Chinese herbal formula shen-ling-bai-zhu-san to treat chronic gastritis: Clinical evidence and potential mechanisms

Table 5 Subgroup analysis of total effectiveness

Subgroup method (total effective rate)	Items	Number of comparisons	Results (risk ratio, 95%CI)	P value for overall effect	I2	P value for subgroup difference
Course of treatment	All comparisons	14	1.29 (1.22,1.37)	< 0.00001	0%
Supplementary Table 1	4 wk	5	1.27 (1.17,1.37)	< 0.00001	0%
	5 wk	1	1.45 (1.04, 2.03)	0.03	NA	0.58
	8 wk	5	1.28 (1.16, 1.40)	0.02	0%
	12 wk	2	1.44 (1.19, 1.74)	0.0002	0%
Comparison type	All comparisons	14	1.23 (1.14, 1.32)	< 0.00001	47%
Supplementary Table 2	SLBZS vs CM	3	1.23 (1.10, 1.38)	0.0003	0%	0.93
	SLBZS + CM vs CM	11	1.23 (1.11, 1.35)	< 0.0001	57%
Intervention method	All comparisons	14	1.29 (1.22, 1.37)	< 0.0001	0%
Supplementary Table 3	Monotherapy	4	1.25 (1.12, 1.40)	< 0.0001	5%
	Combined therapy	1	1.41 (1.08, 1.84)	0.01	NA	0.82
	Triple therapy	7	1.30 (1.21,1.40)	< 0.0001	0%
	Quadruple therapy	2	1.35 (1.11, 1.64)	0.003	0%

NA: Not available; CM: Conventional medicine; SLBZS: Shen-ling-bai-zhu san.