DiNicolantonio JJ, Di Pasquale P,Taylor RS et al. Low sodium versus normal sodium diets in systolic heart failure: Systematic review and meta-analysis

This paper was published on-line in Heart on 21 August 2012. It reports a meta-analysis of six earlier papers.1–6 It has come to our attention that two of these papers contain duplicate data in tables reporting baseline data and treatment effects.3 4 The matter was considered by BMJ Publishing Ethics Committee. The Committee considered that without sight of the raw data on which the two papers containing the duplicate data were based, their reliability could not be substantiated. Following inquiries, it turns out that the raw data are no longer available having been lost as a result of computer failure. Under the circumstances, it was the Committee's recommendation that the Heart meta-analysis should be retracted on the ground that the reliability of the data on which it is based cannot be substantiated.