酒精产业资助政府研究

的 研究的目标 was to provide clarity on whether alcohol was the factor that causes moderate alcohol drinkers to outlive abstainers. A conclusion linking alcohol consumption to longer lifespans would have been a major boost to the industry, particularly if that conclusion came from a seemingly independent study.

的 7,800-person randomized trial was flawed from the start, however. 虽然国家卫生研究院 禁止员工 建议为支持活动捐款, 这项研究背后的617888九五至尊娱乐家以及美国国立卫生研究院的一名官员 反复讨论 their proposed study with and sought funding from alcohol manufacturers. 2014年对酒类公司高管的一次演讲 认为, “a definitive clinical trial represents a unique opportunity to show that moderate alcohol consumption is safe and lowers risk of common diseases.“这些会议的结果, 五大行业巨头——安海斯-布希英博, 喜力, 帝亚吉欧, 保乐力加, 和嘉士伯了67美元.700万年 进入试验阶段. 这笔资金 未披露 在注册患者的在线临床试验注册中.

Such contact and funding is troubling because it can introduce bias into studies. 正如营养学教授马里恩·奈斯特所说 指出, “research shows that industry-sponsored research almost invariably favors the interests of the industry sponsor, even when investigators believe they are immune from such influence.参与计划这项研究的美国国立卫生研究院官员说 隐藏事实 from their colleagues, and the principal investigator consistently denied contact with the industry, 告诉记者 in 2017 “we have had literally no contact with anyone in the alcohol industry in the planning of this.“事实上，这些会议 允许 the industry to examine the study’s design and to view investigators “on board” with the project, 在其他细节中.

2018年3月, after news broke about the extent to which the scientists had courted industry, NIH暂停了这项研究，并进行了内部调查. 517888九五至尊娱乐小组 确定, “的 early and frequent engagement with industry representatives calls into question the impartiality of the process and thus, casts doubt that the scientific knowledge gained from the study would be actionable or believable.” 的 working group’s June 2018 report recommended the trial’s termination, 以及美国国立卫生研究院院长弗朗西斯·柯林斯 立即结束 研究经费. 到......的时候 试验结束后，该项目花费了1500多万美元.

At a December 2018 Advisory Committee to the Director meeting, an NIH official 指出 在演讲中 on the alcohol study that “this represents a critical moment” and outlined steps the agency had taken to improve research integrity and transparency since June. 的 presentation directed officials as to proper conduct with outside partners and 认为, “it is paramount that NIH promote a culture of impartiality and responsibility within the program community regarding acceptable levels of interaction.“推广这种文化确实是关键. When industry-biased science is 允许 to adopt a façade of independence, it can mislead the public into making decisions that negatively affect their health.