JACC: Advances Retracts 2025 Keto Study After 100-Patient Plaque Paper Drew Methodology Fire
Updated
Updated · Retraction Watch · May 22
JACC: Advances Retracts 2025 Keto Study After 100-Patient Plaque Paper Drew Methodology Fire
1 articles · Updated · Retraction Watch · May 22
A March 11 retraction notice said errors in the 2025 paper were too serious to fix with a corrigendum, pulling a study that had claimed keto-linked cholesterol increases did not spur arterial plaque growth.
The April 2025 paper tracked 100 generally healthy people using scans taken one year apart, but critics quickly challenged selective reporting, statistical methods and the short follow-up period.
Three authors — Nicholas Norwitz, Adrian Soto-Mota and Dave Feldman — said they lacked access to the raw data before publication and later discovered Cleerly's analysis was not double-blinded.
JACC: Advances said coauthor James Earls disclosed his Cleerly role and later an equity stake, though only the company affiliation appeared in the paper; Cleerly declined to answer questions.
A January preprint using a blinded reanalysis by HeartFlow is under review elsewhere, but critics say it raises fresh concerns, extending a broader fight over keto advocacy, conflicts and scientific rigor.
A keto study retracted, its tech sued—how will this corporate feud impact heart disease detection?
When citizen science clashes with medical journals, who can the public trust for health advice?