Dissemination of our reviews is an essential part of increasing the reach of our evidence. We provide several options to our authors - Cochrane Corners in Heart (BMJ) or OpenHeart (BMJ) and abridged versions of the review in international journals such as Cardiologia Croatica. Click the menu items to discover our most recent forms of dissemination (last updated November 2021).
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Clinical Guidelines
A number of our reviews are cited in guidelines and have made significant impact upon policy making. These range from NICE, in the UK, to WHO, globally.
Some examples:
Our 2018 review 'Omega‐3 fatty acids for the primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease' has informed the latest ESC guideline on CVD prevention. View the guidelines here.
Two of our reviews have also informed the latest ESC guideline for the management of valvular heart disease: Massel DR, Little SH. Antiplatelet and anticoagulation for patients with prosthetic heart valves. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2013, Issue 7 and Huffman MD, Karmali KN, Berendsen MA, Andrei AC, Kruse J, McCarthy PM, Malaisrie SC. Concomitant atrial fibrillation surgery for people undergoing cardiac surgery. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2016, Issue 8.
The 2021 Guideline for the Prevention of Stroke in Patients With Stroke and Transient Ischemic Attack: A Guideline From the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association, published in May 2021, cites three Cochrane Heart reviews. The reviews that informed the guidelines are:
- Rees K, Takeda A, Martin N, Ellis L, Wijesekara D, Vepa A, Das A, Hartley L, Stranges S. Mediterranean‐style diet for the primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2019, Issue 3
- Massel DR, Little SH. Antiplatelet and anticoagulation for patients with prosthetic heart valves. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2013, Issue 7
- Anderson L, Oldridge N, Thompson DR, Zwisler AD, Rees K, Martin N, Taylor RS. Exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation for coronary heart disease: Cochrane systematic review and meta-analysis. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2016;67:1–12
[S3-Guideline: Diagnosis, treatment and aftercare of extracranial carotid stenosis]. Berlin: Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gefäßchirurgie und Gefäßmedizin - Gesellschaft für operative, endovaskuläre und präventive Gefäßmedizin e.V. (DGG) Available from: https://www.awmf.org/leitlinien/detail/ll/004-028.html
Eight of our reviews have contributed to the latest recommendations by the ESC on the management of chronic coronary syndromes: 2019 ESC Guidelines for the diagnosis and management of chronic coronary syndromes: The Task Force for the diagnosis and management of chronic coronary syndromes of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).
- Barth J, Jacob T, Daha I, Critchley JA. Psychosocial interventions for smoking cessation in patients with coronary heart disease. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2015;7:CD006886.
- Anderson L, Thompson DR, Oldridge N, Zwisler AD, Rees K, Martin N, Taylor RS. Exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation for coronary heart disease. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2016;1:CD001800.
- Baumeister H, Hutter N, Bengel J. Psychological and pharmacological interventions for depression in patients with coronary artery disease. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2011;9:CD008012.
- Briones E, Lacalle JR, Marin‐Leon I, Rueda JR. Transmyocardial laser revascularization versus medical therapy for refractory angina. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2015, Issue 2. Art. No.: CD003712.
- Clar C, Oseni Z, Flowers N, Keshtkar-Jahromi M, Rees K. Influenza vaccines for preventing cardiovascular disease. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2015;5:CD005050.
- Faris RF, Flather M, Purcell H, Poole‐Wilson PA, Coats AJS. Diuretics for heart failure. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2012, Issue 2. Art. No.: CD003838.
- Salazar CA, Basilio Flores JE, Veramendi Espinoza LE, Mejia Dolores JW, Rey Rodriguez DE, Loza Munarriz C. Ranolazine for stable angina pectoris. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2017;2:CD011747.
- Schmidt AF, Pearce LS, Wilkins JT, Overington JP, Hingorani AD, Casas JP. PCSK9 monoclonal antibodies for the primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2017, Issue 4. Art. No.: CD011748.
Cochrane Clinical Answers
Cochrane Clinical Answers - under Topic: Heart & Circulation
Most recent Q+A:
For people with heart failure, what are the effects of mHealth‐delivered education?
Clinical Trials
The Heart review Exercise‐based cardiac rehabilitation for adults with stable angina has informed the need for a randomised controlled trial to provide high quality evidence as the current evidence base does not yet allow to draw reliable conclusions due to low-quality. See here for details of the NIHR call.
Reviews published in conjunction with The University of Glasgow Cardiac Rehabilitation Cochrane Review Centre have played a role in informing the commissioning of research with three notable examples:
- Rehabilitation Enablement in Chronic Heart Failure (REACH-HF) programme:
REACH-HF aims to develop a new self-help manual for people with heart failure and their caregivers that may help them to manage the condition using the principles of cardiac rehabilitation. The team will then evaluate the clinical effectiveness, cost effectiveness and acceptability of the manual for people with heart failure and their caregivers. - CADENCE:
A feasibility study and pilot RCT to establish methods for assessing the acceptability, and clinical and cost-effectiveness of enhanced psychological care (EPC) in cardiac rehabilitation services for patients with new onset depression compared with treatment as usual: CADENCE - ExTraMATCH II: Exercise-based rehabilitation for chronic heart failure:
Exercise Training for Chronic Heart Failure ExTraMATCH II is an international collaboration which aims to undertake a comprehensive review of contemporary RCT evidence in order to investigate the relationship between exercise training in Heart Failure (HF) and exercise capacity. Using individual participant data (IPD) meta-analysis, the information gained from ExTraMATCH II will inform future clinical and policy decision-making on the use of exercise-based interventions in HF.
