Search Strategies Used for Meta-Analyses Published on Cardiovascular Drug Therapy

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Evidence-based medicine
• Research methodology

Background:

• Meta-analyses significantly influence clinical practice and patient care decisions.
• The increasing volume of meta-analyses in cardiology necessitates an evaluation of their methodological rigor.
• Incomplete search strategies can bias meta-analysis results, impacting their clinical utility.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the trend in the number of cardiology meta-analyses published.
• To assess the quality of search strategies employed in these meta-analyses.
• To identify factors associated with comprehensive search strategies.

Main Methods:

• A systematic search of PubMed/Medline was conducted for meta-analyses on cardiovascular drug therapy published between 2006 and 2011.
• Search terms included "cardiovascular agents" and "drug therapy."
• The quality of search strategies, including the number of databases used and the utilization of search terms and quality assessment tools, was evaluated.

Main Results:

• A total of 130 meta-analyses were identified, with a 100% increase observed, particularly between 2008 and 2009.
• Only 50% of the meta-analyses utilized three or more databases for study identification.
• Using multiple databases was predictive of employing comprehensive search terms (OR, 3.05) and quality assessment tools (OR, 3.05).

Conclusions:

• The number of meta-analyses evaluating cardiovascular drug therapy has risen.
• Comprehensive search strategies, including the use of multiple databases, are crucial for identifying all relevant trials.
• Clinicians and researchers must critically appraise the quality of meta-analyses due to their impact on patient care.