GW

Greg Wheildon

Neuroscientist at the University of Exeter with an interest in neurodegeneration and epigenetics.

My ORCiD profile
Activity
Joined 17 September 2024
5 upvotes
3 reviews

Reviews

Most statin side-effects not caused by the drugs, study finds

the Guardian
9
Evidence
8
Balance
9
Clarity

The article provides a clear summary of the study of statin side effects, clearly stating the main finding that only 4 out of 66 listed side effects could be linked to statins through evidence. The article provides a link to the research paper allowing the reader to follow up easily if they wish. The article could potentially be seen as unbalanced as three of the four quotes came from people connected to the study, but the outside commentator also agreed with the findings so this is not a large concern. The quotations from the the different contributors frame the research in the context that misinformation around statin use needs to be addressed, and the clarity of the article aids in that aim.

1

Meat is crucial for human health, scientists warn

The Telegraph
3
Evidence
1
Balance
5
Clarity

The article relies on evidence taken from a single review paper published in a niche journal with a low impact factor. No link to the review is provided. In fact, all links in the article, whether supporting the claim of red meat being crucial to health or not, are to stories published in the Telegraph. No link was provided to a major study mentioned in the article, suggesting red meat poses a significant health risk and no comment is taken from those authors. Quotes from a single scientist on the review and the resulting declaration that red meat is crucial for health, published in the same journal issue are used. These together with quotes from a farming industry academic and a member of the National Farmers union, neither experts in human health, ensure that the article is heavily biased towards a particular interpretation of the current literature, meaning both it lacks balance and the evidence is not robust.

3

Scans capture sweeping reorganisation of brain in pregnancy

the Guardian
9
Evidence
8
Balance
8
Clarity

The article offers a clear interpretation of the study, providing links to the research article, quotes from the researchers and the participant, as well as links to scientific terms to provide further context. It does not sensationalise the findings, allowing the researchers to offer potential explanations for the changes occurring within the brain during pregnancy. It also provides opinions from researchers not directly involved within the work.

1