As a doctor, I understand all the "gobblydook" of medical studies.
I have a hunch, however, that for many average people, the whole realm of medical studies and what they mean is a mystery to most.
Well today, I'm going to help you decipher the meaning behind some of that medical mumbo-jumbo-specifically I'm going to answer some of the questions you may have about different kinds of medical studies and why the study type matters.
Unraveling the Secret Code of Medical Studies: Part 1 Doctors rely on medical studies to determine the best course of treatment for different diseases.
What that means to you is that medical studies can have a direct effect on your health.
Nearly every issue of this newsletter discusses some study or other from clinical trials to cohort studies, from lab research to animal tests.
The study type matters because it affects the reliability of the data and can help you see how relevant the study is to you.
Major Study Types and Why They Matter There are six major types of studies that you should know about.
Each of these studies is useful and plays an important role in the advancement of medical knowledge.
But that doesn't mean that every study is created equal.
Today, we're going to look at three of the most commonly used medical studies, and then in couple of weeks, we'll take a closer look at the other three.
Laboratory Studies: These studies are performed on tissues that have been removed from an animal or person.
For example, rather than looking at how antioxidants affect the immune system as a whole, a laboratory study will look at how certain tissues from the immune system respond when they are exposed to antioxidants.
Lab studies are generally the first step in answering a medical question.
They provide valuable information that helps researchers to see the promise of certain treatments, but because the tissues are isolated, they do not provide conclusive evidence.
Animal Research: Animal research is a specific type of lab study.
In animal research potential procedures or treatments for a disease or condition are tested on living animals.
Usually, researchers force a condition to develop in a group of animals.
They test the treatment in question in a smaller group of the animals and compare the results with the untreated group.
Animal research is considered more conclusive than test tube studies done in the lab, but since animals are different than humans, further testing has to be done before scientists can reach conclusive results.
Clinical Trials: A clinical trial tests the treatment or procedure on actual patients.
A great deal of lab and animal research is done before researchers will design and conduct a clinical trial.
To provide the most conclusive evidence, a clinical trial must be placebo-controlled-that means that patients not receiving the treatment receive a placebo.
The clinical trial must be double-blind-that means that neither the patients nor their doctors know whether they are receiving the true treatment or the placebo.
The clinical trial must also be randomized-that means that participants in the study are assigned to the control group or the test group randomly.
Clinical trials are designed this way to reduce bias that may unconsciously be introduced by researchers or doctors.
Such bias can alter the test results making them less accurate.
A randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical trial is the gold standard of medical research, providing the most reliable data.
What you want most to know is that it's a properly designed clinical trial.
These studies are the most reliable and therefore hold the most meaning for your health.
Animal studies and lab studies are interesting and important, but they shouldn't hold the same weight as a controlled clinical trial.
Remember to discuss changes to diet, exercise, and your supplements with your doctor first.
And don't miss next week's issue on new evidence that inflammation can lead to diabetes.
I have a hunch, however, that for many average people, the whole realm of medical studies and what they mean is a mystery to most.
Well today, I'm going to help you decipher the meaning behind some of that medical mumbo-jumbo-specifically I'm going to answer some of the questions you may have about different kinds of medical studies and why the study type matters.
Unraveling the Secret Code of Medical Studies: Part 1 Doctors rely on medical studies to determine the best course of treatment for different diseases.
What that means to you is that medical studies can have a direct effect on your health.
Nearly every issue of this newsletter discusses some study or other from clinical trials to cohort studies, from lab research to animal tests.
The study type matters because it affects the reliability of the data and can help you see how relevant the study is to you.
Major Study Types and Why They Matter There are six major types of studies that you should know about.
Each of these studies is useful and plays an important role in the advancement of medical knowledge.
But that doesn't mean that every study is created equal.
Today, we're going to look at three of the most commonly used medical studies, and then in couple of weeks, we'll take a closer look at the other three.
Laboratory Studies: These studies are performed on tissues that have been removed from an animal or person.
For example, rather than looking at how antioxidants affect the immune system as a whole, a laboratory study will look at how certain tissues from the immune system respond when they are exposed to antioxidants.
Lab studies are generally the first step in answering a medical question.
They provide valuable information that helps researchers to see the promise of certain treatments, but because the tissues are isolated, they do not provide conclusive evidence.
Animal Research: Animal research is a specific type of lab study.
In animal research potential procedures or treatments for a disease or condition are tested on living animals.
Usually, researchers force a condition to develop in a group of animals.
They test the treatment in question in a smaller group of the animals and compare the results with the untreated group.
Animal research is considered more conclusive than test tube studies done in the lab, but since animals are different than humans, further testing has to be done before scientists can reach conclusive results.
Clinical Trials: A clinical trial tests the treatment or procedure on actual patients.
A great deal of lab and animal research is done before researchers will design and conduct a clinical trial.
To provide the most conclusive evidence, a clinical trial must be placebo-controlled-that means that patients not receiving the treatment receive a placebo.
The clinical trial must be double-blind-that means that neither the patients nor their doctors know whether they are receiving the true treatment or the placebo.
The clinical trial must also be randomized-that means that participants in the study are assigned to the control group or the test group randomly.
Clinical trials are designed this way to reduce bias that may unconsciously be introduced by researchers or doctors.
Such bias can alter the test results making them less accurate.
A randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical trial is the gold standard of medical research, providing the most reliable data.
What you want most to know is that it's a properly designed clinical trial.
These studies are the most reliable and therefore hold the most meaning for your health.
Animal studies and lab studies are interesting and important, but they shouldn't hold the same weight as a controlled clinical trial.
Remember to discuss changes to diet, exercise, and your supplements with your doctor first.
And don't miss next week's issue on new evidence that inflammation can lead to diabetes.