A new meta-analysis upends the belief that red meat is bad and vegetables are good. How can that be? It begins by reassessing how researchers “weigh” the impact and uncertainty of the studies they consider.
meta-analysis
Our resident pediatrician always advises us not to be fooled by the cuteness. New research analyzed science reporting in newspapers, the results aren't pretty. Beware of shiny-object syndrome!
A recent meta-analysis concluded, counterintuitively, that e-cigarettes might actually increase smoking instead of reducing it. How could that be? Dr. Stan Young, a ACSH Scientific Advisory Panel member, details how a meta-analysis works, and how it is so often misused.
We ve known for a long time that people can reduce their risk of cardiovascular events (heart attacks and strokes) if they habitually consume moderate amounts of alcoholic beverages no more than one or two standard drinks per day. But the data on stroke in particular have been somewhat inconclusive. Now a huge new meta-analysis demonstrates that some alcohol consumption may significantly reduce the risk of stroke.