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Durfee KJ, Elbin RJ, Trbovich AM, Womble MN, Mucha A, Stephenson K, Holland CL, Dollar CM, Sparto PJ, Collins MW, Kontos AP. A Common Data Element-Based Adjudication Process for mTBI Clinical Profiles: A Targeted Multidomain Clinical Trial Preliminary Study. Mil Med 2023; 188:354-362. [PMID: 37948273 DOI: 10.1093/milmed/usad149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Revised: 02/07/2023] [Accepted: 05/01/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The primary purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence and percent agreement of clinician-identified mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) clinical profiles and cutoff scores for selected Federal Interagency Traumatic Brain Injury Research common data elements (CDEs). A secondary purpose was to investigate the predictive value of established CDE assessments in determining clinical profiles in adults with mTBI. MATERIALS AND METHODS Seventy-one (23 males; 48 females) participants (M = 29.00, SD = 7.60, range 18-48 years) within 1-5 months (M = 24.20, SD = 25.30, range 8-154 days) of mTBI completed a clinical interview/exam and a multidomain assessment conducted by a licensed clinician with specialized training in concussion, and this information was used to identify mTBI clinical profile(s). A researcher administered CDE assessments to all participants, and scores exceeding CDE cutoffs were used to identify an mTBI clinical profile. The clinician- and CDE-identified clinical profiles were submitted to a multidisciplinary team for adjudication. The prevalence and percent agreement between clinician- and CDE-identified clinical profiles was documented, and a series of logistic regressions with adjusted odds ratios were performed to identify which CDE assessments best predicted clinician-identified mTBI clinical profiles. RESULTS Migraine/headache, vestibular, and anxiety/mood mTBI clinical profiles exhibited the highest prevalence and overall percent agreement among CDE and clinician approaches. Participants exceeding cutoff scores for the Global Severity Index and Headache Impact Test-6 assessments were 3.90 and 8.81 times more likely to have anxiety/mood and migraine/headache profiles, respectively. The Vestibular/Ocular Motor Screening vestibular items and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index total score were predictive of clinician-identified vestibular and sleep profiles, respectively. CONCLUSIONS The CDEs from migraine/headache, vestibular, and anxiety/mood domains, and to a lesser extent the sleep modifier, may be clinically useful for identifying patients with these profiles following mTBI. However, CDEs for cognitive and ocular may have more limited clinical value for identifying mTBI profiles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kori J Durfee
- Office for Sport Concussion Research, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA
| | - R J Elbin
- Office for Sport Concussion Research, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA
| | - Alicia M Trbovich
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, UPMC Sports Medicine Concussion Program, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
| | - Melissa N Womble
- Inova Sports Medicine Concussion Program, Fairfax, VA 22031, USA
| | - Anne Mucha
- UPMC Rehabilitation Institute, Pittsburgh, PA 15203, USA
| | - Katie Stephenson
- College of Osteopathic Medicine, University of New England, Biddeford, ME 04005, USA
| | - Cyndi L Holland
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, UPMC Sports Medicine Concussion Program, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
| | | | - Patrick J Sparto
- Department of Physical Therapy, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
| | - Michael W Collins
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, UPMC Sports Medicine Concussion Program, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
| | - Anthony P Kontos
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, UPMC Sports Medicine Concussion Program, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
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Tang W, Zhang Y, Wang Z, Yuan X, Chen X, Yang X, Qi Z, Zhang J, Li J, Xie X. Development and validation of a multivariate model for predicting heart failure hospitalization and mortality in patients receiving maintenance hemodialysis. Ren Fail 2023; 45:2255686. [PMID: 37732398 PMCID: PMC10515690 DOI: 10.1080/0886022x.2023.2255686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Heart failure (HF) in patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) increases their hospitalization rates, mortality, and economic burden significantly. We aimed to develop and validate a predictive model utilizing contemporary deep phenotyping for individual risk assessment of all-cause mortality or HF hospitalization in patients on MHD. MATERIALS AND METHODS A retrospective review was conducted from January 2017 to October 2022, including 348 patients receiving MHD from four centers. The variables were adjusted by Cox regression analysis, and the clinical prediction model was constructed and verified. RESULTS The median follow-up durations were 14 months (interquartile range [IQR] 9-21) for the modeling set and 14 months (9-20) for the validation set. The composite outcome occurred in 72 (29.63%) of 243 patients in the modeling set and 39 (37.14%) of 105 patients in the validation set. The model predictors included age, albumin, history of cerebral hemorrhage, use of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors/angiotensin II receptor blockers/"sacubitril/valsartan", left ventricular ejection fraction, urea reduction ratio, N-terminal prohormone of brain natriuretic peptide, and right atrial size. The C-index was 0.834 (95% CI 0.784-0.883) for the modeling set and 0.853 (0.798, 0.908) for the validation set. The model exhibited excellent calibration across the complete risk profile, and the decision curve analysis (DCA) suggested its ability to maximize patient benefits. CONCLUSION The developed prediction model offered an accurate and personalized assessment of HF hospitalization risk and all-cause mortality in patients with MHD. It can be employed to identify high-risk patients and guide treatment and follow-up.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenwu Tang
- Department of Nephrology, Second Clinical College of Nanchong North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong Central Hospital, Nanchong, P.R. China
| | - Ying Zhang
- Department of Nephrology, Second Clinical College of Nanchong North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong Central Hospital, Nanchong, P.R. China
| | - Zhixin Wang
- Department of Nephrology, Second Clinical College of Nanchong North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong Central Hospital, Nanchong, P.R. China
| | - Xinzhu Yuan
- Department of Nephrology, Second Clinical College of Nanchong North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong Central Hospital, Nanchong, P.R. China
| | - Xiaoxia Chen
- Department of Nephrology, Suining Central Hospital, Suining, P.R. China
| | - Xiaohua Yang
- Department of Nephrology, Guangyuan Central Hospital, Guangyuan, P.R. China
| | - Zhirui Qi
- North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, P.R. China
| | - Ju Zhang
- Department of Nephrology, Guangyuan Central Hospital, Guangyuan, P.R. China
| | - Jie Li
- General Practice Department of Nanchong North, Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, P.R. China
| | - Xisheng Xie
- Department of Nephrology, Second Clinical College of Nanchong North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong Central Hospital, Nanchong, P.R. China
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Herrington WG, Harper C, Staplin N, Haynes R, Emberson JR, Reith C, Hooi LS, Levin A, Wanner C, Baigent C, Landray MJ. Impact of outcome adjudication in kidney disease trials: observations from the Study of Heart and Renal Protection (SHARP). Kidney Int Rep 2023; 8:1489-1495. [PMID: 37538810 PMCID: PMC7614871 DOI: 10.1016/j.ekir.2023.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 05/08/2023] [Indexed: 08/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction We aimed to assess opportunities for trial streamlining and the scientific impact of adjudication on kidney and cardiovascular outcomes in CKD. Methods We analysed the effects of adjudication of ~2100 maintenance kidney replacement therapy (KRT) and ~1300 major atherosclerotic events (MAEs) recorded in SHARP. We first compared outcome classification before versus after adjudication, and then re-ran randomised comparisons using pre-adjudicated follow-up data. Results For maintenance KRT, adjudication had little impact with only 1% of events being refuted (28/2115). Consequently, randomised comparisons using pre-adjudication reports found almost identical results (pre-adjudication: simvastatin/ezetimibe 1038 vs placebo 1077; risk ratio [RR] 0.95, 95%CI 0.88-1.04; post-adjudicated: 1057 vs 1084; RR=0.97, 95%CI 0.89-1.05). For MAEs, about one-quarter of patient reports were refuted (324/1275 [25%]), and reviewing 3538 other potential vascular events and death reports identified only 194 additional MAEs. Nevertheless, randomised analyses using SHARP's pre-adjudicated data alone found similar results to analyses based on adjudicated outcomes (pre-adjudication: 573 vs 702; RR=0.80, 95%CI 0.72-0.89; adjudicated: 526 vs 619; RR=0.83, 95%CI 0.74- 0.94), and also suggested refuted MAEs were likely to represent atherosclerotic disease (RR for refuted MAEs=0.80, 95%CI 0.65-1.00). Conclusions These analyses provide three key insights. First, they provide a rationale for nephrology trials not to adjudicate maintenance KRT. Secondly, when an event that mimics an atherosclerotic outcome is not expected to be influenced by the treatment under study (e.g. heart failure), the aim of adjudicating atherosclerotic outcomes should be to remove such events. Lastly, restrictive definitions for the remaining suspected atherosclerotic outcomes may reduce statistical power.
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Affiliation(s)
- William G. Herrington
- Medical Research Council Population Health Research Unit at the University of Oxford, Nuffield Department of Population Health (NDPH), University of Oxford, UK
- Clinical Trial Service Unit and Epidemiologic Studies Unit (CTSU), NDPH, University of Oxford, UK
- Oxford Kidney Unit, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK
| | - Charlie Harper
- Medical Research Council Population Health Research Unit at the University of Oxford, Nuffield Department of Population Health (NDPH), University of Oxford, UK
- Clinical Trial Service Unit and Epidemiologic Studies Unit (CTSU), NDPH, University of Oxford, UK
| | - Natalie Staplin
- Medical Research Council Population Health Research Unit at the University of Oxford, Nuffield Department of Population Health (NDPH), University of Oxford, UK
- Clinical Trial Service Unit and Epidemiologic Studies Unit (CTSU), NDPH, University of Oxford, UK
| | - Richard Haynes
- Medical Research Council Population Health Research Unit at the University of Oxford, Nuffield Department of Population Health (NDPH), University of Oxford, UK
- Clinical Trial Service Unit and Epidemiologic Studies Unit (CTSU), NDPH, University of Oxford, UK
- Oxford Kidney Unit, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK
| | - Jonathan R. Emberson
- Medical Research Council Population Health Research Unit at the University of Oxford, Nuffield Department of Population Health (NDPH), University of Oxford, UK
- Clinical Trial Service Unit and Epidemiologic Studies Unit (CTSU), NDPH, University of Oxford, UK
| | - Christina Reith
- Medical Research Council Population Health Research Unit at the University of Oxford, Nuffield Department of Population Health (NDPH), University of Oxford, UK
- Clinical Trial Service Unit and Epidemiologic Studies Unit (CTSU), NDPH, University of Oxford, UK
| | | | - Adeera Levin
- Division of Nephrology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Christoph Wanner
- Division of Nephrology, University Clinic of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Colin Baigent
- Medical Research Council Population Health Research Unit at the University of Oxford, Nuffield Department of Population Health (NDPH), University of Oxford, UK
- Clinical Trial Service Unit and Epidemiologic Studies Unit (CTSU), NDPH, University of Oxford, UK
| | - Martin J. Landray
- Medical Research Council Population Health Research Unit at the University of Oxford, Nuffield Department of Population Health (NDPH), University of Oxford, UK
- Clinical Trial Service Unit and Epidemiologic Studies Unit (CTSU), NDPH, University of Oxford, UK
| | - SHARP Collaborative Group7
- Medical Research Council Population Health Research Unit at the University of Oxford, Nuffield Department of Population Health (NDPH), University of Oxford, UK
- Clinical Trial Service Unit and Epidemiologic Studies Unit (CTSU), NDPH, University of Oxford, UK
- Oxford Kidney Unit, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK
- Hospital Sultanah Aminah, Johor Bahru, Malaysia
- Division of Nephrology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
- Division of Nephrology, University Clinic of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
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Malm CJ, Alfredsson J, Erlinge D, Gudbjartsson T, Gunn J, James S, Møller CH, Nielsen SJ, Sartipy U, Tønnessen T, Jeppsson A. Dual or single antiplatelet therapy after coronary surgery for acute coronary syndrome (TACSI trial): Rationale and design of an investigator-initiated, prospective, multinational, registry-based randomized clinical trial. Am Heart J 2023; 259:1-8. [PMID: 36681173 DOI: 10.1016/j.ahj.2023.01.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2022] [Revised: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
The TACSI trial (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03560310) tests the hypothesis that 1-year treatment with dual antiplatelet therapy with acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) and ticagrelor is superior to only ASA after isolated coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in patients with acute coronary syndrome. The TACSI trial is an investigator-initiated pragmatic, prospective, multinational, multicenter, open-label, registry-based randomized trial with 1:1 randomization to dual antiplatelet therapy with ASA and ticagrelor or ASA only, in patients undergoing first isolated CABG, with a planned enrollment of 2200 patients at Nordic cardiac surgery centers. The primary efficacy end point is a composite of time to all-cause death, myocardial infarction, stroke, or new coronary revascularization within 12 months after randomization. The primary safety end point is time to hospitalization due to major bleeding. Secondary efficacy end points include time to the individual components of the primary end point, cardiovascular death, and rehospitalization due to cardiovascular causes. High-quality health care registries are used to assess primary and secondary end points. The patients will be followed for 10 years. The TACSI trial will give important information useful for guiding the antiplatelet strategy in acute coronary syndrome patients treated with CABG.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carl Johan Malm
- Department of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden; Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Joakim Alfredsson
- Department of Health, Medicine and Caring Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden; Department of Cardiology, Linköping University Hospital, Linköping, Sweden
| | - David Erlinge
- Department of Cardiology, Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Tomas Gudbjartsson
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Landspitali University Hospital, Reykjavik, Iceland; Faculty of Medicine, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland
| | - Jarmo Gunn
- Heart Center, Turku University Hospital and University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Stefan James
- Department of Medical Sciences, Cardiology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Christian H Møller
- Department for Cardiothoracic Surgery, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark; Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Susanne J Nielsen
- Department of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden; Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Ulrik Sartipy
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Theis Tønnessen
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Oslo University Hospital, Norway; University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Anders Jeppsson
- Department of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden; Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden.
