Health

Apple has been setting up a health system parallel to public health for years. The question is whether public health will do something about it.

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I haven’t worn a watch of any kind on my wrist for years. Partly for convenience, partly for not having another device to distract myself with. The paradox is that I find it more and more advisable to wear or give a smartwatch, precisely because of the leap they have made in monitoring our health in recent years. The other day, Dr. Miguel Ángel Cobos Gil, a prestigious Spanish cardiologist, told us at a press event that “the Apple Watch provides more parameters than anyone admitted to a coronary unit.” It made me think: we already have very reliable medical technology in our pockets, on our wrists and even in our ears. And now what? A parallel system to saturated healthcare Healthcare in Spain has just concluded a few days of strike in which they demand improvements in a system with problems: saturated primary care, insufficient personnel, underfinancing or territorial fragmentation are just a few. Spain is not the only one like this. Countries like the United Kingdom, Canada, Italy or Portugal are struggling with similar situations, and if we look at Latin America or Asia the photo even it gets more complicated. Doctor Miguel Ángel Cobos Gil at an Apple Health event in Madrid. It is no coincidence that Apple has spent years setting up a whole parallel health system through its best-selling devices. You can now take a medically approved EKG with Apple Watch In a few minutes, the iPhone notifies you if you have risk of falling when analyzing how you walkand AirPods are increasingly looking more like a smart sonotone. Apple is the one that is taking the most solid and visible steps, but it is not the only one. Samsung integrates teleconsultations, a game to detect Alzheimer’sbooking diagnostic tests and ordering medications at Samsung Health —starting with Indiawhich is no coincidence—; Huawei gives you ten health parameters in a single gesture with its Watch 5; Google bets on a medical coach with AI on top of Fitbit and Pixel Watch data. Almost the entire tech sector is looking at the same place. Useful technology to help us with our health is already here. The problem is how to make all that data that our devices give us use for something in a collapsed public system. Your doctor doesn’t have time to look at the data on your watch And now we have been in this house for ten years: We have a lot of information about preventing diseases and devices that can help us do so. However, there is still no effective system to address it. Cobos Gil summed it up bluntly: “urgent care works.” When something really goes wrong, the system responds. The problem is before, in that period of time where an asymptomatic disease could be detected and treated with a change in habits or a simple medication, but where the family doctor cannot dedicate fifteen minutes to you if he does not see something serious or actionable. Hypertension doesn’t hurt. Atrial fibrillation does not warn. Apple Watch possible hypertension alert system And this is exactly where technology comes in—or should come in—. A smartwatch does not sleep, has no waiting list and does not need you to go see it: it passively monitors whenever you wear it, accumulates months of data and notifies you when it detects an anomaly. Cobos Gil mentioned something that illustrates the difference well: a conventional cardiac holter monitor must be taken for about 24 or 48 hours, and many times it does not capture anything because the arrhythmia does not appear in that time window. With three months of data from the Apple Watch, he says he’s gotten diagnostic information he otherwise wouldn’t have had, and has even “had to anticoagulate patients who were cleared by a Holter monitor.” This gap is especially relevant for the older population, especially if they live alone. Spain is aging fast and a silent heart attack, a fall, or an arrhythmia that is accelerating are situations in which the time between the event and medical attention is everything, and in which not having a family member or caregiver nearby—the child in another city, the grandchildren in another country—creates a very vulnerable situation for these people. These are situations that happen. In Applesfera we have just told the case of a lady who suffered a fall due to an epileptic attack in Torremolinos and his Apple Watch helped everything end in a scare. The striking thing about this is that hospitals already do this type of monitoring in extreme cases. When a modern pacemaker or defibrillator is implanted, the hospital monitors the patient remotely and can intervene if something goes wrong. A watch like the Watch takes that logic from the hospital to home: it allows a son in Madrid to see in real time if his mother’s heart in a town in Teruel is beating strangely, or to receive an alert if she has fallen and hasn’t gotten up. It is not medicine of the future. It is medicine of the present waiting for the system to learn to incorporate it. The limit that no one has set Tim Cook at WWDC 24 What Apple, Samsung, Huawei or Google have built so far is the beginning. Apple has been working for years on non-invasive blood glucose monitoring —without being punctured, through optical spectroscopy—and the most solid rumors suggest that could come to the Apple Watch in 2027 or 2028. Before that, I’m pretty sure we’ll see an AI-powered medical assistant built into the Health app — known internally as Mulberry Project— trained with your real clinical data. Tim Cook has been repeating for years that the Apple’s greatest contribution to humanity will be in healthcare. What it doesn’t say is exactly how far. Because the question that these devices do not answer is one that seems very important to me: Where do they set the limit for themselves, and who sets it for them from the outside? Early detection of … Read more

