Additional file 1: Search strings used in the literature database searches.

EBM Reviews - Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects 3rd Quarter 2013

(11.09.2013)

1st search: Beta-Blocking Agents in the management of Hypertension

Population AND Condition AND Intervention AND Outcome AND Limits, Study designs

# ▲ / Searches / Results
Population
1.  / geriatrics.mp. or exp geriatrics/ / 36
2.  / geriatric patient.mp. / 1
3.  / geriatric*.mp. / 258
4.  / (elder$ or geriatric$).ab,ti. / 197
5.  / elder*.mp. / 625
6.  / frail elderly.mp. or exp frail elderly/ / 55
7.  / aged.mp. or exp Aged/ / 4585
8.  / old*.mp. / 1679
9.  / old* adult*.mp. / 243
10.  / old* people*.mp. / 156
11.  / >65.mp. / 792
12.  / over 65.mp. / 60
13.  / or/1-12 / 5844
Condition
14.  / high blood pressure.mp. / 26
15.  / hypertension.mp. or exp hypertension/ / 950
16.  / or/14-15 / 961
Intervention
17.  / beta-blocker.mp. / 87
18.  / beta blocking agent*.mp. / 5
19.  / Adrenergic beta-Antagonists.mp. or exp Adrenergic beta-Antagonists/ / 141
20.  / alprenolol.mp. / 2
21.  / oxprenolol.mp. / 15
22.  / pindolol.mp. / 27
23.  / propranolol.mp. / 68
24.  / timolol.mp. / 31
25.  / sotalol.mp. / 32
26.  / nadolol.mp. / 16
27.  / mepindolol.mp. / 0
28.  / carteolol.mp. / 1
29.  / tertatolol.mp. / 0
30.  / bopindolol.mp. / 2
31.  / bupranolol.mp. / 1
32.  / penbutolol.mp. / 2
33.  / cloranolol.mp. / 0
34.  / practolol.mp. / 5
35.  / metoprolol.mp. / 72
36.  / atenolol.mp. / 76
37.  / acebutolol.mp. / 14
38.  / betaxolol.mp. / 9
39.  / bevantolol.mp. / 0
40.  / bisoprolol.mp. / 37
41.  / celiprolol.mp. / 5
42.  / esmolol.mp. / 10
43.  / epanolol.mp. / 3
44.  / s-atenolol.mp. / 0
45.  / nebivolol.mp. / 15
46.  / talinolol.mp. / 0
47.  / labetalol / 17
48.  / carvedilol / 37
49.  / or/17-48 / 305
Outcome
50.  / mortality.mp. or exp mortality/ / 3813
51.  / quality of life.mp. or exp quality of life/ / 1901
52.  / QOL.mp. / 67
53.  / cardiovascular event.mp. / 49
54.  / myocardial infarction.mp. / 1093
55.  / stroke.mp. / 1204
56.  / hospitalization.mp. or exp hospitalization/ / 237
57.  / hospitalisation.mp. or exp hospitalisation/ / 488
58.  / life expectancy.mp. / 38
59.  / cognitive impairment.mp. / 118
60.  / cognitive status.mp. / 13
61.  / functional status.mp. / 191
62.  / functional impairment.mp. / 29
63.  / renal failure.mp. / 168
64.  / renal insufficiency.mp. or exp renal insufficiency/ / 97
65.  / adverse drug event.mp. / 1
66.  / adverse effects.mp. or exp adverse effects/ / 5162
67.  / drug toxicity.mp. or exp drug toxicity/ / 67
68.  / safety.mp. / 2721
69.  / patient safety.mp. or exp patient safety/ / 68
70.  / falls.mp. / 168
71.  / delirium.mp. or exp delirium/ / 67
72.  / or/50-71 / 10827
Limits, Study designs
73.  / (systematic review.ti. or meta-analysis.pt. or meta-analysis.ti. or systematic literature review.ti. or (systematic review.ti,ab. and review.pt.) or consensus development conference.pt. or practice guideline.pt. or cochrane database of systematic reviews.jn. or acp journal club.jn. or health technology assessment winchester england.jn. or evidence report technology assessment summary.jn. or drug class reviews.ti. or (clinical guideline and management).tw. or ((evidence based.ti. or evidence-based medicine.sh. or best practice*.ti. or evidence synthesis.ti,ab.) and (((review.pt. or diseases category.mp. or behaviour.sh.) and behavior mechanisms.mp.) or therapeutics.sh. or evaluation studies.pt. or validation studies.pt. or guideline.pt. or pmcbook.mp.)) or (((systematic or systematically).tw. or critical.ti,ab. or study selection.tw. or ((predetermined or inclusion) and criteri*).tw. or exclusion criteri*.tw. or main outcome measures.tw. or standard of care.tw. or standards of care.tw.) and ((survey or surveys).ti,ab. or overview*.tw. or review.ti,ab. or reviews.ti,ab. or search*.tw. or handsearch.tw. or analysis.ti,ab. or critique.ti,ab. or appraisal.tw. or (reduction.tw. and (risk.sh. or risk.tw.) and (death or recurrence).mp.)) and ((literature or articles or publications or publication or bibliography or bibliographies or published).ti,ab. or unpublished.tw. or citation.tw. or citations.tw. or database.ti,ab. or internet.ti,ab. or textbooks.ti,ab. or references.tw. or scales.tw. or papers.tw. or datasets.tw. or trials.ti,ab. or meta-analy*.tw. or (clinical and studies).ti,ab. or treatment outcome.sh. or treatment outcome.tw. or pmcbook.mp.))) not (letter or newspaper article or comment).pt. / 22082
Population AND Condition AND Intervention AND Outcome AND Limits, Study designs
74.  / 13 and 16 and 49 and 72 and 73 / 52

