Characteristics of included studies and quality assessment in the meta-analysis
| Author | Publication year | Study location | Sample size | Included risk factors | NOS scores |
| Liu et al 6 | 2017 | Multicentre | 1128 | (1), (2), (3), (4), (9), (10), (11), (12), (13), (14) | 8 |
| Xu et al 13 | 2017 | Shanghai | 162 | (1), (2), (3), (4), (6), (7), (8) (9), (10), (11), (14) | 7 |
| Shang et al 14 | 2017 | Beijing | 124 | (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7), (8), (9), (10), (11), (12), (13), (14) | 6 |
| Wu et al 15 | 2017 | Hebei | 87 | (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7), (8), (10), (11) | 6 |
| Li16 | 2017 | Hunan | 69 | (1), (2), (3), (4), (6), (7), (9), (10), (11), (12), (13), (14) | 6 |
| Wang et al 17 | 2016 | Jiangsu | 294 | (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), (8), (9), (10), (11), (12), (13), (14) | 6 |
| Li18 | 2016 | Hebei | 176 | (1), (2), (3), (4), (6), (7), (8), (10), (11), (12), (14) | 8 |
| Chen et al 19 | 2016 | Zhejiang | 122 | (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7), (8), (9), (10), (11), (12), (13), (14) | 8 |
| Li et al 20 | 2015 | Hubei | 60 | (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7), (11), (12), (13), (14) | 6 |
| Xu et al 21 | 2015 | Jiangsu | 55 | (1), (2), (3), (4), (6), (7), (8), (10), (11), (12), (13), (14) | 7 |
| Zhao et al 22 | 2015 | Guangdong | 36 | (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7), (8), (9), (11), (12), (13), (14) | 7 |
| Shen et al 23 | 2013 | Shanghai | 103 | (1), (2), (3), (4), (6), (8), (11), (12), (13) | 6 |
| You24 | 2013 | Chongqing | 65 | (1), (2), (3), (4), (6), (7), (9), (10), (11), (12), (13), (14) | 8 |
| Su et al 25 | 2013 | Zhejiang | 44 | (1), (2), (3), (4), (7), (9), (10), (11), (12), (13), (14) | 6 |
Included risk factors: (1) age, (2) gender, (3) hypertension, (4) diabetes, (5) hyperlipaemia, (6) atrial fibrillation, (7) previous stroke, (8) smoking, (9) previous antiplatelet treatment, (10) onset to needle time, (11) National Institute of Health stroke scale, (12) systolic pressure, (13) diastolic pressure, (14) serum glucose.
NOS, Newcastle-Ottawa scale.