Safety and efficacy of anti-hyperglycemic agents in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM): Protocol for an overview of systematic reviews based on network meta-analysis

PLOS ONE, 2023 · DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0282143 · Published: March 3, 2023

Endocrinology Research Methodology & Design

Simple Explanation

This protocol outlines a plan to review existing research on the safety and effectiveness of different medications for type 2 diabetes. The aim is to provide clear information for doctors, patients, and policymakers. The review will analyze network meta-analyses, which compare multiple treatments at once. The researchers will look at major databases to find relevant studies. The quality of the included studies will be assessed using standard tools, and the strength of the evidence will be evaluated using GRADE. The final result will be a summary of the best available evidence to guide treatment decisions.

Study Duration

Not specified

Participants

Adults with T2DM

Evidence Level

Systematic review based on network meta-analysis

Key Findings

1
The overview aims to assess the methodological quality of published network analyses in the field of T2DM anti-hyperglycemic agents.
2
The study seeks to determine the efficacy and safety of various anti-hyperglycemic agents through systematic review and network meta-analysis.
3
The review will evaluate the strength of evidence and recommendation levels for various agents included in network meta-analyses, based on the GRADE hierarchy.

Research Summary

This study protocol describes an overview of systematic reviews based on network meta-analysis, focusing on the safety and efficacy of different anti-hyperglycemic agents for patients with T2DM. The primary outcomes of interest are Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and fasting plasma glucose (FPG). The methodological quality of included reviews will be assessed using the AMSTAR-2 tool, and the quality of evidence will be judged using the GRADE system. The overview aims to provide an accessible narrative synthesis for clinicians, patients, policy makers, and developers of clinical guidelines, based on published high-quality network meta-analysis.

Practical Implications

Clinical Practice

Provide clinicians with a clear synthesis of evidence to guide the selection of anti-hyperglycemic agents for T2DM patients.

Policy Making

Inform policy makers in developing evidence-based guidelines for diabetes management.

Future Research

Identify areas where evidence is lacking or controversial, encouraging further original research.

Study Limitations

1
The overview will only analyze published network meta-analyses.
2
The review might face challenges related to heterogeneity in study populations and outcomes between different network meta-analyses.
3
The authors will not perform a combined analysis of the data from the numerous network meta-analyses.

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