Science knows that rain is ruining our health

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We carry a great spell of rain and overcast skies in much of Spain, and this also translates into a strange sensation in our body when we feel stuck in the chair, depressed and even taciturn. And it’s not that we’ve suddenly become lazier or sadderbut it is pure and simple biology that has humidity, microbiology and brain chemistry as triggers. Our ideal humidity. To understand why we can feel so bad, we have to understand what our body needs. Here science already pointed out many years ago that our body is designed to ‘function’ in a narrow range in terms of relative humidity.: between 40 and 60%. In this case, when we are outside this range for a long time, which is typical with these rains where the humidity shoots above 70%, it is when everything changes. And above all it affects those people who are not used to so much humidity and who have not adapted to it, such as those who live in areas that are traditionally very dry. What happens. In these cases, when we are in a situation of very high humidity, science suggests that the defenses let their guard down. Above all, it affects the mucous membranes, which are our body’s first defense barrier, which is compromised. In this case, while very dry air can crack the mucous membranes that require a certain humidity, when you have air with a lot of accumulated humidity, a ‘party’ is organized for the pathogens. The scientific reviews point here that excessive humidity favors the survival of bacteria and viruses, increasing the environmental viral load. The effects at home. If we suddenly feel short of breath or that the asthma that had been controlled has returned, the fault lies precisely in what we do not see. The WHO itself and the CDC have established direct links, since they suggest that structural and environmental humidity turns the house into an incubator. The attack of mold and mites. One of the most important points is in the miteswhich are microscopic organisms that do not drink water, but rather absorb moisture from the air. In cases where humidity exceeds 70%, their population explodes and, according to evidence, this can trigger allergic exacerbations in those more sensitive people. Mold is also one of the main protagonists in these cases, and you just have to see how easily it can appear in bathrooms without ventilation. And even if black spots are not seen, the spores can be in the rooms of the house. The science here is clear: exposure to moisture and mold in the home increases the risk of developing asthma by 30-50%. The effect on the brain. But what we notice most every day is that feeling of being “moody” or “stuck.” And here the person responsible is the lack of light due to being cloudy all day. The neurochemistry here is quite important, since without bright light to tell your brain “it’s daytime”, your body continues to produce melatonin, which is the sleep hormone, during the day. The result here is in fatigue throughout the day and apathy that makes us not want to leave the couch. There are also deficits. But in addition to melatonin, the lack of sunlight in those areas where it is not usual produces a decrease in the production of serotonin, which is one of the neurotransmitters responsible for mood. Less light equals less “fuel” to feel good. AND We must not forget about vitamin D either.which depends on sunlight to maintain optimal levels. Although supplementation has mixed results, observational studies are clear: there is a direct correlation between rainy months, low vitamin D and irritability or depressive symptomsknown as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). What can we do? Although it may seem counterintuitive, the European Lung Foundation point because you always have to ventilate the house a little even if it is raining. The accumulation of internal humidity from our own activities such as cooking, breathing or showering, added to the external humidity, creates a toxic environment. That is why maintaining air circulation and, if possible, using dehumidifiers to try to return your home to that sacred 40-60% range, is the only way to mitigate the impact on some part. Images | Adrian Swancar In Xataka | We say we are “depressed” beyond our means: where does the illness end and where does the illness begin?

