Jumping on the Bandwagon
A year and a half ago, I presented a research study at an annual cardiology meeting. Few of my colleagues wanted to have anything to do with it. They seemed to shy away from the presentation and didn't want to talk about it. It was very frustrating to present data that strongly raised the possibility that a drug given to about 10,000 people a year (and increasing numbers) may double their risk of death within the following month. Sure it made people feel better, but the effects lasted for 3-6 hours and then the drug was no better than the old-fashioned treatment.
When I presented a follow-up research study this week at the American Heart Association, it was a very different scene. People (other cardiologists) were congratulating me on our "bravery" to stand up to Johnson & Johnson and tell the Giant that their drug may be dangerous - challenging them to start a new study to prove whether or not this is so.
In reality, I was merely following whtat the data said was truth.
So while most of the people at the meeting probably preferred to use denial mechanisms and pretend that their beliefs should be followed before the data, at least some were jumping on the wagon.
In the end, one can only hope that the truth will be sought and the risk, if any, be quantified.
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