NIHR Signals
Providing pressurised air through a mask may improve outcomes for people with deteriorating heart failure (18 June 2019)
A high omega-6 fatty acid diet is unlikely to prevent cardiovascular disease or deaths (19 February 2019)
Routine use of a mechanical compression device is no better than manual chest compression in cardiac arrest (27 November 2018)
Omega-3 supplements do not prevent heart disease, stroke or death (6 November 2018)
Co-publications/citations
View the Cochrane Corner collection in Heart BMJ.
Porritt, Kylie. Exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation for adults with implantable cardioverter defibrillators. British Journal of Community Nursing. 2020. 25(9):460-461. [Cochrane review]
Finn J, Jacobs I, Williams TA, Gates S, Perkins GD. Adrenalina y vasopresina para la parada cardiaca. Emergencias, 2020. 32:133-134. [Cochrane review]
Glavaš D, Mario Ivanuša M. Developments in Diagnosis and Treatment of Heart Failure in 2019. Cardiologia Croatica, 2020. 15(7-8):159-66. [Cochrane review 1 [Cochrane review 2] [Cochrane review 3]
Gómez Otero I, Bouzas Cruz N. ¿Hay evidencia para el bloqueo neurohormonal en pacientes con insuficiencia cardiaca y fracción de eyección conservada? REC: CardioClinics, 2020. 55(3):128-130. [Cochrane review]
Amit G, Nyong J, Morillo CA. Clinical Evidence Synopsis: Efficacy of Catheter Ablation for Nonparoxysmal Atrial Fibrillation. JAMA Cardiology. 2017. 2(7):812–813. [Cochrane review]
Huffman MD, Malaisrie SC, Karmali KN. Clinical Evidence Synopsis: Concomitant Atrial Fibrillation Surgery for People Undergoing Cardiac Surgery. JAMA Cardiology. 2017. 2(3):334–335. [Cochrane review]
Lockwood C. Internet-based interventions for the secondary prevention of coronary heart disease: A Cochrane review summary. International Journal of Nursing Studies. 2017. (73):102-104 [Cochrane review]
Pires da Rosa G, Libanio D, Azevedo LF. Analysis of the Cochrane Review: Fibrates for secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease and stroke. Portuguese Journal of Cardiology. 2017. 36(1):55-8. [Cochrane review]
Interviews
Visit our YouTube channel to see our latest interviews and videos related to our reviews and our work.
Interview with authors of the first Cochrane Review to publish using RoB 2 using RoB 2 functionality built into RevMan Web and the Cochrane Library.
News outlets, blogs and social media
COVID-19 and its cardiovascular effects: a systematic review of prevalence studies - Senior author interview featured on Cochrane.org
Featured Review: Physical activity interventions for people with congenital heart disease - First Cochrane Review using Risk of Bias (RoB 2) as part of the formal pilot that was published in the Cochrane Library
Severe aortic stenosis: keyhole treatment or open heart surgery? - Evidently Cochrane blog April 2020
Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) in severe aortic stenosis patients with low surgical risk – does it spell the end of surgical aortic valve replacement? - Cochrane UK blog 2020
NOACs vs Vitamin K Antagonists in Patients With Anticoagulation Indication Treated With PCI for AFib - Cardiology Advisor January 2020
Interventions for increasing eating of fruit and vegetables in children aged five years and under - Cochrane Knowledge Translation Blogshot - November 2019
Ezetimibe for the prevention of cardiovascular disease and all‐cause mortality events - Cochrane Knowledge Translation Blogshot - September 2019
Which stent is best for heart attacks? - Evidently Cochrane blog January 2018
4 things you need to know about statins - Which.co.uk article 2018
We also tweet about our published reviews and other interesting things relating to the work of our Group. Follow us @CochraneHeart.
Podcasts
Transcatheter aortic valve implantation versus surgical aortic valve replacement in people with severe aortic stenosis and low surgical risk
Amiodarone versus other pharmacological interventions for prevention of sudden cardiac death
Clinical effects of cardiovascular risk scores in people without cardiovascular disease
Hormone therapy for preventing cardiovascular disease in post-menopausal women
Selenium supplementation for the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease
Vitamin C supplementation to prevent cardiovascular disease
Wikipedia
Our reviews inform many Wikipedia entries. Citations of some recent reviews:
Cardiogenic shock - cites: Inotropic agents and vasodilator strategies for the treatment of cardiogenic shock or low cardiac output syndrome (2020)
Cardiovascular disease - cites: Reduction in saturated fat intake for cardiovascular disease (2020)
Fish oil - cites: Omega‐3 fatty acids for the primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease (2020) and Polyunsaturated fatty acids for the primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease (2018)
Atrial fibrillation- cites: Antiarrhythmics for maintaining sinus rhythm after cardioversion of atrial fibrillation (2019)
Quinidine - cites: Antiarrhythmics for maintaining sinus rhythm after cardioversion of atrial fibrillation (2019)
Heart failure - cites: Exercise‐based cardiac rehabilitation for adults with heart failure (2019)
Cardiac rehabilitation - cites: Interventions to promote patient utilisation of cardiac rehabilitation (2019)
Ageing and Mediterranean diet - cite: Mediterranean‐style diet for the primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease (2019)
Pulmonary edema- cites: Non‐invasive positive pressure ventilation (CPAP or bilevel NPPV) for cardiogenic pulmonary oedema (2019)
Childhood obesity - cites: Effects of total fat intake on bodyweight in children (2018)
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation - cites: Mechanical versus manual chest compressions for cardiac arrest (2018)