Detecting strokes with a smartphone; why older adults are moving slower; chili peppers’ link to obesity – Morning Medical Update

Identifying strokes with a smartphone

A new smartphone face-screening tool could help paramedics identify strokes in seconds. Currently, there is no quicker or more accurate technologies to delay strokes or the damage of them.

Biomedical engineers at RMIT University developed the artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities behind the new tool. Guillherme Camargo de Oliveira, head leader of the research, said in a statement, “We have developed a simple smartphone tool that paramedics can use to instantly determine whether a patient is post-stroke and then inform the hospital before the ambulance leaves the patient’s house.”

The smartphone has an accuracy rating of 82% for detecting stroke.

Why older adults are moving slower

It’s natural for our movements to slow the older we get, possibly due to a slower metabolism, loss of muscle mass, and becoming less active over time. However, new research from the University of Colorado Boulder argues older adults may move slower partially because it costs them more energy to do so than younger adults.

Scientists say this new research could help lead to new diagnostic tools for diseases such as Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis. Read more about the study and its implications for the future of early disease detection here.

Chili peppers and obesity: Is it harmful?

Interestingly, chili peppers are often viewed positively in health care for their fat-burning and metabolism-boosting properties. Yet, new findings suggest consuming chili peppers may be associated with a greater risk of obesity.

In a study from Frontiers in Nutrition, scientists found that frequent chili peppers consumption was linked to a higher body mass index (BMI) and obesity risk, particularly in females and adults over 60.

Thomas M. Holland, MD, MS, a physician-scientist at the RUSH Institute for Healthy Aging and instructor in the Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Digestive Diseases and Nutrition at Rush University, said the combination of chili peppers with other unhealthy foods may be the reason why there is a risk for obesity.

“Specifically, chili peppers are often consumed with high-fat, high-calorie foods, meaning that more frequent chili pepper consumption is tied to more frequent high-calorie food consumption,” Holland said.