Is it too much to ask of medical journal editors to verify references for key claims? After all, just because a study author footnotes a claim, should that act automatically enshrine the claim with credibility?If you want to know how lazy editors can help launch diet and health myths, you need look no further than a new article in The Lancet entitled, “What has made the population of Japan healthy?“ Salt reduction efforts are cited as a reason but following the study's own footnotes shows lower blood pressure was linked with medications, not reduced salt intake, (In fact, the Japanese diet is high in salt. Maybe that's the reason they are so healthy).