Low-carb diet trumps low-fat on ‘good’ cholesterol
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Rating
Low-carb diet trumps low-fat on ‘good’ cholesterol
Our Review Summary
The story makes it seem like the HDL cholesterol effect was the main thrust of the study, and it was not. Overall the story appears to slant in favor of the low-carb approach (e.g., "a low-carb diet works just as well … and it might be better for your heart"), despite the main result of the study finding essentially no difference between the two diets on most outcomes. Why emphasize that "The key difference was in HDL" without explaining the absolute differences and without explaining if that surrogate marker resulted in any difference in endpoints that matter, such as fewer heart attacks?
Why This Matters
Americans are already overly obsessed with "scores." Emphaszing the HDL difference without adequately explaining its real significance in peoples’ lives feels like more scoreboard-watching without knowing the rules of the game.
Criteria
Not Satisfactory
There was no discussion about how the different food consumption patterns compared in terms of price. Doesn’t cost matter in this decision?
Satisfactory
The story indicated that the 15 pound average weight loss observed at 2 years was the same for the two groups. The information about weight loss would have been better had it included insight about the variability in weight loss across the two groups.
Not Satisfactory
There was no mention of any issues or problems that might arise from either of these diets.
Not Satisfactory
The story opened by informing readers that the two dietary approaches to weight loss resulted in similar weight loss but that the low-carb approach might be better for your heart. The first piece of this statement is founded on the actual weight loss in the two groups; the contention about heart health is merely speculative. It is based on a difference in HDL levels between the two groups, but as the story indicated, neither of the groups had cholesterol problems to begin with. So it is really less clear that the difference in HDL was clinically meaningful.
It failed to report on the percentage of individuals who dropped out of the study.
Satisfactory
The story did not engage in overt disease mongering. But the story’s emphasis on the surrogate endpoint of HDL cholesterol is borderline.
Not Satisfactory
One clinician who headed up the study reported on was quoted in this story along with a clinician who was not involved in that study. But that clinician, Dr. Yancy, has a long-standing history of research favoring the low-carb diet approach. That was not disclosed, and he is not a truly independent commenter in this case.
The story should have included comments from independent experts to help readers understand the take home messages from the study reported on.
Not Satisfactory
The story did not include a comprehensive list of evidence-based methods for weight loss. The story lacked a discussion about the essential role of caloric intake, even within the low-carbohydrate diet group.
Satisfactory
It’s fairly clear from the story that these two diets have been in use for a long time by lots of people.
Satisfactory
The story was clear about the fact that the dietary approaches for weight loss that were compared are not new or novel.
Satisfactory
Does not appear to rely exclusively on a news release.
Total Score: 5 of 10 Satisfactory
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