research
Exclusive: Dana-Farber moves to retract one paper, correct others amid manipulated data allegations
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, one of the nation's leading cancer research and treatment centers, is reviewing allegations that scores of papers published by four of its top scientists and leaders contain evidence of manipulated results. Dana-Farber officials told STAT's Jonathan Wosen and Angus Chen that the review process began for some studies more than a year ago, resulting in one paper "moving to" retraction.
The Institute's existing review, which had not been previously disclosed, has expanded and gained fresh urgency after scientific sleuth Sholto David began scrutinizing papers co-authored by Dana-Farber researchers in December. He claims to have spotted problems with figures in 57 widely-cited papers and alleges that images were clearly and deliberately manipulated to deceive the reader.
"From my perspective, the mistakes speak for themselves," said David. Read more on the allegations and Dana-Farber's response.
first opinion
Opinion: Crack down on TikTok influencers promoting prescription meds
On TikTok, it seems there are three types of migraine medications: the one endorsed by Khloe Kardashian, or by Lady Gaga, or by Aly Raisman. Shhh, there's no need for doctors here.
Or so advertisers might like you to believe. But the Food and Drug Administration and Federal Trade Commission need to crack down on these types of online promotions, according to the authors of a new First Opinion. Research has found that adolescents and those with chronic conditions are particularly vulnerable to this sort of marketing. But as the First Opinion authors note, the FDA hasn't updated its guidance on how existing advertising regulations apply to new platforms since 2014. Read more.
oops
Sitting at work is (still) bad for your health
"Sitting is the new smoking!" Remember when everyone was saying that? Well, a new study finds that people like me, who spend their days predominantly sitting at work, have a 16% higher risk of dying from all causes compared to those who don't sit all day at work — even after adjusting for factors like sex, age, education, smoking, drinking, and BMI. That increased risk jumps to 34% more when just considering cardiovascular disease, according to the research, published in JAMA Network Open.
The study, which builds on years of existing evidence, followed almost half a million participants in a Taiwanese health surveillance program between 1996-2017, collecting information on their habits sitting on the job, leisure physical activity, lifestyle, and metabolic parameters.
So, what can we do? Increasing physical activity by 15-30 minutes a day seemed to mitigate the excess risk for sitting workers, researchers found. (Also: You better believe I turned on my standing desk while writing this.)
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