Another sad moment for the American Medical Association.
Click here for the news story.
This study, published in the AMA’s Archives of Internal Medicine, is not science:
- The study type (ecologic epidemiology) is inappropriate for establishing cause-and-effect relationships.
- There is no exposure data. The researchers have no idea how much air pollution any study subject was exposed to. Most people, especially older people, spend most of their time indoors.
- Cognitive decline was measured by dubious telephone survey.
- All medical/health data was self-reported by the study subjects — i.e., no verification/validation.
- Cognitive decline is complex and not capable of explanation through this sort of statistical monstrosity.
The study was supported by the the rogue EPA and conducted by at least one member of the EPA air quality mafia, i.e., Harvard’s Joel Schwartz.
Blech!
One wonders who has the cognitive decline, the researchers or the old women. And anyway it’s sexism. I want to be researched for my cognitive decline as well.
Really. If the pollution level were zero, you’d still find decline in cognition over two years in the 70-81 age group.
They should stay away from old farts.
Older women have breathed more air than younger women. Therefore, (you know the answer.)