New Tests Promise to Reveal the Secrets in Your Blood
Blood tests have long been an important tool for giving doctors a picture of a patient's health, from cholesterol levels to diabetes risk. Now new genetic science, AI analysis and other advances are providing even more sophisticated information from a simple vial of blood.
A wave of cutting-edge diagnostic tests can now identify diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer's at much earlier stages, sometimes long before symptoms appear, as well as manage chronic disease and tailor treatments to individual patients. And new data derived from blood can help tailor treatments to individual patients.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Forbes
an hour ago
- Forbes
Why Sally Ride's Legacy Still Challenges The Culture Of STEM
Astronaut Sally RIde with a headset on in space during her STS-7 flight. Sally Ride made history on June 18, 1983, when she became the first American woman to launch into space. Her calm precision and unflinching focus made her an icon in STEM—a face of possibility for girls across the country and around the world. But a new documentary from National Geographic, Sally, reveals another dimension of her legacy—one that remained private throughout her lifetime. Premiering June 16 on National Geographic and streaming on Disney+ and Hulu the next day, Sally tells the story not only of Ride's groundbreaking achievements as a physicist and astronaut, but of her 27-year partnership with fellow scientist and educator Tam O'Shaughnessy—a relationship Ride never publicly acknowledged while she was alive. Directed by Emmy-winner Cristina Costantini, the film reframes Ride's legacy, offering a deeper, more personal portrait of a woman who inspired millions while carefully guarding her own truth. I recently had the privilege of sitting down with O'Shaughnessy and Costantini to better understand the motivation behind the documentary and what they hope audiences will take away from it. What emerged from our conversation was a sense that this film isn't just about legacy—it's about visibility, resilience and the complicated cost of breaking barriers in science. Being first often means carrying the weight of symbolic representation. Ride wasn't just an astronaut—she was proof that women could thrive in space and science. But with that role came expectations: be competent, but never emotional. Be visible, but only selectively. The unwritten contract Ride operated under demanded technical excellence and personal silence. As Tam told me, the decision to finally share their relationship publicly didn't begin with a film pitch. It began with grief. 'Since about a week before Sally died, I told her I wanted to hold a celebration of her life,' she said. 'And then I wondered who I was going to be to the people coming to the celebration who didn't know we were a couple.' Sally told her, 'You decide. Whatever you decide will be the right thing to do.' That moment of quiet affirmation—Ride's way of granting permission without demanding visibility—was the start of a longer process. It would take more than a decade, but O'Shaughnessy eventually found the right partners in National Geographic and Costantini to tell the full story. Costantini, known for documentaries like Science Fair and Mucho Mucho Amor, wanted Sally to be about more than just history. 'We made this film for anyone who's ever had to hide part of themselves to get where they want to be,' she told me. 'In 2025, that experience feels more relevant than ever.' That sense of coded identity—the need to suppress aspects of self to be taken seriously—remains a reality in many corners of science and technology. Despite progress, LGBTQ+ scientists are still underrepresented in leadership roles. Women in STEM continue to navigate environments that value output over authenticity. This is particularly poignant and relevant today, as the Trump administration systematically and aggressively works to erase visibility of women, people of color, immigrants and LGBTQ+ individuals from US history. And while Ride's accomplishments helped crack the glass ceiling, her silence shows us the structural weight it takes to hold that ceiling in place. Astronaut Sally Ride next to a T-38 Jet during training at NASA Johnson Space Center. Even after leaving NASA, Ride continued to shape the STEM world. In 2001, she and O'Shaughnessy founded Sally Ride Science, a nonprofit aimed at promoting STEM education for girls and underrepresented youth. That mission continues today at UC San Diego, where O'Shaughnessy and a dedicated team run programs that connect students with scientists and researchers. It's not just the curriculum that draws kids in—it's the name. 'Sally's name is magic,' O'Shaughnessy said. 'It's why the boys and girls sign up, and it's why parents want their kids to be exposed to these programs.' And that's what makes the timing of Sally so significant. At a moment when LGBTQ+ stories are being scrubbed from public institutions and women's rights are under attack, this documentary insists on complexity. It reclaims a narrative that was always there, but never acknowledged. What Sally reveals is a fuller picture of a scientist, a leader and a partner. Someone who not only pushed the boundaries of what women could do in science, but who also made space—quietly, privately—for the people she loved. Ride's story still resonates because it's unfinished. It now invites a broader range of people to see themselves in her legacy—not just young girls interested in STEM, but anyone who's ever felt that they had to choose between their passion and their identity. For the STEM community, that's the challenge ahead. The human race has a lot of challenges to address and there are plenty of undiscovered frontiers to tackle. We can't afford to exclude entire populations of people based on nothing more than fragile egos and narrow-minded bigotry. It's not enough to recruit diverse talent. We have to build systems where people can bring their full selves to the work. Because progress isn't just about putting the first woman in space. It's about making sure she wouldn't have to hide once she landed.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
