Another thing to watch out for when evaluating a study is whether what
is studied is the actual disease or condition one wishes to treat, or
whether one is studying a “surrogate end point” that has been determined
(by someone, some how, somewhere scientifically or not) be a “risk factor”
for this disease or condition.

If one is only looking at “surrogate end points” as most of these quickie
drug company studies do, one has to establish the validity of the findings
that have determined the legitimacy of the studied “risk factor.” and its
actual confirmed connection to the condition or disease that one has
concerns over. Some surrogate endpoints are far better than others. Many
are just medical hocus pocus.

The most obvious one clouding most of the “osteoporosis” research is
that only changes in “bone density” are studied, and not the incidence of
the actual condition of debilitating osteoporosis itself. And so far there
are no legitimate studies showing that “bone density” by itself is a
legitimate surrogate endpoint to be studied or tampered with in an atempt to
treat or prevent this disease.

. This is why the FDA before getting pressured by W/A Premarin makers
found the 7 studies the drug company presented as “proof” of Premarin’s
efficacy to be without merit and unsupportive of the drug companies claims.
There is no clear line of proof on any of this, yet the drugs are now sold
to millions of women who have now been “taught” to fear it as silent robber
of the twilight years.

Only after W/A’s appeal to other agencies for review of the FDA denial,
did a “consensus” form that accepted the drug’s minor impact on bone density
was “proof” sufficient to encourage women to take this drug for life. This
was a very dark day in the FDA. (One of many)

There was a similar occurance with the former FDA recommendation that HRT
be used to treat and/orprevent heart disease. No proof. It was not until a
consumers organization exposed this lack of proof based upon highly flawed
well-woman studies that this heart disease recommendation was scrapped by
the FDA.

Which in turn led W/A to scramble for another flimsy connection to
encourage the use of their drugs for life, since they had now been
discredited on the heart disease claim, which has been relfected in the
current FDA drug warning label for hormone drugs.

This was the birth of the now current “osteoporosis” frenzy and public
“education”program that has people believing they know something about this
disease and its prevention, that in fact still baffles the specialists. Such
is the power of the drug companies to set the health care agenda based
purely on profit motives and almost no reasonable science.

So always be sure to read if the study concludes that XYZ drug or
treatment only tested “risk” factors, or the actual disease in question.
Usually these risk-factor studies will conclude with that by now infamous
line………”further study is needed.”