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Efficacy and Safety of Fillers for the Treatment of Nasolabial Folds: A Network meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

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  • Non-Surgical Procedures
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Abstract

Background

Nasolabial fold formation is increasingly becoming a cause of concern for many people. However, no network meta-analysis has compared the efficacy of different fillers in treating nasolabial folds. This network meta-analysis simultaneously compared the efficacy and safety of various fillers.

Methods

We included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that used fillers to treat nasolabial folds. We extracted data of Wrinkle Severity Rating Scale (WSRS), Global Esthetic Improvement Scale (GAIS, investigator) scores, GAIS scores (self-reported) and adverse events.

Results

We included 13 RCTs. WSRS scores at 6 months were higher in patients receiving HA than those receiving poly (L-lactic acid) (mean difference [MD] 0.630, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.275, 0.985) but significantly lower in patients receiving HA than in those receiving bovine collagen (MD − 0.580, 95% CI − 0.777, − 0.383) and porcine collagen (MD − 0.525, 95% CI − 0.790, − 0.260). Regarding adverse events, HA was significantly less likely to cause nodule formation compared with bovine collagen (RR 0.593, 95% CI 0.438, 0.803).

Conclusion

HA is a safe filler for correcting nasolabial folds, and poly (L-lactic acid) showed potential in treating nasolabial folds.

Level of Evidence I

This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266.

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Funding

This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

Author information

Author notes

  1. Man-Yun Li and Wei-Ying Chien have contributed equally to this work.

  2. Yi-No Kang and Chiehfeng Chen have contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan

    Man-Yun Li & Wei-Ying Chien

  2. Cochrane Taiwan, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan

    Yi-No Kang & Chiehfeng Chen

  3. Evidence-Based Medicine Center, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, 111 XingLong Road, Section 3, Taipei, 11696, Taiwan

    Yi-No Kang & Chiehfeng Chen

  4. Research Center of Big Data and Meta-analysis, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan

    Yi-No Kang

  5. Institute of Health Policy and Management, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan

    Yi-No Kang

  6. Division of Plastic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan

    Chiehfeng Chen

  7. Department of Public Health, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan

    Chiehfeng Chen

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  1. Man-Yun Li
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Contributions

M-Y L., W-Y C., Y-N K., Cf C contriubted to conceptualization, writing (review and editing, validation, project administration, and formal analysis. M-Y L contributed to data curation. Y-N K., Cf C contributed to funding acquisition, visualization, supervision, software investigation, and methodology. M-Y L., W-Y C contributed to writing of the original draft.

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Correspondence to Yi-No Kang or Chiehfeng Chen.

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Li, MY., Chien, WY., Kang, YN. et al. Efficacy and Safety of Fillers for the Treatment of Nasolabial Folds: A Network meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Aesth Plast Surg (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00266-024-03889-3

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