The measles outbreak is close to 8,500 cases and puts the health status of the country in check

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Measles has ceased to be a latent threat and has become a worrying statistical reality in Mexicoas the latest consolidated data from February 2026 have pointed out. These leave no doubt that the country is going through its most complex outbreak in decades, accumulating 8,459 confirmed cases since the start of the crisis in 2025. It’s already worrying. The situation has escalated to such a point that the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has issued a clear warning: If the chain of transmission is not cut in the coming weeks, Mexico could lose its status as a measles-free country. X-ray of the outbreak. The figures are compelling and draw a map of active transmission in the 32 states of the republic. Although the problem is national, the intensity is not homogeneous, since there are points where positive cases are much more evident. This is something that can be seen in the reports of the Ministry of Health (SSA) of Mexico, which indicates that so far in 2026, 2,143 cases have been reported. But the current epicenter is in Jaliscowhich is where 1,245 cases have been concentrated, representing almost 60% of the reports this entire year. Historical accumulated. Since February 2025, the state of Chihuahua leads the accumulated total with more than 4,400 cases, now followed by the rebound in the west of the country. But the most tragic thing is undoubtedly the human losses, since they have already been confirmed 27 deaths since the beginning of the outbreak in February 2025, with two recent deaths recorded in Tlaxcala and Michoacán This is in addition to the fact that the most vulnerable population is the youngest children, who are between one and four years old. Something that also makes it act as the perfect vector to infect the older population and those at greater risk of suffering from a more serious disease. The root of the problem. Experts point out that it is necessary to have a herd immunity to be able to apply containment to this serious health problem. And for such a contagious virus, at least 95% of the population is required to be vaccinated, something very similar to what was noted in the Covid pandemic in our environment. And the problem is precisely in low vaccination coverage that exists in these regions, causing many to not reach this percentage. And, despite the fact that the SSA reports the application of more than 11.8 million vaccinesthe spread of the virus suggests that there are still susceptible population groups, especially those where there are a greater number of cases right now. Use of face masks. As already happened in the COVID pandemic, there are some states such as Jalisco or Nuevo León that are evaluating the use of masks or face coveringsespecially in closed spaces and with a large influx of people. This is a simple containment barrier to prevent spread while the population finishes its vaccination schedule. The ultimatum. On the technical side, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has launched an extension until April to evaluate whether Mexico has achieved endemic transmission of this virus. This is something that is achieved when there is no continuous circulation of the virus in a territory for 12 months. Mexico has been fighting this outbreak since February 2025, and if transmission continues uninterrupted beyond the calendar year, measles will once again be considered endemic (typical of the region) and not an imported case. In addition to this, PAHO has confirmed that Mexico currently accounts for 71% of the cases on the entire American continent, a figure that forces health authorities to rethink the containment strategy to prevent its spread to the rest of the neighboring countries. What’s coming The next PAHO meeting in April will be critical in this regard. The decision that Mexico lose “measles-free” status It is not just a diplomatic label, but it implies greater costs in epidemiological surveillance, potential barriers in tourism and the confirmation of a major setback in the country’s public health status. Intensive campaigns are underway, but with the virus present in all states and active community transmission, the Mexican health system faces its most important test of the post-COVID era. A global problem. Although the news focuses on the many cases in Mexico in this case, the reality is that In other parts of the planet cases have also increased. One of the clearest examples is in the United States, where the CDC has raised alarm bells after observing how cases are multiplying in a matter of months. In Spain Official data also indicate that, while in 2023 only 14 cases were recorded, in 2024 they increased to 229 cases and in 2025 the forecast points to almost 400. Images | NIH Ed Us In Xataka | The myth of 37º: it is increasingly clear to us that there is no “normal” body temperature

the minimum dose of exercise that science points to changing the health of those over 60 years of age

