The First U.S. RSV Vaccine Approval: What the Evidence Measured
On May 3, 2023, the FDA announced approval of Arexvy, the first respiratory syncytial virus vaccine approved in the United States. The original decision c
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Donanemab’s FDA Approval: Read the Trial Endpoint Before Comparing Headlines
On July 2, 2024, the FDA announced approval of Kisunla, or donanemab-azbt, for Alzheimer’s disease. The decision was important, but the evidence is best u
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Lecanemab’s Traditional FDA Approval: Why Confirming Clinical Benefit Mattered
On July 6, 2023, the FDA converted Leqembi, the brand name for lecanemab-irmb, from accelerated to traditional approval for Alzheimer’s disease after a co
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Casgevy and the CRISPR Milestone: What the FDA Approval Established
On December 8, 2023, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced approval of Casgevy for a defined group of people with sickle cell disease. It was th
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Ultra-Processed Foods: What the NIH Feeding Trial Actually Tested
A study can provide important evidence without answering every question suggested by its headline. The NIH’s 2019 controlled feeding trial compared two di
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Protein Foods and Powders: Look Beyond the Grams on the Label
Protein grams are easy to display prominently on a package. The harder question is what a food or supplement contributes to an actual eating pattern and w
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Dietary Fiber: Compare Foods and Claims Before Choosing a Supplement
Fiber is often presented as a single number to maximize or an ingredient to add to any meal. In reality, dietary fibers have different properties, and foo
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Confirmation Bias: A Better Way to Check a Science Claim You Want to Believe
It is easy to notice weak evidence in a claim you dislike. The harder task is examining a claim that fits your expectations, supports a favorite product o
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Classical and Operant Conditioning: Two Different Ways Associations Are Learned
The word conditioning is often used loosely to explain habits, advertisements, learning apps and everyday routines. In psychology, two important forms of
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The Placebo Effect and Clinical Trials: Why Feeling Better Is Not the Whole Comparison
If someone feels better after taking a treatment, that experience matters. It does not, by itself, establish which part of the experience produced the imp
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