A new study published in Scientific Reports indicates that amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and multiple sclerosis (MS) have an extremely high geographic association, even after controlling for race, gender, wealth, latitude, and access to neurological health care.

A new study published in Scientific Reports indicates that amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and multiple sclerosis (MS) have an extremely high geographic association, even after controlling for race, gender, wealth, latitude, and access to neurological health care.

“The results of the study are surprising because previous studies have typically concluded there was no evidence for a mechanistic or genetic link between the two diseases,” explains study author Melissa Schilling, a professor at New York University’s Stern School of Business who specializes in analyzing large-scale datasets using econometrics.

The study also shows that the relationship between the two diseases has likely been overlooked until now because of a “Simpson’s Paradox”—a statistical phenomenon whereby a trend appears in different groups of data but disappears or reverses when the groups are combined.

  • MushuChupacabra@lemmy.worldEnglish
    21·
    3 days ago

    Probably depends on the technical definition of “disease” cus obviously stuff like cancer or vitamin deficiency (scurvy) are not infections, but I’m not sure if they’re considered diseases. Do you have a demonstration of the falsehood?

    You just demonstrated the falsehood in your first paragraph; playing loosely with the definition of the word disease is precisely why the statement is flat out wrong.

    but I’m not sure if they’re considered diseases.

    Which highlights the problem of just taking the platitude at face value. If you are not sure what is considered a disease, and what is not, then it is not reasonable to make claims about the platitude that All diseases are caused by infections.