Dose-Response Meta-Analysis

Dose-response meta-analysis is a specialized evidence synthesis method that models the relationship between exposure dose (or intensity, duration, quantity) and health outcome across multiple studies, assessing whether effects follow a linear trend, nonlinear curve, or threshold pattern. Pioneered by Greenland and Longnecker (1992) and refined by Orsini et al. (2012), dose-response meta-analysis answers critical questions like 'Does cardiovascular disease risk increase consistently with salt intake, or is there a threshold above which risk plateaus?' and 'Does the benefit of physical activity increase linearly with exercise duration, or do diminishing returns occur at high doses?' This method is essential for risk assessment, policy-setting on safe exposure limits, and optimizing treatment dosing.