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Eikelboom JW, Yusuf S. Event Adjudication Is Unnecessary in Blinded Trials and May Be Detrimental. JACC: HEART FAILURE 2023; 11:422-424. [PMID: 37019558 DOI: 10.1016/j.jchf.2023.01.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Salim Yusuf
- Population Health Research Institute, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
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6
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Yuan F, Bosch J, Eikelboom J, Dagenais GR, Connolly S, Belanger J, Marsden T, Tang C, Swaminathan B, Renters M, Dyal L, Bangdiwala SI. A hybrid automated event adjudication system for clinical trials. Clin Trials 2023; 20:166-175. [PMID: 36734212 DOI: 10.1177/17407745221149222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION In clinical trials, event adjudication is a process to review and confirm the accuracy of outcomes reported by site investigators. Despite efforts to automate the communication between a clinical-data-and-coordination center and an event adjudication committee, the review and confirmation of outcomes, as the core function of the process, still fully rely on human labor. To address this issue, we present an automated event adjudication system and its application in two randomized controlled trials. METHODS Centrally executed by a clinical-data-and-coordination center, the automated event adjudication system automatedly assessed and classified outcomes in a clinical data management system. By checking clinically predefined criteria, the automated event adjudication system either confirmed or unconfirmed an outcome and automatedly updated its status in the database. It also served as a management tool to assist staff to oversee the process of event adjudication. The system has been applied in: (1) the Cardiovascular Outcomes for People Using Anticoagulation Strategies (COMPASS) trial and (2) the New Approach riVaroxaban Inhibition of Factor Xa in a Global trial versus Aspirin to prevenT Embolism in Embolic Stroke of Undetermined Source (NAVIGATE ESUS) trial. The automated event adjudication system first screened outcomes reported on a case report form and confirmed those with data matched to preset definitions. For selected primary efficacy, secondary, and safety outcomes, the unconfirmed cases were referred to a human event adjudication committee for a final decision. In the New Approach riVaroxaban Inhibition of Factor Xa in a Global trial versus Aspirin to prevenT Embolism in Embolic Stroke of Undetermined Source (NAVIGATE ESUS) trial, human adjudicators were given priority to review cases, while the automated event adjudication system took the lead in the Cardiovascular Outcomes for People Using Anticoagulation Strategies (COMPASS) trial. RESULTS Outcomes that were adjudicated in a hybrid model are discussed here. The COMPASS automated event adjudication system adjudicated 3283 primary efficacy outcomes and confirmed 1652 (50.3%): 132 (21.1%) strokes, 522 (53%) myocardial infarctions, and 998 (59.7%) causes of deaths. The NAVIGATE ESUS one adjudicated 737 cases of selected outcomes and confirmed 383 (52%): 219 (51.5%) strokes, 34 (42.5%) myocardial infarctions, 73 (54.9%) causes of deaths, and 57 (57.6%) major bleedings. After one deducts the time needed for migrating the system to a new study, the automated event adjudication system helped to reduce the time required for human review from approximately 1303 to 716.5 h for the Cardiovascular Outcomes for People Using Anticoagulation Strategies trial and from 387 to 196 h for the New Approach riVaroxaban Inhibition of Factor Xa in a Global trial versus Aspirin to prevenT Embolism in Embolic Stroke of Undetermined Source trial. CONCLUSION The automated event adjudication system in combination with human adjudicators provides a streamlined and efficient approach to event adjudication in clinical trials. To immediately apply automated event adjudication, one can first consider the automated event adjudication system and involve human assistance for cases unconfirmed by the former.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fei Yuan
- Population Health Research Institute, Hamilton, ON, Canada.,Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Jackie Bosch
- Population Health Research Institute, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - John Eikelboom
- Population Health Research Institute, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Gilles R Dagenais
- Institut Universitaire de Cardiologie et Pneumologie de Québec, Québec City, QC, Canada
| | | | - Jane Belanger
- Population Health Research Institute, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Tamara Marsden
- Population Health Research Institute, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Cissy Tang
- Population Health Research Institute, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | | | - Martin Renters
- Population Health Research Institute, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Leanne Dyal
- Population Health Research Institute, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Shrikant I Bangdiwala
- Population Health Research Institute, Hamilton, ON, Canada.,Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
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Godolphin PJ, Bath PM, Montgomery AA. Should we adjudicate outcomes in stroke trials? A systematic review. Int J Stroke 2023; 18:154-162. [PMID: 35373672 DOI: 10.1177/17474930221094682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Central adjudication of outcomes is common in randomized clinical trials in stroke. The rationale for adjudication is clear; centrally adjudicated outcomes should have less random and systematic errors than outcomes assessed locally by site investigators. However, adjudication brings added complexities to a clinical trial and can be costly. AIM To assess the evidence for outcome adjudication in stroke trials. SUMMARY OF REVIEW We identified 12 studies evaluating central adjudication in stroke trials. The majority of these were secondary analyses of trials, and the results of all of these would have remained unchanged had central adjudication not taken place, even for trials without sufficient blinding. The largest differences between site-assessed and adjudicator-assessed outcomes were between the most subjective outcomes, such as causality of serious adverse events. We found that the cost of adjudication could be upward of £100,000 for medium to large prevention trials. These findings suggest that the cost of central adjudication may outweigh the advantages it brings in many cases. However, through simulation, we found that only a small amount of bias is required in site investigators' outcome assessments before adjudication becomes important. CONCLUSION Central adjudication may not be necessary in stroke trials with blinded outcome assessment. However, for open-label studies, central adjudication may be more important.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter J Godolphin
- MRC Clinical Trials Unit at UCL, Institute of Clinical Trials and Methodology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Philip M Bath
- Stroke Trials Unit, Mental Health & Clinical Neuroscience, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
- Stroke, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, Nottingham, UK
| | - Alan A Montgomery
- Nottingham Clinical Trials Unit, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
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8
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Eikelboom JW, Jolly SS, Belley-Cote EP, Whitlock RP, Rangarajan S, Xu L, Heenan L, Bangdiwala SI, Tarhuni WM, Hassany M, Kontsevaya A, Harper W, Sharma SK, Lopez-Jaramillo P, Dans AL, Palileo-Villanueva LM, Avezum A, Pais P, Xavier D, Felix C, Yusufali A, Lopes RD, Berwanger O, Ali Z, Wasserman S, Anand SS, Bosch J, Choudhri S, Farkouh ME, Loeb M, Yusuf S. Colchicine and aspirin in community patients with COVID-19 (ACT): an open-label, factorial, randomised, controlled trial. THE LANCET. RESPIRATORY MEDICINE 2022; 10:1160-1168. [PMID: 36228639 PMCID: PMC9635862 DOI: 10.1016/s2213-2600(22)00299-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Revised: 07/28/2022] [Accepted: 08/02/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The large number of patients worldwide infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus has overwhelmed health-care systems globally. The Anti-Coronavirus Therapies (ACT) outpatient trial aimed to evaluate anti-inflammatory therapy with colchicine and antithrombotic therapy with aspirin for prevention of disease progression in community patients with COVID-19. METHODS The ACT outpatient, open-label, 2 × 2 factorial, randomised, controlled trial, was done at 48 clinical sites in 11 countries. Patients in the community aged 30 years and older with symptomatic, laboratory confirmed COVID-19 who were within 7 days of diagnosis and at high risk of disease progression were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive colchicine 0·6 mg twice daily for 3 days and then 0·6 mg once daily for 25 days versus usual care, and in a second (1:1) randomisation to receive aspirin 100 mg once daily for 28 days versus usual care. Investigators and patients were not masked to treatment allocation. The primary outcome was assessed at 45 days in the intention-to-treat population; for the colchicine randomisation it was hospitalisation or death, and for the aspirin randomisation it was major thrombosis, hospitalisation, or death. The ACT outpatient trial is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04324463 and is ongoing. FINDINGS Between Aug 27, 2020, and Feb 10, 2022, 3917 patients were randomly assigned to colchicine or control and to aspirin or control; after excluding 36 patients due to administrative reasons 3881 individuals were included in the analysis (n=1939 colchicine vs n=1942 control; n=1945 aspirin vs 1936 control). Follow-up was more than 99% complete. Overall event rates were 5 (0·1%) of 3881 for major thrombosis, 123 (3·2%) of 3881 for hospitalisation, and 23 (0·6%) of 3881 for death; 66 (3·4%) of 1939 patients allocated to colchicine and 65 (3·3%) of 1942 patients allocated to control experienced hospitalisation or death (hazard ratio [HR] 1·02, 95% CI 0·72-1·43, p=0·93); and 59 (3·0%) of 1945 of patients allocated to aspirin and 73 (3·8%) of 1936 patients allocated to control experienced major thrombosis, hospitalisation, or death (HR 0·80, 95% CI 0·57-1·13, p=0·21). Results for the primary outcome were consistent in all prespecified subgroups, including according to baseline vaccination status, timing of randomisation in relation to onset of symptoms (post-hoc analysis), and timing of enrolment according to the phase of the pandemic (post-hoc analysis). There were more serious adverse events with colchicine than with control (34 patients [1·8%] of 1939 vs 27 [1·4%] of 1942) but none in either group that led to discontinuation of study interventions. There was no increase in serious adverse events with aspirin versus control (31 [1·6%] vs 31 [1·6%]) and none that led to discontinuation of study interventions. INTERPRETATION The results provide no support for the use of colchicine or aspirin to prevent disease progression or death in outpatients with COVID-19. FUNDING Canadian Institutes for Health Research, Bayer, Population Health Research Institute, Hamilton Health Sciences Research Institute, and Thistledown Foundation. TRANSLATIONS For the Portuguese, Russian and Spanish translations of the abstract see Supplementary Materials section.
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Affiliation(s)
- John W Eikelboom
- Population Health Research Institute, McMaster University and Hamilton Health Sciences Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
| | - Sanjit S Jolly
- Population Health Research Institute, McMaster University and Hamilton Health Sciences Hamilton, Ontario, Canada,Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Emilie P Belley-Cote
- Population Health Research Institute, McMaster University and Hamilton Health Sciences Hamilton, Ontario, Canada,Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Richard P Whitlock
- Population Health Research Institute, McMaster University and Hamilton Health Sciences Hamilton, Ontario, Canada,Department of Surgery, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Sumathy Rangarajan
- Population Health Research Institute, McMaster University and Hamilton Health Sciences Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Lizhen Xu
- Population Health Research Institute, McMaster University and Hamilton Health Sciences Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Laura Heenan
- Population Health Research Institute, McMaster University and Hamilton Health Sciences Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Shrikant I Bangdiwala
- Population Health Research Institute, McMaster University and Hamilton Health Sciences Hamilton, Ontario, Canada,Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Wadea M Tarhuni
- Department of Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada,Department of Medicine, Western University, Clinical Skills Building London, ON, Canada,Windsor Cardiac Centre, Windsor, ON, Canada
| | - Mohamed Hassany
- National Hepatology and Tropical Medicine Research Institute, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Anna Kontsevaya
- National Medical Research Center for Therapy and Preventive Medicine, Moscow, Russia
| | - William Harper
- Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | | | | | - Antonio L Dans
- UP College of Medicine, University of the Philippines Manila, Manila, Philippines
| | | | - Alvaro Avezum
- International Research Center, Hospital Alemão Oswaldo Cruz, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Prem Pais
- St John's Research Institute, Bangalore, India
| | - Denis Xavier
- St John's Medical College, St John's Research Institute, Bangalore, India
| | - Camilo Felix
- Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud Eugenio Espejo, Universidad UTE, Ecuador
| | - Afzalhussein Yusufali
- Hatta Hospital, Dubai Medical College, Dubai Health Authority, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | - Renato D Lopes
- Division of Cardiology, Duke University Medical Center, Duke Clinical Research Institute, NC, USA
| | | | - Zeeshan Ali
- Jinnah Sindh Medical University and Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Sean Wasserman
- Wellcome Centre for Infectious Diseases Research in Africa, Institute for Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa,Division of Infectious Diseases and HIV Medicine, Groote Schuur Hospital, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Sonia S Anand
- Population Health Research Institute, McMaster University and Hamilton Health Sciences Hamilton, Ontario, Canada,Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Jackie Bosch
- Population Health Research Institute, McMaster University and Hamilton Health Sciences Hamilton, Ontario, Canada,School of Rehabilitation Science, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | | | - Michael E Farkouh
- Peter Munk Cardiac Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Mark Loeb
- Departments of Pathology and Molecular Medicine and Health Evidence Methods, Evidence, and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Salim Yusuf
- Population Health Research Institute, McMaster University and Hamilton Health Sciences Hamilton, Ontario, Canada,Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
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9
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Gaba P, Bhatt DL, Dagenais GR, Bosch J, Maggioni AP, Widimsky P, Leong D, Fox KAA, Yusuf S, Eikelboom JW. Comparison of Investigator-Reported vs Centrally Adjudicated Major Adverse Cardiac Events: A Secondary Analysis of the COMPASS Trial. JAMA Netw Open 2022; 5:e2243201. [PMID: 36409491 PMCID: PMC9679876 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.43201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE In the Cardiovascular Outcomes for People Using Anticoagulation Strategies (COMPASS) trial, there was a significant reduction in the adjudicated primary outcome among patients with stable atherosclerotic vascular disease randomized to dual pathway inhibition (rivaroxaban 2.5 mg twice daily plus aspirin 100 mg daily) vs aspirin monotherapy, but not with rivaroxaban 5 mg twice daily vs aspirin monotherapy. Whether the results are similar without adjudication is unknown. OBJECTIVE To examine the impact of dual pathway inhibition (with rivaroxaban plus aspirin) or rivaroxaban monotherapy compared with aspirin monotherapy on investigator-reported CV events and to understand the extent of concordance between investigator-reported and centrally adjudicated clinical events. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This is a secondary analysis of the COMPASS trial, an international, double-blind, double-dummy, randomized clinical trial with a 3-by-2 partial factorial design that evaluated participants with stable atherosclerotic vascular disease receiving rivaroxaban plus aspirin, rivaroxaban monotherapy, or aspirin monotherapy. End points were collected by blinded site investigators and adjudicated by a blinded clinical end point committee. Data were analyzed from March 2013 through February 2017. INTERVENTIONS Participants received dual inhibition pathway (2.5 mg rivaroxaban twice daily plus 100 mg aspirin once daily), rivaroxaban monotherapy (5 mg twice daily), or aspirin monotherapy (100 mg once daily). MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The primary efficacy outcome was a composite of cardiovascular (CV) death, stroke, or myocardial infarction (MI). Adjudicated and investigator-reported end points were compared. RESULTS A total of 27 395 patients (mean [SD] age, 68.2 [7.9] years; 78.0% men) were assessed, including 9152 patients randomized to dual pathway inhibition, 9117 patients randomized to rivaroxaban monotherapy, and 9126 patients randomized to aspirin monotherapy. Adjudication reduced the number of events by 10% to 15% for most end points. Among investigator-reported end points, dual pathway inhibition significantly reduced the rate of the primary efficacy outcome compared with aspirin alone (411 patients [4.5%] vs 542 patients [5.9%]; hazard ratio [HR], 0.75 [95% CI, 0.66-0.85]; P < .001), with similar reduction in adjudicated end points, (379 patients [4.1%] vs 496 patients [5.4%]; HR, 0.76 [95% CI, 0.66-0.86]; P < .001). Likewise, effects on ischemic end points were highly concordant (κ statistic = 0.94 [95% CI, 0.93-0.95] for the primary composite end point). Unlike with adjudicated outcomes, there was a significant reduction in the primary end point with rivaroxaban monotherapy vs aspirin monotherapy using investigator-reported events (477 patients [5.2%] vs 542 patients [5.9%]; HR, 0.88 [95% CI, 0.78-0.99]; P = .04) compared with adjudicated events (448 patients [4.9%] vs 496 patients [5.4%]; HR, 0.90 [95% CI, 0.79-1.03]; P = .12). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE This secondary analysis of the COMPASS trial found that whether assessed by blinded site investigators or adjudicators, dual pathway inhibition significantly reduced CV events among patients with stable atherosclerotic disease compared with aspirin plus placebo. These findings suggest that using investigator-reported events in blinded clinical trials may be a more efficient alternative to adjudication. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01776424.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prakriti Gaba
- Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Deepak L Bhatt
- Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Gilles R Dagenais
- Population Health Research Institute, McMaster University and Hamilton Health Sciences, Hamilton, Canada
| | - Jackie Bosch
- Population Health Research Institute, McMaster University and Hamilton Health Sciences, Hamilton, Canada
| | | | - Petr Widimsky
- Cardiocenter, University Hospital "Kralovske Vinohrady," Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Darryl Leong
- Population Health Research Institute, McMaster University and Hamilton Health Sciences, Hamilton, Canada
| | | | - Salim Yusuf
- Population Health Research Institute, McMaster University and Hamilton Health Sciences, Hamilton, Canada
| | - John W Eikelboom
- Population Health Research Institute, McMaster University and Hamilton Health Sciences, Hamilton, Canada
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10
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Forman R, Viscoli CM, Bath PM, Furie KL, Guarino P, Inzucchi SE, Young L, Kernan WN. Central vs site outcome adjudication in the IRIS trial. J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis 2022; 31:106667. [PMID: 35901589 DOI: 10.1016/j.jstrokecerebrovasdis.2022.106667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2022] [Revised: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 07/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Central adjudication of outcome events is the standard in clinical trial research. We examine the benefit of central adjudication in the Insulin Resistance Intervention after Stroke (IRIS) trial and show how the benefit is influenced by outcome definition and features of the adjudicated events. METHODS IRIS tested pioglitazone for prevention of stroke and myocardial infarction in patients with a recent transient ischemic attack or ischemic stroke. We compared the hazard ratios for study outcomes classified by site and central adjudication. We repeated the analysis for an updated stroke definition. RESULTS The hazard ratios for the primary outcome were identical (0.76) and statistically significant regardless of adjudicator. The hazard ratios for stroke alone were nearly identical with site and central adjudication, but only reached significance with site adjudication (HR, 0.80; p = 0.049 vs. HR, 0.82; p = 0.09). Using the updated stroke definition, all hazard ratios were lower than with the original IRIS definition and statistically significant regardless of adjudication method. Agreement was higher when stroke type was certain, subtype was large vessel or cardioembolic, signs or symptoms lasted > 24 h, imaging showed a stroke, and when NIHSS was ≥3. DISCUSSION Central stroke adjudication caused the hazard ratio for a main secondary outcome in IRIS (stroke alone) to be higher and lose statistical significant compared with site review. The estimate of treatment effects were larger with the updated stroke definition. There may be benefit of central adjudication for events with specific features, such as shorter symptom duration or normal brain imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Forman
- Yale School of Medicine, 100 York St. Suite 1N, New Haven, CT 06511, United States.
