Randomized controlled trials of switching to a new medication vs continuing a chronic medication may underestimate the risk of adverse events in those continuing because of asymmetric depletion of susceptibles

Affiliations

• ¹ Sinai Health System, Division of General Internal Medicine, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Electronic address: [email protected].
• ² Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
• ³ Sinai Health System, Division of General Internal Medicine, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
• ⁴ Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Medicine and Laboratory Medicine & Pathobiology, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
• ⁵ Department of Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
• ⁶ Sinai Health System, Division of General Internal Medicine, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.