10 Life Insurance Myths That Could Be Costing You
Life insurance can be a powerful tool in your financial planning arsenal, but you may be missing out due to a lack of real understanding of what it is and who it's for. A number of common misconceptions about life insurance, especially around cost and eligibility, may make it seem out of reach for you when it really isn't. Read Next: Check Out: Here are 10 important facts about life insurance that you should be aware of to decide if it's a smart fit for your financial future. A common myth about life insurance is that it's too expensive for most people. 'Many people, especially younger individuals, overestimate the cost of life insurance and needlessly leave their families unprotected,' said Jack Elder, director of advanced markets at CBS Brokerage, an independent insurance brokerage firm. 'The truth is, a healthy 30-year-old can often secure a $250,000 20-year term life policy for around $13 a month.' Some employers offer life insurance as part of their benefits package, but this typically does not provide the amount of protection your beneficiaries would realistically need. Believing your employer-provided insurance is enough is a common mistake. 'These group policies typically offer a benefit equal to one or two times your annual salary, which is rarely enough to cover long-term obligations like a mortgage, outstanding debts, and future child care or college expenses,' Elder said. Explore More: A common misconception is that Medicare covers long-term care — but it doesn't. 'Approximately 70% of individuals over age 65 will require some form of long-term care services in their lifetime,' Elder said. 'Critical services like full-time skilled nursing care, memory care facilities or modifications to your home for accessibility are not covered by Medicare. A life insurance policy with a long-term care rider can be invaluable for situations like these.' Another common myth is that life insurance isn't necessary if you have savings — but that's not the full picture. 'While savings help, unexpected expenses like medical bills can deplete them,' Elder said. 'Life insurance ensures your family isn't financially burdened.' Life insurance isn't only about death benefits. 'One of the biggest misunderstandings about life insurance is that its only purpose is a death benefit,' Elder said. 'Modern permanent life insurance policies can be powerful tools for the living, allowing you to build cash value that grows tax-deferred.' Another myth is that applying for life insurance is complicated and time-consuming. 'Today's technology has streamlined the application process to reduce redundancies and remove obstacles,' said Michelle Buswell, senior vice president and chief operating officer at Legal & General America. 'Questions are built to be reflexive; the multi-hour process of years ago has been shortened to just 15 to 20 minutes for most individuals.' Many assume that if you have a preexisting medical condition, like diabetes or a heart condition, you'll be denied life insurance. 'Modern medicine and treatments have helped underwriting rules adjust with the times to provide easier access to policies for those who have certain medical conditions,' Buswell said. 'If an applicant is actively managing their conditions and/or has no comorbidities, companies take that into consideration when calculating the health classifications and premiums.' Another common myth is that life insurance is only for older people. However, it's a tool that can be useful for people of all ages. 'Age milestones don't spur [the need for] life insurance — life milestones do, i.e. getting married, having a baby or buying a home,' Buswell said. 'Purchasing a policy at a younger age or after a life event can help avoid increased premiums. 'The earlier an individual purchases a policy, the less expensive the premium will be over time,' she continued. 'More importantly, they are likely to have fewer health concerns in their 20s, which will always lower the cost of premiums. Purchasing early will serve you best.' Some people see term life insurance as a waste of money because it doesn't last forever. 'Many people dismiss term life insurance as a waste, considering it a product that offers coverage for a limited time and does not pay out if the policyholder survives the term,' said Chris Jean-Charles, a financial planner at Northwestern Mutual. 'However, this perspective misses what term life insurance provides — affordable protection tailored to short-term needs.' Jean-Charles emphasized that the working years are actually when the need for insurance is highest, since this is when you most need to protect your income. 'A term policy can ensure their family has the required financial backing in the event of an untimely death,' he said. 'The lower cost of premiums with term life insurance often makes it a feasible choice for individuals on tight budgets.' There are a number of myths surrounding who should and should not have a life insurance policy, one of them being that only the breadwinner needs life insurance. 'This is one of the most overlooked financial planning mistakes,' said Melissa Murphy Pavone, CFP, CDFA, founder and financial planner at Mindful Financial Partners. 