Publishing Commentary by Authors with Potential Conflicts of Interest: When, Why, and How
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2004)

Editorials6 July 2004Publishing Commentary by Authors with Potential Conflicts of Interest: When, Why, and HowThe EditorsThe EditorsAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-141-1-200407060-00020 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail While some journals do not publish opinion pieces written by authors with declared potential conflicts of interest, Annals sometimes does. In this editorial, we discuss a recent instance that helped us to crystallize our thinking about this prickly topic.The story began when we received an unsolicited critique of the Antihypertensive and Lipid-Lowering Treatment to Prevent Heart Attack Trial (ALLHAT), a randomized study of hypertension therapy (1). The author disclosed financial relationships with several pharmaceutical firms that make drugs for hypertension. We thought that the piece raised important, controversial issues about an influential study. Positive and thoughtful comments from external ...References1. Major outcomes in high-risk hypertensive patients randomized to angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor or calcium channel blocker vs diuretic: The Antihypertensive and Lipid-Lowering Treatment to Prevent Heart Attack Trial (ALLHAT). JAMA. 2002;288:2981-97. [PMID: 12479763] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar2. Messerli FH. ALLHAT, or the soft science of the secondary end point. Ann Intern Med. 2003;139:777-80. [PMID: 14597462] LinkGoogle Scholar3. Neely DB. ALLHAT, or the soft science of the secondary end point [Letter]. Ann Intern Med. 2004;141:77. LinkGoogle Scholar4. Davis BR, Furberg CD, Wright JT, Cutler JA, Whelton P. ALLHAT: setting the record straight. Ann Intern Med. 2004;141:39-46. LinkGoogle Scholar5. DeAngelis CD. Conflict of interest and the public trust [Editorial]. JAMA. 2000;284:2237-8. [PMID: 11056597] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar6. Korn D. Conflicts of interest in biomedical research. JAMA. 2000;284:2234-7. [PMID: 11056596] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar7. Davidoff F, DeAngelis CD, Drazen JM, Hoey J, Højgaard L, Horton R, et al . Sponsorship, authorship, and accountability [Editorial]. Ann Intern Med. 2001;135:463-6. [PMID: 11560460] LinkGoogle Scholar8. Horton R. Conflicts of interest in clinical research: opprobrium or obsession? Lancet. 1997;349:1112-3. [PMID: 9113004] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar9. Relman AS. New "Information for Authors" and readers [Editorial]. N Engl J Med. 1990;323:56. [PMID: 2355959] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar10. Angell M, Kassirer JP. Editorials and conflicts of interest [Editorial]. N Engl J Med. 1996;335:1055-6. [PMID: 8793932] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar11. Drazen JM, Curfman GD. Financial associations of authors [Editorial]. N Engl J Med. 2002;346:1901-2. [PMID: 12063375] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar12. James A, Horton R, Collingridge D, McConnell J, Butcher J. The Lancet's policy on conflicts of interest—2004. Lancet. 2004;363:2-3. [PMID: 14723981] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: Corresponding Author: Customer Service, American College of Physicians, 190 N. Independence Mall West, Philadelphia, PA 19106. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoALLHAT: Setting the Record Straight Barry R. Davis , Curt D. Furberg , Jackson T. Wright Jr. , Jeffrey A. 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