Health

I got to try out EssilorLuxottica’s Nuance Audio glasses last month at CES 2025. They look like normal glasses, but can amplify the voice of whoever you’re speaking to while also dampening noisy environments. Plus, since it can handle prescription lenses, it’s sort of like killing two birds with one stone. Now that they’ve got FDA clearance, the glasses are set to launch in the US in Q1 this year and the first half of 2025 in Europe.

After studying Apple Watch noise data from the past four Super Bowl Sundays, we have quantifiable data showing that people get 1.5 to 3 decibels louder in the three hours before and after the game compared to the following Sunday. And yes, folks in game states are indeed louder than those in non-game states. Are we surprised at these findings? No, but it’s kind of fun to have data to point to.

Android Authority reports that Samsung may be the first to noninvasive blood glucose monitoring in the Galaxy Watch, citing comments from Samsung senior vice president Hon Park saying the tech will be a “game-changer.”

National Institutes of Health is reportedly reeling from canceled meetings and a communications and hiring freeze under the new Trump administration.

The company, whose patent infringement claim led Apple to remove blood oxygen sensing tech from newer Apple Watches, has named Katie Szyman, worldwide president of Advanced Patient Monitoring at Becton Dickinson, for the role, The Wall Street Journal reports.

The move is part of the Biden Administration’s initiative to lower prescription drug prices — particularly for medications needed by elderly and disabled citizens. Drug companies will have until February 28th to decide whether they want to negotiate. Ozempic and Wegovy, which are also used to treat diabetes, aren’t the only drugs on the list either. There are 15 total, and you can find the total list here.

The government has ripped out “pointless regulation” that prevented Apple and other companies from including hearing tests and assistance in earbuds. Apple added the feature to its 2nd-gen AirPods Pro last fall, and told The Telegraph it will be enabled for UK users “in the coming weeks.”

The covid pandemic saga of Razer’s RGB-lit Zephyr face mask is probably ending now that checks and PayPal payments are giving money back to the 6,764 buyers.

I got to try out Eli Health’s Hormometer in person last night. I was fully expecting it to say my stress levels were high but my cortisol levels were apparently within range. Maybe my body is just used to all that CES adrenaline after all these years. In any case, here’s what using an at-home, portable hormone test is like.

I ranked the Circular Ring Slim dead last in my smart ring battle royale. When I heard their CES 2025 announcement, I was cautiously optimistic that a redemption arc was in the making with the Circular Ring 2. Now that I’ve seen and tried it, I’m even more hopeful. The hardware is such an improvement — all that’s left to see is if the software is too when it launches.

I’m here at CES Unveiled trying out Eli Health’s Hormometer. I had to do it twice because this dry desert air makes it hard to generate a lot of spit. Here I am taking the cortisol (stress) test.

Sure, booze is fun but it’s also poison. Anyway, the Surgeon General has said alcohol should be labeled for its cancer risk. If you’re sober-curious, join me for a Dry January — a ritual in which I get a month of great sleep.

Dexcom’s Stelo continuous glucose monitor (CGM) for those with Type 2 diabetes is starting to use generative AI to write weekly reports with “more personalized tips, recommendations, and education related to diet, exercise, and sleep” than the template previously used.

Aaron Siri, the lawyer in question, has a long history of challenging vaccines. But as the NYT story explains, this matters not only because polio is a devastating disease that can cause death and paralysis, but because Siri has also been helping RFK Jr. — Trump’s pick for health secretary — vet incoming federal health officials.

During an interview with Wired, Cook highlighted the Apple Watch’s AFib and sleep apnea detection, while also hinting at the possibility of using AI to alert users to serious illnesses:

The two companies announced a “strategic partnership” today where Oura Ring and Dexcom CGM users can more easily share their health data between the two platforms. Both companies will also sell and cross promote each other’s products.

The President-elect chose his former political opponent and anti-vaccine activist to lead HHS, a department that oversees the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Kennedy has embraced policies widely rejected by the scientific community, like halting the addition of fluoride to drinking water — a mineral that helps prevent tooth decay.

It’s also offering monthly treatment options for erectile dysfunction and eyelash growth. Amazon says Prime members only have to pay for the cost of consultation and the treatment plan, which ranges anywhere from $2 / month to $43 / month.

The goal was a product that could predict a user’s fertility by collecting saliva. Users would’ve then been able to log period symptoms, sexual activity, and other fertility data via a mobile app. CNBC says Amazon has laid off the entire team behind the project. Initially, it was set to launch later this year before technical issues resulted in delays.

A digital trail can provide evidence of someone obtaining an illegal abortion, but as Lux Alptraum wrote back in 2022, they’re not usually the initial tipoff:

Unsurprising. Oura also found that there was a 2.3 percent increase in stressed minutes, a 19.5 percent decrease in restorative time and heart rates were 3.7 percent higher.