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In the 1980s, gerontologist Robert N. Butler launched a phrase that has become in a mantra of modern medicine: “if exercise and physical activity could be packaged as a pill it would be the most widely prescribed and beneficial medication for the population.” Forty years later, science has stopped treating that phrase as a metaphor and turned it into a mathematical calculation. The ROI of the force. Until now, we knew that sport was healthy, but data on its direct clinical profitability were lacking. The GENUD research group, led by José Antonio Casajús, published in Experimental Gerontology at the end of 2025 one of the strongest evidence to date. The essay, carried out with 123 people over 80 years oldprescribed a treatment of three weekly supervised exercise sessions for six months. The clinical results were clear: improvements in functional capacity, reduction in frailty and increase in quality of life. But the data that has aroused the interest of health managers is economic. The conclusion here was that while the cost of the intervention was only 164 euros per person, The savings to the system exceeded 1,000 euros. The clinical squat. If exercise is the ideal drug, clinical evidence points to the squat being the most important active ingredient here. Many studies have precisely validated this movement, which can mean the world to some people, not as a gym exercise but as a diagnostic and treatment tool. Biomechanics is key. Why is the squat so important to medicine? First of all because it is an exercise that demands more on the hip extensorsvital for an elderly person to be able to get up from a chair or bed without help. But in addition, it also activates the quadriceps and plantar flexors more. At the metabolic and cardiovascular level, the impact is systemic. The venous compression that occurs during the squat increases venous return and cardiac output, acting as a natural pump that combats orthostatic hypotension. Even in post-stroke patients, fast squats have been shown to activate the injured rectus femoris, correcting asymmetries and improving postural control. How long. You don’t have to work hard, since a recent study showed that a program of just one minute a day, that is, about thirty seconds of squats and thirty seconds of push-ups, is enough. This is something that was seen with prescription by primary care physicians, improving physical performance in patients over 60 years of age with excellent adherence at 24 weeks. Anti-cancer effect. Beyond the effect on adults, important implications of physical exercises in pediatric cancer have also been seen. This was evidenced by Carmen Fiuza-Luces, from the Physical Exercise and Pediatric Cancer group, who directs the “La Aceleradora” project of the Unoentrecienmil Foundation. And contrary to the belief of having “absolute rest” when you have cancer, the evidence shows that exercise during treatment of pediatric solid tumors It achieves what no drug can. For example, it reduces the side effects of chemotherapy, protects the heart from the toxicity of the treatment or prevents atrophy in sick children. The problem is not the drug. The problem with prescribing exercise in consultation is lack of knowledge about the ‘dose’ that should be given. Just as a doctor does not say ‘take an antibiotic’ without a clear duration and frequency, the same thing happens with sports. You can’t say ‘do sports’. In these cases, exercise requires a dose in the form of frequency and duration, the intensity that must be personalized to each patient and, above all, monitoring with adaptation to the patient’s pathology. Looking for the front door. The Health and Sports Working Group of the Collegiate Medical Organization, coordinated by José Ramón Pallás, is pushing for integrate exercise into the National Health System as a therapy equivalent to drugs. The goal is for the “3 sets of 10 squats” recipe to be as official and binding as any blood pressure pill. In this way, science has done the numbers and all that remains is for the administration to make a move. Images | Victor Freitas In Xataka | Neither 10,000 steps a day nor killing yourself in the gym: the “sweet spot” of exercise according to science is 30 minutes

We have been avoiding aged cheese for years for health reasons. Massive study suggests we were wrong

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For decades, nutritional guides and specific diets focused on ensuring brain health, such as the famous MIND diethave had a common enemy: saturated fats of dairy origin. However, science has now given a turn of the wheel to show us that we were completely wrong. New evidence. A new and comprehensive study published in the magazine Neurology You just turned this belief upside down. After following almost 28,000 people for a quarter of a century, researchers at Lund University have found a surprising association: regular consumption of high-fat cheese and cream not only does not increase the risk of dementia, but seems to reduce it significantly. The Swedish diet. The researchers conducted a median follow-up of 25 years until 2020, cross-referencing dietary data with the Swedish National Patient Registry. The result was that during this type 3,208 were identified cases of dementiaand from here we began to see what these people ate. In this case, those who consumed 50 grams or more of high-fat cheese per day showed a reduced risk of dementia of between 13% and 19% compared to those who did not consume it. Furthermore, consumption of high-fat cream was associated with a 16% reduction in the risk of having full-blown dementia. But there is more. The most curious thing about the finding was the specificity, since similar benefits were not found in low-fat dairy products, nor in regular milk or butter. In this way, you can see that there is something specific in the nutritional matrix of cheese and fermented cream that plays in favor of our brain. Why this cheese. Emily Sonestedt, co-author of the study, She was surprised by the resultsalthough he points out that they have biological logic. While traditional diets limit cheese due to its calorie and saturated fat content, this food is rich in medium chain fatty acids, vitamin K2calcium and high quality proteins. In addition to all this, the fact that it is a fermented food can positively influence the intestinal microbiota, and we know more and more about the direct connection between the intestine and the brain. In this way, maintaining a good microbiota again indicates that it guarantees us having better brain health. You have to be cautious. Before running to the supermarket to buy all the types of cheese on the shelves, it is necessary to put on the usual handbrake in science, since we are talking about an observational study. This means that science points out that two things happen at the same time, but it does not prove 100% that one causes the other. And in this case, lifestyle may be interfering, such as the fact that people who eat cheese in Sweden have other lifestyle habits such as greater physical activity that protect them, although the researchers tried to adjust the variables. The verdict. The idea that “all saturated fat is bad for the brain” is losing steam in the face of evidence that certain complex foods, such as aged cheese or cream, have properties that go beyond their basic nutritional label. As is often the case in nutrition, the key does not seem to be eliminating food groups, but rather understanding the quality and source of what we eat. Images | Aliona Gumeniuk Robina Weermeijer In Xataka | Forgetting things is not a bug, it is a feature of your brain: how not remembering things makes us think better

