Table 4

Withdrawn participants

Participants withdrawn prior to any study medication

Participants withdrawn during intervention period

Person-years lost to withdrawal

384.2

(n = 59)

(n = 226)

Death

8.5% (n = 5)

38.5% (n = 87)

Illness

17.0% (n = 10)

23.0% (n = 52)

Disinterest/too busy

10.2% (n = 6)

13.7% (n = 31)

Old age/dementia

11.9% (n = 7)

8.0% (n = 18)

Personal reasons/no reason

15.3% (n = 9)

6.2% (n = 14)

Discouraged by family or Doctor

6.8% (n = 4)

1.3% (n = 3)

Avoiding unnecessary tablets/tests

11.9% (n = 7)

2.2% (n = 5)

Met exclusionary criteria

11.9% (n = 7)

Other

6.8% (n = 4)

7.0% (n = 16)

Number of participants in parenthesis

Sanders et al. BMC Medical Research Methodology 2009 9:78   doi:10.1186/1471-2288-9-78