'Just because one spouse doesn't bring in a paycheck doesn't mean their contribution doesn't have monetary value. In fact, replacing the non-working spouse's role often requires hiring multiple people: child care, transportation, housekeeping, meal prep and sometimes elder care too. 'If that spouse were to pass away, the surviving partner may face both emotional devastation and the immediate financial strain of replacing those services, often while still working full-time,' she continued. 'Life insurance for the non-earning spouse can help cover those unexpected costs and allow the surviving parent to take time off to care for children, grieve or simply adjust.' Another common belief is that life insurance is not necessary for people without children. However, if you take care of parents, siblings or a spouse, you could benefit from having a life insurance policy. 'While these loved ones may not be considered 'dependents' in the traditional sense, they often rely on that individual's income now or will in the future,' said Uziel Gomez, CFP, financial planner at Primeros Financial. 'If something were to happen, the financial impact would be very real.' More From GOBankingRates 4 Things You Should Do When Your Salary Hits $100K If a Financial Advisor Doesn't Ask These 5 Questions in Your Consult, Keep Shopping 5 Steps to Take if You Want To Create Generational Wealth Robert Kiyosaki: 5 Money Habits of People Who Retire Early This article originally appeared on 10 Life Insurance Myths That Could Be Costing You
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Humans Age Faster at 2 Specific Times in Their Life, Study Finds
Getting older might seem like a slow, gradual process – but that's not always the case, research suggests. In fact, if you wake up one morning, look in the mirror, and wonder if your aging somehow accelerated, you might not be imagining things. According to a recent study into the molecular changes associated with aging, humans experience two drastic lurches forward, one at the average age of 44, and the other at the average age of 60. "We're not just changing gradually over time; there are some really dramatic changes," geneticist Michael Snyder of Stanford University explained in August 2024 when the study was published. "It turns out the mid-40s is a time of dramatic change, as is the early 60s. And that's true no matter what class of molecules you look at." Aging is complex, and associated with growing risks of diseases of all kinds. Snyder and his colleagues investigated the biology of aging to better understand what changes occur and how, in order to better mitigate and treat these ailments. To this end, they tracked a group of 108 adults, who had been donating biological samples every few months over several years. They noticed that in some conditions, such as Alzheimer's and cardiovascular disease, risk doesn't rise gradually with time, it escalates sharply after a certain age. So they wanted to take a closer look at the biomarkers of aging to see if they could identify related changes. Using the samples from their cohort, the researchers tracked different kinds of biomolecules. The different molecules studied include RNA, proteins, lipids, and gut, skin, nasal, and oral microbiome taxa, for a total of 135,239 biological features. Each participant submitted an average of 47 samples over 626 days, with the longest-serving participant submitting 367 samples. This wealth of data resulted in more than 246 billion data points, which the researchers then processed, looking for patterns in the changes. Several previous studies have found non-linear changes in molecular abundances that can be linked to aging in rats and humans. Studies of fruit flies, mice, and zebrafish have also pointed to a stepwise aging process in those species. Snyder and his colleagues noticed that there's a very clear change in the abundance of many different kinds of molecules in the human body at two distinct stages. Around 81 percent of all the molecules they studied showed changes during one or both of these stages. Changes peaked in the mid-40s, and again in the early 60s, with slightly different profiles. The mid-40s peak showed changes in molecules related to the metabolism of lipids, caffeine, and alcohol, as well as cardiovascular disease, and dysfunctions in skin and muscle. The early 60s peak was associated with carbohydrate and caffeine metabolism, cardiovascular disease, skin and muscle, immune regulation, and kidney function. The first peak, the mid-40s, is typically when women start undergoing menopause or perimenopause, but the researchers ruled this out as a main factor: men, too, also underwent significant molecular changes at the same age. "This suggests that while menopause or perimenopause may contribute to the changes observed in women in their mid-40s, there are likely other, more significant factors influencing these changes in both men and women," explained metabolomicist and first author Xiaotao Shen, formerly of Stanford, now at Nanyang Technological University Singapore. "Identifying and studying these factors should be a priority for future research." The researchers note that their sample size is pretty small, and they tested limited biological samples, from people between the ages of 25 and 70. Future research could help delve further into this phenomenon, studying it in more granular detail, across a wider range of subjects, to better understand how the human body changes over time. The research was published in Nature Aging. An earlier version of this article was published in August 2024. A Mix of These Specific Foods Could Help You Avoid Chronic Disease One Fitness Accessory Makes You Up to 7 Times More Likely to Stay Active Study Reveals How Much Exercise You Need Each Week to Control Blood Pressure
