Re: Medical Research-Evidence

In article <Qy%9g.973742$xm3.336095@attbi_s21>,
Skeptic <bcs002b@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

"George Conklin" <georgeconklin1@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:WbQ9g.2525$y4.2273@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

[Long list of arguments between the above deleted.]




Here is a comment from another newsgroup:

Both Dale and George are correct.

Dale is correct in that radical prostectomy has been shown to lower
the
death rate due to prostate cancer (see the New England Journal of
Medicine article at:
http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/abstract/347/11/781).

You mean a significant difference was found.

George is correct in that radical prostectomy has been shown to have
no
significant difference over watchful waiting in overall survival
(see
the New England Journal of Medicine article at:
http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/abstract/347/11/781).

Now, what do you have to add with a link?

It is necessary to take into account ALL information.

If one knows how to analyze information, partial
information can be used. In a medical situation,
a decision has to be made NOW; a possible decision
is to wait and see what happens. Those who understand
statistical decision theory have a good idea of what
can and what cannot be done with the information; not
all information is equally useful.

The medical profession is now making recommendations
on what infants should be eating, using some beliefs
which themselves have not been verified. One of
their arguments was that fatter babies lead to fatter
children. I would be extremely surprised if this was
NOT the case; a strain of fatter mice will be fatter
at an early age as well. Whether this is healthier
is another matter; that lean people seem to be healthier
than fat ones does not prove that losing weight to get
to the lean weight is a good idea; that study has not
been made, and is unlikely to be made.


--
This address is for information only. I do not claim that these views
are those of the Statistics Department or of Purdue University.
Herman Rubin, Department of Statistics, Purdue University
hrubin@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Phone: (765)494-6054 FAX: (765)494-0558
.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Medical Research-Evidence
    ... the New England Journal of Medicine article at: ... their arguments was that fatter babies lead to fatter ... than fat ones does not prove that losing weight to get ... to the lean weight is a good idea; ...
    (talk.politics.medicine)
  • Re: Medical Research-Evidence
    ... the New England Journal of Medicine article at: ... their arguments was that fatter babies lead to fatter ... than fat ones does not prove that losing weight to get ... A normal American who stands 5'8" and happens to weigh 230 lbs has a BMI ...
    (talk.politics.medicine)
  • Re: Medical Research-Evidence
    ... the New England Journal of Medicine article at: ... their arguments was that fatter babies lead to fatter ... than fat ones does not prove that losing weight to get ... Actually you have to have a BMI of 35 or greater before any bad effects ...
    (talk.politics.medicine)