Randomized Clinical Trials: Prescriptions to Be Applied With Caution!

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Abstract
Randomized Clinical Trials (RCTs) accurately measure the relative health effects of medical interventions. Randomization and blinding protect against bias, both in assignment of treatment and in implementation, and eliminate confounding by known and, even more importantly, unrecognized, factors relating to the patients. RCTs are unsurpassed in their capacity to determine drug efficacy, and are an excellent first step in establishing drug safety. Justifiably, therefore, they have become a gold standard for clinical practice. But there are still aspects of clinical trials—particularly those that focus on blood pressure or diabetes—that should alert consumers to the need for caution before applying their results.