(www.improvingmedicalstatistics.com)                                          
      home   author    contact   web site dedication
  

......................m.........................

Specific guide to this web site for:

 1.  Medical School
      Educators 
      in Statistics

 2.  Medical Students

 3.  Science media writers

 4.  High School & College
     Statistic Teachers

   Misadventures:

1. Harvard led MI study

2. JACC study 
   (J. of Amer. Coll.
   Cardio.)

3. NEJM cath study

4. Amer. J. of Cardio.
    review of literature

5. ALLHAT
    controversy 

6. Oat bran study

7. Pregnancy & Alcohol

8. Are Geminis really
    different?
      
9. Columbia 'Miracle' Study  
                                                 

Additional Topics:

Celebrex

Limitations of Meta-Analyses

Large Randomized Clinical Trials

Tale of Two Large
Trials

Advocate meta-analyses

Network meta-analyses

back

The authors in meta-analysis¹ by Sacks et al also evaluated whether preexisting cholesterol levels affect the degree of cholesterol reduction that occurs with soluble fiber.  In this meta-analysis, there was found to be a difference in the LDL cholesterol reduction when the initial LDL cholesterol was high.  In contrast to several prior studies, they did not find a statistically significant correlation with initial total cholesterol. They did not a statistically significant correlation with the initial LDL cholesterol level.   

However, a meta-analysis may not be a sensitive instrument for determining whether preexisting cholesterol levels substantially affected treatment responses, particularly when there is substantial heterogeneity among individual studies.

1.  Brown L, Rosner B, Lillett W, Sacks F. Cholesterol-lowering effects of dietary fiber: a meta-analysis. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 1999; 69:30-42