Stories by Lynn Shapiro
DOTmed HealthCare Business News
Olive Oil Compound May Help Prevent, Treat Alzheimer's
by Lynn Shapiro 09/30/2009Oleocanthal, a compound found in extra-virgin olive oil, alters the structure of neurotoxic proteins believed to contribute to the debilitating effects of Alzheimer's Disease (AD), researchers have found.
Patients With "Warning Strokes" Do Better Than Other Stroke Victims
by Lynn Shapiro 09/30/2009People who have "warning strokes," or transient ischemic attacks (TIAs), before suffering a stroke have better outcomes than those who have full-blown strokes with no prior warning.
Men Aren't Being Told of Prostate Cancer Surgery Risks
by Lynn Shapiro 09/30/2009The majority of men receiving PSA tests for prostate cancer may not be receiving adequate information before deciding whether to be screened, and whether to undergo surgery if cancer is spotted, two new papers conclude.
Vaccines Make Hay
by Lynn Shapiro 09/30/2009Before the emergence of H1N1, vaccines were relegated to the backwaters of the pharma pipeline. Now they are hot tickets.
Bio-optics Breakthroughs Conference to Be Held in San Jose
by Lynn Shapiro 09/29/2009The Optic Society's 93rd annual meeting will be called "Bio-optics breakthroughs: Highlights of medical and bioscience research," and will be presented Oct. 11-15 in San Jose, CA.
Radiological Treatment for Pericardial Effusion: Nonsurgical and Low-Cost
by Lynn Shapiro 09/28/2009Recently, researchers have discovered that a minimally invasive procedure called CT-guided tube pericardiostomy is as effective as conventional surgery.
Abbott Buys Solvay for $6.6 Billion in Cash
by Lynn Shapiro 09/28/2009Abbott Laboratories--having scooped up medical device and eye-care companies this year--is purchasing Belgium-based Solvay Pharmaceuticals.
Cancer Patients Who Are Separated When Diagnosed Have Worst Survival Rate
by Lynn Shapiro 09/25/2009Among unmarried cancer patients, those who are separated at the time of diagnosis do not live as long as widowed, divorced, and never married patients, possibly because the stress they are facing is undermining their immune systems.
Lantheus Starts Phase I Study for Cardiovascular Agent Using PET
by Lynn Shapiro 09/23/2009Lantheus Medical Imaging is putting its R&D muscle behind contrast agents that work effectively with PET.
Obese Kids With Leukemia Have Higher Chemo Resistance and Relapse Rates
by Lynn Shapiro 09/23/2009Obese children with leukemia have higher rates of chemotherapy resistance and higher relapse rates than thinner kids, according to recent findings published online in Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.
Swine Flu News Update
by Lynn Shapiro 09/23/2009CNN's Dr. Gupta had it; influenza dangerous for heart patients, Chinese students receive local vaccine; adjuvant brouhaha.
Catheter That Reduces Contrast Media Injury Developed at Duke
by Lynn Shapiro 09/22/2009Though rare, IV contrast media can sometimes result in patient injury while it is being injected during a CT scan.
Medtronic's OptiVol Beats Weight Measurement for Heart Failure Patients
by Lynn Shapiro 09/21/2009Medtronic's fluid monitoring system, OptiVol, is a more accurate predictor of worsening heart failure than daily weight monitoring.
Defibrillators Don't Help Women, Study Finds
by Lynn Shapiro 09/16/2009A puzzling study finds the use of defibrillators in women with heart failure does not decrease their chances of sudden cardiac death. So now what?
Flu Vaccines Approved; Response Time One Week; One Shot Rather Than Two
by Lynn Shapiro 09/16/2009The FDA this week approved vaccines from Sanofi-Aventis, Novartis, CSL and AstraZeneca's MedImmune division.
Medtronic CFO Denounces $4 Billion Fee Proposal; Industry Fights Plan
by Lynn Shapiro 09/15/2009Health reform proposal puts devices in the crosshairs; company fights Senate proposal to charge medical device makers $4 billion.
Test Can Predict Who Will Respond to Lexapro, Wellbutrin
by Lynn Shapiro 09/15/2009An experimental test can accurately predict within a week whether a particular antidepressant will be effective using brain-wave patterns on an EEG.
