LSAT Explanation PT 30, S4, Q17: Researchers have found that people who

LSAT Question Stem

Which one of the following, if true, indicates that the researchers' precaution might NOT have the result of decreasing their risk of heart disease? 

Logical Reasoning Question Type

This is a Weaken question. 

Correct Answer

The correct answer to this question is C. 

LSAT Question Complete Explanation

Let's first analyze the argument in the passage. The researchers found that people who drink five or more cups of coffee a day have a risk of heart disease 2.5 times the average after corrections are made for age and smoking habits. Based on their findings, the researchers decided to limit their own daily coffee intake to two cups. The conclusion of the argument is that by limiting their coffee intake to two cups, the researchers believe they will decrease their risk of heart disease.

This argument assumes that the relationship between coffee consumption and heart disease risk is causal, meaning that drinking less coffee will directly lead to a decreased risk of heart disease. An "Evaluate" question for this argument could be: "Is there any other factor that could contribute to the increased risk of heart disease in heavy coffee drinkers?"

The question type of this problem is Weaken, and we are asked to find an answer choice that indicates that the researchers' precaution of limiting their coffee intake might not have the desired result of decreasing their risk of heart disease.

a) This answer choice talks about people who drink three or more cups of coffee daily and how the additional risk of heart disease increases with each extra daily cup. This actually strengthens the conclusion that reducing coffee intake might decrease the risk of heart disease.

b) This answer choice talks about the decline in per capita coffee consumption due to the increasing popularity of soft drinks and health worries. This information is irrelevant to the relationship between coffee consumption and heart disease risk in the researchers' case.

c) Correct answer. This answer choice states that the study did not collect information showing whether variations in the level of coffee consumption are directly related to variations in the level of stress, which is a major causal factor in heart disease. This implies that there could be an alternative cause, stress, that was not accounted for in the study. If stress is the actual cause of the increased heart disease risk, then reducing coffee consumption might not have the desired effect of decreasing the risk of heart disease.

d) This answer choice talks about subsequent studies showing that heavy smokers consume coffee at about 3 times the rate of nonsmokers. However, the passage already mentioned that corrections were made for smoking habits, so this information does not weaken the conclusion.

e) This answer choice mentions that subsequent studies have shown that heavy coffee consumption tends to cause an elevated blood-cholesterol level, an immediate indicator of increased risk of heart disease. This information actually strengthens the conclusion that reducing coffee intake might decrease the risk of heart disease.

In conclusion, the correct answer is C because it introduces the possibility of an alternative cause (stress) that was not accounted for in the study, which could mean that reducing coffee consumption might not have the desired effect of decreasing the risk of heart disease.