Epidemiology beyond its limits

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Lauren McCullough, Emory University; Maret L Maliniak, Emory University; Avnika B Amin, Emory University; Julia M Baker, Emory University; Davit Baliashvili, Emory University; Julie Barberio, Emory University; Chloe M Barrera, Emory University; Carolyn A Brown, Amgen Inc; Lindsay J Collin, University of Utah; Alexa A Freedman, Northwestern University; David C Gibbs, Emory University; Maryam Haddad, Emory University; Eric W Hall, Oregon Health & Science University; Sarah Hamid, Emory University; Kristin R Harrington, Emory University; Aaron M Holleman, Emory University; John A Kaufman, Emory University; Mohammed Khan, Emory University; Katie Labgold, Emory University; Veronica C Lee, Emory University; Amyn A Malik, Yale University; Laura M Mann, Emory University; Kristin J Marks, Emory University; Kristin Nelson, Emory University; Zerleen S Quader, Emory University; Katherine Ross-Driscoll, Emory University; Supriya Sarkar, ViiV Healthcare; Monica P Shah, Emory University; Iris Y Shao, Emory University; Jonathan P Smith, Yale School of Public Health; Kaitlyn K Stanhope, Emory University; Marisol Valenzuela-Lara, Emory University; Miriam E Van Dyke, Emory University; Kartavya J Vyas, Emory University; Timothy Lash, Emory University
• Language: English
• Date: 2022-06-10
• Publisher: AMER ASSOC ADVANCEMENT SCIENCE
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: © 2022 The Authors, some rights reserved; exclusive licensee American Association for the Advancement of Science. No claim to original U.S. Government Works. Distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0 (CC BY).
• License: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abn3328
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: SCIENCE ADVANCES
• Volume: 8
• Issue: 23
• Start Page: eabn3328
• End Page: eabn3328
• Grant/Funding Information: This work was supported in part by the U.S. National Library of Medicine grant R01LM013049 (to T.L.L.), NCI grant F31CA239566 (to L.J.C.), National Centre for Advancing Translational Sciences grant TL1TR002540 (to L.J.C.).
• Keywords: Science & Technology - Other Topics; DOSE-RESPONSE METAANALYSIS; POOLED ANALYSIS; ORAL-CONTRACEPTIVE USE; BODY-MASS INDEX; CHILDHOOD LEUKEMIA; Multidisciplinary Sciences; MENDELIAN-RANDOMIZATION; LUNG-CANCER; OVARIAN-CANCER; BREAST-CANCER RISK; DIETARY-FAT INTAKE; Science & Technology
• Research Categories: Health Sciences, Epidemiology; Health Sciences, Public Health

Abstract

In 1995, journalist Gary Taubes published an article in Science titled “Epidemiology faces its limits,” which questioned the utility of nonrandomized epidemiologic research and has since been cited more than 1000 times. He highlighted numerous examples of research topics he viewed as having questionable merit. Studies have since accumulated for these associations. We systematically evaluated current evidence of 53 example associations discussed in the article. Approximately one-quarter of those presented as doubtful are now widely viewed as causal based on current evaluations of the public health consensus. They include associations between alcohol consumption and breast cancer, residential radon exposure and lung cancer, and the use of tanning devices and melanoma. This history should inform current debates about the reproducibility of epidemiologic research results.