GE Stock Rebounds; Analysts Predict it Will Hit $17 by Year End
by Lynn Shapiro 09/15/2009GE shares are quickly rebounding from their rock bottom low of $6 in March and analysts at Morgan Stanley and Sanford Bernstein both put the 12-month target price for the shares at $17.
Athena Offers Stimulus Guarantee to Physicians Who Use its System
by Lynn Shapiro 09/15/2009Athenahealth, which sells Internet-based services to physicians, says it will provide a guarantee to entice doctors to install its electronic health records (EHR) systems.
Two Findings Offer New Armor for ER-Positive Breast Cancer Patients
by Lynn Shapiro 09/14/2009Two very different studies involving estrogen-positive (ER-positive) breast cancer were recently reported.
Abbott Buys Transcatheter Valve Maker Evalve for $410 Million
by Lynn Shapiro 09/14/2009Abbott Labs gains a foothold into what promises to be a white-hot market for transcatheter heart valves for mitral valve regurgitation (MR).
Prolonged Orthopaedic Surgery Should Be Avoided in Certain Cases
by Lynn Shapiro 09/11/2009Trauma patients who have several orthopaedic injuries and are considered to be in unstable condition should only have a few hours of surgery.
Image-Guided Radiation Improves Outcomes in Obese Prostate Cancer Patients
by Lynn Shapiro 09/10/2009Moderately to severely obese prostate cancer patients have superior outcomes when treated with top-of-the-line image-guided radiation scanners, rather than with traditional external beam radiation.
Philips Fetal Monitors Safety Alert
by Lynn Shapiro 09/09/2009Having received a number of complaints about inaccurate readings when using some Philips Avalon fetal monitors, the FDA has issued a MedWatch and "Dear Health Care Provider" letter about Models FM20, FM30, FM40 and FM50 with the ultrasound transducer.
Swine Flu Update: College "Holding Pen"; Novartis Shot Ready, and More
by Lynn Shapiro 09/09/2009The very young and very old, and people with chronic medical conditions ought to be treated with antivirals, like Tamiflu and Relenza, when they have an influenza-like illness.
Exercise With Your Dog to Prevent Obesity
by Lynn Shapiro 09/08/2009People and their dogs both need physical activity to fight obesity.
HPV Vaccines May Prevent Some Forms of Breast Cancer
by Lynn Shapiro 09/08/2009Vaccinating women against the human papillomavirus (HPV) may prevent some forms of breast cancer and save tens of thousands of lives each year, University of New South Wales researchers have found.
Fat Mixture Reverses Drug-Induced Cardiac Arrest; Epinephrine Doesn't
by Lynn Shapiro 09/07/2009A fat emulsion reverses drug-induced cardiac arrest while epinephrine, the first-line treatment for this condition, makes it worse, says Guy Weinberg, M.D., professor of anesthesiology, University of Illinois.
Medtronic Paradigm Veo to Be Launched Globally But Not in U.S.
by Lynn Shapiro 09/04/2009Medtronic announced the launch of a technology called the Paradigm Veo, designed to provide protection against the risks associated with hypoglycemia in Type 1 diabetics.
Red Wine Found to Prevent Radiation Toxicity in Breast Cancer Patients
by Lynn Shapiro 09/02/2009Red wine may prevent radiation-induced skin toxicity in breast cancer patients, according to a study by Dr. Gabriella Macchia, of Catholic University, Campobasso, Italy.
Edwards Sheds Renal Unit to Focus on Heart Technology
by Lynn Shapiro 09/02/2009Zeroing in on its highly-valued cardiology business, Edwards Lifesciences said this week it has shed its hemofiltration product line to focus on its profitable valve business.
Obama to "Spare No Effort" in Fighting Potential Flu Pandemic
by Lynn Shapiro 09/02/2009With flu season approaching, President Obama said the Federal government was swiftly preparing for the pandemic but that individuals must also take common sense measures to protect themselves against infection.
Medtronic Combines Diverse Businesses Into Two Operating Units
by Lynn Shapiro 09/01/2009At a time when the company's various core businesses are growing impressively Medtronic announced a restructuring plan to consolidate multiple divisions into two operating units.
