Latest news with #UCSD
Fox News
6 hours ago
- Health
- Fox News
Humanoid robot performs medical procedures via remote control
Healthcare systems worldwide are struggling with overcrowded hospitals, physician burnout, and rising surgery delays. Which is why it's always a good thing to see research exploring new solutions through technology. The University of California San Diego (UCSD) is looking into humanoid robots as a potential solution. It suggests they might play a vital role in easing medical burdens. Unlike traditional surgical robots that are expensive and highly specialized, humanoid robots offer more flexibility. And this makes them promising candidates for a wide range of clinical tasks. Sign up for my FREE CyberGuy ReportGet my best tech tips, urgent security alerts, and exclusive deals delivered straight to your inbox. Plus, you'll get instant access to my Ultimate Scam Survival Guide - free when you join my UCSD equipped a Unitree G1 humanoid robot with Inspire Gen4 robotic hands and developed a bimanual teleoperation system for it as well. Both allow it to perform seven varied medical procedures using a remote control operated by a human using foot pedals, HTC Vive trackers, and motion-capture cameras. These tasks the robot carried out ranged from physical exams like auscultation and palpation, to emergency procedures such as Bag Valve Mask ventilation and endotracheal intubation. Some of them even required a great deal of precision, like ultrasound-guided injections. There were some challenges with force control and sensor sensitivity, but the robot managed to carry out most tasks given to it with accuracy. For examinations, it successfully used a stethoscope and performed basic physical examinations. In these tests, performance was hindered by limitations in sensor feedback and hand design. For emergency care, it achieved consistent ventilation. However, it required human assistance to maintain the necessary seal and force required for intubation. When it came to needle procedures, it performed ultrasound-guided injections. It achieved a 70% success rate when performed by non-clinicians, demonstrating its potential for training purposes. Trials showed issues with needle control and orientation during suturing, indicating that the haptic feedback mechanisms need improvement. This is the first major study to add humanoid robots to hospital work systems. With aging populations and ongoing labor shortages, these adaptable robots could support routine and emergency tasks in hospital settings. This robot could take immense pressure off medical staff. The versatility and ability to be remotely controlled make it particularly appealing for settings that require rapid response and tools that can carry out a wide range of tasks. If you've ever waited too long in an ER, struggled to book a specialist appointment, or worried about overworked healthcare providers, this research should catch your attention. Humanoid robots like the Unitree G1 aren't replacing doctors, but they could support them in real, practical ways. From performing emergency procedures in remote areas to helping with routine physical exams in crowded hospitals, these robots could ease bottlenecks and improve care access. For patients, that could mean shorter wait times, faster treatment, and safer hospital environments where medical teams are less stretched. For families in rural or underserved areas, this technology could offer critical care support where medical staff is limited. And for healthcare workers, it could bring much-needed relief by taking on repetitive or physically taxing tasks. While the tech is still evolving, these early results suggest a future where hospitals have robotic teammates, not just tools, helping deliver faster, smarter care. While humanoid robots like the Unitree G1 are not ready to fully replace humans, they're steadily proving how capable they are in medical environments. The researchers just need to solve issues like force control, sensitivity, and dexterity. Once they do, we will see these robots in operating rooms around the world assisting with surgeries. They will make our struggling healthcare systems far more resilient and accessible. Would you let a humanoid robot handle your healthcare needs? Let us know by writing us at Sign up for my FREE CyberGuy ReportGet my best tech tips, urgent security alerts, and exclusive deals delivered straight to your inbox. Plus, you'll get instant access to my Ultimate Scam Survival Guide - free when you join my Copyright 2025 All rights reserved.
