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A new medication for migraine seems effective

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by BTGmoderatorDC » Thu Jan 18, 2018 10:10 pm
A new medication for migraine seems effective, but there is concern that the medication might exacerbate heart disease. If patients with heart disease take the medication under careful medical supervision, however, harmful side effects can definitely be averted. The concern about those side effects is thus unfounded.

The argument depends on which one of the following assumptions?

(A) The new medication actually is effective when taken by patients with heart disease.

(B) No migraine sufferers with heart disease will take the new medication except under careful medical supervision.

(C) Most migraine sufferers who have taken the new medication in trials also had heart disease.

(D) The new medication has various other side effects, but none as serious as that of exacerbating heart disease.

(E) The new medication will displace all migraine medications currently being used.

What is wrong with Option C?

OA B
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by elias.latour.apex » Fri Jan 19, 2018 5:37 pm
Another LSAT question -- you seem to love them. Have you ever considered asking GMAT questions in the GMAT forum? Just curious.

What's the conclusion of the argument? It is: The concern about [the medication's] side effects is unfounded.

Why? Because harmful side effects can be averted PROVIDED patients with heart disease take the medication under careful medical supervision.

The assumption is, therefore, that patients with heart disease will take the medication under careful medical supervision. This is answer choice (B).

What's wrong with (C) you ask? Well, it fails the two basic tests for assumption questions:

1) It doesn't answer the question Why?
2) If negated, it doesn't kill the argument.

The concern about [the medication's] side effects is unfounded. Why? Because most migraine sufferers who have taken the new medication in trials also had heart disease.
Does that answer make sense? Does the fact that most migraine sufferers who have taken the medication in trials had heart disease mean necessarily mean that the concern about side effects is unfounded? No, it certainly does not.

What about if it is negated? What if we say: Few migraine sufferers who have taken the new medication in trials also had heart disease. Does that disprove the statement "The concern about [the medication's] side effects is unfounded."? No, it does not.

Accordingly, (C) cannot be the credited response.
Elias Latour
Verbal Specialist @ ApexGMAT
blog.apexgmat.com
+1 (646) 736-7622
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