Can I believe this paper that claims Drug X will cure me? Is everything that is published necessarily reliable or even true?

[PMRpro]

I have been debating writing this for a few days but the post this morning suggesting that ibuprofen can "cure" PMR has convinced me to do it.

medscape.com/viewarticle/th...

discusses the role of what are called Open Access journals online. Cureus, where the Case Report paper about ibuprofen's role in PMR was published, is such a journal. It comes from the normally reliable stable of Springer Publishing - I've worked with them in publishing Congress Proceedings reports for probably 20 years. But this Open Access stuff is different - the peer review is a bit so-so in comparison with real specialist journals and it makes it easy for students who require a few publications for their CV to collect those trophies relatively quickly. Several students band together and take one set of results. They write them up with differing slants on the interpretation and get a paper each and mentions for everyone in all published. And Open Access journals are a gift - especially if they are free except for language and formatting corrections which many get a grant towards.

The numbers in the paper are a clue - very small and not carefully monitored. This isn't a clinical study - it is a case report. A very different thing and not to be relied on. One swallow doesn't make a summer!

[SheffieldJane]

Thank you!

[piglette]

I suppose most drugs do not cure a disease, they just treat / alleviate symptoms of a disease.

[Sandmason]

My husband and I have a new saying, "You are on own. You will never know anything for sure again in your life."

I am too scared to try the "ibuprofen cure", lol.

What's terrifying is that I literally cannnot depend on any medical experts and have to carefully balance my own risks and benefits.

[Blearyeyed]

Nicely put.It's a great example of how a small scale case study can cause a heck of a lot of confusion and misinformation, which then gets picked up and fuelled through the health and general media until everyone believes you can cure anything with CoEnzyme Q10 or Apple Cider Vinegar.

[yogabonnie]

You are the best PMRpro! thanks

[Chris_1236]

"Believe none of what you hear, and only half of what you see" may seem a bit severe, but the point is well taken.

[Longtimer in reply to Chris_1236]

My OH says it all the time!

[Koalajane]

thank you PMRpro for putting this into perspective.

I hope people don’t believe it and rush to take ibuprofen instead of prednisolone.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Koalajane]

So do I!!!

[Oh-my]

I remember Tim Spector really complaining about this practice and why he only looks at really large data bases to support his ideas. All well and good when you are talking about a particular vitamin on the whole population but must be difficult when the cohort of patients is small. No wonder research is so very slow.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Oh-my]

The worst aspect for me is that now it is so easy to find on the internet, people who aren't trained to spot the flaws (like miniature sample sizes) pick up on something dramatic that fits the bill but isn't reliable.

[LemonZest11]

Always on the ball, thank you.

[Shiv14]

It reminds me of how so many women were denied HRT for years and suffered terribly because of one small study

[Hoofprints]

Thank you for explaining that very important distinction.