Marcia Angell of the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine has said, “As a general rule of thumb we are looking for a relative risk of 3 or more” before accepting a paper for publication. Robert Temple of the Food and Drug Administration said, “My basic rule is if the relative risk isn’t at least 3 or 4, forget it.” The National Cancer Institute explains, “Relative risks of less than 2 are considered small and are usually difficult to interpret. Such increases may be due to chance, statistical bias, or the effect of confounding factors [other causes] that are sometimes not evident.” In the pie chart below those stratistically insignificant findings are highlighted in yellow.

A relative risk of less than unity (1.0) is considered by reputable researchers to be the opposite of a risk and can even signify a protective effect. These negative risks are shown below in gray.

Relative risks above 2.0 are shown in black.

Meta-analyses are not included in this chart because they lend themselves to selective inclusion of studies chosen just because they may prove the researcher's preconceived conclusion.

\

EPIDEMIOLOGICAL STUDIES ON SHS

 

Wherever possible, these figures were taken directly from the US Surgeon General's Report, EPA's 1993 Report, or from the World Health Organization's published reports.

 

Name
Yr
Locale
Type 
Sex 
Relative
Risk
Confidence
Interval
Garfinkel 1 (+)  81
US
Spouse
 F 
1.18
.90-1.54
Chan + 82
HK
Spouse
F
0.80 * 
 .43-1.30
Correa(+!) 83
US
Spouse
F
2.07
.81-5.25
Correa(+!) 83
US
Spouse
M
1.97
.38-10.32
Trichopouls(+!) 83
Grk
Spouse
F
2.08
1.20-3.59
Buffler 84
US
Spouse
F
0.80 *
.34-1.90
Buffler 84
US
Spouse
M
0.51 *
.14-1.79
Hirayama (+)! 84
Jap
Spouse
F
1.60
1.00-2.40
Hirayama +
84
Jap
Spouse
M
2.24
1.19-4.22
Kabat 1(+)
84
US
Spouse
F
0.79 *
.25-2.45
Kabat 1(+) 84
US
Spouse
M
NS *
0.20-5.07
Garfinkel 2(+)
85
US
Spouse
F
1.23
0.81-1.87
Lam W 85
HK
Spouse
F
2.01
1.09-3.72
Wu(+!) 85
US
Spouse
F
1.40
0.40-4.20
Akiba(+)
86
Jap
Spouse
F
1.50
0.90-2.80
Akiba(+) 86
Jap
Spouse
M
1.80
0.40-7.00
Lee(+) 86
UK
Spouse
F
NS *
0.37-2.71
Lee(+) 86
UK
Spouse
M
1.30
0.38-4.39
Bownson 1 87
US
Spouse
F
1.68
0.39-6.90
Gao
87
Chin
Spouse
F
1.19
0.82-1.73
Humble 87
US
Spouse
F
2.20
0.80-6.60
Humble 87
US
Spouse
M
4.82
0.63-36.56
Koo 87
HK
Spouse
F
1.64
0.87-3.09
Lam T
87
HK
Spouse
F
1.65
1.16-2.35
Pershagen(+)
87
Swed
Spouse
F
1.20
0.70-2.10
Butler 88
US
Spouse
F
2.20
0.48-8.56
Geng
88
Chin
Spouse
F
2.16
1.08-4.29
Inoue 88
Jap
Spouse
F
2.25
0.80-8.80
Shimizu
88
Jap
Spouse
F
1.08
0.64-1.82
Choi
89
Kor
Spouse
F
1.63
0.92-2.87
Choi 89
Kor
Spouse
M
2.73
0.49-15.21
Hole
89
Scot
Spouse
F
1.89
0.22-16.12
Hole 89
Scot
Spouse
M
3.52
0.32-38.65
Svensson 89
Swed
Spouse
F
1.26
0.57-2.81
Janerick
90
US
Spouse
M&F
0.93 *
0.55-1.57
Kalandidi
90
Grk
Spouse
F
2.11
1.09-4.08
Sobue
90
Jap
Spouse
F
1.13
0.78-1.63
Wu-Williams 90
Chin
Spouse
F
0.70 *
0.60-0.90
Liu Z 91
Chin
Spouse
F
0.77 *
0.30-1.96
Brownson 2 ^ 92
US
Spouse
F
NS *
0.80-1.20
Stockwell ^
92
US
Spouse
F
1.60
0.80-3.00
Liu Q ^ 93
Chin
Spouse
F
1.66
0.73-3.78
Wu
93
Chin
Spouse
F
1.09
0.64-1.85
Fontham ^ 94
US
Spouse
F
1.29
1.04-1.60
Layard 94
US
Spouse
F
0.58 *
0.30-1.13
Layard 94
US
