1. Studying a press release—red wine and longevity

Goal: To compare the press release with the research paper to see if the main points are supported

Time: 20 minutes

Materials: Press release, research paper

This exercise gives students a look at a typical press release they might see in the workplace. Students are then able to read the full research paper and see if the claims made in the press release reflect the findings of the study.

Press release: Study resolves controversy on life-extending red wine ingredient, restores hope for anti-aging pill http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-05/cp-src042712.php

Paper: SIRT1 Is Required for AMPK Activation and the Beneficial Effects of Resveratrol on Mitochondrial Function http://www.cell.com/cell-metabolism/abstract/S1550-4131(12)00143-X

Here are some analyses which may be helpful:

http://ksj.mit.edu/tracker/2012/05/red-wine-good-health-press-releases

http://embargowatch.wordpress.com/2012/05/01/a-truly-appalling-press-release-from-cell-press-on-life-extending-red-wine-ingredient/

2: Studying a scientific press release—diet soda and heart attacks

Goal: To show students a typical science press release

Time: 10 minutes

Materials: Diet soda press release: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-02/aha-dsm020311.php

Have the students read through the press release, jotting down the key points and noting any questions they have. Then, using the notes below, guide the students though some of the major points to consider when creating a news report. What is the source of the story? What are the main limitations of the research? What does the evidence show?

Questions and answers:

What is the source of the document? Is it published research? Where? Is it peer-reviewed?

• Preliminary study from conference, not peer-reviewed

What kind of experiment is the study? Does it have controls?

• Observational, no comparison to non-diet drinks

What do we know about type of drinks they had? What in the drinks that might have caused the ill-effects?

• No details of drinks, no comparison to the stroke risk to non-diet soda drinkers.

What can you say about the people studied, and the subgroups?

• 2564 in soda study, all over 40, average age 69, seven subcategories but no details on the size of each group or the make-up within it

Does the research prove diet drinks cause heart attacks? Can it?

• Observational so can only show a link, not cause and effect

How do they know how much people drank?

• Relies on self-reporting of diet, and only at start of study not as it goes along

What other risk factors were taken into account?

• Age, sex, ethnicity, smoking status, exercise, alcohol consumption, caloric intake. But controlling metabolic syndrome and disease history reduced effect. Unclear if weight change or change in smoking status during study accounted for

What was the increase in heart attack risk? Is this a relative or absolute risk? What is the baseline risk? (i.e. how many people would we expect to experience vascular events anyway?)

• Relative increased risk is 61% or 48% compared to non-soda drinkers (Why are two numbers given? Which is the better one?)