Comparative effectiveness of antihypertensive medication for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease: systematic review and multiple treatments meta-analysis

Table 6 Effect estimates from multiple-treatment meta-analysis (MTM) compared to direct and indirect estimates, based on node-splitting [23]

	Outcome	MTM-estimate (95% Crl)	Direct estimate (95% Crl)	Indirect estimate (95% Crl)	P-value for inconsistency
Diuretics vs. beta-blockers	Diabetes- incidence	1.09	0.88	1.31	0.13
		(0.80 to 1.44)	(0.59 to 1.32)	(0.88 to 2.17)
Diuretics vs. ACE-inhibitors	Diabetes- incidence	1.43	1.54	1.25	0.24
		(1.12 to 1.83)	(1.14 to 2.10)	(0.89 to 1.79)
Diuretics vs. placebo	All-cause mortality	0.88	0.89	0.80	0.29
		(0.80 to 0.95)	(0.82 to 0.97)	(0.68 to 0.96)
Beta-blockers vs. ARB	Stroke	1.23	1.34	1.00	0.17
		(0.96 to 1.49)	(1.03 to 1.74)	(0.69 to 1.41)
Beta-blockers vs. ARB	Diabetes- incidence	1.46	1.32	1.98	0.13
		(1.15 to 1.98)	(0.97 to 1.82)	(1.26 to 3.40)
ACE- inhibitors vs. CCB	All-cause mortality	1.02	1.05	0.95	0.21
		(0.95 to 1.10)	(0.96 to 1.13)	(0.82 to 1.09)
ACE- inhibitors vs. CCB	Heart fail ure	0.82	0.79	0.68	0.29
		(0.69 to 0.94)	(0.67 to 0.95)	(0.52 to 0.90)
ACE-inhibitors vs. placebo	All-cause mortality	0.87	1.30	0.86	0.08
		(0.79 to 0.96)	(0.82 to 2.14)	(0.77 to 0.95)
Diuretics and/or beta-blockers vs. placebo	All-cause mortality	0.82	0.57	0.85	0.06
		(0.73 to 0.92)	(0.34 to 0.84)	(0.75 to 0.96)
CCB vs. ARB	Stroke	0.91	0.86	1.15	0.19
		(0.75 to 1.11)	(0.69 to 1.05)	(0.78 to 1.70)
CCB vs. ARB	Diabetes- incidence	1.25	1.29	0.86	0.14
		(1.02 to 1.56)	(1.07 to 1.71)	(0.49 to 1.49)

Table is limited to comparisons where Bayesian "P-values" for inconsistency were < 0.3. For a complete overview of MTM-, direct, and indirect estimates see Additional file 6

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