TO: OMBUD, CBC.

I strongly support Denis Raphael’s comment about absolute and relative risk reduction. 

Often the stats that the CBC and print media report about relative risk reduction mislead people. People are lead to expect drugs that offer a very small chance of benefit, or avoid activities that are not very likely to harm.

 

Pauline Dakin, a previous health reporter at the CBC, now a Journalism Professor at Kings University,  is an expert at describing the meaning of published health research. 

Below are 2 links to  different material, on aspirin use, from a web site THE NUMBER NEEDED TO TREAT  (Homepage – TheNNTTheNNT) the links show one way of clearly describing  health research.

Best wishes, I appreciate the ongoing efforts of the CBC to help people understand the world around us.

Aspirin to Prevent a First Heart Attack or Stroke – TheNNTTheNNT

Aspirin For Preventing A First Heart Attack Or Stroke – TheNNTTheNNT