So there was this study on diseases that got published for some mad reason in-spite of the fact it didn’t work.
And that is one of the best. mistakes. ever.
So they tried to say Herpes causes cognitive decline in people as they age, but the thunderous statement eventually came out in the results that [and I quote],
“IB was not associated with cognitive decline over time.”,
And the even sneakier one,
“Past infections may contribute to cognitive impairment.”
*The Setup: What many sharp-eyed readers observed is that the studiers were just looking down the Wrong End of the Telescope.
They pointed out in one of the least-snarky pronouncements of the [internet] trope,
“Correlation does not equal Causation” that:
The Studiers amazingly-discovered that [Already] Low IQ, Cognitively-Impaired, Low-Income, Poorly-Cared-For study participants were more likely to ENGAGE IN RISKY BEHAVIOR, AND NOT GET TO THE DOCTOR, resulting in more chronic disease.
*And Now, The Rub: The researchers tested for more diseases than just Cold-Sores and The Scourge of ‘The Basement Floor’, they also looked at 2 others.
So:
1) It’s not nearly as obvious as you’d think. It could be 4. It could be non-Herpes. It could be even more. How about 20?
And,
2) Who cares if this one failed, BECAUSE THE -IDEA- OF I-B IS A GREAT ONE, REGARDLESS.
Who Cares about their failures? –What if it’s important to keep the most Healthy Immune-System and Lowest Infectious-Burden [from anything] ANYWAY?!!
:: paging a Diaz, … Miss Cameron Diaz,… your containershipfull of handi-wipes and Purell is ready at Loading Dock Three…::
-What if some type of General or Local Inflammation IS important to keep below a certain chronic threshold?
-What if it’s important to get 30 minutes of Cardio Exercise a day, NOT for the weight-reduction, but almost ONLY because it bumps-up your immune system and keeps Infectious-Burden low over time?
THAT is where the Real value of this study lies. That they might not be right -THIS TIME-, with This group of participants, under These circumstances,
but they Probably Are Right in the Long-View for many other people who might face more than just the 4 bugs tested.
Anyway, food for thought. Stay well.
I’d say, to Go check the links for more, but you’ll only find writers who missed the point;
-at least look for the clever commenters who didn’t.
PS: You could even argue, What the researchers DIDN’T test for was people who moved FROM Higher-Cognition TO Lower, BECAUSE of some inflammation. That might have value, too.
Photo Credits:
“If You Say So”, by Unknown, via: FailBlog.org
“No We Won’t”/#19, via: TheChive-I do what I want
“No Jumping”/#1 via: TheChive-I do what I want
Links:
• Source Study: Neurology- Infectious burden and cognitive function
• via: Geekosystem (the one with the smart commenters)
• More Coverage: Neurology-Is the microbe–dementia hypothesis finally ready for a treatment trial? | U. Miami Health | DailyNews | Simmaron (the “Cardiovascular Issues” section is interesting)
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