[Evidence-based cardiology: practical applications from epidemiology I. The evaluation of a novel drug or therapy]. / Cardiología "basada en la evidencia": aplicaciones prácticas de la epidemiología I. La valoración de medicamentos o terapias novedosas.

The substantial increase of randomized controlled trials demand familiarity with the essential aspects of their design and performance by the cardiologist, particularly the adequate interpretation and applicability of the results. In this clinically-based review, we discuss some important aspects in the assessment of novel contemporary therapy such as the use and analysis of composite endpoints; implications from early termination of trials and extrapolation of results to the population.