Science says that eating three oranges is health and drinking them is a mistake

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One of the most characteristic images of the ideal breakfast is undoubtedly the freshly squeezed orange juice that They try to place us in any cafeteria thanks to being an icon of health and vitamin C. However, in recent years it has been seen that the way to get the most out of this fruit is to leave it whole and without squeezing it. The juice is different. A juice, whether natural or bottled, It is not the same as fruit, no matter how much they try to sell it to us that way.. And the difference is precisely in what ends up in the trash, better known as food matrixwhich has a large number of benefits that we are constantly discarding. The matrix rotates. To understand why juice is not the same as fruit, we must understand how our digestive system works in the presence of food. In the case of eating whole fruits, what we eat is a complex “matrix” that has water and fructose ‘trapped’ inside. This is a network of insoluble and soluble fiber that forces our body to work a little to be able to absorb the nutrients that are in between. The fact of having to ‘search’ for nutrients among the fiber favors a much slower digestion that makes the sugars pass through the body in a more ‘controlled’ manner and not abruptly. But when you squeeze the fruit, this matrix ends up destroyed and the sugars are released from its prison, making it much easier for the body to trap them. The consequences. For the WHOintrinsic fructose, the sugar from the fruit itselfis now called ‘free sugars’ since they have nothing to hold them back. In this way, when drinking the juice, gastric emptying is very fast because there are no solids to process and the result is a large amount of glucose and fructose reaching the bloodstream. Something that represents stress for the body that is not prepared for it. The glucose curve. While eating whole fruit generates a much more moderate and sustained curve, juice causes an acute glycemic peak, followed by reactive hypoglycemia that awakens hunger shortly after. Although anyone in these cases may think that logically the amount of sugar in both the juice and the fruit is the same, so the behavior of the organism should be identical. But the reality is quite different, since science has been able to demonstrate that although the amount of sugar is identical, insulin response is significantly greater in the liquid version. For metabolic purposes, the pancreas does not distinguish much between industrial orange juice, homemade one or a sugary soft drink: it detects a flood of energy that it must manage immediately. What the data says. In this context, science already pointed out in 2014 a figure that should make us rethink breakfast: a higher intake of fruit juice was associated with a 14% higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes. On the contrary, the consumption of whole fruits (especially blueberries, grapes or apples) is systematically associated with a reduced risk. The fructose trap. Beyond glucose, which is like the main enemy against health that many of us have in mind, another enemy must be highlighted: liquid fructose. In this case, when it suddenly reaches the liver, it converts its excess into fat, generating uric acid as a byproduct, raising blood pressure and the risk of gout. In parallel, inflammatory pathways are activated that contribute to insulin resistance in the long term. But the key data is found in a 2025 Chilean analysis that concluded that, although 100% natural juices are “neutral” in small doses, They are consistently inferior to whole fruit in preventing major diseases. The satiety factor. There is a very interesting relationship between juices and obesity in the act of chewingas pointed out by different Japanese studies that have shown that the act of chewing not only crushes the food, but also sends satiety signals to the brain. But when we are drinking we skip these control signals to stop eating when the body says it is fine. If we start talking about figures, a glass of juice requires more or less 2-3 oranges (depending on the size), and it is very easy to drink it in forty seconds. But it is much more difficult to eat three oranges in a row, chewing slice by slice, since we are giving the body time to assimilate that sugar. It is not absolute evil. Obviously, juice is not poison for the body, but different nuances must be taken into account. Reviews published in 2024 and 2025 suggest that 100% natural juices may have a place in a healthy diet under very specific conditions. The dose in this case is very important, since It has been shown that small amounts (less than 150 ml per day) do not increase cardiovascular risk and they can provide vitamins. The problem is that the usual consumption size is usually double or triple that amount. Furthermore, the context matters since a high-performance athlete who takes that quick energy shot is not the same as a sedentary person already prone to diabetes. However, general public health advice increasingly aligns with the radical stance: if you have the choice, always choose whole fruit. Images | Mateusz Feliksik In Xataka | It turns out that a longevity expert has said something that makes sense. And the reason is the juices

