Evidence mapPaperPMID 41969185Full record

SynthesisDiabetes, obesity & metabolism2026

Optimising the Therapeutic Window: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis of Pregabalin Dosing Strategies for Painful Diabetic Neuropathy.

Doyun Kwon, Hee-Jae Jung, Junho Nam, Jonghae Kim, Eonju Jeon, Sanggyu Kwak

Abstract readNetwork Meta-AnalysisSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Diabetes, obesity & metabolism, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0citing papers in PubMed
field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Doyun KwonDepartment of Rehabilitation Medicine, Gangnam Severance Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4969-3886
Hee-Jae JungDepartment of Neurology, Seoul Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0008-5074-1217
Junho NamDepartment of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Daegu Catholic University Hospital, Daegu, Republic of Korea.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0002-3819-4747
Jonghae KimDepartment of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Daegu Catholic University School of Medicine, Daegu, Republic of Korea.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1222-0054
Eonju JeonDivision of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, Daegu Catholic, University School of Medicine, Daegu, Republic of Korea.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8858-5343
Sanggyu KwakDepartment of Medical Statistics, Daegu Catholic University School of Medicine, Daegu, Republic of Korea.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0398-5514

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

aimsAlthough pregabalin is a first-line therapy for painful diabetic polyneuropathy (PDPN), its optimal dose-response relationship remains unclear. We conducted a network meta-analysis to evaluate the efficacy and safety of fixed pregabalin dosages in PDPN patients. MATERIALS AND

methodsWe systematically searched major databases through October 2025 comparing various doses of pregabalin (75, 150, 300, and 600 mg/day) with placebo in adults with PDPN. The outcomes were short- and long-term changes in the average daily pain score, patient/clinician global impression of change, and adverse events (AEs) including dizziness, somnolence, headache, and peripheral oedema.

resultsTwelve RCTs were eligible. In the short term, pregabalin 300 (Standardised Mean Difference [SMD], 1.09; 95% CI, 0.69-1.50) and pregabalin 600 mg/day (SMD, 0.90; 95% CI, 0.24-1.55) produced significant pain reduction compared with placebo. In the long term, both pregabalin 300 (SMD, 0.12; 95% CI, 0.06-0.17) and 600 mg/day (SMD, 0.31; 95% CI, 0.23-0.38) remained effective, whereas pregabalin 75 and 150 mg/day did not demonstrate superiority over placebo. Regarding safety, both pregabalin 300 and 600 mg/day were associated with greater risks of dizziness, somnolence, and peripheral oedema compared with pregabalin 75 mg/day, pregabalin 150 mg/day, and placebo.

conclusionPregabalin doses ≤ 150 mg/day demonstrated no clinical benefit over placebo. Conversely, both pregabalin 300 and 600 mg/day showed a pain reduction effect at short- and long-term follow-up. Given that pregabalin 600 mg/day was associated with a higher incidence of AEs, pregabalin 300 mg/day appears to offer a more favourable balance, aligning potent efficacy with a manageable safety profile.

Indexed as

AnalgesicsDiabetic NeuropathiesPregabalinDose-Response Relationship, DrugHumansRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicTreatment OutcomeAnalgesicsPregabalindiabetic neuropathydose–response relationshipnetwork meta‐analysispain

Identifiers

PMID41969185
PMCPMC13243957

What Socratic holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.