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Review
. 2024 Oct 21;23(7):818-824.
doi: 10.1093/eurjcn/zvae020.

Hitting the (bio)mark Part 2: analysing, interpreting, and reporting biomarker data in cardiovascular research

Quin E Denfeld  1 , Bo Daelman  2 , Brittany Butts  3
Affiliations
Review

Hitting the (bio)mark Part 2: analysing, interpreting, and reporting biomarker data in cardiovascular research

Quin E Denfeld et al. Eur J Cardiovasc Nurs. .

Abstract

Incorporating biomarkers into cardiovascular studies, including nursing research, is a common approach when identifying underlying mechanisms and providing targets for intervention. However, effective utilization of biomarker data demands careful consideration. In the analysis, interpretation, and reporting phase, there are many facets to consider, including non-normality of the data, normalization procedures, and potential confounding influences of other clinical data. Furthermore, as many studies focus on patient-reported outcomes (PROs), it is important that the analysis and interpretation of biomarkers in relation to PROs is rigorous and reproducible. In this article, Part 2 of 2, we provide an overview of considerations for the analysis, interpretation, and reporting phases of biomarker studies. We also provide an example of these steps.

Keywords: Biomarkers; Research methods.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest: none declared.

Figures

Central Illustration
Central Illustration
Overview of the eight steps for incorporating biomarkers in cardiovascular nursing research.
Figure 1
Figure 1
Biomarker distribution before (panels A and B) and after (panels C and D) logarithmic transformation with normal curves superimposed.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Example application of analytical model and findings. HOMA-IR, homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance; MLHFQ, Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire. Created with BioRender.com
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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