Messeri P, Workman S, Saunders C, Francis C
Urban Health Institute, Harlem Hospital Center, New York, New York, USA.
J Natl Med Assoc. 1997 Jul;89(7):477-85.
Meta-analysis is an important technique for synthesizing research findings. Although the statistical foundations of meta-analysis continue to be debated, few question its value as a rigorous framework for organizing literature reviews. In recent years, there has been increasing emphasis on the use of meta-analysis not only to summarize the central tendency of findings but also to explain variation between studies. This article reviews the major steps in a meta-analysis with an emphasis on comparative analysis of subgroups of studies. A meta-analysis of the antihypertensive efficacy of calcium channel blockers is used to illustrate how a comparative analysis can be applied to investigate racial variation in the effects of calcium channel blockers. A statistically significant trend is found between the proportion of African-American hypertensive subjects and the mean reduction in blood pressure. Meta-analytic techniques also are applied to explore possible confounders due to differences in research design and patient characteristics.
荟萃分析是综合研究结果的一项重要技术。尽管荟萃分析的统计学基础仍在争论之中，但很少有人质疑其作为组织文献综述的严谨框架的价值。近年来，人们越来越强调使用荟萃分析，不仅是为了总结研究结果的集中趋势，也是为了解释不同研究之间的差异。本文回顾了荟萃分析的主要步骤，重点是对研究亚组的比较分析。通过对钙通道阻滞剂降压疗效的荟萃分析，来说明如何应用比较分析来研究钙通道阻滞剂疗效的种族差异。研究发现，非裔美国高血压患者的比例与平均血压降低之间存在统计学上的显著趋势。荟萃分析技术还被用于探索由于研究设计和患者特征差异可能存在的混杂因素。
