This table depicts the predetermined screening numerical codes and descriptions used for study analysis of methodological rigor across all studies.

This table lists the information collected during screening across all studies.

There is a diverse range of preclinical cardiovascular research studies published over the last decade.

(A) This figure depicts the proportion of studies included in our analysis were animal only or human/animal studies. (B) This figure depicts the proportions of studies included in our analysis from various publication years between 2011-2021. (C) This figure depicts the proportions of studies included in our analysis from each of nine high impact scientific journals. (D) This figure depicts the range of species used in the sample populations of studies included in our analysis. Mice and rats were the most commonly studied animal models across all studies. (E) This figure depicts the main range of topics the articles used in this study primarily investigated.

These tables depict the descriptive statistics for SDEs analyzed for animal only studies vs animal or human substudies in human/animal studies.

Percentage of studies with SDE inclusion in preclinical cardiovascular research between 2011-2021 differed across the four SDEs screened.

Percentages are reported for animal models used in all 298 eligible studies, regardless of whether the experimental design included human substudies. The percentage of studies including both biological sexes, randomization, blinding, and sample size estimation showed no statistically significant difference between 2011-2021 (median-based linear analysis).

The percentage of SDE inclusion in preclinical cardiovascular research between 2011-2021 generally varied across the four most prevalent journals.

(A) Both Sexes Analysis: The percentage of studies including animals of both biological sexes generally increased across all four most journals, but no statistically significant differences were found (corrected p=2.281) (Kruskal-Wallis test analysis). (B) Randomization Analysis: The percentage of studies using randomization generally increased in studies from Eur Heart J and J Am Coll Cardiol, but decreased across studies from Proc Natl Acad Sci and Nature (Kruskal-Wallis Test). However, no statistically significant differences were found (corrected p=1.526) (C) Blinding Analysis: Similar results for randomization inclusion apply to blinding inclusion. Likewise, no statistically significant differences were found (corrected p=0.967) (Kruskal-Wallis test analysis). (D) Sample Size Analysis: The percentage of studies implementing statistical sample size estimations increased in studies screened from Eur Heart J and Nature, and decreased across those screened from Proc Natl Acad Sci and J Am Coll Cardiol (Kruskal-Wallis Test analysis). Still, no statistically significant differences were found (corrected p=2.804).

SDE inclusion varied in Human/Animal (HA) vs Animal Only (AO) studies.

(A) Both Sexes Analysis: This figure depicts the inclusion of both sexes vs single sex in human/animal studies vs animal only studies (Chi-Squared analysis). (B) Randomization Analysis: This figure depicts the inclusion of randomization in human/animal studies vs animal only studies (Chi-Squared analysis). (C) Blinding Analysis: This figure depicts the inclusion of blinding in human/animal studies vs animal only studies (Chi-Squared analysis). (D) Sample Size Analysis: This figure depicts the inclusion of sample size estimation in human/animal studies vs animal only studies (Chi-Squared analysis).

SDE inclusion for animal vs human substudies also varied within human/animal studies.

(A) Human/Animal Studies: Both Sexes Analysis. This figure depicts the inclusion of both sexes vs single sex in human vs animal substudies in human/animal studies (Chi-Squared analysis). (B) Human/Animal Studies: Randomization Analysis. This figure depicts the inclusion of randomization in human vs animal substudies in human/animal studies(Chi-Squared analysis). (C) Human/Animal Studies: Blinding Analysis. This figure depicts the inclusion of blinding in human vs animal substudies in human/animal studies (Chi-Squared analysis). (D) Human/Animal Studies: Sample Size Analysis This figure depicts the inclusion of sample size estimation in human vs animal substudies in human/animal studies (Chi-Squared analysis).

Proportion of SDE inclusion in preclinical cardiovascular studies differs between studies consisting of either small or large animal substudies from 2011-2021.

(A) Sex as a Biological Variable Analysis: This figure compares the proportion of articles that reported incorporation of both sexes, a single sex, or omission of reporting for small or large animals (Chi-Squared analysis). (B) Randomization Analysis: This figure compares the proportion of articles that reported randomization for small or large animals (Chi-Squared analysis). (C) Blinding Analysis: This figure compares the proportion of articles that reported randomization for small or large animals (Chi-Squared analysis). (D) Sample Size Estimation Analysis: This figure compares the proportion of studies that reported use of sample size estimation for small or large animals (Chi-Squared analysis).

Sex inclusion in the study population varied in rodent vs other animal studies.

This figure compares the proportion of rodent studies and non-rodent animal studies that were single-sex studies (Chi-Squared analysis).