BoomerGirl Diary

Dear Crabby:

It seems like almost every day in the news, I hear that some medicine is bad for me or some treatment I'm using increases my risk of something-or-other. When I try to check it out, I get even more confused! How should I handle all this information?

Overwhelmed by Headlines

Dear Head:

Remember that old picture of Harry Truman holding up the newspaper that said "Dewey Defeats Truman!"? This is a prime example of a headline gone awry. In my book, the headline (both printed and spoken) is responsible for much of the fear and panic in our world today. How often do you tune in or pick up a newspaper or magazine only to find out that whatever you are:

a) holding in your hand

b) eating/drinking

c) currently wearing, or

d) currently taking as prescribed

MIGHT, IN FACT,

a) cause cancer

b) explode unexpectedly

c) contain lead, or

d) cause an inexplicable desire to behave in an inappropriately sexual manner?

About every 20 minutes, right? So, how do we combat this problem? Well, one thing you can do is take a news holiday, something I really recommend periodically. You'll be surprised how much you still know about current events, even without deliberately reading the paper or listening to the news. And it’s sooooo relaxing. But barring that, I encourage you to do a couple of other things.

One: Seek out a variety of sources when you are researching an issue.

In junior high, you knew if you asked Jamie about Karla the answer would always be the same: "She's a total skank and everyone knows I was GOING to break up with Brad anyway!"

Over in the Karla camp, however, Sheila told you that "Karla is so cool and sweet, it's no wonder Brad broke up with that creep Jamie!" Clearly, there are biases in the news, the same as in junior high. So you must look at several sources to get the full picture. Data can be skewed to fit a particular agenda, and it is only after reading multiple sources that you can find the truth.

Two: Look for reputable reports. For health information, these are usually based on research studies, and typically, they originally appear in medical journals. Here are some things to look for in a quality study:

Who sponsored the study? If a study stating that striped socks will increase your sex drive is sponsored by the Striped Sock Manufacturers of America, I would question the validity of that study.

How many people were involved? Results based on 16 people are often reported in the exact same typeface as results based on 16,000. The larger group is more accurate.

How was the study performed? The gold standard is a randomized, double-blind study in a peer-reviewed journal. This means a couple of things. People were randomly assigned to different groups, both to avoid personal bias ("Me! me! pick me!) and also, so they don't know if they’re getting the experimental treatment or the sham treatment. Turns out that knowing alters your perception. And while people are affected a bit just by knowing they are in a study, the double-blind prevents the whole, “I just took a libido-enhancing pill and boy am I horny!” effect.

Peer-reviewed means a bunch of scientific types who may or may not be wearing lab coats and pocket protectors looked at the article and rated it on a number of fronts “It’s got a great beat, and the crowd was totally boogying. So, yeah, I’ll give it a 94.” (The scientific rating system is, well, a little more scientific, of course.)

Places like the Mayo Clinic, National (Insert Disease here) Institutes, and universities are all usually good websites. Same with a large site like Medscape. These are reputable, draw from multiple sources, and use a lot of journal citations. Sites that may contain accurate information, but usually have a secondary agenda are sites selling products, including some pharmaceutical websites, and some sites for support groups. The support group/message board sites, especially, often are loaded with spammer messages and scams. And like someone smart once said, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. (“Cure cancer—100% guaranteed!”… “Lose weight while you sleep!”) Come to think of it, watch out for exclamation points in general. They are rarely part of quality research.

Once you’ve found some info, check it out with your health care-provider in a summarized form. We as health care-providers are inundated with information, and we can’t read everything. So be kind. And remember, a lot of what we worry about is ultimately, out of our control. So follow some common sense health guidelines, and you’ll probably be just fine. Oh, sorry, make that “100% FINE”!