No Limits

Total hits: 52

NO DUPLICATES

EBM Reviews - Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2005 to July 2013

(11.09.2013)

1st search: Beta-Blocking Agents in the management of Hypertension

Population AND Condition AND Intervention AND Outcome AND Limits, Study designs

# ▲ / Searches / Results
Population
1.  / geriatrics.mp. or exp geriatrics/ / 55
2.  / geriatric patient.mp. / 1
3.  / geriatric*.mp. / 212
4.  / (elder$ or geriatric$).ab,ti. / 84
5.  / elder*.mp. / 930
6.  / frail elderly.mp. or exp frail elderly/ / 37
7.  / aged.mp. or exp Aged/ / 2361
8.  / old*.mp. / 3410
9.  / old* adult*.mp. / 233
10.  / old* people*.mp. / 353
11.  / >65.mp. / 1954
12.  / over 65.mp. / 1954
13.  / or/1-12 / 4962
Condition
14.  / high blood pressure.mp. / 225
15.  / hypertension.mp. or exp hypertension/ / 1233
16.  / or/14-15 / 1263
Intervention
17.  / beta-blocker.mp. / 95
18.  / beta blocking agent*.mp. / 11
19.  / Adrenergic beta-Antagonists.mp. or exp Adrenergic beta-Antagonists/ / 42
20.  / alprenolol.mp. / 13
21.  / oxprenolol.mp. / 26
22.  / pindolol.mp. / 31
23.  / propranolol.mp. / 78
24.  / timolol.mp. / 36
25.  / sotalol.mp. / 28
26.  / nadolol.mp. / 27
27.  / mepindolol.mp. / 9
28.  / carteolol.mp. / 15
29.  / tertatolol.mp. / 7
30.  / bopindolol.mp. / 8
31.  / bupranolol.mp. / 11
32.  / penbutolol.mp. / 11
33.  / cloranolol.mp. / 5
34.  / practolol.mp. / 14
35.  / metoprolol.mp. / 50
36.  / atenolol.mp. / 53
37.  / acebutolol.mp. / 21
38.  / betaxolol.mp. / 19
39.  / bevantolol.mp. / 7
40.  / bisoprolol.mp. / 25
41.  / celiprolol.mp. / 17
42.  / esmolol.mp. / 21
43.  / epanolol.mp. / 8
44.  / s-atenolol.mp. / 0
45.  / nebivolol.mp. / 15
46.  / talinolol.mp. / 7
47.  / labetalol.mp. / 29
48.  / carvedilol.mp. / 28
49.  / or/17-48 / 187
Outcome
50.  / mortality.mp. or exp mortality/ / 3805
51.  / quality of life.mp. or exp quality of life/ / 3993
52.  / QOL.mp. / 569
53.  / cardiovascular event.mp. / 69
54.  / myocardial infarction.mp. / 674
55.  / stroke.mp. / 1053
56.  / hospitalization.mp. or exp hospitalization/ / 472
57.  / hospitalisation.mp. or exp hospitalisation/ / 1237
58.  / life expectancy.mp. / 269
59.  / cognitive impairment.mp. / 342
60.  / cognitive status.mp. / 36
61.  / functional status.mp. / 356
62.  / functional impairment.mp. / 133
63.  / renal failure.mp. / 468
64.  / renal insufficiency.mp. or exp renal insufficiency/ / 119
65.  / adverse drug event.mp. / 4
66.  / adverse effects.mp. or exp adverse effects/ / 4676
67.  / drug toxicity.mp. or exp drug toxicity/ / 68
68.  / safety.mp. / 3424
69.  / patient safety.mp. or exp patient safety/ / 93
70.  / falls.mp. / 403
71.  / delirium.mp. or exp delirium/ / 103
72.  / or/50-71 / 7360
Limits, Study designs
73.  / (systematic review.ti. or meta-analysis.pt. or meta-analysis.ti. or systematic literature review.ti. or (systematic review.ti,ab. and review.pt.) or consensus development conference.pt. or practice guideline.pt. or cochrane database of systematic reviews.jn. or acp journal club.jn. or health technology assessment winchester england.jn. or evidence report technology assessment summary.jn. or drug class reviews.ti. or (clinical guideline and management).tw. or ((evidence based.ti. or evidence-based medicine.sh. or best practice*.ti. or evidence synthesis.ti,ab.) and (((review.pt. or diseases category.mp. or behaviour.sh.) and behavior mechanisms.mp.) or therapeutics.sh. or evaluation studies.pt. or validation studies.pt. or guideline.pt. or pmcbook.mp.)) or (((systematic or systematically).tw. or critical.ti,ab. or study selection.tw. or ((predetermined or inclusion) and criteri*).tw. or exclusion criteri*.tw. or main outcome measures.tw. or standard of care.tw. or standards of care.tw.) and ((survey or surveys).ti,ab. or overview*.tw. or review.ti,ab. or reviews.ti,ab. or search*.tw. or handsearch.tw. or analysis.ti,ab. or critique.ti,ab. or appraisal.tw. or (reduction.tw. and (risk.sh. or risk.tw.) and (death or recurrence).mp.)) and ((literature or articles or publications or publication or bibliography or bibliographies or published).ti,ab. or unpublished.tw. or citation.tw. or citations.tw. or database.ti,ab. or internet.ti,ab. or textbooks.ti,ab. or references.tw. or scales.tw. or papers.tw. or datasets.tw. or trials.ti,ab. or meta-analy*.tw. or (clinical and studies).ti,ab. or treatment outcome.sh. or treatment outcome.tw. or pmcbook.mp.))) not (letter or newspaper article or comment).pt. / 8328
Population AND Condition AND Intervention AND Outcome AND Limits, Study designs
74.  / 13 and 16 and 49 and 72 and 73 / 78

