Invited review<br>Morbidity and mortality trials: black and white or shades of grey?

Gordon McInnes

ISSN: 1734-1922

Archives of Medical Science Special Issues

Current issue Archive Archives of Medical Science

2/2009

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abstract:

Invited review
Morbidity and mortality trials: black and white or shades of grey?

Gordon McInnes

Arch Med Sci 2009; 5, 2A: S 282–S 293

Online publish date: 2009/08/04

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The evidence base for the drug treatment of hypertension is robust (black and white). The importance of rigorous blood pressure control is reasonably well established. The advantages or disadvantages of particular drug classes or regimens is much less clear (shades of grey). Even carefully conducted meta-analyses have failed to identify important differences in morbidity and mortality. Some drugs may have advantages for some end points (including intermediate or surrogate outcomes) but the overall influence on the individual is likely to be neutral. The future focus should be on strategies to control blood pressure rather than a futile search for benefit beyond blood pressure reduction.

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Invited reviewMorbidity and mortality trials: black and white or shades of grey?

Gordon McInnes

morbidity, mortality

Invited review
Morbidity and mortality trials: black and white or shades of grey?