Have You Heard??

Making sense of alarming news reports about health

BY Cherri Straus

Is your milk safe to drink? Do you know what bugs may be lurking in your coat lining? Are you at risk for brain tumors from your cell phone? News at 11!

It seems that whenever you turn on the TV news, read a newspaper or magazine, or surf the Internet, you are bombarded with reports about “important” new medical findings or results of the latest medical research. Some of these reports can be very frightening because they often imply risk of contracting a specific disease or developing some type of serious health problem. You may become worried about your own health safety because the risks sound so serious.

Statements about risk can be very confusing to understand. It is also confusing and frustrating to read or hear news about medical studies that report different results, or contradict each other. How can you make sense of all the health news you hear and how do you know what to believe?

Why Is Health in the News So Often?

There has been a growing public interest in health issues during the past two decades. More people want to know about quick solutions to feeling younger and healthier, and how to avoid the health effects of aging.

Many TV reporters try to make routine stories sound dramatic in order to increase the number of viewers. (“Is the health of your loved one at risk? Stay tuned!”)

Some researchers and scientists seeking public recognition and fame may exaggerate their findings in order to become newsworthy.

Understanding “Risk”

When news reporters talk about findings from studies such as clinical trials, they talk about benefits and risks. Risk can be relative or absolute.

Relative risk is usually shown as a percent when explaining the difference between the findings of two groups. It compares the likelihood that someone will have health problems because of a certain action (exercising, not exercising, taking a certain drug, etc.) to someone who does not take that action.

Absolute risk is just a number found by subtraction. It gives the actual number of health problems that occurred—or didn’t occur—as a result of an action.

Ask your doctor for help in making relative and/or absolute risk findings meaningful to you. If there are treatment options for a particular health condition, have your doctor explain the percentage (relative risk) or the number of times people with your health condition got sick (absolute risk) with each treatment option. Also ask about the risks of developing side effects.

Learn to Evaluate Medical News Stories

When hearing or reading reports about the “latest” medical studies that state “you may be at risk for____,” consider the following questions:

• What kind of study was it—lab, animal, or involving people? Research about people is more likely to be meaningful to you.

• Did the study include people who are like you—same background, age, gender, and same health concerns?

• How many people were included in the study? Research studies using very large numbers of people tend to be more significant.

• Where did the information come from? Was it a reliable source, such as a medical school, large hospital, or a government or nonprofit health agency?

Is the information current?

• Were the results presented in an easy-to-understand manner? Were the relative or absolute risks explained?

• Were the findings the result of one study or many? In general, the results of one study need to be duplicated by other researchers at different locations before they are accepted as valid.

• Who paid for, or sponsored the research? Would they benefit financially from the results of the study?

• Does the presentation appear designed to motivate you to change habits or purchase something? Always talk to your doctor first.

• Who is reporting the study? Is that particular newspaper or TV or radio show a reliable source of medical news? For example, articles in tabloid journals may not be as reliable as those written by medical journalists in more reputable major newspapers.

Watch the Words

Be careful about certain words often used in medical news reports:

• “May” does not mean will.

• “Contributes to,” “is linked to,” or “is associated with” does not mean causes.

• “Proves”—one study alone rarely proves anything.

• “Doubles or triples the risk” depends on what the risk was in the first place.

• “Significant” is a mathematical term that is often used to mean important.

• Be skeptical and don’t jump to conclusions.

• Use logic and common sense.

• Beware of the term “medical experts.” Who are they and what are their credentials and affiliations?

• Make a distinction between medical research reports and public health recommendations. Some health news may not be useful to you but public health recommendations from a reputable source (the American Heart Association, for example) are usually based on long-term scientific findings.

Health news can be interesting and informative. Don’t let scary headlines mislead you. Your best source of information is your doctor who can help you interpret news reports about medical research and determine if they are meaningful for your health. With reliable information, you and your doctor can make well-informed decisions about your health care.

References

National Institutes of Health, Consumer Health Information
www.nih.gov/news/WordonHealth

University of Connecticut Health Learning Center
http://library.uchc.edu

National Institute on Aging
www.nia.nih.gov