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The progressive substitution of hazard ratios for relative risks in biomedical research

Author

Listed:
  • Paul Monsarrat

    (Paul Sabatier University
    Université de Toulouse)

  • Jean-Noel Vergnes

    (Paul Sabatier University
    McGill University)

Abstract

In biomedical research, epidemiological measures of risk/effect [effect sizes (ESs)] are predominantly derived from risk (or rate) ratios (RRs), odds ratios (ORs), or hazard ratios (HRs). Using the whole PubMed database, we detailed in this paper a phenomenon not yet described: a massive trend for HRs to be globally used as substitutes for RRs. All PubMed citations were bulk-downloaded and a data mining process led to a comprehensive database of 1,071,584 ES values. The proportion of abstracts containing only HR has exploded since the 2000s, while we observe an inverse trend for abstracts containing only RR. The annual number of abstracts with HR exceeded the number of abstracts with RR for 2006. The average annual growth rate of the number of abstracts with RR only and HR only between 1980 and 2017 was 15.1% and 32.6%, respectively. Training on HRs has become essential in the statistical education of physicians. Since the interpretation of HRs is slightly more difficult than that of ORs or RRs, it is also important to improve day-to-day communication with patients regarding this quite complex entity.

Suggested Citation

  • Paul Monsarrat & Jean-Noel Vergnes, 2019. "The progressive substitution of hazard ratios for relative risks in biomedical research," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 119(2), pages 1263-1267, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:scient:v:119:y:2019:i:2:d:10.1007_s11192-019-03059-2
    DOI: 10.1007/s11192-019-03059-2
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