Branched-chain amino acids supplementation has beneficial effects on the progression of liver cirrhosis: A meta-analysis

Table 1 Characteristics of studies included in the meta-analysis, n = 1080

Trail	Country	Group	n	Treatment time	Child grade	Mean age	M/F	Study type
Etsushi Kawamura, 2009	Japan	BCAA	27	12 mo	A	62.70 ± 10.08	13/14	RCT
		Control	23			62.30 ± 7.30	12/11
Muto Y, 2005	Japan	BCAA	314	> 5 mo	A/B/C	62 ± 8	147/167	RCT
		Control	308			61 ± 9	147/161
Yutaka Nakaya, 2007	Japan	BCAA	19	3 mo	A/B	67 ± 9	13/6	RCT
		Control	19			67 ± 8	7/12
Les, 2011	Spain	BCAA	58	56 wk	A/B	64.1 ± 10.4	45/13	RCT
		Control	58			62.5 ± 10.4	43/15
Tangkijvanich P, 2000	Thailand	BCAA	15	4 wk	-	53.07 ± 10.58	10/5	RCT
		Control	15			53.20 ± 12.74	12/3
Marchesini G, 1990	Italy	BCAA	29	12 mo	-	60	24/6	RCT
		Control	32			60	27/7
Michel H, 1985	France	BCAA	36	5 d	A/B/C	60.5 ± 11.5	25/11	RCT
		Control	34			59.3 ± 12.8	24/10
Ruiz-Margain, A, 2017	Mexico	BCAA,	37	6 mo	A/B	54.9 ± 10.3	6/31	RCT
		Control	35			47.8 ± 14.6	8/27
Masahiro Kobayashi, 2008	Japan	BCAA	19	168 wk	A/B	62.9 ± 5.7	19/0	RCT
		Control	20			59.5 ± 7.2	20/0

BCAA: Branched-chain amino acid; N: Number; M: Male; F: Female; RCT: Randomized controlled trial.