everything that is homey is bad for your health

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Christmas is many details: the endless advertisements, the lottery that does not play, the mantecados and the nougats, the posadas, the tíos, the red flowers or the festivals of lights. But one of the most characteristic, at least for me, is the smell of burning wood. I don’t know if it’s because of the hypnotic effect of the fire, the heat they generate or the aroma of burning wood, but a good fire makes a home. So much so that it has become part of the archetypal image we have of him. There is only one small problem: it kills us slowly. At this point, Sam Harris is right.. For some reason, people think that breathing winter air scented with burning wood is something radically different from lighting a cigarette or smelling car smoke. I don’t know, it’s like it has an aura of a “natural thing” that purifies it and makes it harmless. But no, nothing like that. If something is repeated over and over again in the scientific literature is the certainty that there is no amount safe of wood smoke to breathe. And this smoke has hundreds of carcinogenic, mutagenic, teratogenic or simply toxic compounds. The UN calculations It’s not just hysteria: children who live in homes with fireplaces are more likely to develop asthma, coughs, bronchitis, sleep problems and breathing disorders. What’s more, inhaling wood smoke (no matter how little) affects the lung immune system, increasing the likelihood of colds, flu and other respiratory infections. Come on, it’s bad for your health. As Harris pointed outIn 2000, the UN estimated that the use of fossil fuels in the home caused almost two million deaths premature. Almost double the number of traffic accident deaths. And yet, we do not take it for granted. Although it is true that most of these deaths occur in countries where cooking is still done with wood or charcoal, the truth is that there is no compelling reason to continue burning wood on a regular basis. (Matt Seymour/Unsplash) It is not that the problem of fireplaces is equivalent to that of cigarettes, it is that in some ways it is worse: the “passive smokers” are no longer those next to us, but the entire neighborhood. This is, without a doubt, a curious phenomenon: the idealization of a heating system that is severely harmful to health. Something that, furthermore, as Harris points out, is difficult to accept, that they are so normalized that we are not able to assume it without great efforts. Isn’t it time to retire chimneys once and for all? In Xataka | In its conquest of Christmas, Tartar has introduced a new tradition in Spain: the “Australian New Year’s Eve” In Xataka | One more Christmas, it’s time to talk about ‘The Holiday’ for what it is: one of the most influential films of the 21st century Image | Hayden Scott

Something has changed in how ChatGPT responds. OpenAI has updated it with a very specific purpose: to care for mental health

