The latest contribution to our understanding of "what works" -- guaranteed to save money according to CER kool-aid drinkers -- from AHRQ:
Comparative Effectiveness of Lipid-Modifying Agents
"Due to these limitations in the available data, we present first our results based on the available evidence for the group requiring intensive lipid lowering when combination treatment is compared to a higher dose of a statin, and then provide a broader perspective using available data in all risk groups comparing combination therapy to any monotherapy statin dose."
Translation into humanspeak: the less than 100 randomized trials we review only gave us a one-size fits all conclusion, which is lousy but we are going to give it to you anyway.
Media translation: "Researchers analyzed 102 published studies on the topic and found no benefit of combination therapy at reducing the risk of death, heart attack, stroke, or the need for bypass surgery over using high doses of statins alone."
Statins May Perform Better as a Solo Act
Combination Therapy for Lowering Cholesterol Not Yet Proven to Be Superior to Statins Alone
By Jennifer Warner
WebMD Health News
Policy translation: Gee, one pill -- especially the cheaper red bill -- is even cheaper than two pills. So let's start everyone on the cheapest pill.
Recommendation:
"Pragmatic trials are required in order to provide relevant guidance to practitioners and patients. In trials of this type, oversampling of populations of interest, including women, ethnic groups, elderly Americans, and persons with diabetes,would help define the relative applicability"
Humanspeak: "We need to spend more money to come up with the same conclusions about needing more research years from now. In the meantime we will tell the press that one cheap pill is just fine."
"...the benefits of additional therapies need to be clearly defined along with attendant risks and costs before advocating widespread use of combination treatment,” writes researcher Mukul Sharma, MD, MSc, of the Canadian Stroke Network in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
http://www.webmd.com/cholesterol-management/news/20090831/statins-may-perform-better-as-a-solo-act
So glad the $1.1 billion in CER money is being put to such good use....
Comparative Effectiveness of Lipid-Modifying Agents
"Due to these limitations in the available data, we present first our results based on the available evidence for the group requiring intensive lipid lowering when combination treatment is compared to a higher dose of a statin, and then provide a broader perspective using available data in all risk groups comparing combination therapy to any monotherapy statin dose."
Translation into humanspeak: the less than 100 randomized trials we review only gave us a one-size fits all conclusion, which is lousy but we are going to give it to you anyway.
Media translation: "Researchers analyzed 102 published studies on the topic and found no benefit of combination therapy at reducing the risk of death, heart attack, stroke, or the need for bypass surgery over using high doses of statins alone."
Statins May Perform Better as a Solo Act
Combination Therapy for Lowering Cholesterol Not Yet Proven to Be Superior to Statins Alone
By Jennifer Warner
WebMD Health News
Policy translation: Gee, one pill -- especially the cheaper red bill -- is even cheaper than two pills. So let's start everyone on the cheapest pill.
Recommendation:
"Pragmatic trials are required in order to provide relevant guidance to practitioners and patients. In trials of this type, oversampling of populations of interest, including women, ethnic groups, elderly Americans, and persons with diabetes,would help define the relative applicability"
Humanspeak: "We need to spend more money to come up with the same conclusions about needing more research years from now. In the meantime we will tell the press that one cheap pill is just fine."
"...the benefits of additional therapies need to be clearly defined along with attendant risks and costs before advocating widespread use of combination treatment,” writes researcher Mukul Sharma, MD, MSc, of the Canadian Stroke Network in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
http://www.webmd.com/cholesterol-management/news/20090831/statins-may-perform-better-as-a-solo-act
So glad the $1.1 billion in CER money is being put to such good use....
