2.10. Statistical analysis
The statistical software IBM SPSS Statistics (25.0, NY) will be selected for data analysis. Statistical analysis will be conducted following the principle of intention-to-treat (ITT), which involves all patients randomly assigned in the trial for ensuring the randomization principle. Missing data will be processed by the method of multiple imputation. Continuous data will be indicated as mean ± standard deviation or median and interquartile range, based on whether the normality is satisfied. As for measurements at different time points, repeated measures ANOVA and Bonferroni post hoc tests will be used for evaluation. Categorical data will be described as frequencies and percentages, and the difference among groups will be analyzed by the chi-square test or Fisher exact test. In a 2-sided test at 