The high-risk myocardial infarction database initiative

Coronary artery disease and myocardial infarction represent a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Four randomized, controlled, double-blind clinical trials--VALIANT, EPHESUS, OPTIMAAL, and CAPRICORN evaluated pharmacologic intervention in a total of 28,771 high-risk patients following acute MI complicated with signs of heart failure or evidence of left ventricular dysfunction. The demographic profiles of the 4 study cohorts were similar. The High-Risk MI Database Initiative constructed a common database by merging the data captured by these 4 large trials. The merged data set did not contain the randomized study treatment, so no comparisons could be made between the agents investigated. A total of more than 17,600 subjects experienced a cardiovascular end point. Approximately 5100 deaths occurred, and more than 15,700 subjects experienced a hospitalization. The primary objectives of this initiative were to use this large database to define more precisely the prognostic profile of this high-risk population, to perform rigorous, adequately-sized, subset analyses, to provide epidemiologic information and event rate estimation based on baseline demographics. The methodological challenges and limitations of such an analyses are discussed. It is proposed that some thoughtful foresight and planning could enable us to use the large number of clinical events that accrue during randomized clinical trials to address questions of scientific and clinical interest.