They’ve finally done it: Humans and non-humans have conversed for the first time when scientists “spoke” with a humpback whale via recorded calls. Though our understanding of whale communication is just beginning, scientists say this could be the first step in understanding other species… like aliens. 👽

 ☕️Postcall’s one-sip markets update:

Instead of telling you again that the markets are down because Jerome Powell hinted the Fed may not lower interest rates (which they are), let’s delve into one specific commodity that’s nearly doubled the return of the S&P since the beginning of the year: gold 🥇. Driving the gains are a few factors, including the fact that it’s a hedge against inflation. But one interesting reason is that as global military conflicts rise, investors from China/Russa/Middle East are looking for a safe (and hard-to-sanction) place to park cash.

Oh, and somehow UnitedHealth stock is soaring after reporting better-than-expected quarterly earnings despite getting crushed in a cyberattack (more details below).

Ready for this week’s stories? (6 min read)

1. The latest studies

2. The latest on UnitedHealth

3. The latest smartphone-killer

4. The latest contraceptive changes

5. The latest deals

Staying #Up2Date 🚨

1. Long-term mortality from adverse pregnancy outcomes

A Swedish national cohort study investigated the long-term mortality risk associated with 5 adverse pregnancy outcomes. The adjusted HRs were 1.52 for gestational diabetes (95% CI, 1.46-1.58); 1.41 for preterm delivery (95% CI, 1.37-1.44); 1.30 for small for gestational age (95% CI, 1.28-1.32); 1.27 for other hypertensive disorders (95% CI, 1.19-1.37); and 1.13 for preeclampsia (95% CI, 1.10-1.16). The mortality risks remained elevated even 40 years later. 

2. SGLT2i for gout? It’s agout time! 

A Canadian population-based cohort study looked at the risk of incident gout and rate of recurrent flares between patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) initiating SGLT2i vs. sulfonylurea when added to metformin monotherapy. Gout incidence was lower in the SGLT2i than sulfonylurea initiators (4.27 vs. 6.91 events per 1000 person-years; HR 0.62 with 95% CI, 0.48-0.80). The use of SGLT2i was also associated with fewer recurrent flares among gout patients.

3. Guideline watch 👀

A collaborative guideline from the Radiological Society of North America and the American College of Gastroenterology has been published on the role of imaging in GI bleeds. The preferred initial diagnostic step is still EGD or colonoscopy for most patients. In unstable patients with lower GI bleeds, CTA should be used more frequently.

Is Change coming to UnitedHealth?

Congress kicked off a session looking into the Change Healthcare hack, and lawmakers questioned the dangers posed by the increasing consolidation in healthcare.

In case you missed it (lucky you):

• The late February cyberattack on Change Healthcare, the largest medical claims processor in the U.S., disrupted the industry significantly, halting payments and impeding operations at various hospitals and clinics.

• In 2022, the Department of Justice attempted to prevent UnitedHealth's acquisition of Change Healthcare, but a federal judge approved the merger. In December, the Federal Trade Commission introduced new merger guidelines making it easier to challenge mergers as anticompetitive.

• Lawmakers from both parties concurred that the expansion of major healthcare organizations, such as Change Healthcare's parent company UnitedHealth Group, has negatively impacted both the system and patients.

Key quotes:

• "This just another thing that's happened with the massive vertical integration in our system that I believe personally is not in the best interest of the American people," stated Rep. Larry Bucshon (R-Ind.) at the House Energy and Commerce health subcommittee's hearing.

• "I'm concerned that there are fewer redundancies in our system and more vulnerability to the entire system if entities like UnitedHealth Group are compromised," noted Rep. Frank Pallone (D-N.J.).

Yes, but…

UnitedHealth CEO Andrew Witty argued that the company’s scale helped address the fallout: "Without UnitedHealth Group owning Change Healthcare, this attack would likely still have happened and it would have left Change Healthcare, I think, extremely challenged to come back," Witty claimed during an earnings call.

Committee members requested detailed information from Witty about the ongoing financial impacts, compromised data, and preventive measures taken against future cyberattacks. And he’ll testify before the Senate Finance Committee soon.

Bottom line:

Despite Congress still determining an appropriate response, there is legislative support for more stringent control over vertical mergers that enhance healthcare companies' influence.

👨‍💻Heidi’s Tech Bites

1: ⚡️ Scientists have created the world’s smallest particle accelerator, and it can fit on a dime. The main goal? Killing cancer cells. But when it can replace more damaging forms of radiotherapy “is still a long way off,” according to the study lead author.

2: 🤳🏼 The Humane AI Pin tried to be a phone without a screen — “tried” being the operative word, according to The Verge. Slow and unreliable, at best it represents a good idea (spending less time staring at your phone) poorly executed. The projected text onto your hand is pretty cool, though.

3: 🚴‍♀️ The number of fires caused by lithium-ion batteries is increasing across Canada. (They increased by 90% in Toronto in 2023.) The reason? A rise in e-mobility devices, like e-bikes and e-scooters, which are the fires’ most common origin.

4: 💻 The US plans to award Samsung $6.4 billion in grants to increase chip production in Texas in an attempt to take the lead in the semiconductor industry. It’s a move to decrease dependence on chip manufacturing in China and Taiwan, as Samsung is a South Korean company. And they’re on a hot streak, as they overtake Apple as the market leader in smartphones as well (mostly driven by China sales).

Insight of the Day 💡 

You’ve probably heard enough about the debate (and legal battle) over abortion. So, one interesting study actually looked at what happened in the summer of 2022 following the Supreme Court's Dobbs decision. They found a sharp increase in the number of young people (aged 18-30) opting for permanent contraception procedures—specifically tubal ligations and vasectomies. Furthermore, data revealed that the rise in tubal ligations was twice that of vasectomies.

Notable Numbers 🔢

2044: the next time you’ll be able to see a total solar eclipse from North America. (Correction from last issue, where we said 2144!)

323: The number of medications that are in short supply in the US. Many are older, generic drugs that pharmaceutical companies aren’t incentivized to make.

5.6: The inches of rain Dubai received in 24 hours. Heavy thunderstorms delivered the equivalent to 1.5x the total seen in a typical year in a single day, and caused flash flooding and havoc across Dubai’s roads, malls, and airports.

Postcall Picks ✅ 

🚗 Drive: a self-driving car on discount. Tesla cut its Full Self-Driving subscriptions in half for customers in the US and Canada to $99 per month. But be aware that it’s now “Supervised FSD” (an acknowledgment that the cars are not yet fully autonomous).

🛫 Travel: Agents give you 20 hot tips to book a sustainable and sensational summer holiday.

🦜 Speak: and gain trust with your patients. Here’s 10 commons words you might be mispronouncing.

🤣 Laughs: for all the folks deep into a grant proposal.

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🤘 PS. If you’re reading this, you know that our readers are America’s best and brightest physicians. Learn about partnering with Postcall if you’d like to reach them.