Almost anything the investigative reporter Barry Meier writes is worth reading. His book, Pain Killer, which we reviewed in Cell 2 Soul in 2005, is a brilliant expose of Oxycontin and the company that hawked it to an unsuspecting public.
Mr. Meier's recent articles in the NY Times about a new device which may prevent stroke in people less than 55 years old should be read by all since it gives insight into the medical device industry and the murkiness of science. Reading between the lines, I'd suspect that Mr. Meier's next book may be about such devices as there are a number of them being used without sufficient proof at great financial, and sometimes human, cost.
A Device to Avert Stroke Lacks Proof that it Works
"Every year, experts estimate, about 80,000 seemingly healthy people in this country under the age of 55 have a stroke
for no apparent reason. Some researchers have long suspected that one
culprit is a cardiac defect that 40 percent of those people share — a
tiny congenital opening between the upper chambers of their hearts
Based on that theory, doctors in recent years have implanted a small
flexible seal in the hearts of thousands of stroke patients. The idea
is that closing the hole will prevent future strokes by blocking a
pathway for blood clots."
Full article.
In a companion piece, Mr. Meier reports on a lawsuit brougt by this device maker agains a British researcher who claimed online that the device is flawed. Meier does a fine job of reporting the shades of gray. Also see: Device Maker Sues Doctor Who Called Its Product Flawed.