Obese Women Have Thinner Children After Bariatric Surgery
by Lynn Shapiro 09/01/2009Obese mothers who underwent weight-loss surgery prior to pregnancy had a lower prevalence of obese children. A child at birth may be destined for obesity, research suggests.
Artificial Heart Recipient Dies
by Lynn Shapiro 09/01/2009Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital informed DOTmed on Tuesday that the 76-year-old patient who received the first FDA-approved replacement heart on June 15, has died.
John Gladstein, Medical Device Depot, Enjoys First Year of Success
by Lynn Shapiro 08/31/2009DOTmed Certified Gladstein started his own medtech company last year. He expects customers to buy more PC-based cardiopulmonary equipment.
Diffusion Tensor Imaging Finds Brain Damage Other Tests Miss
by Lynn Shapiro 08/31/2009Using a recently developed MRI-based brain scanning method known as Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI), researchers have been able to show that concussions cause brain damage.
Medtronic Earnings Fall on Patent Charge; Core Business Sales Climb
by Lynn Shapiro 08/26/2009Medtronic said this week that first fiscal quarter net income fell 38 percent for the quarter ended July 31; but core business sales increased significantly.
Swine Flu Update: U.S. Troops to Be Tested; Trials Prove Vaccine Safe
by Lynn Shapiro 08/26/2009FDA said this week it has issued an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) that allows U.S. troops serving overseas to be tested for swine flu, using a yet-to-be approved diagnostic test made by the government. Meanwhile, the vaccine is being tested in both adults and children.
Technique Sheds Light on Cancer Growth and Metastasis
by Lynn Shapiro 08/25/2009Using a new technique, cancer researchers can shine non-toxic light on one part of a cell, turning proteins on in a target area to study why the same protein that protects healthy people from cancer suddenly turns traitor and stimulates a tumor's growth and metastasis.
Inexpensive Obesity Workplace Programs Can Be Cost-Effective, Study Finds
by Lynn Shapiro 08/25/2009At work, obesity interventions must focus on low-cost policy to generate a return on investment, according to a new study by Justine Trogdon, Ph.D., a health economist at consultancy RTI International.
Belt-Sized Dialysis Machine Would Approximate Natural Kidney Function
by Lynn Shapiro 08/24/2009UCLA researchers are developing a device they dub a "wearable artificial kidney" for dialysis patients, according to a paper reported in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology. The "kidney" is actually a dialysis machine, worn as a belt, which would provide continuous treatment.
Insulin Syringes Are Being Recalled
by Lynn Shapiro 08/24/2009FDA said Qualitest Pharmaceuticals voluntarily recalled two lots of the company's Accusure insulin syringes.
Trend Toward Smoke-Free Hospitals Has Soared, Study Finds
by Lynn Shapiro 08/21/2009The number of U.S. hospitals with "smoke-free campus" policies continues to climb, the Joint Commission tells DOTmed News.
UCLA Neuroscientists Get $19 Million From NIH for Supercomputer
by Lynn Shapiro 08/19/2009UCLA neuroscientists said this week that the government has given them approximately $19 million in NIH stimulus funds, via the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, to study brain disease.
DOTmed Certified Paul Ewald Says Eagle Biomedical's Sales Have Tripled
by Lynn Shapiro 08/19/2009The operations manager for South Jersey's Eagle Biomedical Services, talks shop.
Sensor for Detecting Time of Death in Early Stage of Development
by Lynn Shapiro 08/19/2009An advance toward developing the first sensor for detecting human bodies buried at crime scenes and in natural disasters.
DOTmed Certified Daniel Giesberg: OEM Becomes Refurbisher
by Lynn Shapiro 08/19/2009Among medical equipment makers, DOTmed Certified Daniel Giesberg, President of American Medical Sales, Inc., has broken the usual business mold.
Roche Wants Tamiflu Expiration Extended; Vaccine Delays Expected
by Lynn Shapiro 08/19/2009The WHO said this week it was up to U.S. health officials to decide whether to extend the expiration of first-line swine flu medicine Tamiflu by two years, as Roche is urging health officials to do.
BranScope's Portable EEG Wins FDA Clearance
by Lynn Shapiro 08/17/2009BrainScope's ZOOM-100DC, a handheld device for people with traumatic brain injury (TBI), has won FDA clearance.