Data to guidelines to public health messages: Does the message have to be simple?

Much of what we take for granted in health care starts as a study published in a scientific journal. Studies can be complex, highly specific, and full of caveats, and yet, in order for them to be actionable, they need to be translated into real-world application. The editor of one of the world’s preeminent health journals will use examples from hypertension, obesity, and other areas to show how, in theory, health care is becoming more evidence-based, and yet how difficult it is to turn data into clinical guidelines that everyone will follow.