For Thursday, August 29, WGN’s Dina Bair has the latest on new medical information, including:
High-tech paper mask can help monitor health
There’s a new way to monitor health with a personalized device. Watches, patches, and other wearable sensors can currently check heart rate, inflammation, glucose, and other important health factors.
California Institute of Technology scientists have now developed a smart mask to monitor health.
When a patient breathes into the mask, technology can detect respiratory health issues, including asthma irritation, COPD, and post-COVID infections.
It analyzes chemicals in the breath in real-time, identifying inflammation causes in the airways. It can also help diagnose illness and measure the efficacy of treatment.
Hormone therapy and menopause
There is a stark contrast between women taking hormone replacement after menopause and those who do not.
Women with a history of hormone therapy are biologically younger than post-menopausal women not receiving HT.
The age discrepancy also means women on HT have a lower risk of death.
A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association finds offering hormone therapy to postmenopausal women who qualify could be critical for healthy aging.
Ubrogepant may be effective against migraines
A drug may be able to stop a migraine before it starts.
Many patients have hints of an oncoming headache, including light and sound sensitivity, dizziness, neck pain, and fatigue.
A study in the journal Neurology finds taking the drug Ubrogepant at the first sign of migraine prevents the debilitating headache and eliminates other associated migraine symptoms.
Migraine is one of the most prevalent issues worldwide.
Researchers said Ubrogepant can help people with function normally with a migraine.
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