 to 116.91)–62.00 ng/mL (−80.23 to 204.23) | 0% |
Imputed SD excluded | 12 | 13 | 768 | 2.43 ng/mL (−9.29 to 14.15), P=0.68 | −99.72 ng/mL (−316.35 to 116.91)–46.34 ng/mL (−22.06 to 114.75) | 0% |
*No studies reporting FMD, adiponectin or TNF-α, required imputation of SD.
†Sensitivity analyses indicated that exclusion of either of two studies15 52 resulted in an effect estimate of −0.22 (−0.40 to 0.04).
‡Sensitivity analysis where studies with an imputed SD were excluded.
CRP, C-reactive protein; FMD, flow-mediated dilation; ICAM-1, intercellular adhesion molecule 1; IL-6, interleukin 6; TNF-α, tumour necrosis factor alpha; VCAM-1, vascular cell adhesion protein 1.