How healthy are we?

Fact checks about life expectancy and the reporting of medical risks

9 November 2021

Study linking sleep time and heart disease risk shows correlation not causation

The Mail reported that a new study shows going to bed between 10pm and 11pm cuts your risk of heart disease. The study found a link between the two but …

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Study linking sleep time and heart disease risk shows correlation not causation
23 June 2021

Herald suggests Scotland’s 2006 smoking ban behind drop in heart attacks since 1990

An article in The Herald misleadingly suggested the 2006 Scottish smoking ban was behind a 74% drop in heart attacks since 1990.

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Herald suggests Scotland’s 2006 smoking ban behind drop in heart attacks since 1990
26 March 2021

New Statesman death comparison creates misleading picture

Rising death tolls do not necessarily show people are getting sicker, as the population is ageing and growing.

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New Statesman death comparison creates misleading picture
17 February 2020

Research suggesting health benefits of golf could also suggest benefits of being rich

Golfers in a study were less likely to die prematurely than other over 65s but the research didn’t prove that golf was the reason why.

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Research suggesting health benefits of golf could also suggest benefits of being rich
15 January 2020

Spectator report on the effect of the sugar tax needs more context

The Spectator said the “achievement” of the sugar tax is an increase in sugar consumption. This data referred to food which isn’t covered by the tax. Sugar consumption in drink …

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Spectator report on the effect of the sugar tax needs more context
4 November 2019

The Mail’s diabetes front page needs context

Type 2 diabetes sufferers make up one in 10 hospital admissions in England but a small fraction were admitted for type 2 diabetes as the main diagnosis.

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The Mail’s diabetes front page needs context
12 September 2019

We can’t say how many people are ‘hooked on’ prescription drugs

Research by Public Health England into the prescribing of five specific types of drug found there wasn’t enough evidence to say how many people were addicted.

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We can’t say how many people are ‘hooked on’ prescription drugs
20 August 2019

Being ‘measles free’ doesn’t mean there are no cases of measles

The World Health Organisation says ‘eliminating measles’ means the number of cases in a country is at a level where it can’t circulate easily.

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Being ‘measles free’ doesn’t mean there are no cases of measles
14 June 2019

You’ve less than a one in three chance of reaching 100

The chance of reaching 100 for a 30 year old in the UK is estimated to be 17.2% for women and 12.5% for men. Not “one in three” as claimed …

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You’ve less than a one in three chance of reaching 100
23 May 2019

Has cocaine use really doubled in five years?

There isn’t enough available evidence to say that cocaine use in Britain has doubled, and certainly not that one in 50 Londoners are snorting it.

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Has cocaine use really doubled in five years?

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