Many continuous variables should be analyzed using the relative scale: a case study of β 2 -agonists for preventing exercise-induced bronchoconstriction

ConclusionsCompared with the absolute scale, the relative scale captures more effectively the variation in the effects of β2-agonists on exercise-induced FEV1-declines. The absolute scale has been used in the analysis of FEV1 changes and may have led to sub-optimal statistical analysis in some cases. The choice between the absolute and relative scale should be determined based on biological reasoning and empirical testing to identify the scale that leads to lower heterogeneity.
Source: Systematic Reviews - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: research