SynthesisHealth technology assessment (Winchester, England)2025

Identifying optimal primary prevention interventions for major cardiovascular disease events and all-cause mortality: a systematic review and hierarchical network meta-analysis of RCTs.

Olalekan A Uthman, Rachel Court, Jodie Enderby, Chidozie Nduka, Lena Al-Khudairy, Seun Anjorin, Hema Mistry, G J Melendez-Torres, Sian Taylor-Phillips, Aileen Clarke

Abstract readNetwork Meta-AnalysisSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Health technology assessment (Winchester, England), 2025. The graph read 2 numbers from its abstract, feeding 2 cells of the map: it supports the treatment in 2. Cited by 2 papers.

2numbers the graph read from it
2cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–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.

← favours the treatmentfavours the comparator →
1 · no effect
Composite cardiovascular events and mortalitystatins vs control (unspecified, implied as placebo or usual care)favours the treatment · ascvdfeeds one cell of the map
RR 0.810.71 to 0.91
Blood pressure-lowering medications (risk ratio 0.82, 95% confidence interval 0.71 to 0.94), tight blood pressure control (risk ratio 0.66, 95% confidence interval 0.46 to 0.96), statins (risk ratio 0.81, 95% confidence interval 0.71 to 0.91) and multifactorial lifestyle interventions (risk ratio 0.75, 95% confidence interval 0.61 to 0.92) reduced composite cardiovascular events and mortality.
Composite cardiovascular events and mortalitymultifactorial lifestyle interventions vs control (unspecified, implied as usual care or minimal intervention)favours the treatment · ascvdfeeds one cell of the map
RR 0.750.61 to 0.92
Blood pressure-lowering medications (risk ratio 0.82, 95% confidence interval 0.71 to 0.94), tight blood pressure control (risk ratio 0.66, 95% confidence interval 0.46 to 0.96), statins (risk ratio 0.81, 95% confidence interval 0.71 to 0.91) and multifactorial lifestyle interventions (risk ratio 0.75, 95% confidence interval 0.61 to 0.92) reduced composite cardiovascular events and mortality.

clause the extractor read what became the number

2 · Its place on the map

Where it lands on the map

Rows are treatments, columns are outcomes. The coloured squares are the cells this paper feeds, coloured by the vote it casts there. Click one to jump to what this paper adds to it.

supports the treatmentfavours the comparatorno clear differenceread, but no usable result
3 · What it changes

What it adds to each cell

For every cell the paper feeds: the belief in the claim with and without this paper, and this paper's estimate drawn against every other readable study in the cell. The ringed dot is this paper.

Diet, exercise & lifestyle×cardiovascular events

SupportsOpen on the map →What to test next →

2 readable studies in this cell: 2 favour the treatment, 0 find no difference, 0 favour the comparator.

Belief with this paper
0.50one trial · 1 family supports, 0 contradict · against placebo
Without itNot a counted family in this claim, so removing it changes nothing.
← favours the treatmentfavours the comparator →
1 · no effect

This paper's own estimate is on a different scale from the rest of the cell, so it is not drawn here.

Statins×cardiovascular events

SupportsOpen on the map →What to test next →

29 readable studies in this cell: 19 favour the treatment, 9 find no difference, 1 favour the comparator.

Belief with this paper
0.86replicated · 12 families support, 2 contradict · against placebo
Without itNot a counted family in this claim, so removing it changes nothing.
← favours the treatmentfavours the comparator →
1 · no effect

This paper's own estimate is on a different scale from the rest of the cell, so it is not drawn here.

4 · 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.

5 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Article
6 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

7 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Olalekan A UthmanDivision of Health Sciences, Warwick Medical School, The University of Warwick, Coventry, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-8567-3081
Rachel CourtDivision of Health Sciences, Warwick Medical School, The University of Warwick, Coventry, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-4567-2586
Jodie EnderbyDivision of Health Sciences, Warwick Medical School, The University of Warwick, Coventry, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-1446-7512
Chidozie NdukaDivision of Health Sciences, Warwick Medical School, The University of Warwick, Coventry, UK.ORCID 0000-0001-7031-5444
Lena Al-KhudairyDivision of Health Sciences, Warwick Medical School, The University of Warwick, Coventry, UK.ORCID 0000-0003-0638-583X
Seun AnjorinDivision of Health Sciences, Warwick Medical School, The University of Warwick, Coventry, UK.ORCID 0000-0003-0187-6410
Hema MistryWarwick Clinical Trials Unit, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-5023-1160
G J Melendez-TorresPeninsula Technology Assessment Group (PenTAG), College of Medicine and Health, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-9823-4790
Sian Taylor-PhillipsDivision of Health Sciences, Warwick Medical School, The University of Warwick, Coventry, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-1841-4346
Aileen ClarkeDivision of Health Sciences, Warwick Medical School, The University of Warwick, Coventry, UK.ORCID 0000-0001-8299-3146

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

8 · The paper itself

Abstract

The marked sentences are the ones the graph read a number from.

Background: Cardiovascular disease accounts for substantial mortality and healthcare costs worldwide. Numerous interventions exist for primary prevention but lack head-to-head comparisons on long-term impacts. Objective: To determine the comparative effectiveness of interventions for primary cardiovascular disease prevention through network meta-analysis of randomised trials. Data sources: MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, conference abstracts and trial registries from inception to March 2021. Review methods: Randomised controlled trials of pharmacologic therapies, nutritional supplements, lifestyle changes, behavioural approaches and health policies with at least 6 months' follow-up were included. Pairwise and network meta-analyses were conducted for all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease events, coronary heart disease and cardiovascular disease mortality. Results: Data from 139 randomised trials, including 1,053,772 participants, proved suitable for quantitative synthesis. Blood pressure-lowering medications (risk ratio 0.82, 95% confidence interval 0.71 to 0.94), tight blood pressure control (risk ratio 0.66, 95% confidence interval 0.46 to 0.96), statins (risk ratio 0.81, 95% confidence interval 0.71 to 0.91) and multifactorial lifestyle interventions (risk ratio 0.75, 95% confidence interval 0.61 to 0.92) reduced composite cardiovascular events and mortality. Limitations: Residual confounding may exist. Few direct head-to-head comparisons limited differentiation between some specific modalities. Conclusions: We found evidence that blood pressure treatments, intense blood pressure targets, statins when appropriate and multifactorial lifestyle changes are the most effective strategies for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease, with unclear effects from other interventions. These findings can inform clinical guidelines and health policies prioritising interventions. Funding: This research article presents independent research funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Health Technology Assessment programme as award number 17/148/05.

Indexed as

Cardiovascular DiseasesPrimary PreventionHumansHydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase InhibitorsRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicTechnology Assessment, BiomedicalHydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase InhibitorsCARDIOVASCULAR DISEASENETWORK META-ANALYSISPOLICY-LEVEL INTERVENTIONSSIMULATION MODELSSTRUCTURAL INTERVENTIONSSYSTEMATIC REVIEW

Identifiers

PMID40611785
PMCPMC12376007

What OpenQuestion holds

Texttitle and abstract
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.