Exploratory Analysis of Retracted Cardiovascular Diseases Publications

Abstract Background There is a lack of studies that examine the nature of retraction in the discipline of cardiovascular diseases. The objective of this research was, therefore, to report comprehensively on the nature and trend of retracted cardiovascular disease publications.Methods Medline (PubMed), Cochrane Library, Web of Science, EMBASE, and Retraction Watch databases were utilized to identify retracted publications on cardiovascular diseases from a database-specific inception date to June 10, 2019.Results A total of 568 publications met our eligibility criteria. With regard to the first author’s continent of affiliation, the majority of retracted publications 251 (44.1%) originated from Asia. In 2000, the number of retracted publications began to trend up, and it peaked in 2015, with 76 (13.4%) publications being retracted that year. The mean number of times a publication was cited prior to retraction was 37 times, with a standard deviation of 76. Basic science publications and animal studies represented almost 43% of the total retracted publications relating to cardiovascular disease. Misconduct was the main reason for retractions in 249 (43.3%) publications, followed by scientific error by authors, 215 (37.8%). Almost 61% of the retracted studies were present in their intact form, with no watermark indicating retraction. Conclusions The trend of retracting publications within the field of cardiovascular diseases is increasing. Certain papers are still being cited even after retraction. Moreover, a significant number of retracted publications are still present with no watermark indicating retraction. The consequences of the continued usage of these retracted publications could be detrimental and harmful.