Efficacy
Efficacy
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Efficacy and effectiveness, while related, differ significantly, especially in medical and nutritional interventions. Efficacy refers to the performance of an intervention under ideal and controlled circumstances, while effectiveness measures how well it performs in real-world settings.
John Ioannidis and Peter Attia discuss this distinction in the context of nutritional strategies on the The Peter Attia Drive Podcast. They emphasize that while efficacy is important for understanding how treatments can work in perfect conditions, effectiveness is crucial because it takes into account real-world complexities like adherence to diets. They also discuss the value of efficacy in informing policies, such as decisions about food stamp allocations and public health guidance about nutrition. Ioannidis suggests using controlled trials and Mendelian Randomization studies to gain insights on efficacy, but also stresses the importance of interpreting observational data with caution 1.
Efficacy vs Effectiveness
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