Statistical analysis
The meta-analysis was performed using the RevMan software (Review
Manager Version 5.3). For the outcomes of SBP, DBP, BMI, and lipids,
Mean Difference (MD) and the 95% confidence interval (CI) were
calculated using a fixed effects or random effects model. Where
heterogeneity was substantially high (Chi2 P value of
<0.1 and I2 value of >30%), we
reported the outcomes using random-effect mode, otherwise the outcomes
were reported using a fixed effect model. When standard error of the
mean (SEM) or CI of means were reported instead of the SD, the SEM/CI
were converted to SD. When median and intra-quartile range (IQR) were
reported, the results were extracted as reported and are detailed in
table 1. For the meta-analyses on CVD mortality, the number of deaths
due to CVD and the total number of participants were used in the
meta-analysis to analyse the risk difference. If the study reported the
number as a percentage, then the number of participants/events was
calculated based on the total sample size for each group. The
methodological quality was assessed using the National Heart, Lung and
Blood Institute (NHLBI) Quality Assessment Tool for Observational Cohort
and Cross-Sectional Studies.