Summary of the effect of the ALA acid on outcomes
| Outcome | References | No of trials | No of subjects | Effect size (95% CI) | p Value† | χ2‡ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| *Random effects mode; †p value for effect size; ‡χ2 statistic for heterogeneity between trials. | ||||||
| CI, confidence interval; VLDL, very low density lipoprotein. | ||||||
| Total cholesterol (mmol/l) | 4–14 | 11 | 790 | −0.01 (−0.08 to 0.06)* | 0.75 | 19.64 |
| High density lipoprotein (mmol/l) | 4–10, 12, 14, 16 | 10 | 661 | −0.01 (−0.02 to −0.00) | <0.01 | 5.28 |
| Low density lipoprotein (mmol/l) | 4–10, 12, 14, 16 | 10 | 680 | 0.03 (−0.04 to 0.10)* | 0.42 | 16.38 |
| Triglycerides (mmol/l) | 4–9, 13, 14 | 9 | 629 | 0.01 (−0.11 to 0.14)* | 0.83 | 23.36 |
| Weight (kg) | 5, 8, 9 | 3 | 166 | −0.18 (−0.72 to 0.36) | 0.52 | 0.79 |
| Body mass index (kg/m2) | 4, 6, 7 | 3 | 335 | −0.04 (−0.11 to 0.03) | 0.28 | 1.59 |
| Systolic blood pressure (mm Hg) | 4–6 | 3 | 348 | −0.72 (−2.01 to 0.58) | 0.28 | 1.92 |
| Diastolic blood pressure (mm Hg) | 4–6 | 3 | 348 | −0.17 (−0.82 to 0.48) | 0.61 | 0.11 |
| Fibrinogen (μmol/l) | 4, 10, 15 | 3 | 382 | −0.17 (−0.30 to −0.04) | 0.01 | 3.32 |
| Fasting plasma glucose (mmol/l) | 14, 15 | 2 | 127 | −0.20 (−0.30 to −0.10) | < 0.01 | 0.11 |
| VLDL cholesterol (mmol/l) | 6, 14 | 2 | 60 | −0.02 (−0.08 to 0.03) | 0.37 | 0.49 |
| Apolipoprotein B (mmol/l) | 14, 15 | 2 | 127 | −0.03 (−0.11 to 0.04) | 0.43 | 2.03 |