Medscape
10 hours ago
- Health
- Medscape
Role of GLP-1 Drugs in Psoriasis and PsA Is Debated
BOGOTÁ, Colombia — Most dermatologists and rheumatologists agree that GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs), such as liraglutide, semaglutide, and tirzepatide, powerful antidiabetes and weight-loss drugs, have the potential to help some patients with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis (PsA). Besides mitigating obesity, an established risk factor for psoriasis and PsA, GLP-1 drugs have shown promise in improving psoriasis symptoms and are associated with a lower risk for cardiovascular events, for which people with psoriasis and PsA are at increased risk. Some researchers predict that the drugs will prove to have immunomodulatory effects and become an important addition to current treatments for psoriasis and PsA, even in patients without obesity or diabetes. At the Group for Research and Assessment of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis (GRAPPA) 2025 Annual Meeting and Trainee Symposium, investigators with the GRAPPA dove into hours' worth of discussions and debates about a class of drugs whose emergence Artie Kavanaugh, MD, professor of medicine at the University of California, San Diego, described as a possible 'watershed moment' for the field, akin to the advent of biologic therapies in the 1990s. But with evidence still sparse in patients with psoriatic disease and ancillary concerns about access, cost, patient selection, and physician confidence in prescribing, there was little agreement as to how, whether, or when these drugs should be integrated into clinical practice. A GLP-1 Pioneer Endocrinologist Daniel J. Drucker, MD, professor in the Department of Medicine's Division of Endocrinology, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, who discovered some key biological actions of the hormone GLP-1 in the 1980s and '90s, kicked off the conference with a video presentation affirming GLP-1 RAs potential as immunoregulatory agents with anti-inflammatory activity beyond their well-documented effects on body weight. In a 2023 trial of semaglutide in patients with obesity who did not have diabetes, Drucker noted prevention of cardiovascular events and death was seen as independent of weight loss. Similarly, Drucker said, a recent trial in people with metabolic liver disease saw improvements associated with semaglutide that were independent of weight loss. With psoriasis and PsA, randomized controlled trial evidence has yet to support weight-loss independent improvements in symptoms. However, this may soon change: In two separate trials, Eli Lilly is studying a combination of tirzepatide and the interleukin-17A antagonist ixekizumab in patients with overweight or obesity and psoriasis or PsA. The trials will wrap up next summer. Results from trials of GLP-1 inhibitors in nonobese populations, including cohorts of people with Alzheimer's disease, stand to shed further light on their anti-inflammatory effects outside the context of weight loss, Drucker said. 'These medicines are diversifying. We're going to see a wave of new molecules and new indications to treat inflammation,' he predicted, including that of skin, joints, and bone. Still, Drucker cautioned, the drugs 'are not magic bullets, and each condition will need to be assessed on its own.' Real-World Experience From Latin America In a subsequent talk, Enrique Soriano, MD, head of rheumatology at the Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina, presented a real-world perspective from Latin America, where GLP-1 drugs are approved in most countries for diabetes or obesity — but still not easy to access and far from becoming a routine part of any rheumatologist's or dermatologist's daily practice. 'We all know that obesity increases the risk of developing psoriatic arthritis in psoriasis patients,' Soriano said — and that weight loss can decrease that risk. 'We also know that treatment response is lower in PsA patients with obesity,' he said. 