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.

Introduction: Diabetes might confer a modestly increased risk of latent tuberculosis infection, which without treatment can progress to active tuberculosis disease. Three recent analyses of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey found a positive association between diabetes and a positive test for Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. This study examines whether prevalence of a positive test still varies by diabetes status after stratifying by race/ethnicity. Methods: This cross-sectional analysis used the public-use National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2011–2012 data sets and was conducted in 2018–2019. Interview and examination results for 5,560 adult participants yielded estimates for 219 million U.S. adults in the 4 largest race/ethnicity groups. The weighted prevalence of positive tuberculin skin test or interferon-gamma release assay by diabetes status was ascertained in each group. Results: Among white and black adults, diabetes was associated with no difference in positive skin test prevalence and little difference in positive interferon-gamma release assay prevalence. The positive assay prevalence difference was +14.5% (95% CI=2.3%, 26.7%) among Hispanic and +9.9% (95% CI=1.2%, 18.6%) among Asian adults, when comparing those with diabetes with those with neither diabetes nor prediabetes. Based on assay results, 23.6% (95% CI=14.0%, 36.9%) of Hispanic and 27.2% (95% CI=19.6%, 36.5%) of Asian adults with diabetes also had latent tuberculosis infection. Conclusions: Hispanic and Asian subpopulation results drove much of the previously reported positive association between diabetes and a positive test for M. tuberculosis infection. Hispanic and Asian adults with diabetes might particularly benefit from screening and treatment for latent tuberculosis infection.

Objective. We examined surveillance data to describe the epidemiology of tuberculosis (TB) among healthcare workers (HCWs) in the United States during the period 1995-2007. Design. Cross-sectional descriptive analysis of existing surveillance data. setting and participants. TB cases reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from the 50 states and the District of Columbia from 1995 through 2007. Results. Of the 200,744 reported TB cases in persons 18 years of age or older, 6,049 (3%) occurred in individuals who were classified as HCWs. HCWs with TB were more likely than other adults with TB to be women (unadjusted odds ratio [95% confidence interval], 4.1 [3.8-4.3]), be foreign born (1.3 [1.3-1.4]), have extrapulmonary TB (1.6 [1.5-1.7]), and complete TB treatment (2.5 [2.3-2.8]). Conclusions. Healthcare institutions may benefit from intensifying TB screening of HCWs upon hire, especially persons from countries with a high incidence of TB, and encouraging treatment for latent TB infection among HCWs to prevent progression to TB disease.

The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) has tested for Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection three times: in 1971–1972, 1999–2000, and 2011–2012. Based on tuberculin skin test results, the estimated national prevalence of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) among adults was 11–18% in 1971–1972 but has remained less than or equal to 6% in subsequent NHANES cycles (1–4). A single 2-year NHANES cycle is designed to produce accurate and stable estimates for conditions with at least 10% prevalence in the noninstitutionalized civilian U.S. population (5–7), suggesting that NHANES might no longer be as nationally representative for LTBI as it is for more common health conditions. Approximately 30 counties were selected for each 2-year cycle (5). We wished to examine whether persons in selected counties might have been systematically more or less likely to have a positive tuberculin skin test result than their counterparts in the approximately 3,100 counties that were not selected for NHANES participation.