The accuracy of cause of death ascribed on the death certificate in the three groups (cardiovascular, cancer, and other) was compared with that adjudicated by study physicians using hospital records.
The percent agreement of cause of death ascribed on the death certificate with that adjudicated by study physicians using hospital records was 63%, with no significant difference between those with and without diabetes.
The outcomes were all-cause and CVD mortality (adjudicated by a blinded panel using predefined adjudication processes).
Slides were read by cytoscreeners, with abnormal findings adjudicated by pathologists and reported using the Bethesda 2001 system.
The final diagnosis was centrally adjudicated by 2 independent cardiologists using all available information, including coronary angiography and serial levels of high-sensitivity cTnT.
An independent blinded committee reviewed and adjudicated all end points by using predefined criteria and all available reported adverse events, laboratory data, and case narratives.
All endpoints were adjudicated by a blinded endpoint committee using rigorous guideline definitions.
All major CVD events and all other deaths were adjudicated by an outcomes assessment committee using prespecified definitions and while unaware of treatment allocation.
An incident unrecognized Q-wave MI was defined as a Q wave (Minnesota codes 1-1 through 1-2 only) in the absence of an event as adjudicated by the end point committee using European Society of Cardiology definitions during the course of the study (5, 6, 8, 9).
End points were adjudicated by a blinded end-point committee using rigorous guideline definitions.