'But the question for us is whether this drug [class] can improve symptoms and inflammation in our patients and whether this improvement, if it happens, is related to the weight loss or is an independent effect.' Soriano presented a retrospective review from his institution's service of 6800 patients with psoriasis (mostly mild) and 488 with PsA. In each group, just over 1% of patients were taking a GLP-1 RA for obesity, diabetes, or both. While acknowledging the limitations of his study's retrospective design, Soriano noted that 'there was no report of any improvement or change in the skin involvement, and there was also no record of any change in their joint symptoms after starting these drugs.' Soriano also conducted a survey of rheumatologists across several countries in Latin America and found that under a third said that they had encountered a patient whom they thought could benefit from the addition of a GLP-1 drug, while fewer than 10% said that they would feel confident prescribing one. More than half said that if they did think a patient could benefit, they would refer that person to a specialist, such as an endocrinologist. Dermatologist Describes Current Data as 'Weak' Anthony Fernandez, MD, PhD, director of medical and inpatient dermatology at the Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, praised GLP-1 RAs as 'fascinating medications' with 'a very attractive adverse event profile.' Fernandez cited studies dating back over a decade in which use of these medications has been shown to improve psoriasis. 'And we have some data to suggest that the mechanism…is not entirely related to weight loss. In fact, there's data to support that these medications affect psoriasis-relevant immune pathways. So, in that way, they share similarities with many of the systemic medicines that we already prescribe to treat psoriasis.' Still, Fernandez cautioned, 'The data right now is really weak,' limited to small studies and randomized trials enrolling mostly men. While a few patients in these studies saw dramatic improvements in psoriasis after starting these drugs, 'the reality is that most have, at best, a modest improvement,' he said, 'certainly nowhere near the improvement we are used to seeing' from targeted synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (tsDMARDs) and biologic DMARDs (bDMARDs). Moreover, he said, some patients enrolled in the studies were effectively treatment naive. 'That raises a critical question about whether or not a patient [on ts- or bDMARDs] would actually see any further improvement adding GLP-1 RAs,' he said. Fernandez said he thought that dermatologists can safely prescribe and manage GLP-1 therapies. The bigger question is whether they should. 'My opinion is no,' he concluded. 'There will be rare patients who are obese and or have type 2 diabetes and either fail or have a contraindication to all the great systemic medicines we already have available to us. And in those patients, a trial of a GLP-1 RA would seem to be reasonable. But personally, I think we need much, much better data for recommendations concerning general use by dermatologists.' During a question-and-answer period after Soriano's and Fernandez's presentations, other physicians shared their experiences and practical concerns about insurance approvals, referrals, and whether most dermatologists and rheumatologists were simply too busy to manage all the comorbidities of chronic immune-mediated disease for their patients. Some shared anecdotes about patients whose disease had improved after treatment with GLP-1 RAs, including in the absence of other systemic therapies. Patients Intrigued — but Share Clinician's Caution At the same session, Suzanne Grieb, PhD, a patient research participant (PRP) with GRAPPA and assistant professor at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore , presented results from a survey of her fellow GRAPPA PRPs about their experiences and interests regarding GLP-1 drugs. None of the 11 respondents reported having been prescribed the medications. 'The majority of us described our psoriatic disease as mostly manageable with our current treatment,' Grieb, who has PsA, told the conference. However, that did not mean they weren't curious about GLP-1s. Grieb's survey revealed that while all participants were aware of the importance of exercise and healthy weight in disease management, many continued to struggle with both. Few reported having spoken with their providers about specific interventions. While three respondents expressed interest in taking GLP-1s, they were uncertain whether they would be able to access them. Patients 'are interested in GLP-1s' impact on our psoriatic disease, but also on other elements of our health, thinking more holistically [about] the benefits that could be achieved through these medications,' Grieb said. But the respondents in her survey also reported concerns about adding medications and 'the potential for having to take this medication for the rest of our lives.' In an interview after her presentation, Grieb elaborated on her personal perspective. 'I don't meet the requirement for obesity,' she said. 'But I'm overweight, and I could probably benefit from a GLP-1. Without clear weight-related indications, it's hard, perhaps to be able to justify prescribing it if it's not going to be available. So it's a hard conversation [for clinicians] to bring up with their patients.'
