Robots Can Draw Your Blood and Rethinking Statins After 70

Friday, September 4, 2026

In today's episode, Dr. Will Flanary (@drglaucomflecken) & Eva Johnson cover the FDA authorization of Aletta, the first standalone robot that draws blood without hands on operator intervention. The Vitestro system uses near infrared light and Doppler ultrasound to find veins, and one phlebotomist can supervise three units at a 94.5 percent first stick rate. They also break down a trial of atorvastatin in nearly 10,000 healthy adults over 70, where a 30 percent relative reduction in cardiovascular events came with no significant gain in disability free survival. Plus: new FDA decisions on skin and tobacco products, teen safety updates from Meta, and more.

Coverage Timeline:

(00:00) Intro

(01:00) Aletta: Autonomous Blood Draw Robot

(04:23) Statins for Healthy Older Adults

(07:19) Lysria for Dermatomyositis

(09:16) Ebola Vaccination & Slow Running

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