Journal of Clinical Epidemiology
Volume 62, Issue 1 , Pages 47-53.e3 , January 2009

Publication bias was not a good reason to discourage trials with low power

  • George F. Borm

      Affiliations

    • Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, the Netherlands
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author.Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics 133, P.O. Box 9101, NL-6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands. Tel.: +31-243617667; fax: +31-243613505.
  • ,
  • Martin den Heijer

      Affiliations

    • Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, the Netherlands
    • Department of Endocrinology, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, the Netherlands
  • ,
  • Gerhard A. Zielhuis

      Affiliations

    • Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, the Netherlands

,Accepted 29 February 2008.

References 

  1. Schulz KF, Grimes DA. Sample size calculations in randomised trials: mandatory and mystical. Lancet. 2005;365(9467):1348–1353
  2. Janosky JE. The ethics of underpowered clinical trials. JAMA. 2002;288:2118
  3. Halpern SD, Karlawish JH, Berlin JA. The continuing unethical conduct of underpowered clinical trials. JAMA. 2002;288:358–362
  4. In:  Rothstein HR,  Sutton AJ,  Borenstein M editor. Publication bias in meta-analysis. Chichester: Wiley; 2005;
  5. Song GF, Eastwood AJ, Gilbody S, Duley L, Sutton AJ. Publication and related biases. Health Technol Assess. 2000;4:1–106
  6. Egger M, Smith GD, Sterne JA. Uses and abuses of meta-analysis. Clin Med. 2001;1:478–484
  7. Dickersin K. How important is publication bias? A synthesis of available data. AIDS Educ Prev. 1997;9(1 Suppl):15–21
  8. Stern JM, Simes RJ. Publication bias: evidence of delayed publication in a cohort study of clinical research projects. BMJ. 1997;315(7109):640–645
  9. Thornton A, Lee P. Publication bias in meta-analysis: its causes and consequences. J Clin Epidemiol. 2000;53:207–216
  10. Contopoulos-Ioannidis DG, Gilbody SM, Trikalinos TA, Churchill R, Wahlbeck K, Ioannidis JP. Comparison of large versus smaller randomized trials for mental health-related interventions. Am J Psychiatry. 2005;162:578–584
  11. Ioannidis JP, Cappelleri JC, Lau J. Issues in comparisons between meta-analyses and large trials. JAMA. 1998;279:1089–1093
  12. Ioannidis JP, Cappelleri JC, Lau J. Meta-analyses and large randomized, controlled trials. N Engl J Med. 1998;338:59–2
  13. LeLorier J, Gregoire G. Comparing results from meta-analyses vs large trials. JAMA. 1998;280:518–519
  14. LeLorier J, Gregoire G, Benhaddad A, Lapierre J, Derderian F. Discrepancies between meta-analyses and subsequent large randomized, controlled trials. N Engl J Med. 1997;337:536–542
  15. Cappelleri JC, Ioannidis JP, Schmid CH, de Ferranti SD, Aubert M, Chalmers TC, et al. Large trials vs meta-analysis of smaller trials: how do their results compare?. JAMA. 1996;276:1332–1338
  16. Villar J, Carroli G, Belizan JM. Predictive ability of meta-analyses of randomised controlled trials. Lancet. 1995;345(8952):772–776
  17. Villar J, Piaggio G, Carroli G, Donner A. Factors affecting the comparability of meta-analyses and largest trials results in perinatology. J Clin Epidemiol. 1997;50:997–1002
  18. Ioannidis JP. Contradicted and initially stronger effects in highly cited clinical research. JAMA. 2005;294:218–228
  19. Zarin DA, Tse T, Ide NC. Trial Registration at ClinicalTrials.gov between May and October 2005. N Engl J Med. 2005;(353):2779–2787
  20. Shrier I, Platt RW, Steele RJ. Mega-trials vs. meta-analysis: precision vs. heterogeneity?. Contemp Clin Trials. 2007;28:324–328
  21. Higgins JP, Thompson SG, Deeks JJ, Altman DG. Measuring inconsistency in meta-analyses. BMJ. 2003;327(7414):557–560

PII: S0895-4356(08)00087-5

doi: 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2008.02.017

Journal of Clinical Epidemiology
Volume 62, Issue 1 , Pages 47-53.e3 , January 2009