| | - Catherine M Viscoli
- Yale School of Medicine, 100 York St. Suite 1N, New Haven, CT 06511, United States
| | - Philip M Bath
- Stroke Trials Unit, Mental Health and Clinical Neuroscience, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2UH, UK
| | - Karen L Furie
- Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, United States
| | - Peter Guarino
- Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, United States; Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Silvio E Inzucchi
- Yale School of Medicine, 100 York St. Suite 1N, New Haven, CT 06511, United States
| | - Lawrence Young
- Yale School of Medicine, 100 York St. Suite 1N, New Haven, CT 06511, United States
| | - Walter N Kernan
- Yale School of Medicine, 100 York St. Suite 1N, New Haven, CT 06511, United States
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11
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Clinical characteristics, time course, and outcomes of major bleeding according to bleeding site in patients with venous thromboembolism. Thromb Res 2022; 211:10-18. [PMID: 35051831 PMCID: PMC8891056 DOI: 10.1016/j.thromres.2022.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2021] [Revised: 01/02/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Bleeding is the most dreaded complication of anticoagulant therapy for acute venous thromboembolism (VTE). Limited data exist about patient characteristics, time course and outcomes of major bleeding, according to the bleeding site. METHODS We used the data from the Registro Informatizado Enfermedad TromboEmbólica (RIETE) registry (03/2001-07/2018) and identified patients who suffered from major bleeding during anticoagulation. We assessed patient characteristics, time course, and 30-day outcomes including mortality, re-bleeding, and VTE recurrences, according to bleeding site. RESULTS Among 78,136 patients with VTE receiving anticoagulation, 2244 (2.9%) suffered from major bleeding (gastrointestinal in 800, intracranial in 417, hematoma in 410, genitourinary in 222, retroperitoneal in 145; other sites in 250). There were variations in baseline characteristics, including older age (P < 0.001) and predominance of women (70.2% [95% confidence interval [CI]]: 65.6-74.6% versus 50.5%, 95% CI: 48.2-52.9, P < 0.001) in patients with hematoma, compared with other patients. Overall, 82.7% of hematomas and 81.4% of retroperitoneal bleeds occurred in the first 90 days after the diagnosis of the VTE event, compared with only 50.6% of intracranial bleeds. Across the bleeding subgroups, 30-day all-cause mortality rates were highest in patients who suffered from intracranial bleeding (41.0%; 99% confidence interval [CI]: 34.8-47.4%), and lowest in patients who suffered from hematoma (17.8%; 99% CI: 13.2-23.2%). Patients who suffered from a major bleeding event in the first 30 days after VTE had significantly higher odds at 90-day follow-up to develop mortality (including from bleeding), recurrent VTE, and recurrent major bleeding (all Ps < 0.001). Variations were observed in the results according to the bleeding site. CONCLUSIONS Major bleeding is a serious complication in VTE patients. Patient characteristics, time course and outcomes varied substantially according to the bleeding site. Additional studies are needed to tease out the impact of patient risk factors, treatment regimens, and a potential distinct effect from the site of bleeding. TRIAL REGISTRATION https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02832245 (RIETE registry).
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12
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Wang R, Kawashima H, Hara H, Gao C, Ono M, Takahashi K, Tu S, Soliman O, Garg S, van Geuns RJ, Tao L, Wijns W, Onuma Y, Serruys PW. Comparison of Clinically Adjudicated Versus Flow-Based Adjudication of Revascularization Events in Randomized Controlled Trials. Circ Cardiovasc Qual Outcomes 2021; 14:e008055. [PMID: 34666500 DOI: 10.1161/circoutcomes.121.008055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In clinical trials, the optimal method of adjudicating revascularization events as clinically or nonclinically indicated (CI) is to use an independent Clinical Events Committee (CEC). However, the Academic Research Consortium-2 currently recommends using physiological assessment. The level of agreement between these methods of adjudication remains unknown. METHODS Data for all CEC adjudicated revascularization events among the 3457 patients followed-up for 2-years in the TALENT trial, and 3-years in the DESSOLVE III, PIONEER, and SYNTAX II trial were collected and readjudicated according to a quantitative flow ratio (QFR) analysis of the revascularized vessels, by an independent core lab blinded to the results of the conventional CEC adjudication. The κ statistic was used to assess the level of agreement between the 2 methods. RESULTS In total, 351 CEC-adjudicated repeat revascularization events occurred, with retrospective QFR analysis successfully performed in 212 (60.4%). According to QFR analysis, 104 events (QFR ≤0.80) were adjudicated as CI revascularizations and 108 (QFR >0.80) were not. The agreement between CEC and QFR based adjudication was just fair (κ=0.335). Between the 2 methods of adjudication, there was a disagreement of 26.4% and 7.1% in CI and non-CI revascularization, respectively. Overall, the concordance and discordance rates were 66.5% and 33.5%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS In this event-level analysis, QFR based adjudication had a relatively low agreement with CEC adjudication with respect to whether revascularization events were CI or not. CEC adjudication appears to overestimate CI revascularization as compared with QFR adjudication. Direct comparison between these 2 strategies in terms of revascularization adjudication is warranted in future trials. Registration: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov; Unique identifier: TALENT trial: NCT02870140, DESSOLVE III trial: NCT02385279, SYNTAX II: NCT02015832, and PIONEER trial: NCT02236975.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rutao Wang
- Department of Cardiology, Xijing hospital, Xi'an, China (R.W., C.G., L.T.).,Department of Cardiology, National University of Ireland, Galway (NUIG), Ireland (R.W., H.K., H.H., C.G., M.O., O.S., W.W., Y.O., P.W.S.).,Department of Cardiology, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands (R.W., C.G., R.J.v.G.)
| | - Hideyuki Kawashima
- Department of Cardiology, National University of Ireland, Galway (NUIG), Ireland (R.W., H.K., H.H., C.G., M.O., O.S., W.W., Y.O., P.W.S.).,Department of Cardiology, Amsterdam Universities Medical Centers, Location Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands (H.K., H.H., M.O., K.T.)
| | - Hironori Hara
- Department of Cardiology, National University of Ireland, Galway (NUIG), Ireland (R.W., H.K., H.H., C.G., M.O., O.S., W.W., Y.O., P.W.S.).,Department of Cardiology, Amsterdam Universities Medical Centers, Location Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands (H.K., H.H., M.O., K.T.)
| | - Chao Gao
- Department of Cardiology, Xijing hospital, Xi'an, China (R.W., C.G., L.T.).,Department of Cardiology, National University of Ireland, Galway (NUIG), Ireland (R.W., H.K., H.H., C.G., M.O., O.S., W.W., Y.O., P.W.S.).,Department of Cardiology, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands (R.W., C.G., R.J.v.G.)
| | - Masafumi Ono
- Department of Cardiology, National University of Ireland, Galway (NUIG), Ireland (R.W., H.K., H.H., C.G., M.O., O.S., W.W., Y.O., P.W.S.).,Department of Cardiology, Amsterdam Universities Medical Centers, Location Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands (H.K., H.H., M.O., K.T.)
| | - Kuniaki Takahashi
- Department of Cardiology, Amsterdam Universities Medical Centers, Location Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands (H.K., H.H., M.O., K.T.)
| | - Shengxian Tu
- Biomedical Instrument Institute, School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China (S.T.)
| | - Osama Soliman
- Department of Cardiology, National University of Ireland, Galway (NUIG), Ireland (R.W., H.K., H.H., C.G., M.O., O.S., W.W., Y.O., P.W.S.)
| | - Scot Garg
- East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust, Blackburn, Lancashire, United Kingdom (S.G.)
| | - Robert Jan van Geuns
- Department of Cardiology, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands (R.W., C.G., R.J.v.G.)
| | - Ling Tao
- Department of Cardiology, Xijing hospital, Xi'an, China (R.W., C.G., L.T.)
| | - William Wijns
- Department of Cardiology, National University of Ireland, Galway (NUIG), Ireland (R.W., H.K., H.H., C.G., M.O., O.S., W.W., Y.O., P.W.S.).,The Lambe Institute for Translational Medicine, The Smart Sensors Laboratory and Curam, National University of Ireland, Galway (NUIG), Ireland (W.W.)
| | - Yoshinobu Onuma
- Department of Cardiology, National University of Ireland, Galway (NUIG), Ireland (R.W., H.K., H.H., C.G., M.O., O.S., W.W., Y.O., P.W.S.)
| | - Patrick W Serruys
- Department of Cardiology, National University of Ireland, Galway (NUIG), Ireland (R.W., H.K., H.H., C.G., M.O., O.S., W.W., Y.O., P.W.S.).,NHLI, Imperial College London, United Kingdom (P.W.S.)
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13
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Garcia Luna JA, López-Medina E, Maldonado-Vargas ND, Smith AD. Opportunities for the use of routinely collected data for the generation of large randomized evidence in Colombia. Wellcome Open Res 2021. [DOI: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.17036.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Randomized clinical trials are the cornerstone design for the evaluation of the safety and efficacy of health interventions. Furthermore, morbidity and mortality rates could be reduced if evidence of better interventions is sought and used to inform medical practice. However, only small to moderate, yet worthwhile, effects can be expected from such interventions. Therefore, moderate random error and moderate biases must be avoided during the design, conduct and analysis of trials. Routinely collected data, such as vital statistics, hospital episode statistics and surveillance data, could be used to enhance recruitment and follow-up a large number of patients, reducing both random error and moderate biases. Here, we discuss the opportunities and challenges for the use of these data for clinical studies in Colombia.
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14
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Reed GW, Parikh P, Nissen S. Importance of Internal Variability in Clinical Trials of Cardiovascular Disease. Can J Cardiol 2021; 37:1404-1414. [PMID: 34217809 DOI: 10.1016/j.cjca.2021.06.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2021] [Revised: 06/28/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
A well conducted randomised controlled trial (RCT) is extremely important in the field of cardiovascular medicine. At the same time, it is equally important to understand the strengths and limitations of any RCT, and internal variability is a concept in clinical trials that is poorly understood. Variability in a clinical trial may be introduced at an individual level or during measurement, sampling, or conduct of the trial. It is not the same as internal validity, which is a broader concept of accuracy; to be valid, a study should minimise variability and have sound methodology. There are various steps that may be followed to minimise the internal variability in a clinical trial. One aspect of great importance is the adjudication process, which should be done meticulously and is often a step that is overlooked. It is important to standardise each step as much as possible, to ensure consistency and reduce noise at all levels. The concepts discussed in this review may serve as a roadmap to limit the influence of internal variability and maximise internal validity of RCT results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grant W Reed
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Heart and Vascular Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Parth Parikh
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Heart and Vascular Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Steven Nissen
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Heart and Vascular Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.
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15
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Copland E, Canoy D, Nazarzadeh M, Bidel Z, Ramakrishnan R, Woodward M, Chalmers J, Teo KK, Pepine CJ, Davis BR, Kjeldsen S, Sundström J, Rahimi K. Antihypertensive treatment and risk of cancer: an individual participant data meta-analysis. Lancet Oncol 2021; 22:558-570. [PMID: 33794209 PMCID: PMC8024901 DOI: 10.1016/s1470-2045(21)00033-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2020] [Revised: 01/13/2021] [Accepted: 01/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Some studies have suggested a link between antihypertensive medication and cancer, but the evidence is so far inconclusive. Thus, we aimed to investigate this association in a large individual patient data meta-analysis of randomised clinical trials. METHODS We searched PubMed, MEDLINE, The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and ClinicalTrials.gov from Jan 1, 1966, to Sept 1, 2019, to identify potentially eligible randomised controlled trials. Eligible studies were randomised controlled trials comparing one blood pressure lowering drug class with a placebo, inactive control, or other blood pressure lowering drug. We also required that trials had at least 1000 participant years of follow-up in each treatment group. Trials without cancer event information were excluded. We requested individual participant data from the authors of eligible trials. We pooled individual participant-level data from eligible trials and assessed the effects of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs), angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs), β blockers, calcium channel blockers, and thiazide diuretics on cancer risk in one-stage individual participant data and network meta-analyses. Cause-specific fixed-effects Cox regression models, stratified by trial, were used to calculate hazard ratios (HRs). The primary outcome was any cancer event, defined as the first occurrence of any cancer diagnosed after randomisation. This study is registered with PROSPERO (CRD42018099283). FINDINGS 33 trials met the inclusion criteria, and included 260 447 participants with 15 012 cancer events. Median follow-up of included participants was 4·2 years (IQR 3·0-5·0). In the individual participant data meta-analysis comparing each drug class with all other comparators, no associations were identified between any antihypertensive drug class and risk of any cancer (HR 0·99 [95% CI 0·95-1·04] for ACEIs; 0·96 [0·92-1·01] for ARBs; 0·98 [0·89-1·07] for β blockers; 1·01 [0·95-1·07] for thiazides), with the exception of calcium channel blockers (1·06 [1·01-1·11]). In the network meta-analysis comparing drug classes against placebo, we found no excess cancer risk with any drug class (HR 1·00 [95% CI 0·93-1·09] for ACEIs; 0·99 [0·92-1·06] for ARBs; 0·99 [0·89-1·11] for β blockers; 1·04 [0·96-1·13] for calcium channel blockers; 1·00 [0·90-1·10] for thiazides). INTERPRETATION We found no consistent evidence that antihypertensive medication use had any effect on cancer risk. Although such findings are reassuring, evidence for some comparisons was insufficient to entirely rule out excess risk, in particular for calcium channel blockers. FUNDING British Heart Foundation, National Institute for Health Research, Oxford Martin School.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma Copland
- Deep Medicine, Oxford Martin School, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; Nuffield Department of Women's and Reproductive Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; National Institute for Health Research Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK
| | - Dexter Canoy
- Deep Medicine, Oxford Martin School, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; Nuffield Department of Women's and Reproductive Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; National Institute for Health Research Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK
| | - Milad Nazarzadeh
- Deep Medicine, Oxford Martin School, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; Nuffield Department of Women's and Reproductive Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Zeinab Bidel
- Deep Medicine, Oxford Martin School, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; Nuffield Department of Women's and Reproductive Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; National Institute for Health Research Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK
| | - Rema Ramakrishnan
- Deep Medicine, Oxford Martin School, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; Nuffield Department of Women's and Reproductive Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Mark Woodward
- The George Institute for Global Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, The George Institute for Global Health, Imperial College London, London, UK; Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - John Chalmers
- The George Institute for Global Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Koon K Teo
- Population Health Research Institute, Hamilton Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Carl J Pepine
- College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Barry R Davis
- School of Public Health, University of Texas, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Sverre Kjeldsen
- Department of Cardiology, University of Oslo, Ullevaal Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Johan Sundström
- Department of Medical Sciences, Clinical Epidemiology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Kazem Rahimi
- Deep Medicine, Oxford Martin School, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; Nuffield Department of Women's and Reproductive Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; National Institute for Health Research Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK.
