What Are 10 Medical Myths That Have Been Debunked by Recent Studies?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around a New York Times article that presents ten medical findings which contradict previously held beliefs. Participants examine the validity of these findings, the clarity of the article's presentation, and the implications of the studies cited.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Meta-discussion

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants express skepticism about the claims made in the NY Times article, questioning the validity of the findings presented.
  • Others defend the article, noting that the studies cited are from reputable medical journals such as The Lancet and JAMA.
  • A participant highlights the confusion regarding the peanut allergy finding, suggesting that the article misrepresents the studies' conclusions about exposure to peanuts.
  • Another participant points out that the phrasing of the opening post could be misleading, as it implies the statements are the ideas being contradicted rather than the findings that contradict previous beliefs.
  • There is a mention of a broader study that identifies nearly 400 medical myths that have been disproven, which could provide additional context to the discussion.
  • Comments also touch on the cultural perception of medical practices, particularly regarding unnecessary surgeries and the philosophy of minimal intervention in medical care.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the validity of the claims made in the NY Times article. There are competing views regarding the interpretation of the studies and the clarity of the article's presentation.

Contextual Notes

Some participants note that the opening post's wording may lead to misunderstandings about the findings being discussed. There is also a reference to the potential for broader implications of the findings beyond the ten myths listed in the article.

Who May Find This Useful

Readers interested in medical research, the evolution of medical theories, and the critique of popular media representations of scientific findings may find this discussion relevant.

BillTre
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Summary: A variety of studies have contradicted several medical practices and theories.

This NY Times article lists 10 findings that contradict what were once widely held theories:
  • Peanut allergies occur whether or not a child is exposed to peanuts before age 3.
  • Fish oil does not reduce the risk of heart disease.
  • A lifelike doll carried around by teenage girls will not deter pregnancies.
  • Ginkgo biloba does not protect against memory loss and dementia.
  • To treat emergency room patients in acute pain, a single dose of oral opioids is no better than drugs like aspirin and ibuprofen.
  • Testosterone treatment does not help older men retain their memory.
  • To protect against asthma attacks, it won’t help to keep your house free of dust mites, mice and cockroaches.
  • Step counters and calorie trackers do not help you lose weight.
  • Torn knee meniscus? Try physical therapy first, surgery later.
  • If a pregnant woman’s water breaks prematurely, the baby does not have to be delivered immediately.
 
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BillTre said:
Summary: A variety of studies have contradicted several medical practices and theories.

This NY Times article lists some medical ideas contradicted by studies:
I call BS. Cancelling my subscription immediately
 
pinball1970 said:
I call BS. Cancelling my subscription immediately
On which one? The studies in the NYT article are all linked: they come from either The Lancet, the New England Journal of Medicine, or JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association), all of which are reputable (and very esteemed) medical journals. What would you have had NYT do instead?
 
  • Peanut allergies occur whether or not a child is exposed to peanuts before age 3.
Is this the finding that has been contradicted or is this the new finding that contradicts previous beliefs?
 
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Ygggdrasil said:
Is this the finding that has been contradicted or is this the new finding that contradicts previous beliefs?
It's a poorly written summary. There were two studies (LEAP and LEAP-on) in the last few years: the first one (LEAP) showed that introduction and sustained exposure of peanuts to high-allergy risk infants decreased peanut allergy development by 81%. The second (LEAP-on) introduced peanuts to another set of infants, then removed them for 12 months, and observed that the peanut allergy development was not significantly different from the LEAP trials.

The summary probably refers to the notion that if you keep your kid away from peanuts, they won't develop an allergy to them. This is not true: they can develop an allergy regardless of whether they're exposed or not. NYT unfortunately leaves out the most important finding: if you expose your kid to peanuts at an early age, they are far less likely to develop an allergy than if you don't.
 
The opening post is somewhat misleading. The way the post is phrased currently:
BillTre said:
This NY Times article lists some medical ideas contradicted by studies:

Makes it seem like the quoted statements are the ideas being contradicted by the studies, when in fact the statements are the findings that contradict previous beliefs. So for example, the statement that "Fish oil does not reduce the risk of heart disease" is supported by data from a large clinical trial that contradicts previous notions that fish oil would reduce the risk of heart disease.

I would suggest that @BillTre or a moderator edit the wording of the first post to clarify this point. The wording from the NYT article ("Here are 10 findings that contradict what were once widely held theories") would be more clear that the current wording of the opening post.

Also, while the NYT article focuses on ten medical myths, the article refers to a study, published in the scientific journal eLife, that found close to 400 such "medical myths" that were later proven wrong by clinical studies.

The journal article is freely available here:
https://elifesciences.org/articles/45183
 
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I speed-read the NYT comments as of about noon PDT. Though most of the 10 items from the article involve medicine, many comments concern unnecessary surgery. Item #9 concerning exercise and physical therapy for knees before a surgical solution morphs in the comments into repudiation of the (facetious) adage to surgical residents,
"Heal with cold steel*".
[* Samuel Shem (Stephen Bergman), House of God , 1978]

Also from the novel,
The delivery of good medical care is to do as much nothing as possible.
 
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TeethWhitener said:
On which one? The studies in the NYT article are all linked: they come from either The Lancet, the New England Journal of Medicine, or JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association), all of which are reputable (and very esteemed) medical journals. What would you have had NYT do instead?
Yes I retract the statement as I was factually incorrect. I have never had subscription with the NYT
 
Content aside, the title has the feeling of social media clickbait.
 
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Let's move his to General Discussion.
 
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Ygggdrasil said:
The opening post is somewhat misleading. The way the post is phrased currently:

Thanks for clarifying, I couldn't understand what the OP was trying to say.

Cheers