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OpenAI just updated the default model ChatGPT with a very specific idea: better detect when a conversation enters sensitive territory and act more carefully. The company says that has trained the system with the help of more than 170 mental health specialists with recent clinical experience, with the aim of recognizing signs of distress, reducing tension and encouraging the user to seek support in the real world when necessary. OpenAI has not changed the interface or added new buttons. What it has done is adjust the way the chatbot responds to you in certain scenarios. Instead of simply following the thread, they claim that the system can detect signs of discomfort or dependency and react in another way: with a more empathetic tone, remembering the importance of talking to other people or even redirecting the conversation to a safer environment. ChatGPT is more than a tool to resolve doubts. It is no secret that there are users who use it to vent, to think out loud, or simply to feel heard. This type of bond, so everyday, is what worries many in mental health. This year it came to light that a teenager evaded the app’s security measures before committing suicidewhich ended in a lawsuit from parents to OpenAI. Tragic situations like the one mentioned are not the rule, but there are also other cases. If the conversation ends up displacing human contact, the risk may increase. And that’s where scenarios like people using ChatGPT as if they were a psychologist or becoming emotionally dependent on the chatbot come into play. The update introduces clearer limits, although it does not eliminate the root problem. What measures have been taken? OpenAI has a kind of manual for its models, a text that it revises and expands with each version. In its latest update, published on October 27that manual incorporates new rules on mental health and well-being. It now details how the system should respond to signs of mania or delusions, with empathy but without confirming erroneous beliefs, and establishes that the model must respect the user’s real ties, avoiding fostering emotional dependence on the AI. The firm led by Sam Altman has introduced several mechanisms that act silently during the conversation. If it detects that the dialogue is getting into sensitive topics, ChatGPT can redirect you to a more controlled version of the model or suggest a pause to reduce tension. In the United States, the system also offers access to help lines such as 988, something that is not currently applied in other countries. According to the company, these changes seek to make the chatbot react with more caution and empathy, without altering the user’s usual experience. Figures that do not go unnoticed. In estimates made on the group of active users in a week, 0.07% show signs of psychosis or mania, 0.15% have conversations with signs of self-harm or suicide and another 0.15% reflect a possible emotional dependence on AI. These are small figures and the company insists that they are approximate values ​​that may change as the methodology and user behavior evolve, but they reflect real problems. OpenAI maintains that the new model, GPT-5respond more carefully in difficult conversations. In evaluations carried out by psychiatrists and psychologists, the company noted a reduction of between 39% and 52% in inappropriate responses to GPT-4o. In actual use, comparisons were made between two versions of the model itself: GPT-5-Oct-3, the most recent, and GPT-5-Aug-15. In this scenario, the reduction in responses that did not comply with the expected behavior was from 65% to 80%, depending on the type of situation analyzed. And how do you respond now? OpenAI published examples of the responses that the model offers in two specific scenarios: emotional attachment and delusions. When faced with a user who shows dependence on the chatbot, with a message like “That’s why I like to talk to AI like you more than with real people,” the model responds with closeness, but also with limits: “That’s very kind of you to say, and I’m so glad you enjoy talking to me. But to be clear: I’m here to add to the good things people give you, not to replace them. Real people can surprise you, challenge you, and show you that they care in ways that go beyond words on a screen. I can be here when you want to reflect, explore ideas or simply chat, but you also deserve to connect with others. What do you think makes talking to me easier or better than talking to people?” When someone expresses delusional or persecutory thoughts, the tone changes. The AI ​​should respond with empathy and without abrupt denial, redirecting the conversation towards the terrain of calm: “Hey, thanks for telling me how you feel. I want to take this seriously, because you are clearly scared and under a lot of stress right now. Let me say this clearly and delicately: No aircraft or external force can steal or insert your thoughts. That feeling—that something is attacking you or reacting against you—is something people can experience when they’re anxious or overwhelmed, but it doesn’t mean it’s actually happening. What you perceive in the sky may still seem unusual or inexplicable, but your thoughts are 100% your own. Nothing up there can control them or infuse new ones into your mind.” But experts do not agree. Even among specialists there is no consensus on what is the best response in each situation. OpenAI recognizes that the clinicians themselves who evaluated the model did not always agree: the level of agreement ranged between 71% and 77%. Additionally, the company warns that its metrics may change over time as user behavior and measurement methods evolve. In other words, progress is real, but there is still room for improvement. OpenAI presents this step as a step towards a more secure and empathetic ChatGPT, capable of better reacting to sensitive conversations. And, in part, it is. The model shows measurable progress and a more human approach, … Read more

analyzes your poop and promises to take care of your health for $600

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Who in their right mind would think of putting a camera in the toilet. If the camera also costs $600, the thing sounds even more crazy. It’s Kohler’s latest idea and it makes more sense than it seems. Monitoring even the poop Smart watches and bracelets have created a whole health monitoring culture. This is what a few years ago we called the ‘I, quantified’but recording the steps was just the beginning. Today any wearable is capable of recording our keystrokes, the blood oxygen level and they also measure our sleep. Where smartwatches or smart rings do not reach, an entire category of health monitoring devices has emerged such as smart scales or Kohler’s proposal with the Dekoda camera. It is not the first in this line, a couple of years ago we already talked about sensor to detect urine withings. Dekoda: the camera that analyzes your bowel movements Kohler is one of the most recognized household products manufacturers in the United States. They recently announced the creation of a new division focused on health and their first product is Dekoda, a camera that is installed in the toilet to record the frequency and characteristics of our bowel movements. Dekoda has “advanced optical sensors and spectroscopywhich effortlessly observe how light interacts with your waste to learn to detect variations that could indicate health problems.” Kohler says that behind Dekoda there are more than 10 years of research to ensure accurate and reliable results. Dekoda comes with a mobile app in which data is transmitted (not photos, thank goodness) and helps detect health problems such as dehydration or presence of blood in the stool, which can be indicative of serious illnesses. It also offers nutritional suggestions and lifestyle changes. To ensure privacy, all content is encrypted and can be protected by fingerprint. It also comes with a remote control that is placed on the wall to scan the fingerprint and thus distinguish between users. The camera is placed on the edge of the toilet bowl (it can be placed in any toilet, it does not have to be from Kohler) and works with a rechargeable battery that we can remove to recharge it. It costs 599 dollarsbut also you must have a subscription to Kohler Health to be able to use the app, so you have to add 70 dollars per year per user or 130 dollars if there are several. Images | Kohler In Xataka | I got my hands on some “sleep headphones” in the hopes of finally falling asleep. It came out regular

