Real-world Performance of Meta-analysis Methods for Double-Zero-Event Studies with Dichotomous Outcomes Using the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews

摘要

BACKGROUND: Meta-analysis combines multiple independent studies, which can increase power and provide better estimates. However, it is unclear how best to deal with studies with zero events; such studies are also known as double-zero-event studies (DZS). Several statistical methods have been proposed, but the agreement among different approaches has not been systematically assessed using real-world published systematic reviews. METHODS: The agreement of five commonly used methods (i.e., the inverse-variance, Mantel-Haenszel, Peto, Bayesian, and exact methods) was assessed using the Cohen's k coefficients using 368 meta-analyses with rare events selected from the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.