February 25th, 2009

Reports the Wall Street Journal:

Heart disease is among the most studied illnesses in all of medicine, yet just 11% of more than 2,700 recommendations approved by cardiologists for treating heart patients are supported by high-quality scientific testing, according to new research.

About half the medical recommendations for heart patients have limited scientific backing, according to a study published in Wednesday’s Journal of the American Medical Association. Instead, they are based mostly on expert opinion — subjective viewpoints where consensus is often lacking.

…

The findings from the JAMA study reflect the challenge doctors and patients face in choosing the best course of treatment for a variety of conditions. And they underscore that even though drug and device companies, government agencies and philanthropic groups have spent billions of dollars developing and testing new treatments in recent years, much of what happens in the doctor’s office or the hospital operating suite might not be based on rigorous scientific evidence.

Read more at the WSJ.