Word: metas
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...their part, the drug manufacturers stand firmly behind their products. Merck says its own meta-analysis, which contains data that weren't included in the JAMA study, shows that Vioxx is safe for the heart. Others have focused on the study's admitted limitations, including its direct comparisons of dissimilar patient groups. Says Dr. Michael Friedman, a senior vice president of Pharmacia: "The JAMA article is based on theory, not on solid data...
...doctors combined the data from several studies about COX-2 inhibitors in a statistical process called meta-analysis. Then they looked to see if the information could tell them anything about heart-attack risk--something that the original trials had not been designed to explore. Such after-the-fact, or retrospective, analysis falls pretty low on the scale of scientific reliability. But sometimes it provides good clues about where problem areas...
...meta-analysis, published in last week's Journal of the American Medical Association, showed that those who took COX-2 inhibitors suffered slightly more heart attacks than those who took older, aspirin-like drugs. The authors considered several explanations. Since the older drugs help prevent heart disease, the JAMA study might only be picking up the absence of a protective effect in the COX-2 inhibitors. Or the new painkillers might actually promote the creation of blood clots. Or both processes might be at work. The point, Topol says, is that "the cardiovascular effects of the [COX-2 inhibitors...
...most effective insect repellents contain a powerful chemical called DEET (or N, N-diethyl-meta-toluamide), developed for the U.S. military in the 1940s. DEET-based repellents last longer against mosquitoes and other biting bugs, including those that transmit Lyme disease, than the so-called natural bug sprays, which usually contain various plant oils. Since the chemical is absorbed readily into the skin, it's always best to apply any DEET products sparingly. Common side effects include rash, swelling, itching and eye irritation--usually a result of rubbing the eyes with hands that have been sprayed...
This soap, set within a video-game empire, aims to remake the genre for young 'uns by borrowing from the telenovela (telling one story, a murder whodunit, over 65 episodes) and Kevin Williamson's Scream (loading up on winking meta-references). The story moves a touch faster than most network soaps, and there are a few laughs--some of them intentional--but MTV could have gone further. NBC's soapernatural Passions is more innovative than Spyder Games' familiar sex-and-business setup; and the cheap production values are strictly daytime...