#27 The health tech divide ⚡

Also: addiction’s grip, AI-boosted mammography & steamy vasodilation

Hello there. Today’s newsletter is 470 words-long, or a 2-minute read.  

Think about it 💡

🫀 Folks who could use a cardio upgrade are not using health heart tech. Yale studies spanning 2017-2020 found that only 2 out of 5 US adults with heart issues or risks utilize health monitoring apps. Demographic disparities emerge, with older, less educated, and lower-income individuals showing less interest. This discrepancy between advanced health features and adoption among older and socioeconomically disadvantaged groups suggests barriers of tech literacy and cost. Amidst the tech frenzy, a conundrum surfaces: what's the worth of these innovations if they're dancing just out of reach for those who need them most?

📊 Addiction is casting a long shadow over American families, affecting relationships, mental well-being, and wallets. According to a recent KFF poll, a substantial 66% of adults in the U.S. have a personal or familial brush with alcohol or drug addiction. Even those standing on the sidelines are not immune, with 27% acknowledging a toll on their mental health. Despite this, less than 50% of those directly impacted seek treatment. 

AI-Boosted Mammography 🔎

👩‍🔬 In a fresh study, scientists set out to see if AI-powered mammography screening could jazz up precision and make life breezier for radiologists compared to the old double reading routine.

🩻 Results showed that the AI-supported group had a cancer detection rate of 6.1 per 1000 participants, slightly higher than the standard reading group's rate of 5.1, though not statistically significant. 

📉 More interestingly, AI reduced the screen-reading workload by 44.3%. These findings highlight the potential of AI to maintain screening accuracy while considerably lightening the radiologists' workload.

Neat News 🗞️

• 🚀 Women-led EverBlume launched on a mission to support the 40 million Americans struggling with substance abuse. Neat.

• 🩸 Red Cross ended restrictions that prevented gay men from donating blood. Super neat.

• 🚌 Daybreak Health secured $13 million for school-based mental health services. Ultra neat. 

Clean Content 🧼

• 💡 Health API Guy Brendan Keeler spills the beans on why healthcare's identity game is a dud. 

• 🐙 Octopus Ventures releases a report delving into the battle-tested spirit of Europe's budding healthtech startups.

• 🎙️ Melanie Mitchell and Eric Topol chit-chat about AI Large Language Models and it’s popcorn-worthy. 

This is what you came for 🍑

⛱️ Summer sizzles in more ways than one. According to Dr. Dudley Danof, urologist and author of "Penis Power" (your new bedside read), when the mercury rises, so does the size. Heat-induced vasodilation (a fancy term for blood vessels throwing a pool party) not only warms up the season but also expands penile erection. So seize your chance before winter chills your thrill. 

Til next time,