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Table 1 Percentage of the clinical population excluded by condition studied

From: Exclusion rates in randomized controlled trials of treatments for physical conditions: a systematic review

 

Number of trials

Median percentage excluded (range excluded)a

All conditions

305

77.1 (0.0 to 100.0)

Cardiovascular conditions

81

74.7 (1.6 to 98.8)

 Heart failure

25

65.0 (18.8 to 92.0)

 Hypertension

22

83.0 (1.6 to 98.8)

 Stroke/transient ischemic attack

21

83.6 (33.2 to 98.4)

 Atrial fibrillation

4

34.9 (32.3 to 41.2)

 Coronary heart disease

4

53.1 (2.8 to 84.5)

 Lipid lowering for primary prevention

4

85.9 (69.7 to 89.1)

 Secondary prevention of myocardial infarction

1

76.8

Diabetes mellitus

16

88.1 (29.8 to 99.0)

 Type 2 diabetes

7

81.7 (49.3 to 96.5)

 Diabetic ulcers

7

93.3 (29.8 to 99.0)

 Type 1 diabetes

2

91.6 (87.5 to 95.6)

Respiratory conditions

78

89.4 (42.4 to 100.0)

 COPD

51

84.3 (42.4 to 100.0)

 Asthma

17

96.0 (64.0 to 100.0)

 Bronchiectasis

10

80.1 (49.0 to 93.0)

Cancer

24

56.6 (13.6 to 81.2)

 Breast cancer

12

56.6 (28.9 to 81.2)

 Lung cancer

3

71.4 (65.4 to 71.9)

 Renal cancer

3

13.6 (13.6 to 48.5)

 Colorectal cancer

2

66.7 (65.7 to 67.6)

 Bladder cancer

1

45.3

 Stomach cancer

1

41.3

 Lymphoma

1

70.4

 Prostate cancer

1

57.1

Rheumatoid arthritis

51

84.0 (56.0 to 98.7)

HIV infection

32

42.0 (0.0 to 67.6)

Other conditions

23

58.3 (23.7 to 88.9)

 Venous thromboembolism prophylaxis

9

41.5 (23.7 to 78.8)

 Venous ulcers

7

83.6 (58.3 to 88.9)

 Brain injury

2

40.5 (35.9 to 45.0)

 Pressure ulcers

1

34.7

 Alzheimer’s disease

1

86.5

 Fibromyalgia

1

52.1

 Irritable bowel syndrome

1

73.1

 Incisional hernia

1

62.5

  1. Abbreviations: COPD chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, HIV human immunodeficiency virus
  2. a Where there is only one trial–clinical population comparison, the number reported is the value for that comparison; where there are two, the median reported is the midpoint value between the two