Doctor Who

Insurers including UnitedHealth, Medicare Advantage plans, Cigna and Humana are increasingly using artificial intelligence algorithms to approve or deny coverage for medical care, according to a Vox report. Critics warn the tools can wrongly override doctors' judgments and delay or deny needed treatment, while the industry argues AI speeds up claims processing. Patients and physicians are pushing back as regulators scrutinize how these systems make coverage decisions.

Italian politician Alessandro Di Battista, speaking on La7, revealed he fell ill due to an edema caused by a tumor that doctors had identified. He said he will now begin treatment but added that he rejects what he called the 'warrior' rhetoric often used around illness. His comments have prompted widespread interest and reactions in Italy.

A state nutrition advisory committee has released new guidelines aimed at shaping continuing medical education and medical school curricula. The recommendations would give nutrition a more formal place in physician training, from coursework for medical students through ongoing education for practicing doctors. The committee published the guidelines through the Texas Medical Association's channels.

Dr. Oz gave a live walkthrough of America.gov, showcasing an artificial intelligence feature that finds nearby doctors who accept Medicare and displays available appointment times without users needing to search. The demonstration emphasizes how AI could simplify healthcare navigation for patients, a use case drawing attention and debate online.

Apple's smartwatch can now track low-level cardio fitness and alert users when readings fall below expected ranges. The feature uses the device's existing heart rate and activity sensors to flag reduced cardiovascular capacity, giving wearers an early signal to improve fitness or consult a doctor. Coverage highlights it as another step in Apple Watch's expansion into preventive health monitoring.

The thirteenth episode of Ask Doctor Jason features a conversation with Sandy Sklar focused on mental health. The episode is drawing strong engagement from viewers, who are responding to the discussion of mental health topics on the show.

A Tampa-based doctor has returned from the Democratic Republic of Congo, where he helped treat patients during the country's Ebola outbreak. In an interview with WUSF, he described the difficulties of delivering care in the region, including strained medical infrastructure and the risks faced by health workers on the ground.

Arizona State University reports on the growing idea of 'food as medicine', examining what happens when dinner is treated like a prescription. The piece explores how medically tailored meals and nutrition guidance could fit into healthcare, and what it would mean for patients and doctors if food became part of standard treatment plans rather than general advice.

A doctor writing for Prevention has named the number-one food to eat for strong bones, offering guidance for people looking to protect bone health through diet. The recommendation has caught attention among readers interested in nutrition and preventing conditions like osteoporosis, with prevention-focused dietary advice continuing to be a popular health topic.

The FDA has announced a recall of more than 13,000 bottles of chlorthalidone tablets, a blood pressure medication, produced by Inventia Healthcare after a quality issue was identified. Chlorthalidone is a widely used diuretic, so patients taking the drug are being advised to check their medication and contact their pharmacist or doctor for guidance on replacements.

More people are using retail health clinics, typically located inside pharmacies and big-box stores, for routine care such as minor illnesses, vaccinations and screenings. The trend reflects frustrations with long waits and costs at traditional doctors' offices, as convenience-based care becomes a mainstream option for everyday health needs.

A doctor, speaking in an ABC News report, explains that consuming too much animal protein could be harmful to health. The report outlines the potential risks of high animal protein intake and is drawing attention amid ongoing public interest in nutrition and protein-rich diets.

Years after the height of the pandemic, many Minnesotans continue to live with long COVID, the lingering illness that can follow even mild infections. Minnesota Public Radio reports that sufferers across the state are still dealing with symptoms such as fatigue, brain fog and breathing problems, keeping attention on the condition among patients, doctors and health officials.

An American doctor working in the Democratic Republic of Congo has tested positive for Ebola amid an ongoing outbreak there. The diagnosis has drawn international attention to the epidemic and the risks facing foreign health workers deployed to contain it. Officials are expected to manage the case as part of the wider response effort.

NHS doctor Faye Bate has released new guidance on how active women should approach nutrition, focusing on carbohydrate intake, iron levels, recovery and hormonal health. The piece argues that women's fuelling needs differ from men's and that many active women under-eat for their training load, drawing wide attention and strong engagement online.

A Tamil-language science discussion is drawing big attention to the story of a woman whose condition reportedly puzzled US scientists, with medical reports said to challenge established scientific explanation. The item claims her case raised questions science cannot easily answer, sparking curiosity among viewers about what her diagnosis revealed and why doctors could not explain it.

Attention is on a medical technique for repairing damaged knee cartilage by drilling tiny holes in the bone beneath the joint, which is said to encourage the body to grow new repair tissue. The approach is being discussed as a minimally invasive option for knee injuries, though no further details about patients, doctors or outcomes were provided.

The iOS app Network-Doctor reads out the sync rates of home routers and compares them with actual Wi-Fi throughput, supporting FRITZ!Box, Speedport, Vodafone Station, EasyBox, O2 HomeBox and UPnP routers without requiring access credentials. Each finding comes with measured values, helping users see whether slow Wi-Fi stems from the router connection or the wireless link itself.

Iranian accounts are circulating a meme mocking the UN's disarmament pressure, splicing Bollywood's armless Thakur from Sholay with Marvel's Doctor Strange. The joke casts Iran as the magical Doctor Strange facing a weaponless Thakur, a jab at demands that it give up arms while others keep theirs. The mash-up has been picked up by international media and is drawing amused and political reactions online.