Ann Robinson’s research reviews—25 May 2023

Waking up to diversityWe’ve woken up to the fact that research that focuses on richer countries alone is of limited value. Most of what we know about the epidemiology of common conditions such as heart failure comes from high income countries rather than low and middle income countries. This study of over 23 000 patients with heart failure from 40 low to high income countries found that the percentage of patients receiving optimal treatment was lower (45.7% v 61.9%), standardised mortality rates were higher (19.1 v 7.8/100 person-years), and the risk of dying within a month of first hospital admission was 3-5 times higher in low income compared with high income countries. There were substantial differences in causes, management, and outcomes in heart failure which need to be understood for planning and implementation. Any doctor working in a diverse city such as London will know that narrowly focused research is…
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