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In this episode, Dr. Brandon and Dr. Morgentaler talk about why many headline-making medical studies are misleading, how media and journals amplify flawed science, and how to think critically about health news without panic.
- 00:44 – Introduction: Dr. Brandon and Dr. Morgentaler talk about how to tell the difference between asexuality, low sexual desire, stress, and medication effects, and why personal sexual history matters.
- 05:43 – Why Headlines are Misleading: They also talk about why many big, scary medical headlines are misleading, using hormone therapy as a prime example of media-driven misinformation.
- 18:29 – The Vigen Paper: They talk about the infamous “Vigen paper,” explaining how a major statistical error led to widespread fear about testosterone and heart disease.
- 21:24 – Repercussions: They also talk about the legal, clinical, and media fallout that followed, including lawsuits, FDA warnings, and lasting damage to patient trust.
- 30:39 – Conclusion: They close off the talk by urging listeners and clinicians to slow down, question sensational health news, and look at the full body of evidence before changing beliefs or care decisions.
Resources
Vigen, R., O’Donnell, C. I., Barón, A. E., Grunwald, G. K., Maddox, T. M., Bradley, S. M., Barqawi, A., Woning, G., Wierman, M. E., Plomondon, M. E., Rumsfeld, J. S., & Ho, P. M. (2013). Association of testosterone therapy with mortality, myocardial infarction, and stroke in men with low testosterone levels. Journal of the American Medical Association, 310(17), 1829–1836. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2013.280386
