Table 2 Characteristics of the study

Jules-Elysee et al. [14]

RCT

USA

31

32

65.6 ± 8.4

65.0 ± 6.9

11/20

12/20

31.6 ± 7.1

31.1 ± 5.2

Unclear

IV > IA

Laoruengthana et al. [13]

RCT

Thailand

76

75

64.01 ± 7.68

64.81 ± 8.06

62/14

63/12

27.8 ± 5.2

27.6 ± 4.2

Unclear

IA > IV

Zhang et al. [15, 52]

RCT

China

50

50

63.12 ± 8.79

59.86 ± 12.01

12/38

10/40

23.9 ± 4.7

25.0 ± 4.3

6 months

IA > IV

Abdel et al. [20]

RCT

USA

320

320

66

67

127/193

133/187

31.3

31.6

Unclear

IV > IA

Ahmed et al. [23]

RCT

Pakistan

70

70

63.30 ± 9.51

64.39 ± 9.07

28/42

32/38

Unclear

Unclear

Unclear

IA > IV

López-Hualda et al. [21]

RCT

Spain

30

30

73.1 ± 7.3

72.9 ± 7.1

6/24

11/19

Unclear

Unclear

1 year

IA > IV

George et al. [16]

RCT

India

55

58

64.1

63.8

24/31

14/44

29.4

31.1

6 weeks

Neutral

Subramanyam et al. [19]

RCT

India

91

91

62.9 ± 6.8

62.7 ± 7.5

31/60

35/56

28.9

29.9

6 weeks

Neutral

Wei et al. [18]

RCT

China

32

32

66.47 ± 8.28

66.43 ± 7.69

14/18

16/16

32.4 ± 3.7

34.2 ± 5.0

3 months

Neutral

Goyal et al. [36]

RCT

Australia

85

83

68.8 ± 7.4

66.7 ± 8.9

40/47

38/43

30.3 ± 6.1

31.0 ± 5.3

1 month

Neutral

Lacko et al. [22]

RCT

Slovakia

30

30

68.4 ± 7.2

67.5 ± 7.7

12/18

13/17

31.1 ± 4.7

31.9 ± 4.7

3 months

IV > IA

Maniar et al. [33]

RCT

India

50

25

65.7 ± 7.6

62.2 ± 7.1

7/43

2/23

30.2 ± 4.5

30.3 ± 3.9

3 months

Neutral

Prakash et al. [26]

RCT

India

50

50

70.2

71

NR

NR

Unclear

Unclear

3 months

IV > IA

Song et al. [35]

RCT

South Korea

50

50

69.2 ± 6.4

69.8 ± 6.8

6/44

8/42

26.52 ± 3.3

26.96 ± 4.2

3 months

Neutral

Stowers et al. [24]

RCT

New Zealand

51

60

71 ± 8.6

70 ± 8.5

27/24

28/32

31.2 ± 5.5

31.2 ± 5.5

6 months

Neutral

Uğurlu et al. [34]

RCT

USA

40

42

69.4 ± 7.5

70.6 ± 8.6

11/29

9/33

30.8 ± 5.3

31.1 ± 5.4

10 days

Neutral

Wang et al. [11, 23]

RCT

China

50

50

67.42 ± 8.20

67.98 ± 5.97

14/36

14/36

26.7 ± 3.4

25.9 ± 3.8

5 weeks

IA > IV

Zekcer et al. [25]

RCT

Brazil

30

30

65.7

65.7

6/24

9/21

Unclear

Unclear

Unclear

Neutral

Aggarwal et al. [39]

RCT

India

35

35

58.77 ± 10.14

55.66 ± 8.71

13/22

12/23

26.33 ± 3.79

27.33 ± 4.63

6 months

IA > IV

Chen et al. [29, 53]

RCT

Singapore

50

50

65 ± 8

65 ± 8

15/35

10/40

28 ± 5

28 ± 7

1 month

Neutral

Drosos et al. [38]

RCT

Greece

30

30

69.27 ± 7.21

71.10 ± 6.32

6/24

6/24

32.79 ± 5.04

33.38 ± 6.08

1 month

Neutral

Keyhani et al. [42]

RCT

Iran

40

40

68.4 ± 10.4

67 ± 11.9

26/14

23/17

32.7 ± 5.5

31.3 ± 5.4

2 weeks

Neutral

May et al. [37]

RCT

USA

69

62

65.0 ± 9.6

63.0 ± 10.6

11/58

18/44

33.8

33.8

1 month

Neutral

Pinsornsak et al. [41]

RCT

Thailand

30

30

69.97 ± 7.55

67.63 ± 7.96

7/23

5/25

26.52 ± 3.7

27.96 ± 4.99

2 weeks

Neutral

Tzatzairis et al. [40]

RCT

Greece

40

40

69.55 ± 6.61

69.10 ± 8.68

9/31

7/33

32.60 ± 4.09

32.60 ± 4.50

6 weeks

Neutral

Aguilera et al. [43]

RCT

Spain

50

50

72.49 ± 7.68

72.53 ± 6.60

38/12

32/18

30.20 ± 4.10

30.89 ± 4.37

2 months

Neutral

Digas et al. [44]

RCT

Greece

30

30

70 ± 6.5

71 ± 7.0

2/28

7/23

Unclear

Unclear

1 year

IA > IV

Öztaş et al. [45]

RCT

Turkey

30

30

68.56

67.06

5/25

4/26

Unclear

Unclear

3 months

IA > IV

Gomez-Barrena et al. [46]

RCT

Spain

39

39

71.8 ± 10.3

70.1 ± 9.1

25/14

26/13

30.2 ± 4.2

30.4 ± 4.1

1 month

Neutral

Patel et al. [47]

RCT

USA

42

47

64.9 ± 7.8

64.8 ± 9.7

10/32

13/34

35.8 ± 8.6

32.7 ± 7.0

2 weeks

Neutral

Sarzaeem et al. [48]

RCT

Iran

50

100

66.9 ± 7.2

67.8 ± 7.2

7/43

13/87

31.6 ± 2.7

31.5 ± 3.4

Unclear

Neutral

Soni et al. [49]

RCT

India

40

40

69.05 ± 4.10

69.45 ± 4.71

19/21

17/23

Unclear

Unclear

6 weeks

Neutral

Seo et al. [50]

RCT

South Korea

50

50

66.8 ± 6.3

67.5 ± 6.6

6/44

5/45

28.1 ± 3.1

27.8 ± 3.5

2 months

IA > IV

Maniar et al. [51]

RCT

India

160

40

67.4 ± 8.1

67.4 ± 7.9

36/124

6/34

29.2 ± 5.4

30.9 ± 5.2

3 months

Neutral