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Hi all,
This newly published JAMA commentary (PDF) on observational research is spot-on and, while not containing much that we are not already aware of in terms of study design, it is a nice example of communicating the value and validity of well-done observational studies.
This line of thinking should be reflected not only in our studies but voiced in our other community dissemination activities as well.
Jon
Thanks @jon_duke.
Also in the news yesterday in WSJ, an interesting perspective about future
work in using treatments to reduce the effects of age progression:
http://on.wsj.com/1DtIPwI. Spurred by observational study results, some
clinical trials have been initiated.
“Observational studies like this are never definitive,” said Jill
Crandall, director
of the Diabetes Clinical Trials Unit at Albert Einstein College of Medicine
and part of the TAME planning team. “But it is one of the observations that
certainly supports our hypothesis—that certain pharmacological
interventions, like metformin, may have broad effects in improving health
and increasing health span.”
I think the observational study they are referring to is here:
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/dom.12354/full.
At issue for me is whether the observational analysis is reliable enough to
be considered as providing supportive evidence for the hypothesis.