Rosiglitazone: can meta-analysis accurately estimate excess cardiovascular risk given the available data?
2009

Re-analysis of Rosiglitazone's Cardiovascular Risks

Sample size: 30242 publication 10 minutes Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Friedrich Jan O, Beyene Joseph, Adhikari Neill KJ

Primary Institution: University of Toronto

Hypothesis

Can alternative methodological approaches yield different estimates of cardiovascular risk associated with rosiglitazone?

Conclusion

Alternative methodological approaches to the rosiglitazone meta-analysis can yield varying risks, with most estimates suggesting harm rather than benefit.

Supporting Evidence

  • The study found that rosiglitazone increased the risk of myocardial infarction.
  • Alternative analyses showed varying results, with some indicating significant risks.
  • The findings suggest that ongoing trials may provide more accurate estimates of rosiglitazone's cardiovascular effects.

Takeaway

This study looked at how rosiglitazone might affect heart health and found that it could be more harmful than helpful, especially for the heart.

Methodology

The study performed meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials, abstracting data on myocardial infarction and cardiovascular death.

Potential Biases

There is a risk of bias due to the inclusion of trials not designed to assess cardiovascular outcomes.

Limitations

The study highlights limitations such as the short duration of trials and potential ascertainment bias.

Participant Demographics

The trials primarily included low-risk patients with type 2 diabetes.

Statistical Information

P-Value

p = 0.03 for MI, p = 0.06 for cardiovascular death

Confidence Interval

95% CI 1.03–1.98 for MI, 95% CI 0.98–2.74 for cardiovascular death

Statistical Significance

p<0.05

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1186/1756-0500-2-5

Want to read the original?

Access the complete publication on the publisher's website

View Original Publication