Study	Reason for exclusion
Bartolucci (INNOVA) 2015	Design: non‐randomized prospective controlled trial (participants assigned in order of entry into experimental or control group). Population: included a mixed population (13/23 idiopathic DCM in experimental arm and 10/23 ischaemic DCM in control arm). No specific data for participants with non‐ischaemic DCM provided.
Bartolucci (RIMECARD) 2017	Population: included a mixed population (quote: "ischaemic cardiomyopathy was the predominant pathogenesis of HFrEF [heart failure with reduced ejection fraction] (21 patients, 70%"). No specific data for participants with non‐ischaemic DCM provided.
Bocchi 2010	Design: although the study randomized participants to 2 different groups of SCT (immediate or deferred administration of G‐SCF), the results presented in the paper compared SCT vs a non‐randomized external control group.
Butler 2017	Design: placebo‐controlled cross‐over randomized trial.
Chen 2008	Design: not an RCT (non‐randomized controlled trial).
Fischer‐Rasokat 2009	Design: not an RCT (prospective single cohort study). Corresponded to the pilot study (TOPCARE‐DCM).
Huang 2006	Design: not an RCT (non‐randomized controlled trial).
Kakuchaya 2011	Abstract only (no full paper was even though abstract published in 2011).
Miyagawa 2017	Wong population.
NCT02256501	Population: children.
Perin (REVASCOR) 2015	Population: included a mixed population (participants had either non‐ischaemic or ischaemic cardiomyopathy; more participants with ischaemic cardiomyopathy (77%). No specific data for participants for non‐ischaemic DCM provided.
Premer 2015	Wrong population.
Tompkins 2018	Wrong design.
Xiao 2012a	Population: people with ischaemic DCM.
Xiao 2012b	Population: people with ischaemic DCM.
Yau 2019	People undergoing a left ventricular assist device implant
Zemljic 2017	Mixed population; wrong outcomes.

DCM: dilated cardiomyopathy; G‐SCF: granulocyte‐colony stimulating factor; RCT: randomized controlled trial.