Reporting bias in the literature on the associations of health-related behaviors and statins with cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality

Ref ID 21
First Author L. F. M. de Rezende
Journal PLOS BIOLOGY
Year Of Publishing 2018
URL https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6023226/pdf/pbio.2005761.pdf
Keywords • Cardiology
• Multiplicity
• Pre-specification
• Low reporting quality
Problem(s) • Lack of prespecification in eligibility criteria
• Reasons for excluding potentially eligible studies not provided
• Small number of trials in meta-analyses
• Unpublished or "zombie" reviews (the file-drawer effect)
• High risk of bias (ROBIS)
• Multiplicity of outcomes and lack of pre-specification for outcome reporting
Article Type Empirical
Article Subtype Meta-epidemiological analysis
First Author Country Brazil
Checklists • ROBIS
Aim To assess reporting bias and the risk of bias (ROBIS) in systematic reviews of the associations of health-related behaviour and statins with cardiovascular disease mortality and all-cause mortality published between 2010 and 2016
Level of Investigation Analytical
Summary of Findings Of the included 49 systematic reviews, the majority (90%) exhibited a high overall risk of bias, related to study eligibility criteria, identification and selection of studies, data collection and study appraisal, and synthesis and findings. 111 meta-analyses conducted across the reviews, of which 65% had statistically significant results (P < 0.05) were re-performed. Around 22% of health-related behaviour meta-analyses showed small-study effect, as compared to none of statin meta-analyses. Physical activity and the smoking research areas had more than 40% of meta-analyses with small-study effect. There was evidence of excess significance in 26% of health-related behaviour meta-analyses, as compared to none of statin meta-analyses. Half of the meta-analyses from physical activity, 26% from diet, 18% from sedentary behaviour, 14% for smoking, and 12% from alcohol showed evidence of excess significance bias.
Number of systematic reviews included 49
Number of eligible systematic reviews assessed 5511
Treatment impacted Yes
Treatment impacted description
Interpretation impacted No
Interpretation impacted description