#6 - Asthmagon was long considered the most effective of the

[lenihil]

Dear PowerScore,

I have a question. With answer choice (A) and (E), are they both weakeners? Thank you.

[Rachael Wilkenfeld]

Hi Lenihil,

Let's start by looking at the argument in the stimulus. It says that Asthmagon should be banned because some patients suffered serious side effect. We want to weaken the conclusion that Asthmagon should be banned. Before we look at the answer choices, we want to prephrase---to think about what the correct answer choice should do.

The generic answer is that the correct answer choice should hurt the conclusion. Here though, we can get a bit more specific. We are likely looking either for something that gives us more benefits for Asthmagon to offset the risk of side effects, or something that makes the side effects not as much of a risk. Basically we are looking for something that would make the risk of side effects worth it because of the benefits of Asthmagon.

Answer choice (A) would strengthen the conclusion that Asthmagon should be banned because it suggests that Asthmagon use correlates with an increase in deaths from asthma. That's an additional mark against Asthmagon, so it would strengthen our conclusion, not weaken it.

Answer choice (E) works similarly. It gives another reason we might want to ban Asthmagon. It can cause increased severity of asthma attacks in some users. That strengthens the conclusion that we should ban the medication.

Answer choice (D) is our weaken answer. It gives us a reason that the risks of severe side effects shouldn't result in a ban. It doesn't say the side effects are not severe. It doesn't say that there are additional benefits. It says that the side effects are predictable, and thus could be avoided. By saying all the severe side effects occurred in patients with a specific comorbid condition, we weaken the idea that the medication should be fully banned. Those without the condition should be safe to take the medication. The answer choice weakens the conclusion by telling us how the side effects can be avoided.

Hope that helps!
Rachael

[lenihil]

Dear Rachael,

Thank you for your help. It's all clear now.

[Let'sMasterLsat]

I had a totally different interpretation for the AC "A", and please correct me. I thought because it mentions that the increase in death from Asthma patin was in the exact same period as the research, this might be coincidental and that's why doctors perceived it as a serious side effect. This answer choice shows that in those years death from Asthma rose and maybe it was not necessarily because of the Asthmagon, but doctors presumed it that way; which sounds like a weakening answer choice. I appreciate any help in advance.

[Jeff Wren]

Hi Let's,

Unfortunately, your interpretation relies on two unwarranted assumptions:

1. That the increased death rate of asthma sufferers was coincidental.

It may have been coincidental, but it very well may not have been coincidental. In fact, since the answer mentions that asthmagon was the most widely prescribed of the beta-2 agonists in Rhiago at the time, it appears more likely that this wasn't coincidental and that the higher death rate is directly connected to the serious side effects that asthmagon has for some patients.

2. That the studies mistook the overall increased death rate of asthma sufferers in the population for the serious side effects in the study.

While "serious side effects" are not described in detail, these need not only be death. If these serious side effects include getting very sick, severe allergic reactions, etc., they would be consistent with the idea that asthmagon can be dangerous and with the increased asthma death rate in Answer A, and would strengthen the conclusion that it should be banned.

To be clear, if Answer A had stated that all asthma deaths in Rhiago had increased (and hadn't specially mentioned asthmagon) that could weaken the argument by suggesting an alternate cause for the side effects (such as an increase in air pollution, for example). If the studies were done correctly, then presumably there would be control groups to compare the number of serious side effects for patients taking asthmagon to patients not taking it and rule out other possible factors. In the stimulus, no control groups are mentioned though.