Medical discoveries or pseudoscientific nonsense?

"A stroke most often occur on Mondays.

"The quick-tempered men die young."

"Studies have shown that antioxidants do not work.

So they say. One believe this? The trouble is that the reports of medical studies are filled with newspapers, television and radio broadcasts. How do I know what is and what is not worth paying attention to?

To answer this question easily. You often have to disassemble the truth of this or other information. But it's best to talk about it with your doctor - he was aware of the latest research and can distinguish pseudoscientific nonsense from a working hypothesis, and even more from the already proven facts to consider when treating your illness or the organization of your lifestyle.

Here are the right questions that need to be clarified:

1. What kind of research involved?
* Studies on animals - this is usually the first experiments to test new drugs. The results of these studies do not necessarily coincide with the results of studies on humans, because the other person's immune system, metabolism, and many features that distinguish it from animals.
* Epidemiological studies - cover certain groups and summarize mainly the results of observations. In other words, scientists do not try to change the lives of these people or how to treat them. They simply use the collected data to determine how a certain state of health is related to human behavior. In such studies can be used by the poll results, which participants are responsible for memory and what they think it necessary to reply. Because scientists can not fully control the conditions of these studies, they can not always explain what exactly is the basis of observed relationships. Thus, epidemiological studies reveal the connection, but no unambiguous causal relationships.
* Meta-analytical studies - a theoretical study, which analyzed a large number of studies performed by other scientists. In essence, this generalizing reviews.
* "Gold standard" in medical research are clinical trials using a double-blind method. In double-blind study of new drugs nor the investigator nor the volunteer involved in the study do not know whether the patient a drug or a placebo. Placebo - a tablet that does not have rights to any physical action.
2. How large was the study? How many participants - 12 people or 10 thousand? Number of participants is very important because it demonstrates the scale of the study.
3. What are the statistics? Do not forget that the statistics presented in the study only applies to the treatment group, but not to the entire population. When the report states that the drug by 40% reduces the number of tides, some people mistakenly believe that the probability of hot flashes decreased in each, receiving the tool to 40%. Meanwhile, the rate of 40% may apply to all participants in the study, which involved not only women.
4. Has published the results of this study and where exactly? Scientific papers published in reputable medical journals, pre criticize specialists, professors and doctors of science, so the probability of error is much smaller.
5. How many studies have been conducted on this subject? One study, little is talking about. Before recommending a particular method of treatment, the researchers tested it many times and in different ways.

Try to read between the lines and understand yourself. If something you are particularly interested, your doctor will help you get oriented in a broad flow of medical information.
Rx Montana