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
The hidden dangers of feeding wild animals
Feeding wild elephants might seem kind or exciting, but a new study warns it can lead to serious harm. Researchers at the University of California San Diego say that giving food to wild animals -- especially elephants -- can change their behavior in dangerous ways. "Many people, especially foreign tourists, think Asian elephants are tame and docile, like domestic pets," lead author Shermin de Silva, a conservation scientist and professor of biological sciences, said in a UCSD news release. "They don't realize these are formidable wild animals and try to get too close in order to take photographs or selfies, which can end badly for both parties," she added. The study, published in the journal Ecological Solutions and Evidence, looked at 18 years of data from elephant tourism areas in Sri Lanka and India. In Sri Lanka's Udawalawe National Park, researchers found that dozens of elephants had learned to "beg" for food near fences and tourist vehicles. One male elephant, nicknamed Rambo, became a local celebrity for this behavior. The impact? Tragic. Several people were killed or injured in elephant encounters, the news release said. At least three elephants were killed, and some animals ate plastic bags or other waste while trying to get food. In India's Sigur region, researchers tracked 11 male elephants who were fed by people. Four of animals later died, likely because of humans. "Food-conditioned animals can become dangerous, resulting in the injury and death of wildlife, people or both," the researchers wrote. "These negative impacts counteract potential benefits," they added. Feeding wild elephants may cause them to lose their natural foraging skills, especially if they start relying on sugary snacks or processed food, researchers said. It may also raise the risk of disease spreading between people and animals. While most tourists mean well, experts say the best thing to do is never feed wild animals, no matter how safe it seems. Feeding animals might feel like helping a friend, the researchers explained. "But this encourages wild animals to seek food from people, attracting them to areas that can put themselves or people at risk," de Silva said. "It can be a conduit for disease transfer between species," she said. "Such feeding can also cause animals to lose their ability to forage for themselves if the behavior becomes prevalent, especially with young animals." More information The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has more on the potential harm in feeding wildlife. Copyright © 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
UPI
2 days ago
- Health
- UPI
The hidden dangers of feeding wild animals
Researchers at the University of California San Diego say feeding wild elephants can lead to serious harm. File Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI | License Photo Feeding wild elephants might seem kind or exciting, but a new study warns it can lead to serious harm. Researchers at the University of California San Diego say that giving food to wild animals -- especially elephants -- can change their behavior in dangerous ways. "Many people, especially foreign tourists, think Asian elephants are tame and docile, like domestic pets," lead author Shermin de Silva, a conservation scientist and professor of biological sciences, said in a UCSD news release. "They don't realize these are formidable wild animals and try to get too close in order to take photographs or selfies, which can end badly for both parties," she added. The study, published in the journal Ecological Solutions and Evidence, looked at 18 years of data from elephant tourism areas in Sri Lanka and India. In Sri Lanka's Udawalawe National Park, researchers found that dozens of elephants had learned to "beg" for food near fences and tourist vehicles. One male elephant, nicknamed Rambo, became a local celebrity for this behavior. The impact? Tragic. Several people were killed or injured in elephant encounters, the news release said. At least three elephants were killed, and some animals ate plastic bags or other waste while trying to get food. In India's Sigur region, researchers tracked 11 male elephants who were fed by people. Four of animals later died, likely because of humans. "Food-conditioned animals can become dangerous, resulting in the injury and death of wildlife, people or both," the researchers wrote. "These negative impacts counteract potential benefits," they added. Feeding wild elephants may cause them to lose their natural foraging skills, especially if they start relying on sugary snacks or processed food, researchers said. It may also raise the risk of disease spreading between people and animals. While most tourists mean well, experts say the best thing to do is never feed wild animals, no matter how safe it seems. Feeding animals might feel like helping a friend, the researchers explained. "But this encourages wild animals to seek food from people, attracting them to areas that can put themselves or people at risk," de Silva said. "It can be a conduit for disease transfer between species," she said. "Such feeding can also cause animals to lose their ability to forage for themselves if the behavior becomes prevalent, especially with young animals." More information The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has more on the potential harm in feeding wildlife. Copyright © 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Gizmodo
6 days ago
- Health
- Gizmodo
‘Extremely Severe' Obesity in American Kids Is Surging, Study Finds
