Glossary · Methodology
Placebo
In short
A placebo is a sham treatment without an active ingredient that looks exactly like the real one. In studies it serves as the comparison: only the gap to placebo shows what the active ingredient itself contributes.
Symptoms change under placebo too — through expectation, attention, the natural course and the statistical effect that particularly high readings often turn out lower the next time. That is why a before-and-after comparison is not enough.
How much of this is due to the placebo itself depends on what is measured. A Cochrane review found no large clinical effects of placebos overall, but measurable ones for self-reported complaints such as pain and nausea.
For biohacking this means: especially for sleep, mood, energy and pain, which people rate themselves, a comparison against placebo is indispensable.
Effective is what does better than the sham treatment.
Where this comes up in the fact checks
- Finasteride – After one year, the hair count in two blinded trials was 107 above placebo — that gap is the effect.
- Melatonin – In ordinary insomnia it shortens the time to fall asleep by only about seven minutes compared with placebo.
- Aspirin for prevention – Death, dementia and persistent disability occurred practically equally often under aspirin and under placebo.
Sources
Related terms: Nocebo · Double-blind · Randomized controlled trial (RCT)
Information only, not medical advice. The BK-Score is a subjective assessment according to disclosed rules – not a scientific evaluation. Scoring rules