Elaine Chen

Elaine Chen is a national biotech reporter at STAT and co-writes The Readout newsletter. She previously covered cardiovascular and metabolic diseases for STAT. Prior to joining in 2022, she was at Bloomberg News, where she reported on a wide range of topics including health care, markets, and New York City news. Elaine's based in Chicago and enjoys dancing in her free time.

Biography:  https://www.statnews.com/staff/elaine-chen/

75%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermines the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
Analysis.OverallConflictOfInterestScore * 0.3F + Analysis.OverallBiasScore * 0.3F + Analysis.DeceptivenessScore * 0.3F + Analysis.ReadabilityScore * 0.1F

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

The Daily's Verdict

This author has a mixed reputation for journalistic standards. It is advisable to fact-check, scrutinize for bias, and check for conflicts of interest before relying on the author's reporting.

Bias

80%

Examples:

  • The author occasionally uses sensationalist language to describe the findings of studies.
  • The author sometimes mentions conflicting or opposing viewpoints but does not explore them in depth.
  • There are instances where the author does not provide enough context for certain statements.

Conflicts of Interest

62%

Examples:

  • The author does not explore potential conflicts of interest in any depth.
  • There are no clear examples of conflicts of interest in the articles provided.

Contradictions

86%

Examples:

  • In one article, the author states that Wegovy just got FDA clearance for its first usage besides weight loss without providing context on what other uses it has been approved for.
  • The author mentions that Novo Nordisk submitted results from two trials to regulators earlier this year but doesn't mention which trials or what those results were.
  • The title of an article implies that Wegovy has been shown to improve symptoms and physical function in patients with heart failure when it hasn't.

Deceptions

78%

Examples:

  • The author quotes experts who say there isn't enough research on how much microplastics affect people's health but then proceeds to quote studies that have already shown harmful effects of microplastics on mice and in different parts of human bodies like the placenta, liver, and lungs.
  • The author uses sensationalist language to describe the correlation between microplastics and cardiovascular complications which can be misleading.
  • The title implies that microplastics found in blood vessels are directly linked to heart problems when the study only finds a correlation between them.

Recent Articles

Semaglutide Linked to Increased Risk of NAION: Study Finds Hazard Ratios of 4.28 and 7.64 in Type 2 Diabetes and Overweight Populations, Respectively

Semaglutide Linked to Increased Risk of NAION: Study Finds Hazard Ratios of 4.28 and 7.64 in Type 2 Diabetes and Overweight Populations, Respectively

Broke On: Wednesday, 03 July 2024 A recent study published in JAMA Ophthalmology found that patients taking semaglutide, a medication for diabetes and obesity, had a significantly higher risk of developing Nonarteritic Anterior Ischemic Optic Neuropathy (NAION), which can cause vision loss. The incidence rate was 4.28 times higher in type 2 diabetes patients and 7.64 times higher in overweight or obese patients taking semaglutide compared to non-GLP-1 RA medications.
Amgen Shifts Focus to Promising Obesity Drug MariTide, Discontinues Development of AMG-786

Amgen Shifts Focus to Promising Obesity Drug MariTide, Discontinues Development of AMG-786

Broke On: Friday, 03 May 2024 Amgen, a California-based biotech company, announced its focus on MariTide, an injectable obesity drug in Phase 2 trials with promising interim results. Patients lost an average of 14.5% body weight in 12 weeks according to phase one data. Amgen plans late-stage studies and expansion of manufacturing capacity for this differentiated obesity treatment.
Wegovy Effective in Treating Heart Failure Symptoms for Patients with Diabetes, Study Shows

Wegovy Effective in Treating Heart Failure Symptoms for Patients with Diabetes, Study Shows

Broke On: Saturday, 06 April 2024 Novo Nordisk's Wegovy has been found to be effective in treating heart failure symptoms for patients with diabetes. In a large trial, patients who took Wegovy reported less fatigue, leg swelling and shortness of breath than those who received a placebo. They were also able to walk farther in six minutes. Additionally, the study showed that Wegovy reduced serious medical problems among these patients.
Wegovy Approved to Reduce Heart Complications in Overweight People with Cardiovascular Disease by 20%

Wegovy Approved to Reduce Heart Complications in Overweight People with Cardiovascular Disease by 20%

Broke On: Monday, 18 March 2024 Wegovy, a weight loss drug approved by the FDA for reducing cardiovascular risks in overweight people with heart disease, is now being used to reduce the risk of major heart complications including heart attack, stroke or cardiovascular-related deaths. The new label expansion for Wegovy indicates that it can be used to reduce these risks by 20% in this population. This approval opens up a new market for weight loss drugs and could greatly expand older adults' access to treatments that so far have been limited.
New Research Links Microplastics to Increased Risk of Heart Attack, Stroke and Death

New Research Links Microplastics to Increased Risk of Heart Attack, Stroke and Death

Broke On: Thursday, 07 March 2024 New research links microplastics to an increased risk of heart attack, stroke, and death. Microplastics are tiny particles that can be ingested or inhaled by people. They accumulate in blood vessels for the first time due to clogged arteries leading into the heart.