Table 1 Effect estimate of Guizhi Fuling Formula for volume of uterine fibroids

Guizhi Fuling Formula versus mifepristone

Average volume of maximum fibroids

Zhu YJ [30]

−1.43 [−3.23, 0.37]

0.12

Total volume of multiple fibroids

^aGao CR b [14]

−3.00 [−16.65, 10.65]

0.67

Average volume of multiple fibroids

Xiong DM [31]

0.50 [0.12, 0.88]

0.01

Volume of fibroids without clarified parameters

^bHu WH a [15]

0.19 [−0.12, 0.50]

0.22

^cHu WH b [15]

−0.62 [−0.86,-0.38]

<0.00001

Guizhi Fuling Formula plus mifepristone versus mifepristone

Average volume of maximum fibroids

Chen XJ [32]

−0.60 [−1.19, -0.01]

0.05

Gu Y [33]

−0.83 [−1.50, -0.16]

0.02

Teng MJ [34]

−19.36 [−24.33, -14.39]

<0.00001

Wu YF [35]

−4.34 [−7.48, -1.20]

0.007

Yang ZQ [36]

−0.58 [−1.16, -0.00]

0.05

Yue Li [37]

−2.32 [−5.35, 0.71]

0.13

Zhao YF [19]

−3.28 [−4.47, -2.09]

<0.00001

Zhong GP [38]

−6.75 [−9.19, -4.31]

<0.00001

Subgroup meta-analysis (random, I² = 93%)

−3.35 [−4.84, -1.87]

<0.00001

Total volume of multiple fibroids

^aGao CR a [14]

−15.00 [−28.95,-1.05]

0.04

Lu HJ [39]

−22.90 [−35.31,-10.49]

0.0003

Subgroup meta-analysis (fixed, I² = 0%)

−19.41 [−28.68,-10.14]

<0.0001

Average volume of multiple fibroids

Chen LQ [21]

−1.03 [−1.40, -0.66]

<0.00001

Gu HH [16]

−0.87 [−1.32, -0.42]

0.0001

Xiong DM [24]

−1.06 [−1.48, -0.64]

<0.00001

Subgroup meta-analysis (fixed, I² = 0%)

−1.00 [−1.23, -0.76]

<0.00001

Volume of fibroids without clarified parameters

Deng XL [22]

−0.68 [−2.38, 1.02]

0.43

Li LJ [40]

−2.00 [−16.17, 12.17]

0.78

Luan F [20]

−0.68 [−1.95, 0.59]

0.29

Mao CX [41]

−0.85 [−1.09, -0.61]

<0.00001

Mao XG [23]

−7.10 [−10.14, -4.06]

<0.00001

Wang JY [42]

−5.40 [−8.73, -2.07]

0.001

Wang XR [18]

−1.35 [−1.77, -0.93]

<0.00001

Wu JH [43]

−3.10 [−4.18, -2.02]

<0.00001

Ying LJ [25]

−1.24 [−2.55, 0.07]

0.06

Zhang LY [26]

−1.11 [−2.46, 0.24]

0.11