Conflicts of Interest in Cardiovascular Clinical Practice Guidelines
In the most recent issue of Archives, a group of US researchers have analysed the cardiovascular clinical practice guidelines on which clinicians rely to make informed decisions about how best to treat patients. Conflicts of interest are contentious in this area because they are known to influence how evidence is reported in a number of interesting ways.
The authors find that conflicts of interest were not as large a problem as many might imagine them to be. My argument here is that 56% of the authors of the clinical practice guidelines may be supported partially (or more) by pharmaceutical companies but they are still writing guidelines based on evidence that may be more dependent on big pharma, from clinical trials that may be funded and designed by big pharma, and with the concerted effort of a 900 billion dollar industry helping them reinforce the need for more pills.
Professor Adam G. Dunn 