When faced with a dataset from a scientific study, assessing what conclusions can legitimately be drawn is a challenging task. For a busy journalist, performing such an analysis is a tall order. One of the services the Science Media Centre provides for journalists is brief, independent statistical analyses of scientific papers with accompanying critiques of the authors’ own conclusions at a glance.
‘Before the Headlines’ analyses are structured in a simple format, with clear summaries of what the paper in question claims, and a concise assessment of the strengths and limitations. This service is provided to the SMC by volunteer statisticians.
Research in Annals of Neurology found that Solanaceae, a family of plants including peppers and tomatoes may provide a protective effect against Parkinson’s disease due to the plants containing low levels of nicotine. read more
Research published in the journal Heart tracked the cardiovascular health of just under 3000 men for 16 years, and found that after controlling for other health factors including fitness level, men with higher resting heart rates had a higher risk of death. read more
A study in the Journal of Family Planning and Reproductive Health Care found there was no clear evidence in the data it examined of a causal link between the decline in the use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and a reported fall in the numbers of new cases of breast cancer. read more
A study in the European Heart Journal followed 54,279 people for an average of over 11 years, and found that those who suffered from from insomnia had an increased risk of developing heart failure. read more
The results of a large epidemiological study published in PLOS ONE, which examined data on sugar availability and diabetes rates from 175 countries over the past decade, suggested sugar could be linked to diabetes independently of obesity. read more
A clinical trial in the BMJ suggested that replacing saturated animal fats with omega-6 polyunsaturated vegetable fats is linked to an increased risk of death among patients with heart disease. read more
A study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found young men who watch TV for more than 20 hours a week have almost half the sperm count of men who watch very little TV, while men who do 15 or more hours of moderate to vigorous exercise every week have sperm counts that are 73% higher than those who exercise very little. read more
A small study in the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery and Psychiatry suggested that mothers taking the antiepileptic drug sodium valproate while pregnant have a higher chance of having children with autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders. read more
A large study in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health found that childless couples who had been treated for infertility, and in particular women, were more likely to have shorter lifespans. read more
A study in Archives of General Psychiatry suggested exposure to traffic-related air pollution, particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide during pregnancy and during the first year of a child’s life appears to be associated with an increased risk of autism. read more
A cohort study of one million participants, published in the BMJ, found low muscle strength in adolescence was strongly associated with a greater risk of early death from several major causes. read more
A study published in PLoS ONE suggested drinking one or two glasses of wine a week during pregnancy can have a negative impact on a child’s IQ. read more
Research examining a link between tea consumption and prevalence of type-2 diabetes was published in BMJ Open read more
A toxicology study in Food and Chemical Toxicology into the health impact of a GM tolerant maize crop and the herbicide Roundup suggested lab rats developed mammary tumours and were more likely to die prematurely. read more
Archives of Internal Medicine published a meta-review of 29 randomized controlled trials, suggesting that acupuncture may be better than no acupuncture or sham acupuncture for the treatment of some chronic pain. read more
A study published in found a link between recreational marijuana use and an increased risk of developing subtypes of testicular cancer that tend to carry a somewhat worse prognosis. read more
A study in the BMJ indicated that moderate consumption of alcohol by women for at least 10 years is associated with a reduced risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis compared to non-drinkers. read more
An observational study in the BMJ Open found an association between the amount of time spent seated every day to longevity. read more
Occupational and Environmental Medicine published a study which was purported to suggest that standing for long periods during pregnancy may curb the growth of the developing fetus, based on the fetal growth rates of 4680 mums. read more
Research into caesarean operations suggesting an increased risk of obesity was published in Archives of Disease in Childhood. read more
Research examining coffee intake and risk of death was published in the New England Journal of Medicine. read more
A study published in Cancer suggested that people who had received frequent dental x-rays in the past had an increased risk of meningioma, a type of brain tumour. read more
A study in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology suggested that use of SSRI antidepressants during pregnancy was linked with increased risk of pregnancy-induced high blood pressure. read more
A paper published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that exposure to perflourinated compounds (PFCs) was associated with a reduced immune response to vaccinations in children. read more
A study in the BMJ Open from a Canadian team found that countries where the contraceptive pill is more common also showed higher levels of prostate cancer. read more
New research in the BMJ added further evidence in the debate over the potential link between mobile phone use and cancer risk. read more