Prepublication Release ofJournalArticles

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Abstract
On July 8, investigators from the Mayo Clinic and Meritcare held a press conference to announce a study of two dozen patients that linked valvular heart disease to a combination of widely used diet pills, fenfluramine and phentermine (fen–phen). The press conference was covered widely by the media. It was not until August 28, more than seven weeks later, that the full report was published in the Journal. 1 A press conference to announce the results of a study that had been accepted by the Journal but not yet published was highly unusual. Within several days, we heard from physicians who criticized us for agreeing to release information that they believed was not conclusive. Some suggested angrily that we allowed premature release of the study simply to attract publicity.

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