Staying #Up2Date 🚨

1. 1. CAC Scores in CAD Prevention

   A study of 365 patients at intermediate risk for CAD based on family history compared standard care to coronary artery calcium (CAC) score-informed care. After 3 years, the CAC score-informed group had greater LDL and total cholesterol reductions and less progression of all measured plaque volumes (total, noncalcified, fibrofatty, and necrotic core). These findings support CAC scoring as a potential strategy for CAD prevention. 

    

   2. Hallucinogen-Related ED Visits Linked to Mortality

   In a retrospective cohort study of 11.4 million Ontarians aged 15+, 7,953 individuals had an ED visit or hospital admission involving hallucinogens (between 2006 and 2022). Within 5 years, their all-cause mortality risk was 2.6× higher than the general population. Leading causes: suicide (HR 5.23), cancer (HR 2.88), respiratory disease (HR 2.46) and unintentional overdose (HR 2.03). With hallucinogen use in Canada rising in both research and recreation, these findings warrant attention.

    

   3.     Older Adults Want More Control Over Acute Care Decisions

   This UK-based qualitative study of 32 adults (aged 63 to 101) explored perspectives on treatment escalation planning in hospitals. Themes underscored the importance of patient-clinician communication and respect for patient autonomy in end-of-life care.

Healthcare At Your Fingertips 👆

Who needs 7 rings when you’ve got an Oura ring?

What happened: How one woman’s Oura ring helped to diagnose her cancer.

Why it’s interesting: For three years, Nikki Gooding, a nurse practitioner, used an Oura ring (a smart ring that tracks your health metrics) to track her stress. This past December, after she returned from a trip, her ring kept alerting her that her body was under major stress. Concerned, Gooding made an appointment with her doctor, and after being tested, it was revealed she had Hodgkin lymphoma disease.

Symptoms of the disease include fatigue, swollen lymph nodes, and night sweats. These are all things Gooding was experiencing while wearing the ring. In the US, over 8,000 people are diagnosed with Hodgkin’s each year, resulting in about 1,100 deaths.

@otikkiyousoofine

My Oura ring knew I had cancer before I did 🫠 @ouraring #greenscreen #lymphoma #cancersucks #ouraring #withoura

But: While the Oura ring helps encourage users to seek medical attention, it’s not a replacement for doctors and shouldn’t be used to diagnose, cure, treat, or manage medical conditions. Gooding herself said that even if she didn’t have the Oura ring, she would’ve figured out she was sick eventually, but it helped her catch her symptoms earlier.

Bottom line: Your patients may think their Oura ring has all the answers, but until they endure four years of medical school, they’ve got nothing on you.

Hot Off The Press

1: 🧠 The WHO has tapped Delft University’s Digital Ethics Centre to lead its AI for Health Governance efforts. Expect a focus on transparency, accountability, and international policy guidance — or in other words, trying to keep AI from making a mess of medicine. The centre will also develop training workshops to help global health organizations navigate AI’s risks and benefits.

2: 💨 A new study has found that only 17% of the world’s cities meet air pollution guidelines. Out of 138 countries, the study found that Chad, Congo, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and India have the most polluted air. There are ways to improve air quality; for example, cities like Beijing and Seoul have created regulations like investing in public transportation.

3: ♀️ Abortion rights activists in Poland have successfully opened a center where women have access to abortion pills. The purpose of the center is to destigmatize abortion and support women during the procedure. Abortion is currently illegal in Poland, but Prime Minister Donald Tusk has been trying to change the policy.

4: 💸 Sorry, folks — we can’t leave this one out. The US slapped 25% tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum March 4, and China retaliated with 100% tariffs on canola after Canada taxed Chinese EVs. CUSMA-covered goods got a one-month reprieve, but Canadian energy and potash aren’t off the hook. Meanwhile, Ontario hiked power prices for US states, and Canada’s $30B in retaliatory tariffs stay put. Next up: April 2, when more US counter-tariffs kick in.

Notable Numbers 🔢

39,021: how many X users were locked out when the platform went down Monday, with Elon Musk blaming a massive cyberattack — but cybersecurity experts aren’t buying it. Musk pointed to Ukraine, but industry sources say most rogue traffic came from the US, Vietnam, and Brazil. Meanwhile, Tesla’s sales are nosediving, protests are erupting in showrooms, their stock is sliding, and Musk has taken a $100 billion hit.

2,000: how many patients in the UK benefited from a new rapid DNA sequencing system that cuts bacterial infection diagnosis from weeks to 48 hours. The breakthrough enables faster, targeted antibiotics, reducing superbug risks in hospitals. Meanwhile, a new mpox variant in the DRC carries a mutation linked to higher transmissibility, with cases rising in 14 African countries—prompting the WHO to extend its public health emergency.

$80 billion: the projected size of the US regenerative medicine market by 2033, as AI-driven treatments like Xenco Medical’s TrabeculeX Continuum push spine surgery into the future. Xenco’s tech regenerates bone post-surgery by combining biomaterial implants with AI-driven physical therapy, giving surgeons real-time recovery data to adjust treatment. With over 3,180 patients already using the system, experts say we’re entering a “golden age” of regenerative medicine—where AI could one day restore aging spines to a younger state.

Postcall Picks

😂Laugh: at this meme about the difference between furniture and humans!

🤑Save: Missing that hour of sleep you lost? Nectar Sleep’s got your back with up to 50% off on mattresses and 66% off bundles!

💻Check out: the new Macbook Air M4. It’s available for pre-order now and comes in 4 colours. 

🌙Tips: for fasting during this religious season!

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