LSAT 151 | Section 3 | Logical Reasoning: Q20

LR Question 20 Explanation

QUESTION TEXT: The level of triglycerides in the blood rises when …

QUESTION TYPE: Weaken

CONCLUSION: Increased triglyceride levels contribute to heart disease.

REASONING: Triglyceride levels increase when triglycerides aren’t properly metabolized. People with high triglyceride levels are more prone to heart attacks.

ANALYSIS: This is a classic correlation to causation flaw. There’s an association between high triglyceride levels and heart attacks. The argument concludes that this must mean increased triglyceride levels cause heart disease.

A strong weakening answer would show the causal arrow may run the other way, or that the correlation does not support the proposed cause.

___________

1. This introduces exercise as another factor affecting risk, but it does not directly undermine the claim that fat, sugar, or alcohol may be causal contributors.
2. Irrelevant. That triglycerides relate to other illnesses does not weaken the argument about heart disease.
3. This actually supports the premise that those substances raise triglycerides, but it doesn’t link anything to heart disease.
4. CORRECT. Heart disease may cause high triglycerides, rather than the other way around as the stimulus claims.
5. What some people do isn’t relevant to whether triglycerides cause heart disease.