Evidence-appraisal glossary
Meta-regression
Meta-regression examines whether study-level characteristics, such as average dose or mean patient age, help explain the differences in effects seen across studies. It fits a regression relating those characteristics to each study's result.
Also called: meta regression.
It is used to explore possible sources of heterogeneity and to generate hypotheses about who benefits most from a treatment. Its main pitfall is that it uses study averages, so a relationship at the study level need not hold for individuals, an error known as the ecological or aggregation fallacy; with few studies it easily produces false positives and should be read as exploratory rather than confirmatory.
This is a plain-language methodology definition for reading research. It is general education, not medical advice.