Thursday, May 8, 2008

Research about coronary stents does not always disclose authors' financial stakes
by Kelly Winget

Published research results about coronary stents are often lacking financial disclosures that could indicate a potential bias of the data interpretation from the authors, according to a new study led by DCRI researchers.

For the study, researchers reviewed every biomedical article written about stents since 2006. There were a total of 746 articles that appeared in 135 journals, with almost 3,000 authors. The analysis found that 83 percent didn't contain financial disclosures.

The study team conducted an informal Internet search and found a number of authors who declared they had no financial information to disclose were members of stent manufacturers' advisory boards or were consultants for stent makers and makers of drugs related to stents. Weinfurt noted they found one author who had founded a stent manufacturing company but did not publish any financial disclosures.

Results were published in the May 7 issue of the online journal, PLoS ONE. Click here to read the full article.

The study also found that 168 authors included a disclosure statement in at least one article. Those who did receive financial support from companies associated with stents typically received it as research support, speaker fees and consulting. There was greater disclosure in the more highly respected journals and in those journals that endorse the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors' guidelines for medical manuscripts.

Financial disclosures are important to help the public and policy makers maintain trust in medical research. This is especially critical when doctors are seeking reliable data about potentially life-saving devices, such as coronary stents.

Stents are used to widen arteries and restore blood flow to the heart, and they can either be bare-metal or coated with drugs, to help prevent the arteries from re-closing. Scientists have been debating which type is more effective and safer.

Research about stents is closely monitored, because results can have an impact on stent manufacturers, other devices that support stents as well as companies that produce stent alternatives. But despite the scrutiny, the researchers noted there was little consistency with financial disclosures.

Rob Califf, MD, director of the Duke Translational Medicine Institute, and senior author of the study, said the information gained from the informal Internet search indicate the need for an Internet-based national repository of information, similar to the clinicaltrials.gov for trial registration.

The DCRI's Kevin Schulman was also a co-author of the study.