REPORTER'S NOTEBOOK
The challenge of evaluating new autism studies
Journalists rarely talk about why we don't publish something, so I wanted to briefly discuss how I choose what to cover here, and why I decided not to write about a JAMA Network Open study published Thursday that found an association between increased autism incidence and air pollution during pregnancy.
On its face, the study had many of the trappings I look for: a large and diverse cohort (more than two million pregnancies), a somewhat significant effect size (up to 15%), prior research showing similar findings (in this case, others have also found potential risks associated with air pollution), a reputable scientific journal, and political salience. But when I reached out to a couple researchers about whether it was worth y'all's attention, they pointed out that air pollution studies struggle to eliminate confounding variables, those unforeseen factors and interactions that can undermine a study's claims. So I held off, and wrote this little reporter's notebook instead.
Does writing an item about the study undercut my own point here? Maybe! But when the health secretary persistently misattributes autism's cause, it feels important as a science journalist to explain how I evaluate those claims, and why we don't publish every study that crosses our desks. (Also, there are a truly staggering number of autism studies published every day.) It's my way of trying to arm STAT readers, so you're better able to wade through the recent flood of media attention surrounding autism.
What are the questions you have about how to read and evaluate research and the subsequent media reports? Feel free to reply to this email.
FIRST OPINION
I use off-label GLP-1s for addiction. Trump's low-cost plan won't work for me.
After years of drug and alcohol dependence, Nick Dothée found medicinal salvation through compounded GLP-1s that he got through a telehealth startup in 2024. The treatment steaded his mind and offered clarity that had escaped him since methamphetamine nearly killed him.
The way Dothée uses GLP-1s — off-label, sourced from the gray market — is, he admits, "a roll of the dice," but the blockbuster drug is the only treatment that has effectively curbed his cravings. Trump's promise to lower the price of these drugs to $150 a month could help some people, but Dothée argues access for addiction purposes is still limited.
He is adamant that the administration needs to prioritize expanding access to the drugs for more than just treating obesity. Promising results from one addiction rehab center even back up Dothée's claims, as STAT's Lev Facher has previously reported.
Read the opinion from Dothée, a Los Angeles-based writer.
JOEL SAGET/AFP via Getty Images
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