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PeakMetrics / Fact Checks

Health & medicine fact checks

Explore claims publishers have checked about health & medicine. Read their original ratings and follow the evidence.

13,667 published reviews in this topic

dpaHealth & medicine

Das RKI zählt alle Menschen, die bei Temperaturen über 20 Grad sterben, als Hitzetote.

Publisher’s rating: Der Bericht des RKI, auf den sich die Beiträge beziehen, wird falsch wiedergegeben. Die 20 Grad sind eine Mitteltemperatur und für diese ein vergleichsweise hoher Wert. Bei Angaben zu Hitzetoten handelt es sich, wie es bei Fragen zur Übersterblichkeit die Regel ist, aber um statistische Modellierungen und Schätzungen.

The claim concerns an RKI graphic in a weekly report on heat-related mortality, published on 27 July. Social-media posts treated the graphic’s marked periods “über 20°C” and the label “mit Hitze” as evidence that every death in those periods was attributed to heat. The review explains that the RKI’s 20°C threshold refers to the average temperature over a week, not a daily high or a single measurement. The RKI based that weekly average on hourly readings at German Weather Service measurement points, including nighttime temperatures; the review notes that the 1991–2020 median rarely reached 20°C. The graphic does not classify every death in a marked period as heat-related. It shows two statistical estimates of deaths, one “with heat” and one “without heat.” The review says the RKI’s method accounts for factors including long-term trends in death counts. In the cited periods, deaths rose above the long-term trend; the RKI treated that excess as heat-related because it coincided with high temperatures. The relevant figure is therefore the estimated increase beyond what was statistically expected without heat, not the total number of deaths during those weeks. The review also gives the scale and qualification of the estimate: as of 21 September 2023, the RKI estimated 3,200 heat-related deaths for 2023. It says such estimates carry uncertainty and that the RKI reports a prediction interval to indicate possible variation. Thus the posts misrepresent both the 20°C measure and what the RKI counts as heat-related mortality.

Medical DialoguesHealth & medicine

Can grounding cure heart attack?

Publisher’s rating: False

The review addresses an Instagram reel that claims grounding—making contact with the Earth—can cure heart attacks, angina and stroke. The reel’s reasoning is that grounding could supposedly supply electrons and allow a person experiencing a heart attack or stroke to survive without oxygen. The review reports that the video claimed grounding was a cure, then assesses whether grounding can stop or treat a heart attack. The review explains that a heart attack involves inadequate blood supply to part of the heart muscle, commonly because of coronary artery disease. It quotes an interventional cardiologist who says that suspected heart-attack symptoms require immediate hospital care and an ECG. The same physician emphasizes that prompt treatment matters because heart muscle can begin dying within minutes after blood supply is disrupted; the review describes the first hour as a period when treatments such as clot-busting drugs or angioplasty are most effective. On the central claim, the review says there is no evidence that grounding stops a heart attack. It acknowledges studies reporting possible cardiovascular or inflammatory effects, including findings about red blood cell surface charge and blood viscosity, but distinguishes those findings from evidence of an emergency treatment or cure. A second cardiologist, Dr Prem Agarwal, is quoted as saying there is no scientific evidence that grounding prevents, treats or stops a heart attack, and warns that relying on it can waste time before needed medical attention. The review therefore advises immediate hospital care rather than grounding as treatment.

Projeto ComprovaHealth & medicine

Vigilância sanitária faz "batida" em posto para doações no RS

Publisher’s rating: Um vídeo que circula nas redes sociais confunde usuários ao dizer que a Vigilância Sanitária teria feito uma "batida" em uma cozinha de voluntários que distribuía alimentos às vítimas das enchentes no Rio Grande do Sul. A secretária de Saúde do município de Roca Sales, onde ocorreu a ação, informou que a fiscalização foi motivada por uma denúncia e teve como objetivo orientar sobre o uso de toucas, luvas e armazenamento de carnes. A Secretaria Estadual de Saúde, que recebeu a denúncia, também reforçou que a inspeção não teve caráter punitivo, apenas informativo. Voluntárias que atuavam no local durante a fiscalização criticaram a abordagem, mas confirmaram que se tratava de uma visita para orientação.

FACTLYHealth & medicine

The animal protein in cow milk is a significant contributor for Osteoporosis disease

Publisher’s rating: MISLEADING

The review examines a social-media video asserting that animal protein in cow’s milk contributes significantly to osteoporosis. It says the video’s argument is that milk protein generates sulphur waste, so calcium from a glass of milk is used to counterbalance that waste rather than support the body, leaving no net calcium absorption. The review also describes the video as linking high dairy consumption in some countries with high osteoporosis incidence. The review’s discussion accepts that milk protein can cause urinary calcium losses, but says the precise balance between calcium intake and the calcium used to offset those losses is uncertain. It further notes that milk can improve bone density and help prevent osteoporosis in elderly people, while some studies suggest excessive milk consumption could increase calcium excretion and potentially weaken bones over time. Those qualifications do not establish that ordinary or limited milk intake causes osteoporosis. The review also challenges the video’s country comparison: it notes that countries with high cow-milk consumption are affected by osteoporosis, but says numerous factors contribute to its prevalence. Its conclusion is that the video’s claim overstates what the evidence described in the review supports; the review does not establish that milk’s animal protein is a significant cause of osteoporosis.

dpaHealth & medicine

Gates contamine désormais le sel...Dans cet article ils disent que la FDA envisage discrètement de remplacer la plupart du sel en Amérique par un nouveau « substitut de sel » produit synthétique par Bill Gates qui sera mélangé à des produits chimiques à base d'ARNm.

Publisher’s rating: Non, rien ne prouve que la FDA veuille remplacer complètement le sel par des produits de substitution et encore moins à base d'ARNm. Les internautes se fondent sur une proposition de la FDA visant réduire la teneur en sel de certains produits alimentaires. Les industriels auraient le choix de recourir ou non à des alternatives. Mais la proposition ne mentionne ni l'ARNm ni Bill Gates.