Obesity and Gastric Bypass Surgery
Analysis of Newspaper Research Report Results
April T. Oros
NUR/438
June 19, 2013
Catherine Anderson-Spear, BSN, JD
Analysis of Newspaper Research Report Results
In this paper I will discuss an article from the Seattle Press written by Associated Press Medical Writer Lindsay Tanner. I will discuss the statistical procedures used in the study and provide an analysis of the conclusions both the researchers and the reporter drew from the study results to consider the statistical significance of the data presented.
The article explains the research of Dr. Sayeed Ikramuddin of the department of surgery, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis and his colleagues relating to bariatric surgery its potential role in glycemic control in type two diabetics. Irkamuddin states that at 12 months, “the primary goal was considered successful if patients achieved the composite of the triple endpoint: HbA1c of less than 7.0%, an LDL cholesterol level of less than 100 mg/dL, and systolic blood pressure of less than 130 mmHg at the 12-month visit” (2013, p. 2242). The study was conducted at four sites, including New York, Minnesota, and two hospitals in Taiwan and lasted 12 months. Patients with mild to moderate obesity and adult-onset diabetes mellitus were offered a free intensive intervention and recruited using mass media advertisements, practice-based databases and contact with professional groups, leading to an unblinded randomized group after screening 2648 candidates. Body mass index in participants ranged from 30.0 to 39.9, with a mean of 34.6. The study participants had been diagnosed with diabetes for a mean of 9.0 years. The intensive intervention included lifestyle modification with daily caloric intake counts, increased physical activity, daily weights and counseling sessions, and intensive medical management including close monitoring and treatment from doctors with medications for cholesterol, blood pressure, and glycemic control. Sixty of these participants
April T. Oros
NUR/438
June 19, 2013
Catherine Anderson-Spear, BSN, JD
Analysis of Newspaper Research Report Results
In this paper I will discuss an article from the Seattle Press written by Associated Press Medical Writer Lindsay Tanner. I will discuss the statistical procedures used in the study and provide an analysis of the conclusions both the researchers and the reporter drew from the study results to consider the statistical significance of the data presented.
The article explains the research of Dr. Sayeed Ikramuddin of the department of surgery, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis and his colleagues relating to bariatric surgery its potential role in glycemic control in type two diabetics. Irkamuddin states that at 12 months, “the primary goal was considered successful if patients achieved the composite of the triple endpoint: HbA1c of less than 7.0%, an LDL cholesterol level of less than 100 mg/dL, and systolic blood pressure of less than 130 mmHg at the 12-month visit” (2013, p. 2242). The study was conducted at four sites, including New York, Minnesota, and two hospitals in Taiwan and lasted 12 months. Patients with mild to moderate obesity and adult-onset diabetes mellitus were offered a free intensive intervention and recruited using mass media advertisements, practice-based databases and contact with professional groups, leading to an unblinded randomized group after screening 2648 candidates. Body mass index in participants ranged from 30.0 to 39.9, with a mean of 34.6. The study participants had been diagnosed with diabetes for a mean of 9.0 years. The intensive intervention included lifestyle modification with daily caloric intake counts, increased physical activity, daily weights and counseling sessions, and intensive medical management including close monitoring and treatment from doctors with medications for cholesterol, blood pressure, and glycemic control. Sixty of these participants