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Every day brings another health headline:
Coffee may prevent dementia.
Alcohol raises cancer risk.
A Mediterranean diet reduces diabetes.
A supplement lowers heart disease.
A new treatment cuts risk by 30%.
But should any of those headlines actually change what you do?
In this episode of Live Long and Well, I share five questions I use when reading a new medical study. They can help you separate an interesting finding from something important enough to change your diet, take a supplement, request a test, or start a treatment.
The Five Questions
- Can I trust the evidence?
Was this an observational study, a randomized trial, an animal experiment, or something else? - How big is the effect—really?
A “30% reduction in risk” may sound enormous, but what was the starting risk? We explore why absolute risk can tell a very different story than relative risk. - Does it apply to me?
Who was studied? Were they people like you? And did researchers actually study the intervention you’re considering? - What’s the downside?
Benefits are only one side of the decision. Consider side effects, cost, inconvenience, time, anxiety—and the potential downside of doing nothing. - What should I do?
Sometimes the answer is act now. Sometimes it is discuss it with your physician, watch and wait, or simply keep scrolling.
Examples We Explore
- Why eating fish and taking a fish-oil capsule are not necessarily the same thing
- How mammography and the shingles vaccine illustrate the difference between relative and absolute risk
- Why a Mediterranean lifestyle trial was much more than simply “eat more olive oil”
- Why bicycle helmets are an easy decision despite a low risk on any single ride
- Why aspirin can be highly valuable for one person and inappropriate for another
The aspirin example brings all five questions together: the same medication can produce a dramatically different absolute benefit depending on your starting cardiovascular risk.
Key Studies and References
Episode #22 Health headlines: helpful, harmful, or just confusing?
Bicycle helmets
Olivier J, Creighton P. Bicycle injuries and helmet use: a systematic review and meta-analysis. International Journal of Epidemiology.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27450862/
Fish oil — VITAL Trial
Manson JE, et al. Marine n−3 Fatty Acids and Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease and Cancer. New England Journal of Medicine.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30415637/
Fish oil — ASCEND Trial
ASCEND Study Collaborative Group. Effects of n−3 Fatty Acid Supplements in Diabetes Mellitus. New England Journal of Medicine.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30146931/
Mammography, ages 40–49
USPSTF systematic review of randomized screening trials.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK343823/
Shingles vaccine — Shingrix
Lal H, et al. Efficacy of an Adjuvanted Herpes Zoster Subunit Vaccine in Older Adults. New England Journal of Medicine.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25916341/
Alcohol and cancer
Bagnardi V, et al. Alcohol consumption and site-specific cancer risk: a comprehensive dose-response meta-analysis. British Journal of Cancer.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25422909/
Mediterranean lifestyle and diabetes — PREDIMED-Plus
Konieczna J, et al. Comparison of an Energy-Reduced Mediterranean Diet and Physical Activity Versus an Ad Libitum Mediterranean Diet in the Prevention of Type 2 Diabetes. Annals of Internal Medicine.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40854218/
Aspirin — primary vs secondary prevention
Antithrombotic Trialists’ Collaboration. Aspirin in the primary and secondary prevention of vascular disease. The Lancet.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19482214/
Aspirin in healthy older adults — ASPREE
McNeil JJ, et al. Effect of Aspirin on Cardiovascular Events and Bleeding in the Healthy Elderly. New England Journal of Medicine.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30221597/
USPSTF aspirin recommendation
https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/recommendation/aspirin-to-prevent-cardiovascular-disease-preventive-medication
Download the Action Guide
Use the Five-Question Filter the next time a health headline catches your attention:
Download the one-page graphic action guide
The bottom line
The headline is only the beginning of the story.
Before changing what you do, ask better questions.
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