No miracle cures

If you are one of those who read a health feature and feel that the therapeutic drug or tool mentioned is what you have been waiting for years for, think again. The projected 'miracle cures' are often ordinary new treatment, a 'new disease' is sometimes a disease that was already there but not diagnosed earlier, and a new test is often just a nominal improvement over the previous one.Moreover, at times, behind a truly 'blockbuster' drug, hailed as a panacea, lurks a dangerous adverse effect that is underplayed by the scientist and under-reported by the media.
What is worrying is that more and more of these reports are now occupying front pages of prominent newspapers and prime time in audio-visual media, sometimes as 'breaking news'.
The Fen-pen - a popular drug used in the treatment of obesity - was a classically hyped drug, hailed as a cure for obesity in the 1990s. Its sales continued even after a dangerous side-effect on the heart was reported in the New England Journal of Medicine. A multimillion-dollar class action suit was filed after Food and Drug Administration (FDA) considered banning the drug.
The cover-up began and several new studies, funded by the company manufacturing the drug, were published in top medical journals. They emphasised that 'the heart side-effect was not such a major problem after all', and that the 'drug could still be taken safely'. After considerable delay, however, the drug was banned and huge compensation given to patients who suffered from its side-effects.
Unfortunately, many Indian health reporters are short of knowledge in complex health-related issues, lack training in health reporting, and also do not make efforts to have analytical comments from unbiased experts. As a result, discovery of one or two cases of an infectious disease is reported prominently as almost an epidemic, unusual but routine surgeries are named 'one-of-a-kind', incorrect, misleading treatment information is given as 'expert advice', and statistically insignificant research findings are termed 'highly significant'.
Previously, it was assumed that media was getting it all wrong, which does happen. But inaccuracy resulting from the researcher's over-enthusiasm is also a significant issue. To my mind, the fault lies more with physicians and scientists. Some of them run to press to report 'first case' of a rare disease diagnosed by them when no conclusive diagnosis exists - for example, the reporting of a 'plague' in New Delhi.
At times, a treatment is claimed to be extremely effective when only a few cases have been treated with mixed results. Many such studies which are actively doled out to reporters are wrongly executed, hastily analysed, and conclusions dramatised. Untrained journalists are easy prey for such scientists and physicians.
One must understand that scientific discoveries are a long haul. The following general rules should be observed by reporters. Avoid use of hype words like 'breakthrough' or 'cure'. Take a second opinion from an expert not involved in the study. Read the published study and analyse it with experts regarding true significance of findings. Provide information on risk factors. Reporters can also ask researchers where the funds for the study were received from, and if there is any possible conflict of interest.
It should be clearly understood that there are no magic cures, no miracles, and no drug or procedure is without drawbacks or side-effects. Readers should understand the limited significance of results derived from a study on animals or on a small number of people. They should be alert about any claims about 'extremely effective' drugs by checking whether the research was funded by manufacturers of the drug.
There is a healthy trend of training and workshops on health reporting in India. This genre has long been ignored, but with an average Indian perceiving health on the top of her agenda, and rise of India in all spheres of the health sector, the need for accurate reporting of health issues only becomes stronger.
The writer is director of the department of diabetes and metabolic diseases at Fortis Hospitals, New Delhi.