vestnik-bio-msuВестник Московского университета. Серия 16. БиологияVestnik Moskovskogo universiteta. Seriya 16. Biologiya0137-0952Lomonosov Moscow State University, School of Biology10.55959/MSU0137-0952-16-80-4-7vestnik-bio-msu-1581Research ArticleМНЕНИЕOPINIONСтатистический анализ в биомедицинских исследованиях: от достоверности к «тенденциям»?Statistical analysis in biomedical research: From significance to “trends”?https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7454-7023ХохловА. Н.KhokhlovA. N.

Хохлов Александр Николаевич – докт. биол. наук, зав. сектором

119234, г. Москва, Ленинские горы, д. 1, стр. 12

Тел.: 8-495-939-15-90

1–12 Leninskie gory, Moscow, 119234

khokhlov@mail.bio.msu.ruСектор эволюционной цитогеронтологии, биологический факультет, Московский государственный университет имени М.В. ЛомоносоваРоссияEvolutionary Cytogerontology Sector, School of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State UniversityRussian Federation202518022026804284289Copyright © Хохлов А.Н., 20262026Хохлов А.Н.Khokhlov A.N.Данная работа распространяется под лицензией Creative Commons Attribution 4.0.This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.https://vestnik-bio-msu.elpub.ru/jour/article/view/1581

На основании своего многолетнего редакторского опыта работы в биомедицинских научных журналах, а также опыта чтения лекций по оформлению научных статей для аспирантов Московского государственного университета имени М.В. Ломоносова автор анализирует сложившуюся ситуацию со статистическим анализом результатов биологических, биомедицинских и медицинских исследований – в частности, данных, полученных в работах, направленных на поиск лекарственных препаратов, предположительно замедляющих старение и подавляющих развитие возрастных болезней. Подчеркивается, что во мнгих случаях такой анализ либо вообще не проводится, либо проводится некорректно. Довольно часто авторы анализируют данные, не подчиняющиеся нормальному распределению, с помощью параметрического теста Стьюдента. При этом все чаще многие исследователи, не получив достоверных результатов (p > 0,05), заменяют в своих статьях понятие «достоверность» на понятие «тенденция», что представляется абсолютно недопустимым. Эта проблема затрагивает не только биомедицинские, но и другие естественно- научные исследования, однако именно для биомедицины она представляется наиболее важной, ибо в данном случае речь идет о жизни и здоровье людей. Предлагается больше внимания уделять этому вопросу как рецензентам соответствующих статей, так и редакторам журналов, в которых они публикуются. Кроме того, подчеркивается важность преподавания основ статистической обработки результатов исследований студентам и аспирантам биологических, биомедицинских и медицинских институтов, а также соответствующих факультетов университетов.

Drawing on his many years of experience editing for biomedical journals and lecturing on scientific article formatting for PhD students at Lomonosov Moscow State University, the author analyzes the current state of statistical analysis of biological, biomedical, and medical research results – in particular, data obtained in studies aimed at discovering drugs that supposedly slow aging and suppress the development of age-related diseases. He emphasizes that in many cases, such analysis is either not performed at all or is performed incorrectly. Authors often analyze data that does not follow a normal distribution using the parametric Student’s t-test. Moreover, many researchers, having failed to obtain reliable results (p > 0.05), are increasingly replacing the term “significance” in their articles with “trend,” which seems completely unacceptable. This problem affects not only biomedical but also other natural science research, but it is especially important for biomedicine, as it is at stake in human life and health. It is proposed that greater attention should be paid to this issue by both reviewers of relevant articles and editors of the journals in which they are published. Furthermore, the importance of teaching the basics of statistical processing of research results to undergraduate and graduate students in biological, biomedical, and medical institutes, as well as relevant university schools, is emphasized.