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16
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Loreen A, Polen-De C, Monk BJ, Jackson AL, Billingsley CC, Herzog TJ. The role of blinded independent radiologic review in ovarian cancer clinical trials: Discerning the value. Gynecol Oncol 2021; 161:491-495. [PMID: 33722416 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygyno.2021.02.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2020] [Accepted: 02/21/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Amy Loreen
- University of Cincinnati Medical Center, 234 Goodman St, Cincinnati, OH 45219, United States of America
| | - Clarissa Polen-De
- University of Cincinnati Medical Center, 234 Goodman St, Cincinnati, OH 45219, United States of America
| | - Bradley J Monk
- Biltmore Cancer Center, 2222 E Highland Ave #400, Phoenix, AR 85016, United States of America
| | - Amanda L Jackson
- University of Cincinnati Medical Center, 234 Goodman St, Cincinnati, OH 45219, United States of America
| | - Caroline C Billingsley
- University of Cincinnati Medical Center, 234 Goodman St, Cincinnati, OH 45219, United States of America
| | - Thomas J Herzog
- University of Cincinnati Medical Center, 234 Goodman St, Cincinnati, OH 45219, United States of America.
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17
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Chen Y, Lawrence J, Hung HMJ, Stockbridge N. Methods for Employing Information About Uncertainty of Ascertainment of Events in Clinical Trials. Ther Innov Regul Sci 2020; 55:197-211. [DOI: 10.1007/s43441-020-00206-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2020] [Accepted: 08/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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18
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Godolphin PJ, Bath PM, Algra A, Berge E, Chalmers J, Eliasziw M, Hankey GJ, Hosomi N, Ranta A, Weimar C, Woodhouse LJ, Montgomery AA. Cost-benefit of outcome adjudication in nine randomised stroke trials. Clin Trials 2020; 17:576-580. [PMID: 32650688 DOI: 10.1177/1740774520939231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Central adjudication of outcomes is common for randomised trials and should control for differential misclassification. However, few studies have estimated the cost of the adjudication process. METHODS We estimated the cost of adjudicating the primary outcome in nine randomised stroke trials (25,436 participants). The costs included adjudicators' time, direct payments to adjudicators, and co-ordinating centre costs (e.g. uploading cranial scans and general set-up costs). The number of events corrected after adjudication was our measure of benefit. We calculated cost per corrected event for each trial and in total. RESULTS The primary outcome in all nine trials was either stroke or a composite that included stroke. In total, the adjudication process associated with this primary outcome cost in excess of £100,000 for a third of the trials (3/9). Mean cost per event corrected by adjudication was £2295.10 (SD: £1482.42). CONCLUSIONS Central adjudication is a time-consuming and potentially costly process. These costs need to be considered when designing a trial and should be evaluated alongside the potential benefits adjudication brings to determine whether they outweigh this expense.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter J Godolphin
- Nottingham Clinical Trials Unit, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK.,MRC Clinical Trials Unit at University College London, Institute of Clinical Trials and Methodology, London, UK
| | - Philip M Bath
- Stroke Trials Unit, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Ale Algra
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.,Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Eivind Berge
- Department of Internal Medicine, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - John Chalmers
- The George Institute for Global Health, University of NSW, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Misha Eliasziw
- Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Graeme J Hankey
- Medical School, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Naohisa Hosomi
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience and Therapeutics, Hiroshima University Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima, Japan
| | | | - Christian Weimar
- Universitätsklinikum Essen, Klinik für Neurologie, Hufelandstr, Essen, Germany
| | - Lisa J Woodhouse
- Stroke Trials Unit, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Alan A Montgomery
- Nottingham Clinical Trials Unit, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
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19
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Tyl B, Lopez Sendon J, Borer JS, Lopez De Sa E, Lerebours G, Varin C, De Montigny A, Pannaux M, Komajda M. Comparison of Outcome Adjudication by Investigators and by a Central End Point Committee in Heart Failure Trials. Circ Heart Fail 2020; 13:e006720. [DOI: 10.1161/circheartfailure.119.006720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Background:
The usefulness of adjudication by central end point committees (CECs) is poorly assessed in heart failure (HF) trials. We aimed to assess its impact on the outcome of the SHIFT trial (Systolic HF Treatment With the If Inhibitor Ivabradine Trial).
Methods:
SHIFT was a randomized placebo-controlled trial investigating the effect of ivabradine in 6505 HF patients with reduced ejection fraction. Prespecified end points, reported by investigators (all cardiologists) using specific case report form pages, included all-cause and specific causes of deaths and hospitalizations. The primary end point was a composite of cardiovascular deaths or hospitalizations for worsening HF. We compared the adjudication of prespecified end points made by investigators and by the CEC.
Results:
Investigators identified 7529 prespecified end points, 6793 of which were confirmed by the CEC: 98.1% of cardiovascular deaths, 88.6% of all hospitalizations, and 84.4% of hospitalizations for worsening HF. These differences had no meaningful impact on the study results; hazard ratio for the primary composite end point: investigators, 0.83 (95% CI, 0.76–0.91) versus CEC, 0.82 (95% CI, 0.75–0.90), with similar results for each component of the primary end point (hazard ratio of 0.92 versus 0.91 for cardiovascular death and 0.78 versus 0.74 for hospitalization for worsening HF).
Conclusions:
Central adjudication by a CEC in the SHIFT study confirmed most of cardiovascular deaths and worsening HF hospitalizations assessed by cardiologists and did not result in a significant change of the final result as compared to investigator judgment. In this context, the benefits of CEC in blinded HF trials should be reconsidered.
Registration:
URL:
https://www.clinicaltrials.gov
; Unique identifier: NCT02441218. URL:
http://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN70429960
; Unique identifier: ISRCTN70429960.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benoît Tyl
- CardioVascular & Metabolic Disease Center for Therapeutic Innovation (B.T., C.V.), Institut de Recherches Internationales Servier, Suresnes, France
| | - José Lopez Sendon
- Cardiology Department (J.L.S.), University Hospital La Paz, UAM, IdiPaz, CiberCV, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jeffrey S. Borer
- College of Medicine, School of Public Health, SUNY Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, New York (J.S.B.)
- Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY (J.S.B.)
| | - Esteban Lopez De Sa
- Acute Cardiac Care Unit (E.L.D.S.), University Hospital La Paz, UAM, IdiPaz, CiberCV, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Claire Varin
- CardioVascular & Metabolic Disease Center for Therapeutic Innovation (B.T., C.V.), Institut de Recherches Internationales Servier, Suresnes, France
| | - Aurélie De Montigny
- Center of Excellence Methodology and Valorisation of Data (A.D.M., M.P.), Institut de Recherches Internationales Servier, Suresnes, France
| | - Matthieu Pannaux
- Center of Excellence Methodology and Valorisation of Data (A.D.M., M.P.), Institut de Recherches Internationales Servier, Suresnes, France
| | - Michel Komajda
- Department of Cardiology, Hospital Saint Joseph, Paris, France (M.K.)
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20
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark C Petrie
- British Heart Foundation Cardiovascular Research Centre, University of Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - John J V McMurray
- British Heart Foundation Cardiovascular Research Centre, University of Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom
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21
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Ouwerkerk W, Teng TK, Tromp J, Tay WT, Cleland JG, Veldhuisen DJ, Dickstein K, Ng LL, Lang CC, Anker SD, Zannad F, Hung C, Sawhney JP, Naik A, Shimizu W, Hagiwara N, Wander GS, Anand I, Richards AM, Voors AA, Lam CS. Effects of combined renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system inhibitor and beta‐blocker treatment on outcomes in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction: insights from
BIOSTAT‐CHF
and
ASIAN‐HF
registries. Eur J Heart Fail 2020; 22:1472-1482. [DOI: 10.1002/ejhf.1869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2020] [Revised: 05/06/2020] [Accepted: 05/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Wouter Ouwerkerk
- National Heart Centre Singapore Singapore Singapore
- Department of Dermatology Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam Infection & Immunity Institute Amsterdam The Netherlands
| | - Tiew‐Hwa K. Teng
- National Heart Centre Singapore Singapore Singapore
- School of Population and Global Health University of Western Australia Nedlands Australia
- Duke–National University of Singapore Medical School Singapore Singapore
| | - Jasper Tromp
- National Heart Centre Singapore Singapore Singapore
- Duke–National University of Singapore Medical School Singapore Singapore
- Department of Cardiology University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen Groningen The Netherlands
| | - Wan Ting Tay
- National Heart Centre Singapore Singapore Singapore
| | - John G. Cleland
- National Heart & Lung Institute, Royal Brompton & Harefield Hospitals, Imperial College London UK
| | - Dirk J. Veldhuisen
- Department of Cardiology University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen Groningen The Netherlands
| | - Kenneth Dickstein
- University of Bergen Bergen Norway
- Stavanger University Hospital Stavanger Norway
| | - Leong L. Ng
- Department of Cardiovascular Sciences University of Leicester and NIHR Leicester Biomedical Research Centre, Glenfield Hospital Leicester UK
| | - Chim C. Lang
- School of Medicine Centre for Cardiovascular and Lung Biology, Division of Molecular and Clinical Medicine University of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital & Medical School Dundee UK
| | - Stefan D. Anker
- Division of Cardiology and Metabolism‐Heart Failure, Cachexia & Sarcopenia; Department of Cardiology (CVK), Berlin‐Brandenburg Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT) Charité University Medicine Berlin Germany
| | - Faiez Zannad
- Inserm CIC‐P 1433, Université de Lorraine, CHRU de Nancy, FCRIN INI‐CRCT Nancy France
| | - Chung‐Lieh Hung
- Cardiovascular Division Brigham and Women's Hospital Boston MA USA
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine Mackay Memorial Hospital Taipei Taiwan
| | | | | | - Wataru Shimizu
- Department of Cardiology Tokyo Women's Medical University Tokyo Japan
| | - Nobuhisa Hagiwara
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine Graduate School of Medicine, Nippon Medical School Tokyo Japan
| | | | - Inder Anand
- Veterans Affairs Medical Center Minneapolis MN USA
| | - A. Mark Richards
- Cardiovascular Research Institute National University Heart Centre Singapore Singapore
- University of Otago Dunedin New Zealand
| | - Adriaan A. Voors
- Department of Cardiology University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen Groningen The Netherlands
| | - Carolyn S.P. Lam
- National Heart Centre Singapore Singapore Singapore
- Duke–National University of Singapore Medical School Singapore Singapore
- Department of Cardiology University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen Groningen The Netherlands
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22
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Currie CJ. Scientific independence and objectivity: many questions linger about treatment of type 2 diabetes, such as scientific study design, optimal glucose control and the safety of injecting exogenous insulin. Postgrad Med 2020; 132:667-675. [PMID: 32559126 DOI: 10.1080/00325481.2020.1784562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Whilst clinical guidelines exist for the treatment of people with type 2 diabetes, many underlying assumptions are still not qualified by convincing evidence. In this commentary, it is argued that fundamental issues still cloud clinical practice, such as biases in the design of clinical studies, the association between glucose control & clinical outcomes, and the safety of exposure to exogenous insulin and other glucose-lowering drugs. Relevant scientific evidence and alternative opinions about important issues continue to be largely ignored, and no effort has been made to resolve these questions. This may have had serious consequences, such as stifling innovation because there are no further benefits to be achieved in relation to glucose control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Craig J Currie
- Division of Population Medicine, School of Medicine, Cardiff University , Cardiff, UK.,Global Epidemiology, Pharmatelligence , Cardiff, UK
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23
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Meah MN, Denvir MA, Mills NL, Norrie J, Newby DE. Clinical endpoint adjudication. Lancet 2020; 395:1878-1882. [PMID: 32534650 DOI: 10.1016/s0140-6736(20)30635-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2020] [Revised: 03/07/2020] [Accepted: 03/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Mohammed N Meah
- British Heart Foundation Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Martin A Denvir
- British Heart Foundation Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Nicholas L Mills
- British Heart Foundation Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - John Norrie
- British Heart Foundation Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - David E Newby
- British Heart Foundation Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
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24
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Godolphin PJ, Bath PM, Partlett C, Berge E, Brown MM, Eliasziw M, Sandset PM, Serena J, Montgomery AA. Outcome assessment by central adjudicators in randomised stroke trials: Simulation of differential and non-differential misclassification. Eur Stroke J 2020; 5:174-183. [PMID: 32637651 PMCID: PMC7313361 DOI: 10.1177/2396987320910047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2019] [Accepted: 02/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Adjudication of the primary outcome in randomised trials is thought to control misclassification. We investigated the amount of misclassification needed before adjudication changed the primary trial results.Patients (or materials) and methods: We included data from five randomised stroke trials. Differential misclassification was introduced for each primary outcome until the estimated treatment effect was altered. This was simulated 1000 times. We calculated the between-simulation mean proportion of participants that needed to be differentially misclassified to alter the treatment effect. In addition, we simulated hypothetical trials with a binary outcome and varying sample size (1000-10,000), overall event rate (10%-50%) and treatment effect (0.67-0.90). We introduced non-differential misclassification until the treatment effect was non-significant at 5% level. RESULTS For the five trials, the range of unweighted kappa values were reduced from 0.89-0.97 to 0.65-0.85 before the treatment effect was altered. This corresponded to 2.1%-6% of participants misclassified differentially for trials with a binary outcome. For the hypothetical trials, those with a larger sample size, stronger treatment effect and overall event rate closer to 50% needed a higher proportion of events non-differentially misclassified before the treatment effect became non-significant. DISCUSSION We found that only a small amount of differential misclassification was required before adjudication altered the primary trial results, whereas a considerable proportion of participants needed to be misclassified non-differentially before adjudication changed trial conclusions. Given that differential misclassification should not occur in trials with sufficient blinding, these results suggest that central adjudication is of most use in studies with unblinded outcome assessment. CONCLUSION For trials without adequate blinding, central adjudication is vital to control for differential misclassification. However, for large blinded trials, adjudication is of less importance and may not be necessary.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter J Godolphin
- Nottingham Clinical Trials Unit, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
- MRC Clinical Trials Unit at University College London, Institute of Clinical Trials and Methodology, London, UK
| | - Philip M Bath
- Stroke Trials Unit, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
- Stroke, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, Nottingham, UK
| | | | - Eivind Berge
- Department of Internal Medicine, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Martin M Brown
- Stroke Research Group, UCL Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Misha Eliasziw
- Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Per Morten Sandset
- Department of Haematology, Oslo University Hospital and University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Joaquín Serena
- Stroke Unit, Department of Neurology, IDIBGI, Hospital Josep Trueta, Girona, Spain
| | - Alan A Montgomery
- Nottingham Clinical Trials Unit, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
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25
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Dennis M, Forbes J, Graham C, Hackett M, Hankey GJ, House A, Lewis S, Lundström E, Sandercock P, Mead G. Fluoxetine to improve functional outcomes in patients after acute stroke: the FOCUS RCT. Health Technol Assess 2020; 24:1-94. [PMID: 32452356 PMCID: PMC7294394 DOI: 10.3310/hta24220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Our Cochrane review of selective serotonin inhibitors for stroke recovery indicated that fluoxetine may improve functional recovery, but the trials were small and most were at high risk of bias. OBJECTIVES The Fluoxetine Or Control Under Supervision (FOCUS) trial tested the hypothesis that fluoxetine improves recovery after stroke. DESIGN The FOCUS trial was a pragmatic, multicentre, parallel-group, individually randomised, placebo-controlled trial. SETTING This trial took place in 103 UK hospitals. PARTICIPANTS Patients were eligible if they were aged ≥ 18 years, had a clinical stroke diagnosis, with focal neurological deficits, between 2 and 15 days after onset. INTERVENTIONS Patients were randomly allocated 20 mg of fluoxetine once per day or the matching placebo for 6 months via a web-based system using a minimisation algorithm. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The primary outcome was the modified Rankin Scale at 6 months. Patients, carers, health-care staff and the trial team were masked to treatment allocation. Outcome was assessed at 6 and 12 months after randomisation. Patients were analysed by their treatment allocation as specified in a published statistical analysis plan. RESULTS Between 10 September 2012 and 31 March 2017, we recruited 3127 patients, 1564 of whom were allocated fluoxetine and 1563 of whom were allocated placebo. The modified Rankin Scale score at 6 months was available for 1553 out of 1564 (99.3%) of those allocated fluoxetine and 1553 out of 1563 (99.4%) of those allocated placebo. The distribution across modified Rankin Scale categories at 6 months was similar in the two groups (common odds ratio adjusted for minimisation variables 0.951, 95% confidence interval 0.839 to 1.079; p = 0.439). Compared with placebo, patients who were allocated fluoxetine were less likely to develop a new episode of depression by 6 months [210 (13.0%) vs. 269 (16.9%), difference -3.78%, 95% confidence interval -1.26% to -6.30%; p = 0.003], but had more bone fractures [45 (2.9%) vs. 23 (1.5%), difference 1.41%, 95% confidence interval 0.38% to 2.43%; p = 0.007]. There were no statistically significant differences in any other recorded events at 6 or 12 months. Health economic analyses showed no differences between groups in health-related quality of life, hospital bed usage or health-care costs. LIMITATIONS Some non-adherence to trial medication, lack of face-to-face assessment of neurological status at follow-up and lack of formal psychiatric diagnosis during follow-up. CONCLUSIONS 20 mg of fluoxetine daily for 6 months after acute stroke did not improve patients' functional outcome but decreased the occurrence of depression and increased the risk of fractures. These data inform decisions about using fluoxetine after stroke to improve functional outcome or to prevent or treat mood disorders. The Assessment oF FluoxetINe In sTroke recoverY (AFFINITY) (Australasia/Vietnam) and Efficacy oF Fluoxetine - a randomisEd Controlled Trial in Stroke (EFFECTS) (Sweden) trials recruited an additional 2780 patients and will report their results in 2020. These three trials have an almost identical protocol, which was collaboratively developed. Our planned individual patient data meta-analysis will provide more precise estimates of the effects of fluoxetine after stroke and indicate whether or not effects vary depending on patients' characteristics and health-care setting. TRIAL REGISTRATION Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN83290762. FUNDING This project was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Health Technology Assessment programme and will be published in full in Health Technology Assessment; Vol. 24, No. 22. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information. The Stroke Association (reference TSA 2011101) funded the start-up phase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Dennis
