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British researchers have developed an artificial intelligence tool that can identify people at risk of a serious heart condition before symptoms appear, potentially preventing thousands of strokes, the BBC reported. The AI system, developed by scientists at the University of Leeds and Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, analyzes electronic health records to detect warning signs of atrial fibrillation (AF), a condition causing irregular and abnormally fast heart rates, per the BBC. (Menezes, 12/31)

Work by device manufacturers to improve the performance of pulse oximeters on people with darker skin has progressed little since the Food and Drug Administration asked manufacturers in 2013 to voluntarily test the devices on more diverse skin tones, according to a study published Monday in JAMA. The study and a related editorial suggest clearer guidance, enforcement, and possibly legal action may be necessary to ensure the devices work well on all skin tones. (McFarling, Lawrence and Oza, 12/30)

They don’t get fruitcakes or Christmas cards from grateful patients, but for decades robots have been helping doctors perform gallbladder removals, hysterectomies, hernia repairs, prostate surgeries and more. ... Now, a team of Johns Hopkins University and Stanford University researchers has reported a significant advance, training robots with videos to perform surgical tasks with the skill of human doctors. (Johnson, 12/30)

It’s easy to forget that we live in an age of medical wonders. Cancer tumors can be slowed or shrunk in ways previous generations couldn’t imagine, with everything from pills to genetically engineered white blood cells. Surgeons can transplant a face, or replace a heart valve without cracking a chest. These are outcomes that would not have been possible 20 years ago. So what changed this year? (Herper, 12/30)

The surging popularity of GLP-1 drugs is beginning to obscure the health consequences if people stop taking them, physicians warn. While many patients can shed up to 20% of their body weight using the injectables, the cost of the drugs and side effects like nausea and vomiting lead many to quit. In most of those cases, their weight returns. (Goldman, 1/2)

If you’re thinking about making a New Year’s resolution to quit smoking, it might help to know that new research says it could extend your life expectancy. Each cigarette someone smokes, on average, can take about 20 minutes off their life expectancy overall, according to new research based on British smokers. (Howard, 1/1)

After large drops during the pandemic, life expectancy in the United States should recover to 2019 levels this year nationally and in 26 states — but not as fast as it should compared with similar countries, according to a new study. Bad habits such as junk food, smoking and illicit drug use are preventing longer lifespans, even as technology brings major progress in diseases such as cancer and heart disease, according to a new study by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington. (Henderson, 1/1)

A report that is intended to shape the next edition of the U.S. Dietary Guidelines has broken sharply with an emerging scientific consensus that alcohol has no health benefits. The evidence review, by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine in December, revived a once-dominant hypothesis that moderate drinking is linked to fewer heart attack and stroke deaths, and fewer deaths overall, compared with never drinking. Many scientists now take issue with that view. (Caryn Rabin, 1/1)

Drinking coffee and tea might reduce the risk of developing head and neck cancers, including cancers of the mouth and throat, according to recent research. Scientists at the University of Utah's Huntsman Cancer Institute analyzed the results of 14 studies by scientists all over the world associated with the International Head and Neck Cancer Epidemiology consortium. In total, their analysis included information from nearly 10,000 patients with head and neck cancers, and nearly 16,000 controls who did not have the disease. (Willmoth, 12/31)