Reliability and Validity of Theoretical Integrations

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Critique of Research Studies – Part 3
Article 1 Quantitative study: Squizzato, A., Takeda, A., Middeldorp, S. & Donadini, MP (2017). Clopidogrel plus aspirin versus aspirin alone for preventing cardiovascular events.
1. Results
The quantitative research conducted by Squizzato et al, (2017) reviewed the advantages and disadvantages of using clopidogrel as part of aspirin therapy. The authors reviewed studies to justify why aspirin is an effective prophylactic antiplatelet for people with specific cardiovascular diseases (Squizzato et al, 2017).
The research used structured questions to evaluate why aspirin therapy as a prophylactic antiplatelet drug can help in managing cardiovascular diseases. An online database search was conducted to determine the use of aspirin combined with clopidogrel or aspirin with placebo or aspirin alone can benefit targeting those with different types of cardiovascular disease (Squizzato et al, 2017). The study aimed at identifying the levels of effect of aspirin among patients with different type of coronary diseases, including peripheral arterial diseases, ischemic cerebrovascular diseases and individual at risk of acquiring atherothrombotic diseases but did not necessarily have coronary stent (Squizzato et al, 2017).
Data Analysis & Findings
The data collection process included searching medical related databases. Medline database was the main source of most of the articles reviewed. Other sources included a Cochrane library, government databases with updated ongoing clinical trials, the World Health Organization database and International Clinical Trial Registry Platform.
A total of 15 studies was identified with 33,970 participants identified as high individual (Squizzato et al, 2017). The exclusion criteria included those with a coronary stent (Squizzato et al, 2017). The study results revealed minimal differences in the levels of effectiveness of aspirin when combined with clopidogrel. There were low risks of both nonfatal and fatal myocardial infarction when using the combination as compared to using aspirin with placebo or aspirin alone (Squizzato et al, 2017). The study resulted revealed a reduce risk of fatal and nonfatal ischemic stroke, however, higher risk of major bleeding was noted among individual using clopidogrel combined with aspirin as compared to aspirin combined with placebo or aspirin alone (Squizzato et al, 2017).
Reliability and validity of Theoretical integrations
The research was a thorough review of several recent research studies. The research opted for secondary data, but conducted a systematic review of clinical trials that analyzed the use of Aspirin for more than 30 days (Squizzato et al, 2017). The research included various combinations like clopidogrel combined with low dose aspirin, and comparison between low dose aspirin alone versus a combination of a low dose of aspirin combined with clopidogrel in preventing cardiovascular diseases among specific groups of patients (Squizzato et al, 2017).
Data were extracted from five primary outcomes divided into different categories like serious and not serious ischemic stroke, cardiovascular mortality, both incurable and non-curable myocardial infarction, and other adverse events. Other secondary outcomes were also analyzed, including major bleeding, minor bleeding, and heart failure (Squizzato et al, 2017). The study revealed the beneficial effects of clopidogrel if combined with aspirin to reduce myocardial infarction and ischemic stroke, however, the same combination was associated with certain risk like minor and major bleeding (Squizzato et al, 2017).
2. Discussion
Implications/Recommendations o Implications/Recommendations
In the study, certain secondary outcomes were not available for analysis and could not be obtained from other sources. Meaning that, the overall effect of the treatment combination may be biased. The fact that the use of clopidogrel has certain benefits of antithrombotic patients if combined with aspirin as compared to aspirin alone proves that there is some benefit in such combination. The fact that people at high risk of bleeding were excluded from all trials shows the severity of some of the side effects of including clopidogrel in aspirin therapy in treating cardiovascular diseases.
3. Global Issues
The currently available data show no evidence of the benefits ...