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - John Forbes
- Health Research Institute, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland
| | - Catriona Graham
- Edinburgh Clinical Research Facility, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Maree Hackett
- The George Institute for Global Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Graeme J Hankey
- Medical School, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia
| | - Allan House
- Institute of Health Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | - Stephanie Lewis
- Edinburgh Clinical Trials Unit, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Erik Lundström
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Neuroscience, Neurology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Peter Sandercock
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Gillian Mead
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
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26
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Affiliation(s)
- Rory Collins
- From the Clinical Trial Service Unit and Epidemiological Studies Unit, Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Louise Bowman
- From the Clinical Trial Service Unit and Epidemiological Studies Unit, Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Martin Landray
- From the Clinical Trial Service Unit and Epidemiological Studies Unit, Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Richard Peto
- From the Clinical Trial Service Unit and Epidemiological Studies Unit, Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
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27
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van Baarle FEHP, van de Weerdt EK, Suurmond B, Müller MCA, Vlaar APJ, Biemond BJ. Bleeding assessment and bleeding severity in thrombocytopenic patients undergoing invasive procedures. Transfusion 2020; 60:637-649. [PMID: 32003910 PMCID: PMC7079124 DOI: 10.1111/trf.15670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2019] [Revised: 12/04/2019] [Accepted: 12/18/2019] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Frank E H P van Baarle
- Department of Intensive Care Medicine, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Laboratory of Experimental Intensive Care and Anesthesiology (L.E.I.C.A.), Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Emma K van de Weerdt
- Department of Intensive Care Medicine, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Laboratory of Experimental Intensive Care and Anesthesiology (L.E.I.C.A.), Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Bram Suurmond
- Department of Intensive Care Medicine, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Marcella C A Müller
- Department of Intensive Care Medicine, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Laboratory of Experimental Intensive Care and Anesthesiology (L.E.I.C.A.), Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Alexander P J Vlaar
- Department of Intensive Care Medicine, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Laboratory of Experimental Intensive Care and Anesthesiology (L.E.I.C.A.), Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Bart J Biemond
- Department of Hematology, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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28
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Serruys PW, Tomaniak M, Chichareon P, Modolo R, Kogame N, Takahashi K, Chang CC, Spitzer E, Walsh SJ, Adlam D, Hildick-Smith D, Édes I, van de Harst P, Krackhardt F, Tijssen JG, Rademaker-Havinga T, Garg S, Steg PG, Hamm C, Jüni P, Vranckx P, Onuma Y, Verheugt FW. Patient-oriented composite endpoints and net adverse clinical events with ticagrelor monotherapy following percutaneous coronary intervention: insights from the randomised GLOBAL LEADERS trial. EUROINTERVENTION 2019; 15:e1090-e1098. [DOI: 10.4244/eij-d-19-00202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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29
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Adamson PD, Williams MC, Dweck MR, Mills NL, Boon NA, Daghem M, Bing R, Moss AJ, Mangion K, Flather M, Forbes J, Hunter A, Norrie J, Shah ASV, Timmis AD, van Beek EJR, Ahmadi AA, Leipsic J, Narula J, Newby DE, Roditi G, McAllister DA, Berry C. Guiding Therapy by Coronary CT Angiography Improves Outcomes in Patients With Stable Chest Pain. J Am Coll Cardiol 2019; 74:2058-2070. [PMID: 31623764 PMCID: PMC6899446 DOI: 10.1016/j.jacc.2019.07.085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2019] [Revised: 07/23/2019] [Accepted: 07/28/2019] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Within the SCOT-HEART (Scottish COmputed Tomography of the HEART Trial) trial of patients with stable chest pain, the use of coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA) reduced the rate of death from coronary heart disease or nonfatal myocardial infarction (primary endpoint). OBJECTIVES This study sought to assess the consistency and mechanisms of the 5-year reduction in this endpoint. METHODS In this open-label trial, 4,146 participants were randomized to standard care alone or standard care plus coronary CTA. This study explored the primary endpoint by symptoms, diagnosis, coronary revascularizations, and preventative therapies. RESULTS Event reductions were consistent across symptom and risk categories (p = NS for interactions). In patients who were not diagnosed with angina due to coronary heart disease, coronary CTA was associated with a lower primary endpoint incidence rate (0.23; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.13 to 0.35 vs. 0.59; 95% CI: 0.42 to 0.80 per 100 patient-years; p < 0.001). In those who had undergone coronary CTA, rates of coronary revascularization were higher in the first year (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.21; 95% CI: 1.01 to 1.46; p = 0.042) but lower beyond 1 year (HR: 0.59; 95% CI: 0.38 to 0.90; p = 0.015). Patients assigned to coronary CTA had higher rates of preventative therapies throughout follow-up (p < 0.001 for all), with rates highest in those with CT-defined coronary artery disease. Modeling studies demonstrated the plausibility of the observed effect size. CONCLUSIONS The beneficial effect of coronary CTA on outcomes is consistent across subgroups with plausible underlying mechanisms. Coronary CTA improves coronary heart disease outcomes by enabling better targeting of preventative treatments to those with coronary artery disease. (Scottish COmputed Tomography of the HEART Trial [SCOT-HEART]; NCT01149590).
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip D Adamson
- British Heart Foundation Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom; Christchurch Heart Institute, University of Otago, Christchurch, New Zealand.
| | - Michelle C Williams
- British Heart Foundation Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom; Edinburgh Imaging, Queen's Medical Research Institute University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Marc R Dweck
- British Heart Foundation Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom; Edinburgh Imaging, Queen's Medical Research Institute University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Nicholas L Mills
- British Heart Foundation Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom; Edinburgh Imaging, Queen's Medical Research Institute University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Nicholas A Boon
- British Heart Foundation Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Marwa Daghem
- British Heart Foundation Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom; Edinburgh Imaging, Queen's Medical Research Institute University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Rong Bing
- British Heart Foundation Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom; Edinburgh Imaging, Queen's Medical Research Institute University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Alastair J Moss
- British Heart Foundation Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom; Edinburgh Imaging, Queen's Medical Research Institute University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Kenneth Mangion
- Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Marcus Flather
- Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | - John Forbes
- Health Research Institute, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland
| | - Amanda Hunter
- British Heart Foundation Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom; Edinburgh Imaging, Queen's Medical Research Institute University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - John Norrie
- Edinburgh Clinical Trials Unit, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Anoop S V Shah
- British Heart Foundation Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom; Edinburgh Imaging, Queen's Medical Research Institute University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Adam D Timmis
- William Harvey Research Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Edwin J R van Beek
- Edinburgh Imaging, Queen's Medical Research Institute University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Amir A Ahmadi
- Ichan School of Medicine and Mount Sinai Hospital, Mount Sinai Heart, New York, New York; St. Paul's Hospital, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Jonathon Leipsic
- St. Paul's Hospital, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Jagat Narula
- Ichan School of Medicine and Mount Sinai Hospital, Mount Sinai Heart, New York, New York
| | - David E Newby
- British Heart Foundation Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom; Edinburgh Imaging, Queen's Medical Research Institute University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Giles Roditi
- Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - David A McAllister
- Institute of Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Colin Berry
- Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
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30
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Farrant M, Easton JD, Adelman EE, Cucchiara BL, Barsan WG, Tillman HJ, Elm JJ, Kim AS, Lindblad AS, Palesch YY, Zhao W, Pauls K, Walsh KB, Martí-Fàbregas J, Bernstein RA, Johnston SC. Assessment of the End Point Adjudication Process on the Results of the Platelet-Oriented Inhibition in New TIA and Minor Ischemic Stroke (POINT) Trial: A Secondary Analysis. JAMA Netw Open 2019; 2:e1910769. [PMID: 31490536 PMCID: PMC6735409 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2019.10769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Debate continues about the value of event adjudication in clinical trials and whether independent centralized assessments improve reliability and validity of study results in masked randomized trials compared with local, investigator-assessed end points. OBJECTIVE To assess the results of the adjudicated end point process in the Platelet-Oriented Inhibition in New TIA and Minor Ischemic Stroke (POINT) trial by comparing end points assessed by local site investigators with centrally adjudicated end points. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This is an ad hoc secondary analysis of a randomized, double-blind clinical trial comparing safety and effectiveness of clopidogrel bisulphate plus aspirin vs placebo plus aspirin. Patients received either 600 mg of clopidogrel bisulphate on day 1, then 75 mg per day through day 90 plus 50 to 325 mg of aspirin per day, or the same range of dosages of placebo plus aspirin. Investigators reported all potential end points; independent masked adjudicators were randomly assigned to review using definitions specified in the study protocol. This was a multicenter study; 269 international sites in 10 countries enrolled from May 28, 2010, to December 19, 2017. The study enrolled 4881 patients 18 years or older with transient ischemic attack or minor acute ischemic stroke within 12 hours of symptom onset and followed for 90 days from randomization; last follow-up was completed in March 2018. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Independent adjudicators external to the study and masked to study treatment assignment adjudicated 467 primary and secondary effectiveness outcomes and major and minor bleeding events, including the primary composite end point, which was the risk of a composite of major ischemic events at 90 days, defined as ischemic stroke, myocardial infarction, or death from an ischemic vascular event. The primary safety end point was major hemorrhage. All components of the primary and safety outcomes were adjudicated. RESULTS In this secondary analysis of an international randomized clinical trial, a total of 269 sites worldwide randomized 4881 patients (median age, 65.0 years; interquartile range, 55-74 years); 55.0% were male. The primary results have been published previously. The hazard ratios for clopidogrel plus aspirin vs placebo plus aspirin for the primary composite end point were 0.75 (95% CI, 0.59-0.95) for adjudicator-assessed events and 0.76 (95% CI, 0.60-0.95) for investigator-assessed events. Agreement between adjudicator and investigator assessments was 90.7%. The hazard ratios for clopidogrel plus aspirin vs placebo plus aspirin for the primary safety end point were 2.32 (95% CI, 1.10-4.87) for adjudicator-assessed events and 2.58 (95% CI, 1.19-5.58) for investigator-assessed events, with an agreement rate of 77.5%. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Independent end point adjudication did not substantially alter estimates of the primary treatment effectiveness in the POINT trial. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00991029.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Eric E. Adelman
- Department of Neurology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison
| | | | | | - Holly J. Tillman
- Data Coordination Unit, Department of Public Health Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston
| | - Jordan J. Elm
- Data Coordination Unit, Department of Public Health Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston
| | | | | | - Yuko Y. Palesch
- Data Coordination Unit, Department of Public Health Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston
| | - Wenle Zhao
- Data Coordination Unit, Department of Public Health Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston
| | - Keith Pauls
- Data Coordination Unit, Department of Public Health Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston
| | - Kyle B. Walsh
- Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Joan Martí-Fàbregas
- Department of Neurology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Richard A. Bernstein
- Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
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Godolphin PJ, Bath PM, Algra A, Berge E, Brown MM, Chalmers J, Duley L, Eliasziw M, Gregson J, Greving JP, Hankey GJ, Hosomi N, Johnston SC, Patsko E, Ranta A, Sandset PM, Serena J, Weimar C, Montgomery AA. Outcome Assessment by Central Adjudicators Versus Site Investigators in Stroke Trials: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Stroke 2019; 50:2187-2196. [PMID: 33755494 DOI: 10.1161/strokeaha.119.025019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Background and Purpose- In randomized stroke trials, central adjudication of a trial's primary outcome is regularly implemented. However, recent evidence questions the importance of central adjudication in randomized trials. The aim of this review was to compare outcomes assessed by central adjudicators with outcomes assessed by site investigators. Methods- We included randomized stroke trials where the primary outcome had undergone an assessment by site investigators and central adjudicators. We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, CENTRAL (Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials), Web of Science, PsycINFO, and Google Scholar for eligible studies. We extracted information about the adjudication process as well as the treatment effect for the primary outcome, assessed both by central adjudicators and by site investigators. We calculated the ratio of these treatment effects so that a ratio of these treatment effects >1 indicated that central adjudication resulted in a more beneficial treatment effect than assessment by the site investigator. A random-effects meta-analysis model was fitted to estimate a pooled effect. Results- Fifteen trials, comprising 69 560 participants, were included. The primary outcomes included were stroke (8/15, 53%), a composite event including stroke (6/15, 40%) and functional outcome after stroke measured on the modified Rankin Scale (1/15, 7%). The majority of site investigators were blind to treatment allocation (9/15, 60%). On average, there was no difference in treatment effect estimates based on data from central adjudicators and site investigators (pooled ratio of these treatment effects=1.02; 95% CI, [0.95-1.09]). Conclusions- We found no evidence that central adjudication of the primary outcome in stroke trials had any impact on trial conclusions. This suggests that potential advantages of central adjudication may not outweigh cost and time disadvantages in stroke studies if the primary purpose of adjudication is to ensure validity of trial findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter J Godolphin
- From the Nottingham Clinical Trials Unit (P.J.G., L.D., A.A.M.), University of Nottingham, United Kingdom.,Stroke Trials Unit, Division of Clinical Neuroscience (P.J.G., P.M.B.), University of Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Philip M Bath
- Stroke Trials Unit, Division of Clinical Neuroscience (P.J.G., P.M.B.), University of Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Ale Algra
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery (A.A.), University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, the Netherlands.,Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care (A.A., J.P.G.), University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, the Netherlands
| | - Eivind Berge
- Department of Internal Medicine (E.B.), Oslo University Hospital, Norway
| | - Martin M Brown
- Stroke Research Group, UCL Institute of Neurology, UCL, London, United Kingdom (M.M.B.)
| | - John Chalmers
- The George Institute for Global Health, University of NSW, Sydney, Australia (J.C.)
| | - Lelia Duley
- From the Nottingham Clinical Trials Unit (P.J.G., L.D., A.A.M.), University of Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Misha Eliasziw
- Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Tufts University, Boston, MA (M.E.)
| | - John Gregson
- Department of Medical Statistics, LSHTM, London, United Kingdom (J.G.)
| | - Jacoba P Greving
- Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care (A.A., J.P.G.), University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, the Netherlands
| | - Graeme J Hankey
- Medical School, The University of Western Australia, Perth (G.J.H.)
| | - Naohisa Hosomi
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience and Therapeutics, Hiroshima University Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Japan (N.H.)
