Validity of composite end points in clinical trials.

Use of composite end points as the main outcome in randomised trials can hide wide differences in the individual measures. How should you apply the results to clinical practice?

[Methods of reporting research-results and their influence on decision-making by cardiologists prescribing drugs for primary and secondary prevention].

Objectives: To assess the influence of the form of presentation of the results of clinical trials on the quantitative perceptions of cardiologists regarding the efficacy of drugs for the primary and secondary prevention of coronary heart disease and their likelihood of prescribing them.

Method: We conducted a survey of 1,408 cardiologists in Spain who were randomly allocated of three questionnaires that used different measurements to evaluate the impact of published clinical trials.

Results: Five-hundred and fifty-nine questionnaires (40%) were suitable for analysis.