Routine medical practices are not always supported by sound research, according to The New York Times.
NYT outlined 10 common medical myths researchers disproved in a recent study published in eLife. Researchers looked at more than 3,000 peer-reviewed studies published between 2003 and 2017. They found more than 1 in 10 study findings contradicted routine medical practices or theories.
Here are 10 study findings that bust common medical myths, as listed by NYT:
- Exposure to peanuts before age 3 does not increase a child's risk of developing peanut allergies, according to a 2016 New England Journal of Medicine study.
- Fish oil, which contains omega-3 fatty acids, does not lower the risk of heart disease, according to a 2013 New England Journal of Medicine study.
- Teenage girls assigned to carry lifelike dolls that cry or require diaper changes are actually more likely to become pregnant than girls who don't care for the "infant simulators," according to a 2016 study published in The Lancet.
- The supplement ginkgo biloba is not effective at preserving memory, a 2008 JAMA study found.
- Aspirin and ibuprofen are just as effective as a single dose of opioids at treating emergency room patients in acute pain, according to a 2017 JAMA study.
- Testosterone does not help older men avoid memory loss, according to a 2017 study published in JAMA.
- Dust mites, mice and cockroaches do not trigger asthma attacks in children who are allergic to the pests, a 2017 JAMA study found.
- Devices that track steps and count calories do not help patients lose weight, according to a 2016 JAMA study.
- Surgery is not always required for a torn knee meniscus. A 2013 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found patients with a torn meniscus who went to physical therapy showed similar improvements to patients who underwent surgery.
- A pregnant woman does not need to immediately deliver her baby if her water breaks prematurely. Waiting for natural labor to begin does not put the infant at greater risk for infection, a 2016 study published in The Lancet found.