| | | | - Emily Patsko
- Diabetes Research Centre, University of Leicester, United Kingdom (E.P.)
| | | | | | - Joaquín Serena
- Department of Neurology, Stroke Unit, Hospital Josep Trueta, IDIBGI, Girona, Spain (J.S.)
| | - Christian Weimar
- Universitätsklinikum Essen, Klinik für Neurologie, Essen, Germany (C.W.)
| | - Alan A Montgomery
- From the Nottingham Clinical Trials Unit (P.J.G., L.D., A.A.M.), University of Nottingham, United Kingdom
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Guimarães PO, Krishnamoorthy A, Kaltenbach LA, Anstrom KJ, Effron MB, Mark DB, McCollam PL, Davidson-Ray L, Peterson ED, Wang TY. Accuracy of Medical Claims for Identifying Cardiovascular and Bleeding Events After Myocardial Infarction : A Secondary Analysis of the TRANSLATE-ACS Study. JAMA Cardiol 2019; 2:750-757. [PMID: 28538984 DOI: 10.1001/jamacardio.2017.1460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
Importance Pragmatic clinical trial designs have proposed the use of medical claims data to ascertain clinical events; however, the accuracy of billed diagnoses in identifying potential events is unclear. Objectives To compare the 1-year cumulative incidences of events when events were identified by medical claims vs by physician adjudication and to assess the accuracy of bill-identified events using physician adjudication as the criterion standard. Design, Setting, and Participants This post hoc analysis of a clinical trial assessed the medical claims forms and records for all rehospitalizations at 233 US hospitals within 1 year of the index acute myocardial infarction (MI) of 12 365 patients enrolled in the Treatment With Adenosine Diphosphate Receptor Inhibitors: Longitudinal Assessment of Treatment Patterns and Events After Acute Coronary Syndrome (TRANSLATE-ACS) study between April 1, 2010, and October 31, 2012. Fourteen patients (0.1%) died during the index hospitalization and were excluded from analysis. Recurrent MI, stroke, and bleeding events were identified per the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification diagnosis and procedural codes in medical bills. These events were independently adjudicated by study physicians through medical record reviews using the prespecified criteria of recurrent MI and stroke and the bleeding definition by the Global Utilization of Streptokinase and Tissue Plasminogen Activator for Occluded Coronary Arteries (GUSTO) scale. Medical claims were reported on a Uniform Bill-04 claims form; claims were collected from all hospitals visited by patients enrolled in TRANSLATE-ACS. Agreement between medical claims-identified events and physician-adjudicated events over the 12 months after discharge was assessed with the κ statistic. Data were analyzed from January 30, 2015, to March 2, 2017. Main Outcomes and Measures Event rates within 1 year after MI. Results Among 12 365 patients with acute MI, 8890 (71.9%) were men and mean (SD) age was 60 (11.6) years. The cumulative 1-year incidence of events identified by medical claims was 4.3% for MI, 0.9% for stroke, and 5.0% for bleeding. Incidence rates based on physician adjudication were 4.7% for MI, 0.9% for stroke, and 5.4% for bleeding. Agreement between medical claims-identified and physician-adjudicated events was modest, with a κ of 0.76 (95% CI, 0.73 to 0.79) for MI and 0.55 (95% CI, 0.41 to 0.68) for stroke events. In contrast, agreement between medical claims-identified and physician-adjudicated bleeding events was poor, with a κ of 0.24 (95% CI, 0.19 to 0.30) for any hospitalized bleeding event and 0.15 (95% CI, 0.11 to 0.20) for moderate or severe bleeding on the GUSTO scale. Conclusions and Relevance Event rates at 1 year after MI were lower for MI, stroke, and bleeding when medical claims were used to identify events than when adjudicated by physicians. Medical claims diagnoses were only modestly accurate in identifying MI and stroke admissions but had limited accuracy for bleeding events. An alternative approach may be needed to ensure good safety surveillance in cardiovascular studies. Trial Registration clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01088503.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia O Guimarães
- Duke Clinical Research Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Arun Krishnamoorthy
- Duke Clinical Research Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Lisa A Kaltenbach
- Duke Clinical Research Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Kevin J Anstrom
- Duke Clinical Research Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Mark B Effron
- John Ochsner Heart and Vascular Institute, Ochsner Medical Center, New Orleans, Louisiana
| | - Daniel B Mark
- Duke Clinical Research Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina
| | | | - Linda Davidson-Ray
- Duke Clinical Research Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Eric D Peterson
- Duke Clinical Research Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Tracy Y Wang
- Duke Clinical Research Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina
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Rahimi K, Canoy D, Nazarzadeh M, Salimi-Khorshidi G, Woodward M, Teo K, Davis BR, Chalmers J, Pepine CJ. Investigating the stratified efficacy and safety of pharmacological blood pressure-lowering: an overall protocol for individual patient-level data meta-analyses of over 300 000 randomised participants in the new phase of the Blood Pressure Lowering Treatment Trialists' Collaboration (BPLTTC). BMJ Open 2019; 9:e028698. [PMID: 31123005 PMCID: PMC6538087 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2018-028698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Previous research from the Blood Pressure Lowering Treatment Trialists' Collaboration (BPLTTC) and others has shown that pharmacological blood pressure (BP)- lowering substantially reduces the risk of major cardiovascular events, including ischaemic heart disease, heart failure and stroke. In this new phase, the aim is to conduct individual patient-level data (IPD) meta-analyses involving eligible BP-lowering randomised controlled trials (RCTs) to address uncertainties relating to efficacy and safety of BP-lowering treatment. METHODS AND ANALYSIS RCTs investigating the effect of pharmacological BP-lowering, with a minimum of 1000 patient-years of follow-up in each trial arm, are eligible. Our systematic review identified 100 potentially eligible trials. We requested their investigators/sponsors to contribute baseline, follow-up and outcomes data. As of June 2018, the collaboration has obtained data from 49 trials (n=315 046 participants), with additional data currently in the process of being transferred from four RCTs (n=34 642 participants). In addition, data harmonisation has commenced. Scientific activities of the collaboration are overseen by the Steering Committee with input from all collaborators. Detailed protocols for individual meta-analyses will be developed and registered on public platforms. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION Ethics approval has been obtained for this new and extended phase of the BPLTTC, the largest collaboration of de-identified IPD from RCTs. It offers an efficient and ethical manner of re-purposing existing data to answer clinically important questions relating to BP treatment as well as methodological questions relating to IPD meta-analyses. Among the immediate impacts will include reliable quantification of effects of treatment modifiers, such as baseline BP, age and prior disease, on both vascular and non-vascular outcomes. Analyses will further assess the impact of BP-lowering on important, but less well understood, outcomes, such as new-onset diabetes and renal disease. Findings will be published in peer-reviewed medical journals on behalf of the collaboration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazem Rahimi
- The George Institute for Global Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, Oxfordshire, UK
| | - Dexter Canoy
- The George Institute for Global Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, Oxfordshire, UK
| | - Milad Nazarzadeh
- The George Institute for Global Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, Oxfordshire, UK
- Collaboration Centre of Meta-Analysis Research, Torbat Heydariyeh University of Medical Sciences, Torbat Heydariyeh, Iran
| | | | - Mark Woodward
- University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Koon Teo
- Population Health Research Institute, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Barry R Davis
- University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - John Chalmers
- The George Institute for Global Health, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Carl J Pepine
- College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
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Easton JD, Denison H, Evans SR, Knutsson M, Amarenco P, Albers GW, Ladenvall P, Minematsu K, Molina CA, Wang Y, Wong KL, Johnston SC. Estimated treatment effect of ticagrelor versus aspirin by investigator-assessed events compared with judgement by an independent event adjudication committee in the SOCRATES trial. Int J Stroke 2019; 14:908-914. [PMID: 31092152 DOI: 10.1177/1747493019851282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Adjudication of endpoints is a standard procedure in cardiovascular clinical trials. However, several studies indicate that the benefit of adjudication in estimating treatment effect may be limited. AIMS This post hoc analysis of SOCRATES (NCT01994720) compared the treatment effects and investigated the agreement of clinical event assessment by site investigators and independent adjudicators. METHODS SOCRATES compared ticagrelor and aspirin in 13,199 patients with acute minor stroke or high-risk transient ischemic attack. The primary endpoint was stroke, myocardial infarction, or death. Stroke was the major component of the primary endpoint and a secondary endpoint. The endpoints were adjudicated by a blinded independent committee. We compared the treatment effect on the primary endpoint and stroke alone based on the investigators' and adjudicators' assessments, and investigated the agreement rate on the stroke endpoint and major hemorrhages. RESULTS The hazard ratios (95% confidence interval) for ticagrelor versus aspirin therapy for the primary endpoint were 0.89 (0.78-1.01) when calculated on adjudicator-assessed events and 0.88 (0.78-1.00) for investigator-assessed events. The hazard ratios (95% confidence intervals) for stroke were 0.86 (0.75-0.99) based on the adjudicators' diagnoses and 0.85 (0.75-0.97) based on the investigators' diagnoses. The overall agreement between adjudicator- and investigator-diagnosed stroke was 91%, and for major hemorrhages was 88%. CONCLUSIONS In SOCRATES, there was no clinically meaningful difference in the estimated treatment effect, on either the primary endpoint or stroke, by using investigator- or adjudicator-assessed events. Double-blind treatment outcome studies with stroke endpoints may not benefit from adjudication. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01994720.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Donald Easton
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, USA
| | - Hans Denison
- Global Medicines Development, AstraZeneca, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Scott R Evans
- Biostatistics Center, George Washington University, Washington, USA
| | - Mikael Knutsson
- Global Medicines Development, AstraZeneca, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Pierre Amarenco
- Department of Neurology and Stroke Centre, Bichat Hospital, Paris University, Paris, France
| | | | - Per Ladenvall
- Global Medicines Development, AstraZeneca, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Kazuo Minematsu
- Department of Cerebrovascular Medicine, National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, Suita, Japan
| | | | - Yongjun Wang
- Department of Neurology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Ks Lawrence Wong
- Department of Medicine & Therapeutics, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong
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Gordon MO, Higginbotham EJ, Heuer DK, Parrish RK, Robin AL, Morris PA, Dunn DA, Wilson BS, Kass MA. Assessment of the Impact of an Endpoint Committee in the Ocular Hypertension Treatment Study. Am J Ophthalmol 2019; 199:193-199. [PMID: 30471242 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajo.2018.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2018] [Revised: 11/08/2018] [Accepted: 11/14/2018] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To assess the impact of a masked Endpoint Committee on estimates of the incidence of primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) treatment efficacy and statistical power of the Ocular Hypertension Treatment Study-Phase 1, 1994-2002 (OHTS-1). DESIGN Retrospective interrater reliability analysis of endpoint attribution by the Endpoint Committee. METHODS After study closeout, we recalculated estimates of endpoint incidence, treatment efficacy, and statistical power using all-cause endpoints and POAG endpoints. To avoid bias, only the first endpoint per participant is included in this report. RESULTS The Endpoint Committee reviewed 267 first endpoints from 1636 participants. The Endpoint Committee attributed 58% (155 of 267) of the endpoints to POAG. The incidence of all-cause endpoints vs POAG endpoints was 19.5% and 13.2%, respectively, in the observation group and 13.1% and 5.8%, respectively, in the medication group. Treatment effect for all-cause endpoints was a 33% reduction in risk (relative risk = 0.67, 95% confidence interval [CI] of 0.54-0.84) and a 56% reduction in risk for POAG endpoints (relative risk = 0.44, 95% CI of 0.31-0.61). Post hoc statistical power for detecting treatment effect was 0.94 for all-cause endpoints and 0.99 for POAG endpoints. CONCLUSION Endpoint Committee adjudication of endpoints improved POAG incidence estimates, increased statistical power, and increased calculated treatment effect by 23%. An Endpoint Committee should be considered in therapeutic trials when common ocular and systemic comorbidities, other than the target condition, could compromise study results.
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Godolphin PJ, Hepburn T, Sprigg N, Walker L, Berge E, Collins R, Gommans J, Ntaios G, Pocock S, Prasad K, Wardlaw JM, Bath PM, Montgomery AA. Central masked adjudication of stroke diagnosis at trial entry offered no advantage over diagnosis by local clinicians: Secondary analysis and simulation. Contemp Clin Trials Commun 2018; 12:176-181. [PMID: 30533551 PMCID: PMC6249966 DOI: 10.1016/j.conctc.2018.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2018] [Revised: 10/25/2018] [Accepted: 11/05/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Central adjudication of stroke type is commonly implemented in large multicentre clinical trials. We investigated the effect of central adjudication of diagnosis of stroke type at trial entry in the Efficacy of Nitric Oxide in Stroke (ENOS) trial. METHODS ENOS recruited patients with acute ischaemic or haemorrhagic stroke, and diagnostic adjudication was carried out using cranial scans. For this study, diagnoses made by local site clinicians were compared with those by central, masked adjudicators using kappa statistics. The trial primary analysis and subgroup analysis by stroke type were re-analysed using stroke diagnosis made by local clinicians, and simulations were used to assess the impact of increased non-differential misclassification and subgroup effects. RESULTS Agreement on stroke type (Ischaemic, Intracerebral Haemorrhage, Unknown stroke type, No-stroke) was high (κ = 0.92). Adjudication of stroke type had no impact on the primary outcome or subgroup analysis by stroke type. With misclassification increased to 10 times the level observed in ENOS and a simulated subgroup effect present, adjudication would have affected trial conclusions. CONCLUSIONS Stroke type at trial entry was diagnosed accurately by local clinicians in ENOS. Adjudication of stroke type by central adjudicators had no measurable effect on trial conclusions. Diagnostic adjudication may be important if diagnosis is complex and a treatment-diagnosis interaction is expected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter J. Godolphin
- Stroke Trials Unit, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
- Nottingham Clinical Trials Unit, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Trish Hepburn
- Nottingham Clinical Trials Unit, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Nikola Sprigg
- Stroke Trials Unit, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Liz Walker
- Stroke Trials Unit, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Eivind Berge
- Department of Internal Medicine, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | | | - John Gommans
- Hawke's Bay District Health Board, Hastings, New Zealand
| | - George Ntaios
- Department of Medicine, University of Thessaly, Larissa, Greece
| | - Stuart Pocock
- Department of Medical Statistics, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | | | - Joanna M. Wardlaw
- Neuroimaging Sciences, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Philip M. Bath
- Stroke Trials Unit, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Alan A. Montgomery
- Nottingham Clinical Trials Unit, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
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Godolphin PJ, Montgomery AA, Woodhouse LJ, Bereczki D, Berge E, Collins R, Díez-Tejedor E, Gommans J, Lees KR, Ozturk S, Phillips S, Pocock S, Prasad K, Szatmari S, Wang Y, Bath PM, Sprigg N. Central adjudication of serious adverse events did not affect trial's safety results: Data from the Efficacy of Nitric Oxide in Stroke (ENOS) trial. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0208142. [PMID: 30475912 PMCID: PMC6258247 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0208142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2018] [Accepted: 11/02/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Central adjudication of serious adverse events (SAEs) can be undertaken in clinical trials, especially for open-label studies where outcome assessment may be at risk of bias. This study explored the effect of central adjudication of SAEs on the safety results of the Efficacy of Nitric Oxide in Stroke (ENOS) Trial. METHODS ENOS assigned patients with acute stroke at random to receive either transdermal glyceryl trinitrate (GTN) or no GTN and to Stop or Continue previous antihypertensive treatment. SAEs were reported by local investigators who were not blinded to treatment allocation. Central adjudicators, blinded to treatment allocation, reviewed the investigators reports and used evidence available to confirm or re-categorise the classification of event, likely causality, diagnosis and expectedness of event. RESULTS Of 4011 patients enrolled in ENOS, 1473 SAEs were reported by local investigators; this was reduced to 1444 after the review by adjudicators, with 29 re-classified as not an SAE. There was fair agreement between investigators and adjudicators regarding likely causality, with 808 agreements and 644 disagreements (56% crude agreement, weighted kappa, κ = 0.31). Agreement increased upon dichotomisation of the causality categories, with 1432 agreements and 20 disagreements (99% crude agreement, kappa = 0.54). Repeating the main trial safety analysis with investigator reported events showed that adjudication had no effect on the main trial safety conclusions. CONCLUSIONS In a large trial, with many SAEs reported, central adjudication of these events did not affect trial conclusions. This suggests that adjudication of SAEs in a clinical trial where the intervention already has a well-established safety profile may not be necessary. Potential efficiency savings (financial, logistical) can be made through not adjudicating SAEs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter J. Godolphin
- Nottingham Clinical Trials Unit, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
- Stroke Trials Unit, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Alan A. Montgomery
- Nottingham Clinical Trials Unit, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Lisa J. Woodhouse
- Stroke Trials Unit, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Daniel Bereczki
- Department of Neurology, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Eivind Berge
- Department of Internal Medicine, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | | | - Exuperio Díez-Tejedor
- Department of Neurology, La Paz University Hospital–Autonoma University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | | | | | | | - Stephen Phillips
- Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada
| | - Stuart Pocock
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | | | | | | | - Philip M. Bath
- Stroke Trials Unit, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Nikola Sprigg
- Stroke Trials Unit, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
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Moustafa F, Stehouwer A, Kamphuisen P, Sahuquillo JC, Sampériz Á, Alfonso M, Pace F, Suriñach JM, Blanco-Molina Á, Mismetti P, Monreal M. Management and outcome of major bleeding in patients receiving vitamin K antagonists for venous thromboembolism. Thromb Res 2018; 171:74-80. [PMID: 30265883 DOI: 10.1016/j.thromres.2018.09.049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2018] [Revised: 09/12/2018] [Accepted: 09/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The optimal management of major bleeding in patients receiving vitamin K antagonists (VKA) for venous thromboembolism (VTE) is unclear. METHODS We used the RIETE (Registro Informatizado Enfermedad TromboEmbólica) registry to assess the management and 30-day outcomes after major bleeding in patients receiving VKA for VTE. RESULTS From January 2013 to December 2017, 267 of 18,416 patients (1.4%) receiving long-term VKA for VTE had a major bleeding (in the gastrointestinal tract 78, intracranial 72, hematoma 50, genitourinary 20, other 47). Overall, 151 patients (57%) received blood transfusion; 110 (41%) vitamin K; 37 (14%) fresh frozen plasma; 29 (11%) pro-haemostatic agents and 20 (7.5%) a vena cava filter. During the first 30 days, 59 patients (22%) died (41 died of bleeding) and 13 (4.9%) had a thrombosis. On multivariable analysis, patients with intracranial bleeding (hazard ratio [HR]: 4.58; 95%CI: 2.40-8.72) and those with renal insufficiency at baseline (HR: 2.73; 95%CI: 1.45-5.15) had an increased mortality risk, whereas those receiving vitamin K had a lower risk (HR: 0.47; 0.24-0.92). On the other hand, patients receiving fresh frozen plasma were at increased risk for thrombotic events (HR: 4.22; 95%CI: 1.25-14.3). CONCLUSIONS Major bleeding in VTE patients receiving VKA carries a high mortality rate. Intracranial bleeding and renal insufficiency increased the risk. Fresh frozen plasma seems to increase this risk for recurrent VTE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farès Moustafa
- Department of Emergency, Clermont-Ferrand University Hospital, Clermont-Ferrand, France.
