Editorial Standards
These are the rules we hold ourselves to. They exist so you can judge whether to trust what you read here, and so we have a fixed standard to be held to when we get something wrong.
What we source from, in order
When we explain what a number means or what moves it, we look for the strongest evidence available and we prefer it in this order:
- Systematic reviews and meta-analyses, which pool many studies and carry the most weight.
- Clinical guidelines from recognized medical and scientific bodies.
- Individual peer-reviewed studies, with more weight given to larger samples and better designs.
- Manufacturer documentation, for questions about how a specific device calculates a specific score, where the maker's own description is the primary source.
When the strongest evidence for a question is weak, or when good sources disagree, we say so in the article rather than picking the answer we like best.
Our claims policy
Stronger claims require stronger evidence. A confident statement in one of our articles should mean the evidence behind it is genuinely strong. When the research is preliminary, mixed, or based on small studies, we write it that way, with the uncertainty visible. We would rather tell you a question is unsettled than give you false confidence about your own body.
We also separate two things that are easy to blur: what a number is associated with, and what a number causes. Most wearable research shows associations. We try to be careful with that language, because "linked to" and "causes" are not the same thing, and the difference matters when you're reading your own data.
How we use AI
We use AI tools to help research and draft articles. This is normal for how we work, and we're telling you plainly rather than hiding it. What does not change is the standard: every published article is reviewed and edited against its sources before it goes live, and any claim that can't be traced to a real source is removed. A sentence does not earn a place in an article because it sounds right. It earns its place because it is sourced.
How we keep articles current
Research changes. We review articles periodically, fold in newer and stronger evidence when it appears, and correct claims that no longer hold. Where a page shows a "last reviewed" date, that date reflects the most recent time we checked the article against the current evidence.
When we get it wrong
We will get things wrong sometimes. When we do, we want to know, and we fix it. If you spot an error, or think we've represented a study unfairly, write to us at corrections@knowyourprime.com. Real corrections get made, and significant ones get noted on the page.
The one line under all of this
We interpret the research. We do not give medical advice, and we are not a substitute for your own doctor. Everything here is built to help you read your own numbers and decide for yourself.