биомедицинские исследованиястатистический анализпараметрические и непараметрические критерииразмеры выбороккривые выживанияуровень значимостигеропротекторыэкспериментальная геронтологияbiomedical researchstatistical analysisparametric and nonparametric testssample sizessurvival curvessignificance levelgeroprotectorsexperimental gerontologyРабота выполнена в рамках государственного задания МГУ имени М.В. ЛомоносоваThe study was conducted under the state assignment of Lomonosov Moscow State UniversityReferencesGlantz S.A. Primer of biostatistics. 3rd ed. N.Y.: McGraw-Hill; 1992. xvi, 440 pp.Glantz S.A. Primer of biostatistics. 3rd ed. N.Y.: McGraw-Hill; 1992. xvi, 440 pp.Baker M. 1,500 scientists lift the lid on reproduci­bility. Nature. 2016;533(7604):452–454. https://doi.org/10.1038/533452aBaker M. 1,500 scientists lift the lid on reproduci­bility. Nature. 2016;533(7604):452–454. https://doi.org/10.1038/533452aKhokhlov A.N. How scientometrics became the most important science for researchers of all specialties. Moscow Univ. Biol. Sci. Bull. 2020;75(4):159–163. https://doi.org/10.3103/S0096392520040057Khokhlov A.N. How scientometrics became the most important science for researchers of all specialties. Moscow Univ. Biol. Sci. Bull. 2020;75(4):159–163. https://doi.org/10.3103/S0096392520040057Bland J.M., Altman D.G. Statistical methods for as­sessing agreement between two methods of clinical measure­ment. The Lancet. 1986;1(8476):307–310.Bland J.M., Altman D.G. Statistical methods for as­sessing agreement between two methods of clinical measure­ment. The Lancet. 1986;1(8476):307–310.Altman D.G. Practical statistics for medical research. NY: Chapman and Hall/CRC, 1990. 624 pp. https://doi.org/10.1201/9780429258589Altman D.G. Practical statistics for medical research. NY: Chapman and Hall/CRC, 1990. 624 pp. https://doi.org/10.1201/9780429258589Bland J.M., Altman D.G. Measuring agreement in method comparison studies. Stat. Methods Med. Res. 1999;8(2):135–160. https://doi.org/10.1177/096228029900800204.Bland J.M., Altman D.G. Measuring agreement in method comparison studies. Stat. Methods Med. Res. 1999;8(2):135–160. https://doi.org/10.1177/096228029900800204.Altman D.G. Statistics and ethics in medical research: III How large a sample? Br. Med. J. 1980;281(6251):1336–1338. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.281.6251.1336.Altman D.G. Statistics and ethics in medical research: III How large a sample? Br. Med. J. 1980;281(6251):1336–1338. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.281.6251.1336.Altman D.G. Statistics in medical journals: some re­cent trends. Statist. Med. 2000; 19(23):3275–3289. https://doi.org/10.1002/1097-0258(20001215)19:23<3275::aid-sim626>3.0.co;2-m.Altman D.G. Statistics in medical journals: some re­cent trends. Statist. Med. 2000; 19(23):3275–3289. https://doi.org/10.1002/1097-0258(20001215)19:23<3275::aid-sim626>3.0.co;2-m.Yan F., Robert M., Li Y. Statistical methods and com­mon problems in medical or biomedical science research. Int. J. Physiol. Pathophysiol. Pharmacol. 2017;9(5):157–163.Yan F., Robert M., Li Y. Statistical methods and com­mon problems in medical or biomedical science research. Int. J. Physiol. Pathophysiol. Pharmacol. 2017;9(5):157–163.Marino M.J. Statistical analysis in preclinical bio­medical research. In: Research in the biomedical sciences. Ac­ademic Press, 2018, pp. 107–144. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-804725-5.00003-3Marino M.J. Statistical analysis in preclinical bio­medical research. In: Research in the biomedical sciences. Ac­ademic Press, 2018, pp. 107–144. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-804725-5.00003-3Fang J.-Q. (Ed.) Statistical methods for biomedical re­search. Singapore: World Scientific Publishing, 2021. 1160 pp.Fang J.-Q. (Ed.) Statistical methods for biomedical re­search. Singapore: World Scientific Publishing, 2021. 1160 pp.Padhee S., Ahmed S. Application of statistics in bio­medical research. J. Integr. Med. Res. 2024;2(2):66–71. https://doi.org/10.4103/jimr.jimr_1_24Padhee S., Ahmed S. Application of statistics in bio­medical research. J. Integr. Med. Res. 2024;2(2):66–71. https://doi.org/10.4103/jimr.jimr_1_24Ordak M., Paoletti G., Di Bona D., Sousa‐Pinto B., Martini M., Bognanni A., Bousquet J., Canonica G.W. Sta­tistical analysis in allergy and immunology: A review with practical examples. Allergy. 2025;80(10):2755–2766. https://doi.org/10.1111/all.70013Ordak M., Paoletti G., Di Bona D., Sousa‐Pinto B., Martini M., Bognanni A., Bousquet J., Canonica G.W. Sta­tistical analysis in allergy and immunology: A review with practical examples. Allergy. 2025;80(10):2755–2766. https://doi.org/10.1111/all.70013Khokhlov A.N. Some brief remarks on statistical significance and “trends” in gerontological research. Adv. Gerontol. 2025;15(4):298–301. https://doi.org/10.1134/S2079057025600788Khokhlov A.N. Some brief remarks on statistical significance and “trends” in gerontological research. Adv. Gerontol. 