| | - Alexander Stehouwer
- University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Vascular Medicine, Groningen, Netherlands.
| | - Pieter Kamphuisen
- Department of Internal Medicine, Tergooi Hilversum, Netherlands and Department of Vascular Medicine, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands.
| | | | - Ángel Sampériz
- Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Reina Sofía, Tudela, Navarra, Spain.
| | - María Alfonso
- Department of Pneumonology, Complejo Hospitalario de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Federica Pace
- Department of Medicina d'Urgenza, Ospedale San Camilo, Rome, Italy.
| | | | | | - Patrick Mismetti
- Thrombosis Research Group, Université de Saint-Etienne, Jean Monnet, Inserm, Service de Médecine Interne et Thérapeutique, Hôpital Nord, Saint-Etienne, France.
| | - Manuel Monreal
- Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol de Badalona, Barcelona, Universidad Católica de Murcia, Spain.
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Orthopaedic Trauma Association Annual Meeting Program Committee: Analysis of Impact of Committee Size and Review Process on Abstract Acceptance. J Orthop Trauma 2018; 32:e176-e180. [PMID: 29401090 DOI: 10.1097/bot.0000000000001108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To evaluate whether scientific abstracts selected for podium presentation at the Orthopaedic Trauma Association (OTA) Annual Meeting differ based on the program committee size and/or the proportion of abstracts each committee member evaluates. METHODS Abstract scores from the Orthopaedic Trauma Association program committee from 2010 through 2016 were obtained. All members (range, 8-9) reviewed each clinical abstract (range, 506-778) each year in a blinded fashion. The 90 top-scoring abstracts were considered "accepted" for this study. To determine the effect of reducing the committee size, all possible combinations of reviewers for each possible committee size were modeled. To determine the effect of reducing the number of abstracts each member reviewed, we used Monte Carlo simulation with 100 cycles to generate possible combinations of 1-9 reviewers for each abstract. Mean percent agreement with the actual selection was the primary outcome. RESULTS The mean percent agreement progressively declined from 90.2% with 1 less committee member to 56.7% with only a single reviewer. For each reduction in the number of committee members, 4.4% agreement was lost. If all committee members were retained but the number of reviewers per abstract was reduced from 8 to 1, the mean percent agreement declined from 88.8% to 43.0%. Each reduction in reviewers per abstract reduced the mean percent agreement 6.3%. CONCLUSION The findings inform program committees striving to balance the trade-off between an acceptable reduction in agreement, given a reduction in the program committee size or the proportion of abstracts each committee member evaluates.
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Vaduganathan M, Harrington RA, Stone GW, Steg G, Gibson CM, Hamm CW, Price MJ, Lopes RD, Leonardi S, Deliargyris EN, Prats J, Mahaffey KW, White HD, Bhatt DL. Short- and long-term mortality following bleeding events in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention: insights from four validated bleeding scales in the CHAMPION trials. EUROINTERVENTION 2018; 13:e1841-e1849. [PMID: 28988157 DOI: 10.4244/eij-d-17-00723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
AIMS The aim of this study was to determine the prognostic significance of periprocedural bleeding based on various definitions on 30-day and one-year all-cause mortality in patients undergoing routine or urgent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). METHODS AND RESULTS In this exploratory analysis of 25,107 patients enrolled in the three phase-3 CHAMPION trials, we assessed the prognostic impact of four bleeding scales (GUSTO, TIMI, ACUITY, and BARC) at 48 hrs. Follow-up all-cause mortality data were available at 30 days in all three trials, and at one year in CHAMPION PCI and CHAMPION PLATFORM. Bleeding rates within 48 hrs of PCI were variably identified by each clinical definition (range: <0.5% to >3.5%). Severe/major bleeding, measured by all bleeding scales, and blood transfusion requirement were independently associated with increased mortality at 30 days and one year after PCI (p<0.001 for all associations). Mild/minor bleeding was not independently predictive of one-year mortality (p>0.07 for all associations). Each bleeding definition demonstrated only modest ability to discriminate 30-day and one-year mortality (adjusted C-statistics range: 0.49 to 0.67). CONCLUSIONS Commonly employed clinical definitions variably identify rates of bleeding after PCI. Severe or major, but not mild or minor, bleeding is independently associated with increased 30-day and one-year mortality. These data may aid in selection of appropriate bleeding metrics in future clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muthiah Vaduganathan
- Brigham and Women's Hospital Heart & Vascular Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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Kahan BC, Feagan B, Jairath V. A comparison of approaches for adjudicating outcomes in clinical trials. Trials 2017; 18:266. [PMID: 28595589 PMCID: PMC5465459 DOI: 10.1186/s13063-017-1995-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2016] [Accepted: 05/17/2017] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Incorrect classification of outcomes in clinical trials can lead to biased estimates of treatment effect and reduced power. Ensuring appropriate adjudication methods to minimize outcome misclassification is therefore essential. While there are many reported adjudication approaches, there is little consensus over which approach is best. Methods Under the assumption of non-differential assessment (i.e. that misclassification rates are the same in each treatment arm, as would typically be the case when outcome assessors are blinded), we use simulation and theoretical results to address four different questions about outcome adjudication: (a) How many assessors should be used? (b) When is it better to use onsite or central assessment? (c) Should central assessors adjudicate all outcomes, or only suspected events? (d) Should central assessment with multiple assessors be done independently or through group consensus? Results No one adjudication approach performs optimally in all settings. The optimal approach depends on the misclassification rates of site and central assessors, and the correlation between assessors. We found: (a) there will generally be little incremental benefit to using more than three assessors and, for outcomes with very high correlation between assessors, using one assessor is sufficient; (b) when choosing between site and central assessors, the assessor with the smallest misclassification rate should be chosen; when these rates are unknown, a combination of one site assessor and two central assessors will provide good results across a range of scenarios; (c) having central assessors adjudicate only suspected events will typically increase bias, and should be avoided, unless the threshold for sending outcomes for central assessment is extremely low; (d) central assessors can adjudicate either independently or in a group, and the preferred option should be dictated by whichever is expected to have the lowest misclassification rate. Conclusions Outcome adjudication is of critical importance to ensure validity of trial results, although no one approach is optimal across all settings. Investigators should choose the best strategy based on the specific characteristics of their trial. Regardless of the adjudication strategy chosen, assessors should be qualified and receive appropriate training.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brennan C Kahan
- Pragmatic Clinical Trials Unit, Queen Mary University of London, 58 Turner St, London, E1 2AB, UK.
| | - Brian Feagan
- Robarts Clinical Trials, London, ON, Canada.,Department of Medicine, Western University, London, ON, Canada.,Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Western University, London, ON, Canada
| | - Vipul Jairath
- Robarts Clinical Trials, London, ON, Canada.,Department of Medicine, Western University, London, ON, Canada.,Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Western University, London, ON, Canada
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Welsing PM, Oude Rengerink K, Collier S, Eckert L, van Smeden M, Ciaglia A, Nachbaur G, Trelle S, Taylor AJ, Egger M, Goetz I. Series: Pragmatic trials and real world evidence: Paper 6. Outcome measures in the real world. J Clin Epidemiol 2017; 90:99-107. [PMID: 28502810 DOI: 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2016.12.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2016] [Revised: 12/05/2016] [Accepted: 12/12/2016] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Results from pragmatic trials should reflect the comparative treatment effects encountered in patients in real-life clinical practice to guide treatment decisions. Therefore, pragmatic trials should focus on outcomes that are relevant to patients, clinical practice, and treatment choices. This sixth article in the series (see Box) discusses different types of outcomes and their suitability for pragmatic trials, design choices for measuring these outcomes, and their implications and challenges. Measuring outcomes in pragmatic trials should not interfere with real-world clinical practice to ensure generalizability of trial results, and routinely collected outcomes should be prioritized. Typical outcomes include mortality, morbidity, functional status, well-being, and resource use. Surrogate endpoints are typically avoided as primary outcome. It is important to measure outcomes over a relevant time horizon and obtain valid and precise results. As pragmatic trials are often open label, a less subjective outcome can reduce bias. Methods that decrease bias or enhance precision of the results, such as standardization and blinding of outcome assessment, should be considered when a high risk of bias or high variability is expected. The selection of outcomes in pragmatic trials should be relevant for decision making and feasible in terms of executing the trial in the context of interest. Therefore, this should be discussed with all stakeholders as early as feasible to ensure the relevance of study results for decision making in clinical practice and the ability to perform the study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paco M Welsing
- Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, Universiteitsweg 100, 3584 CG Utrecht, The Netherlands.
