Randomized control trials (RCTs) have long been considered the gold standard for determining the effectiveness of a drug, surgery, or other medical intervention. But observational studies, although long regarded as second-rate compared to RCTs, have contributed invaluable information to the medical sciences. Indeed, analyses of RCTs compared to observational studies have concluded that well-run observational studies are comparable. I will explain RCTs and observational studies later in this post, but first, I want to tell the story of John Snow and how he used his powers of observation to lower worldwide death rates, perhaps more than anyone in history.
Read MoreWhen looking at anything, as the saying goes, one can lose the forest for the trees. When we focus on fine details, they can be ugly, off-putting, and frightening. No matter how beautiful the person, the skin is scary up-close, no exceptions. Imagine a world where we could only see the microscopic view of everybody’s skin at first, only to draw out later to see how attractive they are. The first impression would be universal disgust. So it is with the Covid-19 death data. My post today will look at the bigger picture to help us get a (hopefully better) perspective on the recent focus on death.
Read MoreThe death rate from obesity for the world is 60.14 per 100,000-almost as bad as the worst region for Covid-19! The United States is even worse at 71.95 per 100,000. How come our politicians have not locked us all in a health clinic and created a healthy weight reduction program until nobody dies from obesity? When we get rid of the current Covid-19 epidemic, it would be a great idea to start on the obesity epidemic. We can do this ourselves, we don’t need our politicians forcing changes. What do they know anyway? Their track record on health recommendations for us is a big part of our obesity epidemic. Let me explain.
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