Vast majority of cardiovascular guidelines rely on less than stellar evidence

Over 90 percent of guidelines issued by some major cardiovascular groups are not based on rigorous evidence, according to a new study. The researchers — including former FDA Commissioner Robert Califf — looked at more than 6,300 recommendations for various measures, including blood pressure and cholesterol management, from the American College of Cardiology, the American Heart Association, and the European Society of Cardiology. Just 8.5 percent of all ACC and AHA guidelines and 14 percent of ESC guidelines came from evidence from multiple randomized controlled trials, which are considered the gold standard for scientific studies. The study comes amid a larger discussion over the use and value of “real-world” evidence collected outside of a traditional clinical trial.