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from the don't-get-stabbed-with-a-pencil dept.
Newser has a story that ties heart disease to lead exposure at at frequency ratios 10 times than all previous studies.
Scientists kept tabs on more than 14,000 adults who took a national health survey between 1988 and 1994, then again in 2011. After looking at how many people died during this period—about 4,400 in total, 1,800 of those from cardiovascular disease—the study in the Lancet Public Health journal found about 256,000 deaths each year could be tied to lead exposure. The effects of lead on heart health had previously been thought to be much lower, especially at low levels of lead exposure, study lead author Bruce Lanphear said.
The study also evaluated several other causes of deaths that were correlated to lead exposure at low levels. The suggest over 400,000 deaths per year in the US may be associated with lead exposure.
(Score: 2) by Hartree on Thursday March 15 2018, @10:13PM
"lead is bad, mmkay?"
Don't need to convince me of that one. ;)
Lead is a very well studied toxin. A study that shows 10 times the effect from something so well studied is surprising and most scientists wouldn't take it at face value. It might be right, but it needs verification and an explanation of why previous studies didn't pick up the effect.
News tends to pick up "surprising" results and give them credence. A lot of these surprising studies get retracted or aren't replicated.
Would you be as quick to believe a study that showed 10 times less impact on heart disease from lead as previous? I wouldn't. Just like this one, I'd want more.