M. Alexander Otto began his reporting career early in 1999 covering the pharmaceutical industry for a national pharmacists' magazine and freelancing for the Washington Post and other newspapers. He then joined BNA, now part of Bloomberg News, covering health law and the protection of people and animals in medical research. Alex next worked for the McClatchy Company. Based on his work, Alex won a year-long Knight Science Journalism Fellowship to MIT in 2008-2009. He joined the company shortly thereafter. Alex has a newspaper journalism degree from Syracuse (N.Y.) University and a master's degree in medical science -- a physician assistant degree -- from George Washington University. Alex is based in Seattle.
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VIDEO: Sildenafil improves cerebrovascular reactivity in chronic TBI
Sildenafil may be a useful therapy for TBI because it can correct deficits in cerebrovascular reactivity.
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MRI brainstem volume loss predicts SUDEP
SAN DIEGO – Study shows brainstem MRI ought to be further studied as a clinically useful biomarker to identify patients at risk for SUDEP.
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Eye movement, not CT or MRI, rules out posterior stroke
“Physiology beats anatomy in the acute phase,” Dr. David Newman-Toker said in regard to the results of a meta-analysis.
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Slow-wave sleep linked to Parkinson’s disease cognition
SAN DIEGO – Study “suggests that interventions to improve sleep might also improve cognitive function in individuals with PD.”
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Post-Ebola syndrome includes neurologic sequelae
A natural history study finds nearly all Ebola survivors experience neurologic sequelae, but symptoms are improving in some patients.
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Higher stroke risk found for TAVR versus SAVR
Study in real-world setting shows more than sixfold higher risk for hemorrhagic stroke.
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BP accuracy is the ghost in the machine
When it comes to measuring a patient’s blood pressure, “we do it wrong.”
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Rosacea: Expert recommends treating erythema, papules/pustules simultaneously
A new study indicates that treatment with both ivermectin and brimonidine simultaneously is beneficial.
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Working up patients with allergic contact dermatitis
Patch testing is best done while patients are off immunosuppressants, but current immunosuppressive therapy should not prevent testing.
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How to apply SPRINT findings to elderly patients
SAN FRANCISCO – An investigator shares pearls found in analyzing the elderly participants in SPRINT.
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Liquid biopsy predicts checkpoint inhibitor response
The overall response rate to immune checkpoint inhibitors was 45% among cancer patients who had more than three variants of unknown significance...
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Nocturia linked to hypertension, diuretic use in community-based study of black men
SAN FRANCISCO – Researchers went to barbershops, warm and relaxed settings, to enroll middle-aged black men – underrepresented in hypertension...
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For treatment-resistant hypertension, drug urine screen advised
Failure to take antihypertensive medication may explain up to half of cases of apparent resistant hypertension.
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Pediatric hypertension diagnosis requires repeat ambulatory pressure session
A study of 102 children supports the use of repeat ambulatory blood pressure monitoring before diagnosing hypertension.
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Transoral robotic surgery assessed for oral lesions
A study is being conducted to assess transoral robotic surgery for oral and laryngopharyngeal benign and malignant lesions.