In recent years, a number of medications were approved for widespread use then, a few years later, removed from the market for safety reasons. You might have used one of these medicines.
So, how can you know if the prescription drugs you are taking today are really safe? Are you at risk for serious side effects if you take new drugs? Are you at risk for serious disease complications if you don't take the new drugs? How can you make an informed decision?
Information You Should Know Or Find Out
The results of one study might not be the final word. There could be long-term effects not possible to know during a short clinical trial. A medication might be effective for one condition but make other conditions worse.
A good example is hormone replacement therapy (HRT). It was thought for years that HRT was useful and safe for postmenopausal women since it helped with menopausal symptoms and improved bone density. But carefully controlled studies showed that those who took the hormones were at increased risk of invasive breast cancer, coronary heart disease, and stroke. In many cases, the health risks were greater than the health benefits.
By looking at the type of study, who conducted it, how big the sample was (that is, the number of people in the study), and other factors significant to you, the choices you make will be based on better science. All drug studies are not equal.
Types of Studies
- Case Control Study A type of observational study. Researchers identify a group with a particular disease or condition, and then look at another group without the condition for comparison to try to determine what differences between the two groups might be causing the disease.
- Cohort Study Another type of observational study. Researchers select participants based on their exposure status (to a particular pollutant, for example) and then try to find a similar group of people who haven't been exposed. They compare the two groups to see if the factor in question is causing any identifiable health problems.
- Intervention Study In intervention studies, researchers decide who gets a particular treatment or exposure to something. The best-known type of intervention study, the randomized clinical trial, is considered the gold standard of clinical research studies. In randomized clinical trials, people are assigned randomly to two or more groups. One of the groups receives a placebo preparation, such as a pill that looks just like the treatment or drug being tested, that actually does nothing. Comparing treatment groups to control groups is currently considered the best way to see if a treatment is really effective.
Become Drug-Wise
Imagine that a new drug has become available and it appears to treat a condition you have. It is tempting to ask your doctor if you can start taking it right away. Before you leap, you might want to do a little personal research. If you regularly read medical journals, you can get a lot of detailed information about drug research. But for most people, it is easier to find information online. Go to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) site, and search for specific drugs by name. For more information, your doctor can usually answer your questions or send you to someone who can.
Questions to Ask Yourself
- Was it a study in the laboratory, in animals, or in people? The results of research in people are more likely to be meaningful for you.
- Does the study include enough people like you? You should check to see if the people in the study were the same age, sex, education level, income group, and ethnic background as yours, and had the same health concerns.
- Was it a randomized controlled clinical trial involving thousands of people? They are the most expensive to do, but they also give scientists the most reliable results.
- Where was the research done? Scientists at a medical school or large hospital, for example, might be better equipped to conduct complex experiments or have more experience with the topic. Many large clinical trials involve several institutions, but the results might be reported by just one coordinating group.
- Are the results presented in an easy-to-understand way? They should use absolute risk, relative risk, or some other easy-to-understand number.
- If a new treatment was being tested, were there side effects? Sometimes the side effects are almost as serious as the disease. That could also mean that the drug might worsen a different health problem.
- Who paid for the research? Do those providing support stand to gain financially from positive or negative results? Sometimes the Federal government or a large foundation contributes funding towards research costs. This means they looked at the plans for the project and decided it was worthy of funding, but they will not make money as a result. If a drug is being tested, the study might be partly or fully paid for by the company that will make and sell the drug. That doesn't mean the results aren't legitimate, but you might want to ask some more questions.
- Who is reporting the results? Is the newspaper, magazine, or radio or television station a reliable source of medical news? Some large publications and broadcast stations have special science reporters on staff who are trained to interpret medical findings. You might want to talk to your healthcare provider to help you judge how accurate the reports are.
Summary
The bottom line is: Do your homework. Then talk to your doctor. He or she can help you understand the results and what they could mean for your health. Remember that progress in medical research takes many years. The results of one study often need to be duplicated by other scientists at different locations before they are accepted as general medical practice. Every step along the research path provides a clue to the final answer and probably sparks some new questions. |