No Limits

Total hits: 78

No duplicates

Embase 1974 to 2013 October 16 (17.10.2013)

2nd search: Beta-Blocking Agents in the management of Hypertension

Population AND Condition AND Intervention AND Outcome AND Limits, Study designs

# ▲ / Searches / Results
Population
1.  / geriatrics.mp. or exp geriatrics/ / 49328
2.  / geriatric patient.mp. / 15233
3.  / geriatric*.mp. / 109775
4.  / (elder$ or geriatric$).ab,ti. / 264950
5.  / elder*.mp. / 261420
6.  / frail elderly.mp. or exp frail elderly/ / 7051
7.  / aged.mp. or exp Aged/ / 3075406
8.  / old*.mp. / 1236537
9.  / old* adult*.mp. / 43626
10.  / old* people*.mp. / 23162
11.  / >65.mp. / 366563
12.  / over 65.mp. / 7150
13.  / or/1-12 / 4219888
Condition
14.  / high blood pressure.mp. / 14291
15.  / hypertension.mp. or exp hypertension/ / 624673
16.  / or/14-15 / 626771
Intervention
17.  / beta-blocker.mp. / 14090
18.  / beta blocking agent*.mp. / 2604
19.  / Adrenergic beta-Antagonists.mp. or exp Adrenergic beta-Antagonists/ / 238433
20.  / alprenolol.mp. / 5096
21.  / oxprenolol.mp. / 5507
22.  / pindolol.mp. / 10800
23.  / propranolol.mp. / 94064
24.  / timolol.mp. / 12571
25.  / sotalol.mp. / 11335
26.  / nadolol.mp. / 4966
27.  / mepindolol.mp. / 370
28.  / carteolol.mp. / 1471
29.  / tertatolol.mp. / 354
30.  / bopindolol.mp. / 302
31.  / bupranolol.mp. / 1007
32.  / penbutolol.mp. / 911
33.  / cloranolol.mp. / 62
34.  / practolol.mp. / 5669
35.  / metoprolol.mp. / 28462
36.  / atenolol.mp. / 27539
37.  / acebutolol.mp. / 4982
38.  / betaxolol.mp. / 3054
39.  / bevantolol.mp. / 232
40.  / bisoprolol.mp. / 6423
41.  / celiprolol.mp. / 1435
42.  / esmolol.mp. / 3763
43.  / epanolol.mp. / 109
44.  / s-atenolol.mp. / 52
45.  / nebivolol.mp. / 2419
46.  / talinolol.mp. / 651
47.  / labetalol.mp. / 8817
48.  / carvedilol.mp. / 10370
49.  / or/17-48 / 245556
Outcome
50.  / mortality.mp. or exp mortality/ / 870068
51.  / quality of life.mp. or exp quality of life/ / 296293
52.  / QOL.mp. / 30472
53.  / cardiovascular event.mp. / 3403
54.  / myocardial infarction.mp. / 185149
55.  / stroke.mp. / 249263
56.  / hospitalization.mp. or exp hospitalization/ / 255712
57.  / hospitalisation.mp. or exp hospitalisation/ / 14632
58.  / life expectancy.mp. / 39320
59.  / cognitive impairment.mp. / 39510
60.  / cognitive status.mp. / 3749
61.  / functional status.mp. / 32982
62.  / functional impairment.mp. / 12687
63.  / renal failure.mp. / 101191
64.  / renal insufficiency.mp. or exp renal insufficiency/ / 232771
65.  / adverse drug event.mp. / 693
66.  / adverse effects.mp. or exp adverse effects/ / 108688
