If the criteria is that over half won’t benefit, almost every drug on the planet. I wasn’t exaggerating.
Here’s a paper that explains NNT, and on page four there are some examples. NNT under 10 is pretty good no matter what time span or endpoint of interest we’re looking at. Then there’s also NNH.
I see, I guess when I think of ‘most drugs’, I think of common drugs like aspirin and Tylenol that work pretty much for everyone. (But ‘most’ drugs (and treatments) doesn’t mean most ubiquitously used.) I’ve updated, thanks.
I think of common drugs like aspirin and Tylenol that work pretty much for everyone.
That’s not true either. I know a person who on occasion has headaches. They respond well to Tylenol and don’t respond to Ibuprofen or Advil. The latter two are common drugs which do not work for her.
What examples were you thinking of?
If the criteria is that over half won’t benefit, almost every drug on the planet. I wasn’t exaggerating.
Here’s a paper that explains NNT, and on page four there are some examples. NNT under 10 is pretty good no matter what time span or endpoint of interest we’re looking at. Then there’s also NNH.
I see, I guess when I think of ‘most drugs’, I think of common drugs like aspirin and Tylenol that work pretty much for everyone. (But ‘most’ drugs (and treatments) doesn’t mean most ubiquitously used.) I’ve updated, thanks.
That’s not true either. I know a person who on occasion has headaches. They respond well to Tylenol and don’t respond to Ibuprofen or Advil. The latter two are common drugs which do not work for her.
Advil == ibuprofen. The latter is the active ingredient in the former.
You’re right—I’ve meant Aleve (naproxen), not Advil.
I haven’t looked at their NNTs, but if you compare them to placebo and also take into account the harm, they might seem less amazing.
Interesting, yes, I found in one place that aspirin had an NNT of about 5 for headache.