2025;15(4):298–301. https://doi.org/10.1134/S2079057025600788Khokhlov A.N. Gerontology in the 21st century: From failures to advances. Hopefully. Adv. Gerontol. 2023;13(1):1–3. https://doi.org/10.1134/S2079057024600289Khokhlov A.N. Gerontology in the 21st century: From failures to advances. Hopefully. Adv. Gerontol. 2023;13(1):1–3. https://doi.org/10.1134/S2079057024600289Khokhlov A.N. The renewed ‘Advances in gerontolo­gy’ 2025: Results, prospects, changing strategy. Adv. Gerontol. 2025;15(2):43–45. https://doi.org/10.1134/S2079057025600429Khokhlov A.N. The renewed ‘Advances in gerontolo­gy’ 2025: Results, prospects, changing strategy. Adv. Gerontol. 2025;15(2):43–45. https://doi.org/10.1134/S2079057025600429Kirpichnikov M.P., Morgunova G.V., Khokhlov A.N. Our journal–2020: what and how we publish. Moscow Univ. Biol. Sci. Bull. 2020;75(1):1–6. https://doi.org/10.3103/S0096392520010034Kirpichnikov M.P., Morgunova G.V., Khokhlov A.N. Our journal–2020: what and how we publish. Moscow Univ. Biol. Sci. Bull. 2020;75(1):1–6. https://doi.org/10.3103/S0096392520010034Morgunova G.V., Khokhlov A.N. 75 years of the journal Vestnik moskovskogo universiteta and 45 years of its biological series. Moscow Univ. Biol. Sci. Bull. 2022;77(1):1–5. https://doi.org/10.3103/S0096392522010023Morgunova G.V., Khokhlov A.N. 75 years of the journal Vestnik moskovskogo universiteta and 45 years of its biological series. Moscow Univ. Biol. Sci. Bull. 2022;77(1):1–5. https://doi.org/10.3103/S0096392522010023Khokhlov A.N., Morgunova G.V. Is it worth teach­ing biology students the basics of scientometrics and the in­structions for the design of scientific articles, and if so, why? Moscow Univ. Biol. Sci. Bull. 2021;76(3):77–82. https://doi.org/10.3103/S0096392521030081Khokhlov A.N., Morgunova G.V. Is it worth teach­ing biology students the basics of scientometrics and the in­structions for the design of scientific articles, and if so, why? Moscow Univ. Biol. Sci. Bull. 2021;76(3):77–82. https://doi.org/10.3103/S0096392521030081Ермолаев-Томин О.Ю. Математические мето­ды в психологии: учебник для бакалавров. 4-е изд., пер. и доп., М.: Издательство Юрайт, 2012. 511 с.Ермолаев-Томин О.Ю. Математические мето­ды в психологии: учебник для бакалавров. 4-е изд., пер. и доп., М.: Издательство Юрайт, 2012. 511 с.Benjamin D.J., Berger J.O., Johannesson M. et al. Redefine statistical significance, Nat. Hum. Behav. 2018;2(1):6–10. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-017-0189-zBenjamin D.J., Berger J.O., Johannesson M. et al. Redefine statistical significance, Nat. Hum. Behav. 2018;2(1):6–10. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-017-0189-zKhokhlov A.N. Cell kinetic approaches to the search for anti-aging drugs: Thirty years after. Moscow Univ. Biol. Sci. Bull. 2018;73(4):185–190. https://doi.org/10.3103/S0096392518040041Khokhlov A.N. Cell kinetic approaches to the search for anti-aging drugs: Thirty years after. Moscow Univ. Biol. Sci. Bull. 2018;73(4):185–190. https://doi.org/10.3103/S0096392518040041Khokhlov A.N., Morgunova G.V., Klebanov, A.A. Demographic approaches to the study of aging on cell cultures. Moscow Univ. Biol. Sci. Bull. 2019;74(4):262–267. https://doi.org/10.3103/S0096392519040060Khokhlov A.N., Morgunova G.V., Klebanov, A.A. Demographic approaches to the study of aging on cell cultures. Moscow Univ. Biol. Sci. Bull. 2019;74(4):262–267. https://doi.org/10.3103/S0096392519040060Khokhlov А.N., Morgunova G.V., Scientific publications – the bad, the good, for a fistful of dollars. Sci. Ed. Publ. 2021;6(1):59–67. https://doi.org/10.24069/2542-0267-2021-1-59-67Khokhlov А.N., Morgunova G.V., Scientific publications – the bad, the good, for a fistful of dollars. Sci. Ed. Publ. 2021;6(1):59–67. https://doi.org/10.24069/2542-0267-2021-1-59-67Faul F., Erdfelder E., Buchner A., Lang A.-G. Statisti­cal power analyses using G*Power 3.1: Tests for correlation and regression analyses. Behav. Res. Methods. 2009;41(4):1149–1160. https://doi.org/10.3758/BRM.41.4.1149Faul F., Erdfelder E., Buchner A., Lang A.-G. Statisti­cal power analyses using G*Power 3.1: Tests for correlation and regression analyses. Behav. Res. Methods. 2009;41(4):1149–1160. https://doi.org/10.3758/BRM.41.4.1149Palmore E.B. Predictors of the longevity difference: A 25-year follow-up, The Gerontologist. 1982;22(6):513–518. https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/22.6.513Palmore E.B. Predictors of the longevity difference: A 25-year follow-up, The Gerontologist. 1982;22(6):513–518. https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/22.6.513Chaddock R.E. Principles and methods of statistics. Houghton Mifflin; 1925. xvi, 471 pp.Chaddock R.E. Principles and methods of statistics. Houghton Mifflin; 1925. xvi, 471 pp.Khokhlov A.N. Why freshwater hydra does not get Alzheimer’s disease. Moscow Univ. Biol. Sci. Bull. 2023; 78(3):198–204. https://doi.org/10.3103/S0096392523700104Khokhlov A.N. Why freshwater hydra does not get Alzheimer’s disease. Moscow Univ. Biol. Sci. Bull. 2023; 78(3):198–204. https://doi.org/10.3103/S0096392523700104

The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest present.