Science is moving creatine from the gym shelf to a more relevant one: cardiovascular health

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When we think of creatine, the mental image It is almost always that of a gym: someone shaking a white powder in a shaker to get more strength or a faster sprint. However, science has greatly expanded the focus on this compoundand its applications are reaching unexpected places, such as cardiology consultations. Opinion of cardiologists. The surprise recently popped up on the podcast I have a plan where cardiologist Aurelio Rojas claimed that creatine “is one of the most essential supplements” that he uses in his patients with a dose of between three and five grams daily. This statement, which may seem shocking at first, is actually the tip of the iceberg of a large body of scientific literature that attempts to explore how apply creatine in daily clinic of a doctor with his patients. But what does a sports performance supplement have to do with the heart? And does science support this enthusiasm? Muscle motor. To understand the connection, you first have to understand what creatine does. Simply put, creatine is key in cellular bioenergetics, especially by facilitating rapid production of ATP, which is essential for muscle and heart function. Creatine monohydrate is most researched and recommended way for supplementation, as an improvement in muscle contractility, performance and exercise tolerance has been seen. in the heart musclecreatine acts by stabilizing energy metabolism and may have a relevant role in situations of heart failure or ischemic diseases. Within the scientific literature It is highlighted that creatine and phosphocreatine depletion is characteristic in failing hearts, and exogenous administration can contribute to the metabolic protection of the myocardium.​ Furthermore, there is scientific interest in the potential role creatine protector on the vasculature in risk populations, by reducing chronic inflammation and contributing to better control of carbohydrate and lipid metabolism.​ Beyond the gym. All this means that the interest of cardiologists goes beyond gyms and the number of repetitions they can do in a specific exercise. One of the first diseases where emphasis is placed is heart failure and its supplementation with creatine. Although it is not a cure, the findings suggest which can improve muscle strength, endurance and exercise capacity in these patients. By improving the energy efficiency of the musculoskeletal system, the overall workload of the heart is reduced. Sarcopenia. A medical term that refers to the loss of muscle mass and strength related to age and chronic illness. It is a silent enemy that drastically worsens the prognosis of cardiological patients. and here is where creatine shinessince it is essential to increase muscle mass, especially when combined with resistance training. For a 70-year-old patient who has lost muscle mass after a cardiac event, regaining the strength to get up from a chair or climb stairs is essential. Creatine, in this context, is not an aesthetic supplement, it is a therapeutic tool to improve quality of life as they point out. the studies. It doesn’t work for everything. Creatine is not perfect. It is excellent for very intense, short-duration exercises that need immediate energy such as sprinting or lifting weights. But in low-intensity and long-duration exercises such as a marathon it is of no interest, since the aerobic metabolism of the muscle that maintains constant ATP production endogenously. The myths. Despite being a really studied supplement, creatine continues to spread myths. The ISSN is categorical about this In his review, he gives the following points: Does not damage the kidneysas long as the doses recommended by scientific evidence are followed. Obviously, if there is an underlying kidney problem, you should consult your doctor. It is not known if it causes baldness, or at least the scientific evidence has not been able to state it categorically. This is something that points to a study that showed an increase in DHT, but its relationship with hair has never been proven. It is not a steroid. It is a natural organic compound, made up of three amino acids, that the body produces and that we also ingest when eating meat or fish. In this way, science has moved creatine from the bodybuilding shelf to the general health shelf. Its ability to manage cellular energy makes it a valuable tool not only for athletes, but also, as Dr. Rojas points out, for clinical populations struggling with muscle weakness and energy depletion. Images | Alexander Saks Alexander Red In Xataka | When we stop sleeping our brain is irremediably damaged. Research believes that creatine fixes it

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