Constructing common cohorts from trials with overlapping eligibility criteria: implications for comparing effect sizes between trials

BACKGROUND: Comparing findings from separate trials is necessary to choose among treatment options, however differences among study cohorts may impede these comparisons. PURPOSE: As a case study, to examine the overlap of study cohorts in two large randomized controlled clinical trials that assess interventions to reduce risk of major cardiovascular disease events in adults with type 2 diabetes in order to explore the feasibility of cross-trial …