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Vijay Gupta's avatar

The premise that the only valid evidence is the evidence from well-controlled RCTs is unreasonable and very limiting. Many potentially effective remedies will never be subjected to such trials because there is no profit in them. But that does not make them any less effective. Many natural remedies, including those related to diet and lifestyle, fall under this category.

Secondly, anecdotal evidence can be very powerful too. We make some of the most important decisions of our lives, such as which college to go to, which job to take, which home to buy, and even who to marry, based on anecdotal evidence. So why can't we choose a medical treatment based on anecdotal evidence?

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Daniel Bruetman MD, MMM's avatar

Anecdotal evidence is an oxymoron. When there’s evidence, the anecdotes are no longer needed. Conversely, when we have no good evidence, we rely on anecdotes or very limited experience. FYI, I’m an oncologist and too many of my colleagues rely on anecdotes. I cringe when the recommendation starts with “ I once had a patient...” False hope is usually futile care.

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