November 2, 2010

Screening for Alzheimer's: What Good Can It Do?

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Comments (6)

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Michael Kirsch, M.D.

November 2, 2010 at 8:44 am

There is a fallacy, of course, in many of the ‘test early’ strategies. Discovering a condition early may not change the natural history of the disease. For example, we can now discover lung cancer sooner than we could 20 years ago. But, are these folks really living longer? The term for this is lead time bias and this can confuse the public and those who report on health issues.

Ivan Oransky

November 2, 2010 at 3:48 pm

Good to keep in mind. Also, from one of my former students:
Totaled Recall: Is an Alzheimer’s Memory Screening Test Worth It?
http://bit.ly/9LGssT
Ivan Oransky, MD
Executive Editor, Reuters Health
Adjunct Assistant Professor, New York University’s Science, Health, and Environmental Reporting Program
Treasurer, Association of Health Care Journalists
Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine, New York University School of Medicine
Blogger, Embargo Watch http://embargowatch.wordpress.com (a blog independent of Reuters that does not necessarily reflect its views)
Blogger, Retraction Watch http://retractionwatch.wordpress.com (ditto)
http://twitter.com/ivanoransky

Bix

November 6, 2010 at 3:55 pm

I will have to read Mr. Cassels article…
In the debate on screening, I often see reference to increased mortality, living longer. I don’t see as often reference to quality-of-life. Sometimes interventions reduce quality of life without extending life appreciably. This is a thorny topic because quality-of-life is subjective. I’d still like to see it wrestled.
(Maybe you’ve written about this elsewhere. I just found your site. I’m enjoying it.)

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