what they said (Hover the mouse cursor over underlined words for more info)

Scientists may have found a proverbial fountain of youth, a drug that appears to slow -- and even reverse -- the physical effects of aging.
In tests on nearly 400 men and women aged 65 and older, drug giant Pfizer's experimental pill significantly boosted levels of a hormone behind the growth spurt at puberty.
Compared to those on a placebo, volunteers given the hormone stimulator capromorelin experienced an average increase in muscle mass of 1.4 kilograms...

how did it rate? (more information)

what we said (Hover the mouse cursor over underlined words for more info)

This is one of a number of drugs that are being touted as anti-aging pills. It is arguable whether these treatments are purveying a form of disease-mongering (is getting old now a disease?) yet the quoted spokesperson does provide context about the treatment. While the results are intriguing, unfortunately, the article provides little detail on the design of the study or the magnitude of benefit or harm. This information is needed to put these results into proper perspective. The article correctly points out - none of the studies is yet on "anywhere near as big a scale as would be needed to give us the full picture of the pros and the cons". Studies such as these do not merit such sensationalistic headlines.

public forum

voice your opinion in the forum

• All comments and feedback submitted to Media Doctor are subject to editorial approval before being made viewable by the public. It may take up to a week for your comments to be approved. Additionally, no response will be given to questions posed in public comments. Media Doctor does not provide medical advice, or answers to medical questions posed by the public.
• If you provide your email address it will not be displayed to the general public.
• Comments may be edited by Media Doctor to remove defamatory or sensitive statements, and brand names.
• Required fields are marked with an asterisk (*).