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Good morning! As we plunge into this week, it feels like we’re stuck in 2004 with the intense rivalry between the Red Sox and Yankees heating up, leaving many in the STAT newsroom buzzing with excitement about playoff chances. While I’m certainly not in fourth grade anymore, Usher is conspicuously absent from the Billboard Hot 100.
The Urgent Need for Data on Pregnant Women
This past May, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. withdrew a prior recommendation for healthy pregnant women to receive Covid vaccinations, diverging from the advice of medical experts who advocate for vaccination to safeguard both mothers and infants. During the summer, the FDA assembled a panel skeptical of antidepressants, suggesting that SSRIs could harm developing fetuses, yet lacking substantial data to support these claims. Recently, both Kennedy and former President Trump have recommended that pregnant women avoid Tylenol, asserting that its active ingredient might lead to autism without presenting solid evidence.
Historically, researchers have excluded pregnant individuals from clinical trials to protect them and their babies. However, this practice has inadvertently worsened the situation, as noted by STAT’s Lizzy Lawrence. The absence of robust and inclusive research not only fuels confusion but also allows for misinterpretation of the limited data that does exist. With federal officials focusing more on the healthcare choices available to pregnant women, the glaring data gap has become an even more pressing issue. Explore Lizzy’s insights on the evolution of this situation and potential paths forward.
Challenges Leading to the Downfall of Women’s Health Startups
In the context of women’s health, take a moment to read this insightful First Opinion essay. Health technology executive and researcher Veronica Adamson has faced the struggles of launching a women’s health startup firsthand. Following a difficult childbirth experience, she persuaded her company to spearhead innovative partnerships and modernize fetal monitoring systems, but encountered significant hurdles due to regulatory challenges, reimbursement issues, and structural obstacles.
“The question wasn’t about the necessity of the product or technological feasibility, but rather a system that was designed to preserve the status quo,” Adamson articulates. Delve further into why innovations in women’s health frequently fail to reach implementation and explore possible solutions to alter this trend.
The Accessibility Dilemma of Continuous Glucose Monitors
Last year, companies like Dexcom and Abbott began offering glucose monitoring devices over the counter, tapping into the vast market of nearly 100 million Americans who are prediabetic or have type 2 diabetes without using insulin, as well as health-conscious individuals keeping tabs on their blood sugar. However, much of the existing research surrounding these devices predominantly features individuals diagnosed with diabetes.
A recent study published in Diabetes Technology and Therapeutics indicates that the efficacy of these devices for non-diabetic users may not be as robust. For those with type 2 diabetes, CGM data corresponded accurately with hemoglobin A1c levels, a leading indicator of blood sugar control. Conversely, no significant correlation was found for prediabetic individuals or those with normal glucose levels.
This research highlights a significant gap between wellness fads and medical readiness concerning CGMs. STAT’s Katie Palmer recently examined the complexities these devices introduce into the wellness versus medical care discussion. Read more on the topic.
UpToDate Embraces AI Technology
Over the past two years, the medical field has witnessed a surge in the adoption of chatbot-like tools powered by advanced language models that provide comprehensive medical information promptly. Now, the long-established medical resource for clinicians, UpToDate, is unveiling its own generative AI component.
“This move was inevitable,” hospitalist and researcher Jonathan Chen expressed. “UpToDate has a unique resource—the trusted content that has gained physicians’ trust over many years.” Read more about UpToDate’s strategy and functionality of this new tool.
The Impact of Work Requirements on Medicaid Coverage
Millions face the threat of losing insurance coverage when President Trump’s budget bill comes into effect in 2027, which includes new work requirements for Medicaid enrollment. But who will be affected? A recent study published in JAMA analyzed nationally representative federal survey data to paint a clearer picture of those at greatest risk.
The analysis identified 344 individuals aged 20 to 64 who either worked less than 20 hours weekly or were unemployed and would not qualify for exemptions from work regulations. The results revealed that 41% had three or more chronic health conditions, a figure that increased to 66% among those aged 50 and above. Notably, over 20% of participants suffered from dyslipidemia, obesity, hypertension, urinary incontinence, depression, or arthritis. The findings reinforce previous research illustrating that Medicaid beneficiaries who cannot meet work requirements report poorer health outcomes than their counterparts who do.
Test Your Skills: Mini Crossword Challenge
Ready to engage your brain? Attempt this week’s mini crossword puzzle! Join in and let me know how it goes.
What’s on Our Reading List
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From supporters to opponents: The shifting sentiments of abortion voters, The 19th
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At least 170 hospitals in the U.S. are facing critical flood risks, exacerbated by Trump’s policies, KFF Health News
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First Opinion: An insightful look into autism rates among Amish communities, STAT
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Unraveling the secrets to a long life: The story of the world’s oldest woman who lived to 117, Scientific American
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WHO reports on the antibiotics crisis: A dual challenge of scarcity and innovation, STAT