67.  / drug toxicity.mp. or exp drug toxicity/ / 82468
68.  / safety.mp. / 605710
69.  / patient safety.mp. or exp patient safety/ / 56206
70.  / falls.mp. / 36736
71.  / delirium.mp. or exp delirium/ / 19532
72.  / or/50-71 / 2615292
Limits, Study designs
73.  / (systematic review.ti. or meta-analysis.pt. or meta-analysis.ti. or systematic literature review.ti. or (systematic review.ti,ab. and review.pt.) or consensus development conference.pt. or practice guideline.pt. or cochrane database of systematic reviews.jn. or acp journal club.jn. or health technology assessment winchester england.jn. or evidence report technology assessment summary.jn. or drug class reviews.ti. or (clinical guideline and management).tw. or ((evidence based.ti. or evidence-based medicine.sh. or best practice*.ti. or evidence synthesis.ti,ab.) and (((review.pt. or diseases category.mp. or behaviour.sh.) and behavior mechanisms.mp.) or therapeutics.sh. or evaluation studies.pt. or validation studies.pt. or guideline.pt. or pmcbook.mp.)) or (((systematic or systematically).tw. or critical.ti,ab. or study selection.tw. or ((predetermined or inclusion) and criteri*).tw. or exclusion criteri*.tw. or main outcome measures.tw. or standard of care.tw. or standards of care.tw.) and ((survey or surveys).ti,ab. or overview*.tw. or review.ti,ab. or reviews.ti,ab. or search*.tw. or handsearch.tw. or analysis.ti,ab. or critique.ti,ab. or appraisal.tw. or (reduction.tw. and (risk.sh. or risk.tw.) and (death or recurrence).mp.)) and ((literature or articles or publications or publication or bibliography or bibliographies or published).ti,ab. or unpublished.tw. or citation.tw. or citations.tw. or database.ti,ab. or internet.ti,ab. or textbooks.ti,ab. or references.tw. or scales.tw. or papers.tw. or datasets.tw. or trials.ti,ab. or meta-analy*.tw. or (clinical and studies).ti,ab. or treatment outcome.sh. or treatment outcome.tw. or pmcbook.mp.))) not (letter or newspaper article or comment).pt. / 185394
Population AND Condition AND Intervention AND Outcome AND Limits, Study designs
74.  / 13 and 16 and 49 and 72 and 73 / 177

No Limits

Total hits: =177

No. of duplicates = 26

Ovid MEDLINE(R) 1946 to October Week 1 2013, Ovid MEDLINE(R) In-Process & Other Non-Indexed Citations October 01, 2013 (17.10.2013)

2nd search: Beta-Blocking Agents in the management of Hypertension

Population AND Condition AND Intervention AND Outcome AND Limits, Study designs

# ▲ / Searches / Results
Population
1.  / geriatrics.mp. or exp geriatrics/ / 30457
2.  / geriatric patient.mp. / 1211
3.  / geriatric*.mp. / 77878