Sharyl: Our cover story this week may lead you to question much of what you hear and read about scientific and medical studies. It's a cautionary note issued by respected industry leaders who say unseen interests are exerting enormous control over research and what is or isn't published. Their startling claim: that a large percentage of articles in prestigious medical journals are simply not to be believed. We begin with Dr. Marcia Angell of Harvard, a pioneer in the medical journal field.
Dr. Marcia Angell: I think physicians and the public have come to believe that drugs are much better and much safer than they really are.
Sharyl: What makes Dr. Marcia Angell’s skepticism so remarkable is where she places much of the blame: on researchers and medical journals.
Sharyl: That includes the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine where she worked for 20 years and was its first female editor in chief from 1999 to 2000.
Sharyl: Most people probably think an article is in a journal, probably written at a university probably based on independent study, and that's that.
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