A Great talk on science literacy, and how even well intended professionals can get mislead by incomplete research. I highly encourage you to watch this video if your curious about reading science literature, and especially in "interpreting' media summaries of flawed papers.
Consider cherry picking by agenda motivated papers
Notice how the One Blue RCT that supported one position was cited exclusively by many more papers then the THREE other RCTs that contra indicated that position?
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Dr. Paul Mason - 'Trust Issues: How Bad Science Sells Drugs'
Dr. Paul Mason discusses the dangers of blindly trusting expert opinions in medicine, particularly around dietary guidelines and heart disease treatments. He critiques the reliance on low-quality evidence and emphasizes the importance of questioning established beliefs, particularly regarding saturated fats and statins.
Key Points
Eminence-based Medicine vs Science
Dr. Mason explains that eminence-based medicine, which relies on authority figures rather than scientific evidence, can lead to misguided health recommendations. He emphasizes the need for critical thinking and questioning of expert opinions.
Misrepresentation of Statin Efficacy
He describes how a doctor found that expert opinions supporting the idea that statins benefit diabetic patients were based on misrepresented data, which did not show significant mortality benefits.
Flaws in Dietary Guidelines
The video critiques the origins of dietary guidelines that are based more on political influence than robust scientific evidence, leading to recommendations against saturated fats that lack a solid evidence base.
Confounding Factors in Research
Mason stresses the importance of considering confounding variables in observational studies, using examples where unhealthy behaviors associated with red meat consumption obscure true health impacts.
Understanding Research Hierarchies
He outlines a research hierarchy, highlighting that not all studies are equal, and that lower-level studies often lead to misleading conclusions.
Systemic Obstruction in Scientific Evaluation
Mason discusses how political agendas have obstructed proper scientific evaluations in dietary recommendations and the reliance on cherry-picked studies.
Challenging Conventional Wisdom
He encourages viewers to question conventional medical wisdom and be proactive about investigating the science behind health recommendations.
Importance of Randomized Control Trials
Dr. Mason advocates for the gold standard of research: randomized control trials, while also acknowledging that even they can have limitations when poor surrogate markers are used.
