Association does not mean causation
posted in - Offbeat news, - Palmdoc |It was reported in the Star that Men above 40 with sexual problems at risk of life-threatening illnesses
Conference organising chairman and head of Men’s Health Clinic at Universiti Sains Malaysia Assoc Prof Dr Shaiful Bahari Ismail said there were many cases of men with erectile dysfunction who had a high tendency of developing chronic diseases.
“We have had many cases of men who suffered from ED who died years later of diseases like diabetes or heart-related problems.”
“Although not conclusive, it is still a fact that penile dysfunction could cause problems to the heart.”
I suspect Dr. Shaiful was misquoted as it so oft happens in our local media. The fact is, chronic illnesses like diabetes mellitus will predispose men to heart disease. Such patients also are prone to erectile dysfunction. It does not mean that erectile function per se “causes heart problems”.
Perhaps journalists should study Logic 101
Last 5 posts by Palmdoc
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October 19th, 2009 at 12:11 pm
Other examples of fallacious conclusions:
More people eat ice-cream in summer. More drownings occur in summer. Increased consumption of ice-cream is associated with increased incidence of drownings.
Conclusion: Eating ice-cream causes drownings.
Clap your hands loudly in front of a grasshopper, and it jumps. Pull the hind legs off a grasshopper, and then clap your hands loudly in front of the grasshopper. It does NOT jump.
Conclusion: Grasshopper hears with its hind legs.
October 20th, 2009 at 12:25 am
Good points. Perhaps someone should write in to the papers. It’s also a common knowledge that many chronic illnesses will cause a central hypogonadism which may present as ED. Likely all associations, not causal.