Spouse
M
1.47
0.55-3.94
Zaridze 94
Russia
Spouse
F
1.66
1.12-2.46
Kabat 2 ^
95
US
Spouse
F
1.08
0.60-1.94
Kabat 2 ^ 95
US
Spouse
M
1.60
0.67-3.82
Schwartz ^
96
US
Spouse
F
1.10
0.72-1.68
Schwartz ^ 96
US
Spouse
M
1.10
0.60-2.03
Sun 96
Chin
Spouse
F
1.16
0.80-1.69
Want S-Y
96
Chin
Spouse
F
2.53
1.26-5.10
Wang T-J
96
Chin
Spouse
F
1.11
0.67-1.84
Cardenas ^ 97
US
Spouse
F
1.20
0.80-1.60
Cardenas ^
97
US
Spouse
M
1.10
0.60-1.80
Jockel-BIPS 97
Ger
Spouse
F
1.58
0.74-3.38
Jockel-BIPS
97
Ger
Spouse
M
1.58
0.52-4.81
Jockel-GSF 97
Ger
Spouse
F
0.93 *
0.66-1.31
Jockel-GSF 97
Ger
Spouse
M
0.93 *
0.52-1.67
Ko ^
97
Tai
Spouse
F
1.30
0.70-2.50
Nyberg 97
Swed
Spouse
F
1.20
0.74-1.94
Nyberg 97
Swed
Spouse
M
1.20
0.57-2.55
Boffetta (WHO) 98
Eur
Spouse
M&F
1.16
0.93-1.44
Kabat 1 ^
84
US
Work
F
0.70 *
0.30-1.50
Kabat 1 ^
84
US
Work
M
3.30
1.10-10.40
Garfinkel 2 ^ 85
US
Work
F
0.93 *
0.70-1.20
Wu ^ 85
US
Work
F
1.30
0.50-3.30
Lee ^
86
UK
Work
F
0.63*
0.17-2.33
Lee ^ 86
UK
Work
M
1.61
0.39-6.60
Koo ^ 87
HK
Work
F
0.91 *
0.15-5.37
Shimizu ^ 88
Jap
Work
F
1.18
0.70-2.01
Janerich ^ 90
US
Work
F&M
0.91 *
0.80-1.04
Kalandidi ^! 90
Grk
Work
F
1.39
0.80-2.50
Wu-Williams ^ 90
Chin
Work
F
1.20
0.90-1.60
Brownson 2 92
US
Work
F
0.79 *
0.61-1.03
Stockwell ^ 92
US
Work
F
NS *
NS
Fontham ^ 94
US
Work
F
1.39
1.11-1.74
Zaridze 94
Russia
Work
F
1.23
0.74-2.06
Kabat 2 ^ 95
US
Work
F
1.15
0.62-2.13
Kabat 2 ^
95
US
Work
M
1.02
0.50-2.09
Schwartz ^
96
US
Work
F&M
1.50
1.00-2.20
Sun 96
Chin
Work
F
1.38
0.94-2.04
Wang T-J 96
Chin
Work
F
0.89 *
0.46-1.73
Jockel-BIPS
97
Ger
Work
F&M
2.37
1.02-5.48
Jockel-GSF
97
Ger
Work
F&M
1.51
0.95-2.40
Ko ^
97
Tai
Work
F
1.10
0.40-3.00
Nyberg 97
Swed
Work
F&M
1.60
0.90-2.90
Boffetta (WHO) 98
Eur
Work
F&M
1.17
0.94-1.45
Correa + 
83
US
Childhd
F
NS * 
NS 
Kabat & Wyn ^ 
84
US
Childhd
F
0.92 *
0.40-2.08 
Kabat & Wyn ^
84
US
Childhd
M
1.26
0.33-4.83
Garfinkel 2 + 85
US
Childhd
F
0.91 *
0.74-1.12
Wu (+)
85
US
Childhd
F
0.60 *
0.20-1.70
Akiba + 86
Jap
Childhd
F&M
NS *
NS
Gao ^
87
Chin
Childhd
F
1.10
0.70-1.70
Koo ^!
87
HK
Childhd
F
1.73
0.60-6.40
Pershagen ^ 87
Swed
Childhd
F
NS *
0.40-2.30
Svensson ^
89
Swed
Childhd
F
3.30
0.50-18.80
Janerich ^ 90
US
Childhd
F&M
1.09
0.68-1.73
Sobue (^)
90
Jap
Childhd
F
1.28
0.71-2.31
Wu-Will(^)! 90
Chin
Childhd
F
NS  *
NS
Brownson 2 ^ 92
US
Childhd
F
0.80 *
0.60-1.10
Stockwell ^
92
US
Childhd
F
1.10
0.50-2.60
Fontham ^ 94
US
Childhd
F
0.89 *
0.72-1.10
Zaridze 94
Russia
Childhd
F
0.98 *
0.66-1.45
Kabat 2 ^ 95
US
Childhd
M
0.90 *
0.43-1.89
Kabat 2 ^ 95
US
Childhd
F
1.55
0.95-2.79
Sun 96
Chin
Childhd
F
2.29
1.56-3.37
Wang T-J 96
Chin
Childhd
F
0.91 *
0.56-1.48
Jockel-BIPS 97
Ger
Childhd
F&M
1.05
0.50-2.22
Jockel-GSF 97
Ger
Childhd
F&M
0.95 *
0.64-1.40
Ko ^ 97
Tai
Childhd
F
0.80 *
0.40-1.60
Boffetta (WHO) 98
Eur
Childhd
F&M
0.78 *
0.64-0.96
Garfinkel 2 85
US
Social
F
1.42
0.75-2.70
Lee
86
UK
Social
F
0.61 *
0.29-1.28
Lee 86
UK
Social
M
1.55
0.40-6.02
Janerich
90
US
Social
F&M
0.59 *
0.43-0.81
Stockwell
92
US
Social
F
NS *
NS *
Fontham
94
US
Social
F
1.50
1.19-1.89
Kabat 2 (^)
95
US
Social
F
1.22
0.69-2.15
Kabat 2 (^) 95
US
Social
M
1.39
0.67-2.86
Boffetta (WHO)
98
Eur
Social
M&F
1.03
0.82-1.29

 

Hosted by www.Geocities.ws

1