Table 3

Meta-analysis of overall AEs

Outcome	Intervention	Comparator	Studies	N	Fixed effects
Outcome	Intervention	Comparator	Studies	N	RR (95% CI)	p Value	I² (%)
Any AE	Nicergoline	Placebo	10	1448	1.05 (0.93 to 1.20)*	0.42	0
Any AE	Nicergoline	Active agents	4	292	1.19 (0.71 to 2.01)*	0.51	5
Any AE	Nicergoline	Ergot derivatives	2	200	1.22 (0.63 to 2.34)*	0.56	19
Any SAE	Nicergoline	Placebo	2	482	0.85 (0.50 to 1.45)	0.54	35
Anxiety	Nicergoline	Placebo	2	482	0.59 (0.39 to 0.88)	0.01	0
Diarrhoea	Nicergoline	Placebo	2	188	0.85 (0.24 to 3.05)	0.8	0
Diarrhoea	Nicergoline	Ergot derivatives	2	200	0.99 (0.14 to 6.92)	0.99	0
Dizziness	Nicergoline	Placebo	3	260	0.63 (0.15 to 2.57)	0.51	0
Dizziness	Nicergoline	Active agents	2	116	1.00 (0.18 to 5.58)*	1.0	0
Drowsiness	Nicergoline	Placebo	2	442	0.34 (0.05 to 2.12)	0.24	0
Fatigue	Nicergoline	Placebo	2	378	0.71 (0.14 to 3.53)	0.68	18
Fatigue	Nicergoline	Active agents	3	260	1.24 (0.35 to 4.47)*	0.74	0
Fatigue	Nicergoline	Ergot derivatives	2	200	1.79 (0.40 to 7.98)*	0.45	0
Gastric upset	Nicergoline	Placebo	6	1037	0.94 (0.58 to 1.52)	0.8	0
Hot flushes	Nicergoline	All comparisons	3	470	3.65 (0.61 to 21.93)	0.16	0
Headache	Nicergoline	Placebo	5	1004	1.28 (0.63 to 2.60)*	0.24	0
Hypotension	Nicergoline	Placebo	2	378	1.49 (0.26 to 8.72)*	0.66	0
Insomnia	Nicergoline	Placebo	3	498	1.81 (0.39 to 8.29)*	0.45	0
Itching	Nicergoline	All comparisons	2	108	3.23 (0.35 to 30.08)*	0.3	0

*RR value greater than 1 denotes higher rate of AEs with nicergoline compared with the comparator drug and a value less than 1 denotes vice versa.
AE, adverse event; SAE, serious AE.