title: What is wrong with meta-analysis? The importance of clinical heterogeneity in myocardial regeneration research.
abstract: The author discusses the significance and potential pitfalls in performing a meta-analysis underscoring the importance of a usual forgotten issue in meta-analysis called clinical heterogeneity. Clinical heterogeneity can mislead results and misinform clinicians. Practical examples from the literature are given, and the results of meta-analyses are compared with the results of subsequent large randomised clinical trials addressing similar questions from a historical and contemporary point of view, highlighting clinical heterogeneity. The contemporary aspect culminates with the presentation of a meta-analysis evaluating myocardial cell regeneration with an emphasis in clinical heterogeneity, helping clinicians to understand the issue and better appraise future meta-analyses.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, EPICORE Centre, University of Alberta, 220 College Plaza, Edmonton, AB, Canada, T6G 2C8. marcelo.shibata@ualberta.ca.
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Shibata
mesh_terms: D006321:Heart / Q000502:physiology; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D015201:Meta-Analysis as Topic; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000628:therapy; D012038:Regeneration / Q000502:physiology; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000379:methods