Resident Observer medic Dr John Briffa has been inundated with e-mails from concerned readers after the Lancet published a study on the effects of taking vitamin supplements, with the quote “The prospect that vitamin pills may not only do no good but can also kill their consumers is a scary speculation, given the vast quantities that are used in certain communities” emblazoned on the cover. Briffa is not impressed:
The deficiencies in this study’s scope and methodology led the authors of the editorial to conclude that it did ‘not offer convincing proof of hazard’. Oddly, the Lancet’s front-cover splash was lifted (out of context) from the same editorial. It’s a sad day for science when one of the world’s most respected medical journals chooses not to let the facts get in the way of a good story.
Seems to be something of a habit with the Lancet.
On the Iraq civilians story, Fred Kaplan has the most comprehensive demolition I’ve yet seen, though no doubt we’ll here more on this one. In particular he disputes the pre-war mortality rate used in the study. Kaplan cites with approval the Iraq Body Count, who arrive at a figure of around 15,000, but it’s worth noting that Oxblog have been raising questions about the IBC methodology.
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