Higher Order Confusion

CDC study on depression and mortality finds wealth, smoking, and exercise reduce risk of death

Oct 2023, phys.org

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-10-cdc-depression-mortality-wealth-death.html

1. The CDC team found a higher risk of all-cause, cardiovascular disease, and ischemic heart disease mortality among adults with moderate to severe depressive symptoms compared to those without depressive symptoms.

But this next paragraph is something you are likely to never read, ever:

Not highlighted in the CDC study and unlikely to be recommended, smoking caused the most significant reduction in mortality from all causes (HR 1.65) in both the mild and moderate to severe depression groups compared to the base model (HR 1.78). This was followed closely by physical activity (HR 1.67), which is much more likely to be encouraged.

Where is my advanced predictive analytics.

Study Data:

• National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2005 to 2018, included 23,694 participants aged 20 and older (mean age 44.7). Depressive symptoms assessed using Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), a validated screening instrument for measuring depressive symptoms.
• 1.42 all-cause mortality hazard ratio for mild depression vs no depression and 1.78 for moderate to severe vs no depression.
• 1.49 cardiovascular disease mortality hazard ratio for mild depression vs no depression and 1.79 for moderate to severe vs no depression.

via US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Zefeng Zhang et al, Depressive Symptoms and Mortality Among US Adults, JAMA Network Open (2023). DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.37011

https://dx.doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.37011

Image credit: AI Art - Dev Team Joyfully Creating a Computer Design - 2023

Also Confusing:

Simulations of 'backwards time travel' can improve scientific experiments

Oct 2023, phys.org

https://phys.org/news/2023-10-simulations-scientific.html

Physicists have shown that simulating models of hypothetical time travel can solve experimental problems that appear impossible to solve using standard physics.

via University of Cambridge, National Institute of Standards and Technology and the University of Maryland: David R. M. Arvidsson-Shukur et al, Nonclassical Advantage in Metrology Established via Quantum Simulations of Hypothetical Closed Timelike Curves, Physical Review Letters. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.131.150202

https://dx.doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.131.150202