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Published on: January 8, 2020

Measuring comorbidity in cardiovascular research: a systematic review

Harleah G Buck1, Jabar A Akbar, Sarah Jingying Zhang

  • 1School of Nursing, The Pennsylvania State University, 201 Health and Human Development East, University Park, PA 16802, USA.

Nursing Research and Practice
|August 20, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Comorbidity measurement in cardiovascular disease studies is limited, often using unsubstantiated disease lists. This hinders accurate assessment of comorbidity

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Clinical Research Methodology

Background:

  • Accurate comorbidity measurement is crucial for understanding cardiovascular disease (CVD) impact.
  • Current methods may not fully capture the complexity of co-occurring conditions in CVD patients.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To critically evaluate comorbidity assessment in clinical trials for acute myocardial infarction (AMI), heart failure (HF), and stroke.
  • To identify current practices and limitations in measuring comorbidity in cardiovascular research.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic review of randomized controlled trials and prospective observational studies.
  • Searched MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsychINFO, and Web of Science databases.
  • Data extraction by at least two independent reviewers.

Main Results:

  • 26 studies (8 AMI, 11 HF, 7 stroke) were included from 1432 abstracts.
  • Only 5 studies utilized a validated instrument; others used unvalidated disease lists.
  • Comorbidity data sources were inconsistent, with 35% not reporting sources; no improvement over time.

Conclusions:

  • Comorbidity measurement in CVD research lacks standardized instruments and clear rationale.
  • Current practices likely underestimate the true impact of comorbidity in AMI, HF, and stroke.
  • Standardized and validated methods are needed for accurate comorbidity assessment in cardiovascular research.

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