Evidence map›Paper›PMID 25200210›Full record

ArticleCirculation2014

Rethinking composite end points in clinical trials: insights from patients and trialists.

Joshua M Stolker, John A Spertus, David J Cohen, Philip G Jones, Kaushik K Jain, Emily Bamberger, Brady B Lonergan, Paul S Chan

Abstract readComparative Study
In one paragraph

Article in Circulation, 2014. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 50 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
50citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

50 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. A systematic review and meta-analysis of the cerebrovascular event incidence after transcatheter aortic valve implantation.Clinical research in cardiology : official journal of the German Cardiac Society · 2022
    Pooled it
  2. Stroke Severity in Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation Versus Surgical Aortic Valve Replacement: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Journal of stroke and cerebrovascular diseases : the official journal of National Stroke Association · 2021
    Pooled it
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  6. Impact of established cardiovascular disease on 10-year death after coronary revascularization for complex coronary artery disease.Clinical research in cardiology : official journal of the German Cardiac Society · 2021
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  19. Effect of statin add-on therapy on cardiovascular mortality.Frontiers in cardiovascular medicine · 2024
    Review
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Joshua M StolkerFrom Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO (J.M.S., K.K.J.); University of Missouri-Kansas City, Kansas City (J.A.S., D.J.C., E.B., B.B.L., P.S.C.); and Saint Luke's Mid America Heart and Vascular Institute; Kansas City, MO (D.J.C., P.G.J., P.S.C.). jstolker@yahoo.com.
John A SpertusFrom Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO (J.M.S., K.K.J.); University of Missouri-Kansas City, Kansas City (J.A.S., D.J.C., E.B., B.B.L., P.S.C.); and Saint Luke's Mid America Heart and Vascular Institute; Kansas City, MO (D.J.C., P.G.J., P.S.C.).
David J CohenFrom Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO (J.M.S., K.K.J.); University of Missouri-Kansas City, Kansas City (J.A.S., D.J.C., E.B., B.B.L., P.S.C.); and Saint Luke's Mid America Heart and Vascular Institute; Kansas City, MO (D.J.C., P.G.J., P.S.C.).
Philip G JonesFrom Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO (J.M.S., K.K.J.); University of Missouri-Kansas City, Kansas City (J.A.S., D.J.C., E.B., B.B.L., P.S.C.); and Saint Luke's Mid America Heart and Vascular Institute; Kansas City, MO (D.J.C., P.G.J., P.S.C.).
Kaushik K JainFrom Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO (J.M.S., K.K.J.); University of Missouri-Kansas City, Kansas City (J.A.S., D.J.C., E.B., B.B.L., P.S.C.); and Saint Luke's Mid America Heart and Vascular Institute; Kansas City, MO (D.J.C., P.G.J., P.S.C.).
Emily BambergerFrom Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO (J.M.S., K.K.J.); University of Missouri-Kansas City, Kansas City (J.A.S., D.J.C., E.B., B.B.L., P.S.C.); and Saint Luke's Mid America Heart and Vascular Institute; Kansas City, MO (D.J.C., P.G.J., P.S.C.).
Brady B LonerganFrom Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO (J.M.S., K.K.J.); University of Missouri-Kansas City, Kansas City (J.A.S., D.J.C., E.B., B.B.L., P.S.C.); and Saint Luke's Mid America Heart and Vascular Institute; Kansas City, MO (D.J.C., P.G.J., P.S.C.).
Paul S ChanFrom Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO (J.M.S., K.K.J.); University of Missouri-Kansas City, Kansas City (J.A.S., D.J.C., E.B., B.B.L., P.S.C.); and Saint Luke's Mid America Heart and Vascular Institute; Kansas City, MO (D.J.C., P.G.J., P.S.C.).

Funding

Hospital Enhancement of Resuscitation Outcomes for In-Hospital Cardiac Arrest (HER01HL123980 · NHLBI · SAINT LUKE'S HOSPITAL · PI CHAN, PAUL SHEUNG-YAN, NALLAMOTHU, BRAHMAJEE K · 2014 to 2018
$2.7M
The Appropriateness Criteria for Coronary Revascularization: Feasibility of MeasuK23HL102224 · NHLBI · SAINT LUKE'S HOSPITAL · PI CHAN, PAUL SHEUNG-YAN · 2010 to 2014
$610k
NHLBI NIH HHS K23 HL102224NHLBI NIH HHS R01 HL123980
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundMany clinical trials use composite end points to reduce sample size, but the relative importance of each individual end point within the composite may differ between patients and researchers. METHODS AND

resultsWe asked 785 cardiovascular patients and 164 clinical trial authors to assign 25 "spending weights" across 5 common adverse events comprising composite end points in cardiovascular trials: death, myocardial infarction, stroke, coronary revascularization, and hospitalization for angina. We then calculated end point ratios for each participant's ratings of each nonfatal end point relative to death. Whereas patients assigned an average weight of 5 to death, equal or greater weight was assigned to myocardial infarction (mean ratio, 1.12) and stroke (ratio, 1.08). In contrast, clinical trialists were much more concerned about death (average weight, 8) than myocardial infarction (ratio, 0.63) or stroke (ratio, 0.53). Both patients and trialists considered revascularization (ratio, 0.48 and 0.20, respectively) and hospitalization (ratio, 0.28 and 0.13, respectively) as substantially less severe than death. Differences between patient and trialist end point weights persisted after adjustment for demographic and clinical characteristics (P<0.001 for all comparisons).

conclusionsPatients and clinical trialists did not weigh individual components of a composite end point equally. Whereas trialists are most concerned about avoiding death, patients place equal or greater importance on reducing myocardial infarction or stroke. Both groups considered revascularization and hospitalization as substantially less severe. These findings suggest that equal weights in a composite clinical end point do not accurately reflect the preferences of either patients or trialists.

Indexed as

Angina, UnstableMyocardial InfarctionStrokeAgedAged, 80 and overClinical Trials as TopicData CollectionEndpoint DeterminationFemaleHealth PersonnelHospitalizationHumansMalePatient-Centered CarePatient PreferencePatientscardiovascular diseasesclinical trialend point determinationpatient-centered carepatient preferencestatistics

Identifiers

PMID25200210
PMCPMC4275445

What OpenQuestion holds

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Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.