Misleading use of risk ratios

A 50% risk ratio for a drug tested in 100 people that reduces two deaths to one death is the same as the risk ratio for a drug tested in 1000 people that reduces two deaths to one death.

“The authors pointed out that a 50% risk ratio for a drug tested in 100 people that reduces two deaths to one death (0.01 / 0.02 = 0.5) is the same as the risk ratio for a drug tested in a larger group of 1000 people that reduces two deaths to one death (0.001 / 0.002 = 0.5).”

Relative risk does not measure risk at all, because risk has dimensions, while a risk ratio has no dimensions.

“Relative risk does not measure ‘risk’ at all, because risk has dimensions, such as observed deaths per 100 or 1000 people. However, a risk ratio has no dimensions because they cancel in calculating the ratio”

The change from two deaths per 100 people to one death per 100 people is a 1% decreased risk, and the change from two deaths per 1000 people to one death per 1000 people is a 0.1% decreased risk, ten times smaller.

“Using absolute measures, the authors showed that “the change from two deaths per 100 people to one death per 100 people is a 1% decreased risk,” (ARR: 0.02 – 0.01 = 0.01 * 100 = 1%). “And the change from two deaths per 1000 people to one death per 1000 people is a 0.1% decreased risk,” (ARR: 0.002 – 0.001 = 0.001 * 100 = 0.1%), which is ten times smaller in magnitude than the decreased risk per 10”