Table 1 Criteria for classification of the credibility of the evidence (adapted from reference [31])
Classification | Criteria |
|---|---|
Convincing evidence (Class I) | More than 1000 death events |
Significant summary associations (P < 10− 6) per random effects calculations | |
No evidence of small-study effects | |
No evidence of excess of significance | |
Prediction intervals not including the null | |
Not large heterogeneity (i.e., I2 < 50%) | |
Highly-suggestive evidence (Class II) | Significant summary associations (P < 10− 6) per random effects calculation |
More than 1000 death events | |
The largest study with 95% confidence intervals excluding the null | |
Suggestive evidence (Class III) | More than 1000 death events |
Significant summary associations (P < 10−3) per random effects calculations | |
Weak evidence | All other associations with P < 0.05 |
Non-significant associations | All associations with P > 0.05 |