June 25, 2009

The Greek philosopher, Epictetus wrote; appearances are of four kinds:

1) Things are as they appear to be
2) They neither are, nor appear to be
3) They are, but do not appear to be
4) They are not, but appear to be

In a seminar on heart disease given to a number of audiences the following question was posed: Would you take a drug everyday for 5 years if it… ?

A. Lowered your chance of having a heart attack by 33%.

B. Lowered your chance of having a heart attack from 3% to 2%, a difference of 1%.

C. Saved one person in one hundred from having a heart attack, but there was no way to tell in advance who that person would be.

About 80-90% of attendees usually raised their hands for “A”.

Usually about 20% responded to B and C.

The funny thing is. A, B and C are all the same answer.

Here’s why. There are RELATIVE numbers and ABSOLUTE numbers.

Let’s say your risk factor for a heart attack was 3%. If you took a drug for 5 years and reduced your risk factor by 33%, your risk would now be 2%. 33% of 3 is 1.

33% is the RELATIVE number. 1% is the ABSOLUTE number.

Several studies have indicated that when patients are given the ABSOLUTE number they are less likely to choose a drug. The RELATIVE numbers are just an exaggeration to make you think their drugs do more than they really do.

When it comes to heart disease and high blood pressure, the best these types of therapies have ever been known to do is provide a 1% decrease in the risk of a non-fatal heart attack.

While these drugs have their place in particular circumstances, they aren’t for the healthy.

Don’t be a fool… or fooled by the numbers.

All the best,

Kevin Furey

If you’d like to learn more about how you can get in the best shape of your life and not fall victim to Big Pharma… especially if you’re over forty, just go to http://www.kevinfurey.com