title: [The trap of percentages].
abstract: It is still controversial which is the correct way to report and to interpret different event rates of clinical trials. Results can be expressed in terms of several measures: absolute risk reduction, relative risk reduction, relative improvement, number needed to be treated. Each measure leads to a different interpretation of study results. In the present article data from a clinical study on serum cholesterol reduction are analyzed and compared with different measures. Investigators, physicians, nurses and patients should be aware that the presentation of trials' results can be misleading even if statistically exact.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bobbio
mesh_terms: D015404:Nursing Methodology Research / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
vernacular_title: Il trabocchetto delle percentuali.