Many Americans today are living with obesity, even with the advent of newer, more effective drugs like semaglutide (the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy). It's a problem that seems to be getting especially serious in kids, however. Research out today finds that the percentage of children with 'extremely severe' obesity has surged in the U.S. over the past decade and a half. Scientists at the University of California San Diego led the study, which examined nationally representative data of Americans' health. Between 2008 and 2023, the rate of extreme obesity among U.S. children increased more than threefold, they found. The findings highlight a growing public health emergency, the researchers say, given the much higher prevalence of liver and other health problems among this group of children. '[They're] developing adult-type complications—fatty liver scarring, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome—years before graduation. These conditions track into adulthood and shorten life expectancy,' lead author Phillipp Hartmann, an assistant adjunct professor of pediatrics at UCSD, told Gizmodo. 'Treating them strains families, clinics, and the health care system.' How Ozempic Works—and What's Still a Mystery Hartmann runs a weekly liver clinic at Rady Children's Hospital San Diego, where he helps treat children with metabolic dysfunction–associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), more commonly known as fatty liver. These children typically have obesity as well, and Hartmann began to notice that the most obese children tended to have the worst liver inflammation and scarring. These cases prompted him and his colleagues to wonder whether the current system for diagnosing obesity in children might be outdated. Obesity in children is defined as having a body mass index that's at least in the 95th percentile for children of that specific age and sex. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention classifies severe obesity as having a BMI 120% of the 95th percentile or greater (alternatively, a BMI of 35 or greater). The American Academy of Pediatrics has two separate categories (Class 2 and 3) for severe obesity, with the highest having a BMI 140% of the 95th percentile or greater (or a BMI of 40 and above). But the study researchers argue these distinctions still aren't enough to capture the unique added risks seen in the most profound cases of obesity. They've proposed two more classes, which they've coined extremely severe obesity. Class 4 would be having a BMI between 160% and 180% of the 95th percentile, while class 5 obesity would be having a BMI 180% of the 95th percentile or greater. To validate their argument, the researchers analyzed data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), a nationally representative poll of Americans' dieting and lifestyle habits regularly run by the CDC. As expected, they found that children with extremely severe obesity had much higher rates of diagnosed metabolic disease than children with less severe obesity. They were roughly sevenfold more likely to have fatty liver, eight times more likely to have severe insulin resistance, and ten times more likely to have advanced liver scarring, for instance. They also found that around 1.13% of children in 2023 met the criteria for extremely severe obesity. While that's still a small figure overall, it's more than triple the percentage seen in 2008 (0.32%). With roughly 73 million Americans under 18 living in the U.S. today, that's about 825,000 children who have extremely severe obesity. Rates of extremely severe obesity were higher among teens, boys, and non-Hispanic Black children. The team's findings were published Wednesday in JAMA Network Open. 'Kids already well above a healthy weight keep climbing higher,' said Hartmann. 'They now make up more than one out of every 90 children, and the trend continues to go up.' Pediatric obesity in the U.S. has been on the rise, with about 19% of children affected today. And some of the reasons behind this overall rise, such as more children eating diets rich in calories and ultra-processed foods, likely also help explain why extremely severe obesity is climbing in kids, too. But there might be other factors involved for a subset of children, Hartmann notes, including a genetic vulnerability or the aftereffects of the pandemic on their stress and sleeping habits. 'Because these pressures overlap, weight gain is not merely a personal choice issue but a complex, environment-driven problem,' he notes. Good and Bad News on the Obesity Front in the U.S. There has been some positive news about obesity in America lately. The latest CDC data shows that the national obesity rate has finally stopped climbing, at least in adults. Some of this decline is likely driven by the emergence of more effective GLP-1 medications like semaglutide. But the same data also suggests that severe obesity hasn't yet stalled. And as powerful as these newer drugs are, many people haven't been able to access them due to shortages or their high costs and limited insurance coverage. Hartmann says interventions like clearer product labeling, healthy food subsidies, and community programs emphasizing physical activity can possibly help prevent childhood obesity from happening in the first place. Programs that screen for fatty liver and other metabolic diseases may also be able to keep these cases from worsening. But ultimately, children living with extremely severe obesity need greater access to obesity treatment, which can include family-oriented lifestyle programs, new and older medications, and, for some cases, bariatric surgery. 'Given the limited availability of novel, highly effective weight-loss medications such as semaglutide, I strongly believe that patients—especially pediatric patients—with classes 4 and 5 obesity, who carry by far the highest health risks, should be prioritized for access to these treatments,' Hartmann said. 'I hope our study encourages the development of clinical trials specifically tailored to this high-risk population. We would be very interested in serving as a participating site for such a trial.' For now, Hartmann and his team will continue to investigate other aspects of extremely severe pediatric obesity, including whether the microbiomes of these children are distinct from others.