| | - Katrien Oude Rengerink
- Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, Universiteitsweg 100, 3584 CG Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Sue Collier
- GSK, Respiratory R&D, Stockley Park West, Brentford, Middlesex TW89GS, UK
| | - Laurent Eckert
- Health Economics and Outcome Research, Sanofi, Avenue Pierre Brossolette, 91385, Chilly-Mazarin, France
| | - Maarten van Smeden
- Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, Universiteitsweg 100, 3584 CG Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Antonio Ciaglia
- International Alliance of Patients' Organizations, 49-51 East Road, London, N1 6AH, UK
| | - Gaelle Nachbaur
- Medical Department, GSK, 100 route de Versailles, Marly-le-Roi 78163, France
| | - Sven Trelle
- Department of Clinical Research, CTU, University of Bern, Finkenhubelweg 11, CH-3012, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Aliki J Taylor
- Global Outcomes Research, Takeda Development Centre Europe Ltd, 61 Aldwych, WC2B 4AE, London, UK
| | - Matthias Egger
- Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Bern, Finkenhubelweg 11, CH-3012, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Iris Goetz
- Global Patient Outcomes & Real World Evidence, Eli Lilly and Company Ltd, Erl Wood Manor, Sunninghill Road, Windlesham, Surrey, GU20 6PH, UK
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Voors AA, Ouwerkerk W, Zannad F, van Veldhuisen DJ, Samani NJ, Ponikowski P, Ng LL, Metra M, ter Maaten JM, Lang CC, Hillege HL, van der Harst P, Filippatos G, Dickstein K, Cleland JG, Anker SD, Zwinderman AH. Development and validation of multivariable models to predict mortality and hospitalization in patients with heart failure. Eur J Heart Fail 2017; 19:627-634. [DOI: 10.1002/ejhf.785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 136] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2016] [Revised: 11/29/2016] [Accepted: 12/05/2016] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Adriaan A. Voors
- Department of Cardiology, University of Groningen; University Medical Centre Groningen; Hanzeplein 1 9713 GZ Groningen the Netherlands
| | - Wouter Ouwerkerk
- Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Bioinformatics, Academic Medical Centre; University of Amsterdam; Amsterdam the Netherlands
| | - Faiez Zannad
- Inserm CIC 1433; Université de Lorrain, CHU de Nancy; Nancy France
| | - Dirk J. van Veldhuisen
- Department of Cardiology, University of Groningen; University Medical Centre Groningen; Hanzeplein 1 9713 GZ Groningen the Netherlands
| | - Nilesh J. Samani
- Department of Cardiovascular Sciences; University of Leicester, Glenfield Hospital, Leicester, UK and NIHR Leicester Cardiovascular Biomedical Research Unit, Glenfield Hospital; Leicester UK
| | - Piotr Ponikowski
- Department of Heart Diseases, Wroclaw Medical University, Poland and Cardiology Department; Military Hospital; Wroclaw Poland
| | - Leong L. Ng
- Department of Cardiovascular Sciences; University of Leicester, Glenfield Hospital, Leicester, UK and NIHR Leicester Cardiovascular Biomedical Research Unit, Glenfield Hospital; Leicester UK
| | - Marco Metra
- Institute of Cardiology, Department of Medical and Surgical Specialties, Radiological Sciences and Public Health; University of Brescia; Italy
| | - Jozine M. ter Maaten
- Department of Cardiology, University of Groningen; University Medical Centre Groningen; Hanzeplein 1 9713 GZ Groningen the Netherlands
| | - Chim C. Lang
- School of Medicine Centre for Cardiovascular and Lung Biology, Division of Medical Sciences; University of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School; Dundee UK
| | - Hans L. Hillege
- Department of Cardiology, University of Groningen; University Medical Centre Groningen; Hanzeplein 1 9713 GZ Groningen the Netherlands
| | - Pim van der Harst
- Department of Cardiology, University of Groningen; University Medical Centre Groningen; Hanzeplein 1 9713 GZ Groningen the Netherlands
| | - Gerasimos Filippatos
- Department of Cardiology, Heart Failure Unit; Athens University Hospital Attikon, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens; Athens Greece
| | - Kenneth Dickstein
- University of Stavanger; Stavanger Norway
- University of Bergen; Bergen Norway
| | - John G. Cleland
- National Heart and Lung Institute; Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospitals, Imperial College; London UK
| | - Stefan D. Anker
- Innovative Clinical Trials, Department of Cardiology and Pneumology; University Medical Centre Göttingen (UMG); Göttingen Germany
| | - Aeilko H. Zwinderman
- Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Bioinformatics, Academic Medical Centre; University of Amsterdam; Amsterdam the Netherlands
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Collins R, Reith C, Emberson J, Armitage J, Baigent C, Blackwell L, Blumenthal R, Danesh J, Smith GD, DeMets D, Evans S, Law M, MacMahon S, Martin S, Neal B, Poulter N, Preiss D, Ridker P, Roberts I, Rodgers A, Sandercock P, Schulz K, Sever P, Simes J, Smeeth L, Wald N, Yusuf S, Peto R. Interpretation of the evidence for the efficacy and safety of statin therapy. Lancet 2016; 388:2532-2561. [PMID: 27616593 DOI: 10.1016/s0140-6736(16)31357-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1154] [Impact Index Per Article: 144.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2016] [Revised: 07/11/2016] [Accepted: 07/13/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
This Review is intended to help clinicians, patients, and the public make informed decisions about statin therapy for the prevention of heart attacks and strokes. It explains how the evidence that is available from randomised controlled trials yields reliable information about both the efficacy and safety of statin therapy. In addition, it discusses how claims that statins commonly cause adverse effects reflect a failure to recognise the limitations of other sources of evidence about the effects of treatment. Large-scale evidence from randomised trials shows that statin therapy reduces the risk of major vascular events (ie, coronary deaths or myocardial infarctions, strokes, and coronary revascularisation procedures) by about one-quarter for each mmol/L reduction in LDL cholesterol during each year (after the first) that it continues to be taken. The absolute benefits of statin therapy depend on an individual's absolute risk of occlusive vascular events and the absolute reduction in LDL cholesterol that is achieved. For example, lowering LDL cholesterol by 2 mmol/L (77 mg/dL) with an effective low-cost statin regimen (eg, atorvastatin 40 mg daily, costing about £2 per month) for 5 years in 10 000 patients would typically prevent major vascular events from occurring in about 1000 patients (ie, 10% absolute benefit) with pre-existing occlusive vascular disease (secondary prevention) and in 500 patients (ie, 5% absolute benefit) who are at increased risk but have not yet had a vascular event (primary prevention). Statin therapy has been shown to reduce vascular disease risk during each year it continues to be taken, so larger absolute benefits would accrue with more prolonged therapy, and these benefits persist long term. The only serious adverse events that have been shown to be caused by long-term statin therapy-ie, adverse effects of the statin-are myopathy (defined as muscle pain or weakness combined with large increases in blood concentrations of creatine kinase), new-onset diabetes mellitus, and, probably, haemorrhagic stroke. Typically, treatment of 10 000 patients for 5 years with an effective regimen (eg, atorvastatin 40 mg daily) would cause about 5 cases of myopathy (one of which might progress, if the statin therapy is not stopped, to the more severe condition of rhabdomyolysis), 50-100 new cases of diabetes, and 5-10 haemorrhagic strokes. However, any adverse impact of these side-effects on major vascular events has already been taken into account in the estimates of the absolute benefits. Statin therapy may cause symptomatic adverse events (eg, muscle pain or weakness) in up to about 50-100 patients (ie, 0·5-1·0% absolute harm) per 10 000 treated for 5 years. However, placebo-controlled randomised trials have shown definitively that almost all of the symptomatic adverse events that are attributed to statin therapy in routine practice are not actually caused by it (ie, they represent misattribution). The large-scale evidence available from randomised trials also indicates that it is unlikely that large absolute excesses in other serious adverse events still await discovery. Consequently, any further findings that emerge about the effects of statin therapy would not be expected to alter materially the balance of benefits and harms. It is, therefore, of concern that exaggerated claims about side-effect rates with statin therapy may be responsible for its under-use among individuals at increased risk of cardiovascular events. For, whereas the rare cases of myopathy and any muscle-related symptoms that are attributed to statin therapy generally resolve rapidly when treatment is stopped, the heart attacks or strokes that may occur if statin therapy is stopped unnecessarily can be devastating.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rory Collins
- Clinical Trial Service Unit & Epidemiological Studies Unit and MRC Population Health Research Unit, Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
| | - Christina Reith
- Clinical Trial Service Unit & Epidemiological Studies Unit and MRC Population Health Research Unit, Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Jonathan Emberson
- Clinical Trial Service Unit & Epidemiological Studies Unit and MRC Population Health Research Unit, Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Jane Armitage
- Clinical Trial Service Unit & Epidemiological Studies Unit and MRC Population Health Research Unit, Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Colin Baigent
- Clinical Trial Service Unit & Epidemiological Studies Unit and MRC Population Health Research Unit, Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Lisa Blackwell
- Clinical Trial Service Unit & Epidemiological Studies Unit and MRC Population Health Research Unit, Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Roger Blumenthal
- Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Heart Disease, Division of Cardiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - John Danesh
- MRC/BHF Cardiovascular Epidemiology Unit, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - David DeMets
- Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Stephen Evans
- Department of Medical Statistics, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, University of London, London, UK
| | - Malcolm Law
- Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Stephen MacMahon
- The George Institute for Global Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Seth Martin
- Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Heart Disease, Division of Cardiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Bruce Neal
- The George Institute for Global Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Neil Poulter
- International Centre for Circulatory Health & Imperial Clinical Trials Unit, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - David Preiss
- Clinical Trial Service Unit & Epidemiological Studies Unit and MRC Population Health Research Unit, Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Paul Ridker
- Center for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ian Roberts
- Clinical Trials Unit, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, University of London, London, UK
| | - Anthony Rodgers
- The George Institute for Global Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Peter Sandercock
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Kenneth Schulz
- FHI 360, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Peter Sever
- International Centre for Circulatory Health, National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - John Simes
- National Health and Medical Research Council Clinical Trial Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Liam Smeeth
- Department of Non-Communicable Disease Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, University of London, London, UK
| | - Nicholas Wald
- Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Salim Yusuf
- Population Health Research Institute, Hamilton Health Sciences and McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Richard Peto
- Clinical Trial Service Unit & Epidemiological Studies Unit and MRC Population Health Research Unit, Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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Frei A, Siebeling L, Wolters C, Held L, Muggensturm P, Strassmann A, Zoller M, Ter Riet G, Puhan MA. The Inaccuracy of Patient Recall for COPD Exacerbation Rate Estimation and Its Implications: Results from Central Adjudication. Chest 2016; 150:860-868. [PMID: 27400907 DOI: 10.1016/j.chest.2016.06.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2016] [Revised: 06/01/2016] [Accepted: 06/27/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND COPD exacerbation incidence rates are often ascertained retrospectively through patient recall and self-reports. We compared exacerbation ascertainment through patient self-reports and single-physician chart review to central adjudication by a committee and explored determinants and consequences of misclassification. METHODS Self-reported exacerbations (event-based definition) in 409 primary care patients with COPD participating in the International Collaborative Effort on Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease: Exacerbation Risk Index Cohorts (ICE COLD ERIC) cohort were ascertained every 6 months over 3 years. Exacerbations were adjudicated by single experienced physicians and an adjudication committee who had information from patient charts. We assessed the accuracy (sensitivities and specificities) of self-reports and single-physician chart review against a central adjudication committee (AC) (reference standard). We used multinomial logistic regression and bootstrap stability analyses to explore determinants of misclassifications. RESULTS The AC identified 648 exacerbations, corresponding to an incidence rate of 0.60 ± 0.83 exacerbations/patient-year and a cumulative incidence proportion of 58.9%. Patients self-reported 841 exacerbations (incidence rate, 0.75 ± 1.01; incidence proportion, 59.7%). The sensitivity and specificity of self-reports were 84% and 76%, respectively, those of single-physician chart review were between 89% and 96% and 87% and 99%, respectively. The multinomial regression model and bootstrap selection showed that having experienced more exacerbations was the only factor consistently associated with underreporting and overreporting of exacerbations (underreporters: relative risk ratio [RRR], 2.16; 95% CI, 1.76-2.65 and overreporters: RRR, 1.67; 95% CI, 1.39-2.00). CONCLUSIONS Patient 6-month recall of exacerbation events are inaccurate. This may lead to inaccurate estimates of incidence measures and underestimation of treatment effects. The use of multiple data sources combined with event adjudication could substantially reduce sample size requirements and possibly cost of studies. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION www.ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT00706602.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anja Frei
- Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Prevention Institute, University of Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Lara Siebeling
- Department of General Practice, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Callista Wolters
- Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Prevention Institute, University of Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Leonhard Held
- Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Prevention Institute, University of Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Patrick Muggensturm
- Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Prevention Institute, University of Zurich, Switzerland; Department of Internal Medicine, Zollikerberg Hospital, Zollikon, Switzerland
| | - Alexandra Strassmann
- Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Prevention Institute, University of Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Marco Zoller
- Institute of General Practice and Health Services Research, University of Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Gerben Ter Riet
- Department of General Practice, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Milo A Puhan
- Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Prevention Institute, University of Zurich, Switzerland
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Anderson GL, Burns CJ, Larsen J, Shaw PA. Use of administrative data to increase the practicality of clinical trials: Insights from the Women's Health Initiative. Clin Trials 2016; 13:519-26. [PMID: 27365013 DOI: 10.1177/1740774516656579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND To reduce research costs in the context of pragmatic trials, consideration is given to using administrative data (Medicare claims) to ascertain clinical outcomes. METHODS In the historical context of the Women's Health Initiative, the correspondence between selected cardiovascular events derived from Medicare claims was compared to those documented and adjudicated in this large-scale prevention trial. RESULTS Classification performance varies somewhat by type of outcome, but hazard ratios and confidence intervals derived from the two data sources were quite comparable. CONCLUSION These encouraging results provided the needed support to launch a new embedded pragmatic trial of physical activity that will rely heavily on Medicare claims to ascertain cardiovascular disease incidence in the majority of those randomized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Garnet L Anderson
- WHI Clinical Coordinating Center, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Carolyn J Burns
- WHI Clinical Coordinating Center, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Joseph Larsen
- WHI Clinical Coordinating Center, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Pamela A Shaw
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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Jatene T, Harrington RA, Stone GW, Steg PG, Gibson CM, Hamm CW, Price MJ, Prats J, Deliargyris EN, Mahaffey KW, White HD, Bhatt DL. Investigator-Reported Bleeding Versus Post Hoc Adjudication of Bleeding: Lessons From the CHAMPION PHOENIX Trial. J Am Coll Cardiol 2016; 67:596-8. [PMID: 26846956 DOI: 10.1016/j.jacc.2015.11.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2015] [Revised: 10/28/2015] [Accepted: 11/11/2015] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Nine-Year Effects of 3.7 Years of Intensive Glycemic Control on Cardiovascular Outcomes. Diabetes Care 2016; 39:701-8. [PMID: 26822326 PMCID: PMC4839177 DOI: 10.2337/dc15-2283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 127] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2015] [Accepted: 12/22/2015] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE In the Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes (ACCORD) trial, ∼4 years of intensive versus standard glycemic control in participants with type 2 diabetes and other cardiovascular risk factors had a neutral effect on the composite cardiovascular outcome, increased cardiovascular and total mortality, and reduced nonfatal myocardial infarction. Effects of the intervention during prolonged follow-up were analyzed. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS All surviving ACCORD participants were invited to participate in the ACCORD Follow-on (ACCORDION) study, during which participants were treated according to their health care provider's judgment. Cardiovascular and other health-related outcomes were prospectively collected and analyzed using an intention-to-treat approach according to the group to which participants were originally allocated. RESULTS A total of 8,601 people, representing 98% of those who did not suffer a primary outcome or death during the ACCORD trial, were monitored for a median of 8.8 years and a mean of 7.7 years from randomization. Intensive glucose lowering for a mean of 3.7 years had a neutral long-term effect on the primary composite outcome (nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal stroke, or cardiovascular death), death from any cause, and an expanded composite outcome that included all-cause death. Moreover, the risk of cardiovascular mortality noted during the active phase (hazard ratio 1.49; 95% CI 1.19, 1.87; P < 0.0001) decreased (HR 1.20; 95% CI 1.03, 1.39; P = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS In high-risk people with type 2 diabetes monitored for 9 years, a mean of 3.7 years of intensive glycemic control had a neutral effect on death and nonfatal cardiovascular events but increased cardiovascular-related death.
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Ndounga Diakou LA, Trinquart L, Hróbjartsson A, Barnes C, Yavchitz A, Ravaud P, Boutron I. Comparison of central adjudication of outcomes and onsite outcome assessment on treatment effect estimates. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2016; 3:MR000043. [PMID: 26961577 PMCID: PMC7187204 DOI: 10.1002/14651858.mr000043.pub2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Assessment of events by adjudication committees (ACs) is recommended in multicentre randomised controlled trials (RCTs). However, its usefulness has been questioned. OBJECTIVES The aim of this systematic review was to compare 1) treatment effect estimates of subjective clinical events assessed by onsite assessors versus by AC, and 2) treatment effect estimates according to the blinding status of the onsite assessor as well as the process used to select events to adjudicate. SEARCH METHODS We searched Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), PubMed, EMBASE, PsycINFO, CINAHL and Google Scholar (25 August 2015 as the last updated search date), using a combination of terms to retrieve RCTs with commonly used terms to describe ACs. SELECTION CRITERIA We included all reports of RCTs and the published RCTs included in reviews and meta-analyses that reported the same subjective outcome event assessed by both an onsite assessor and an AC. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS We extracted the odds ratio (OR) from onsite assessment and the corresponding OR from AC assessment and calculated the ratio of the odds ratios (ROR). A ratio of odds ratios < 1 indicated that onsite assessors generated larger effect estimates in favour of the experimental treatment than ACs. MAIN RESULTS Data from 47 RCTs (275,078 patients) were used in the meta-analysis. We excluded 11 RCTs because of incomplete outcome data to calculate the OR for onsite and AC assessments. On average, there was no difference in treatment effect estimates from onsite assessors and AC (combined ROR: 1.00, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.97 to 1.04; I(2) = 0%, 47 RCTs). The combined ROR was 1.00 (95% CI 0.96 to 1.04; I(2) = 0%, 35 RCTs) when onsite assessors were blinded; 0.76 (95% CI 0.48 to 1.12, I(2) = 0%, two RCTs) when AC assessed events identified independently from unblinded onsite assessors; and 1.11 (95% CI 0.96 to 1.27, I(2) = 0%, 10 RCTs) when AC assessed events identified by unblinded onsite assessors. However, there was a statistically significant interaction between these subgroups (P = 0.03) AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: On average, treatment effect estimates for subjective outcome events assessed by onsite assessors did not differ from those assessed by ACs. Results of subgroup analysis showed an interaction according to the blinded status of onsite assessors and the process used to submit data to AC. These results suggest that the use of ACs might be most important when onsite assessors are not blinded and the risk of misclassification is high. Furthermore, research is needed to explore the impact of the different procedures used to select events to adjudicate.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ludovic Trinquart
- Hôpital Hôtel‐DieuFrench Cochrane Centre1 place du Parvis Notre‐DameParisFrance75004
| | - Asbjørn Hróbjartsson
- Odense University Hospital and Univerity of Southern DenmarkCenter for Evidence‐Based MedicineSdr. Boulevard 29, Gate 50 (Videncenteret)Odense CDenmark5000
| | - Caroline Barnes
- INSERM U1153METHODS team1, Place du parvis Notre DameParisFrance75181 Cedex 4
| | - Amelie Yavchitz
- INSERM U1153METHODS team1, Place du parvis Notre DameParisFrance75181 Cedex 4
| | - Philippe Ravaud
- INSERM U1153METHODS team1, Place du parvis Notre DameParisFrance75181 Cedex 4
| | - Isabelle Boutron
- INSERM U1153METHODS team1, Place du parvis Notre DameParisFrance75181 Cedex 4
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