Latest / Morning Medical with Dr. Chow / Weight-Loss Journey, Household Microbial Risks, and Suicide Prevention Software in Schools

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Weight-Loss Journey, Household Microbial Risks, and Suicide Prevention Software in Schools · Morning Medical with Dr. Chow

• 0:00
  Welcome to Morning Medical with Dr.
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  Chow, where we explore the latest and most impactful health news from around the globe.
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  I'm your host, Dr.
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  Chi-Ming Chow, broadcasting from Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
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  Today, we're diving into a story that has significant implications for those managing
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  their weight with medical assistance.
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  This story comes to us through CNN, authored by Meg Tirrell, and it's about the recent
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  developments surrounding weight-loss drugs and their availability.
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  Let's start by talking about Janet McCaskill, a 58-year-old grandmother from Knightdale, North
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  Carolina.
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  Janet has tried various diets over the years, including WeightWatchers and the ketogenic
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  diet, but they only worked temporarily.
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  At the end of 2022, after losing her brother and both parents to heart disease, Janet
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  weighed around 212 pounds and decided to try a new approach.
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  She began using Mounjaro, a diabetes drug that belongs to a class of medications known as
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  GLP-1 receptor agonists.
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  This class also includes Ozempic, Wegovy, and Zepbound.
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  For Janet, this medication was a game-changer, helping her lose nearly 100 pounds and
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  significantly improve her health markers like blood pressure, blood sugar, and triglycerides.
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  However, this life-changing medication came with a hefty price tag.
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  Janet's insurance did not cover Mounjaro for weight loss, as it was primarily approved for
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  type 2 diabetes.
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  She initially paid out-of-pocket, using a coupon from the manufacturer Eli Lilly to
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  reduce the cost, but it still amounted to about $500 a month.
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  When the coupon program ended, Janet's healthcare provider suggested a more affordable
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  option: a compounded version of tirzepatide, which cost less than $250 a month.
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  This compounded version was legally available due to a shortage of the brand-name drug.
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  Compounding pharmacies were allowed to produce these medications during the shortage,
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  providing access to many people who otherwise couldn't afford the FDA-approved versions.
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  However, the U.S.
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  Food and Drug Administration recently announced that the shortage of tirzepatide has ended,
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  which means compounding must stop.
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  This decision has left many, including Janet, worried about their continued access to these
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  crucial medications.
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  Janet McCaskill is not alone in her concerns.
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  Michele Kessler, a physician assistant at Durham Women’s Clinic, mentioned that many of
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  her patients who have benefited from compounded tirzepatide are now facing abrupt
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  discontinuation.
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  The FDA's decision, while signaling increased availability of the brand-name drugs, has
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  caused panic among users who relied on the compounded versions for affordability.
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  The price of these medications is a significant barrier.
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  Without insurance, Mounjaro costs over $1,000 a month.
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  Even with Lilly's savings card, the cost is still around $650 for some patients.
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  Although Lilly has introduced less-expensive versions of its Zepbound drug, many patients
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  find these costs prohibitive.
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  Janet, for instance, fears she won't be able to maintain her health progress if she can't
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  afford the medication.
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  Scott Brunner, CEO of the Alliance for Pharmacy Compounding, noted that while price isn't a
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  legal rationale for dispensing compounded medications, it has been a practical solution
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  for many.
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  The organization has requested a 60-day buffer from the FDA before compounding must cease, to
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  ensure continuity of patient care.
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  It's important to recognize the risks associated with compounded medications, as they
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  aren't regulated by the FDA in the same way as branded pharmaceuticals.
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  There have been reports of dosing errors and impurities in some compounded versions.
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  Despite these concerns, the demand for compounded medications underscores a
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  significant gap in the healthcare system, particularly regarding the affordability of
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  critical medicines.
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  This situation highlights broader issues within healthcare, such as the lack of insurance
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  coverage for obesity treatments and the high costs of branded medications.
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  Many patients, like Janet, are left in a precarious position, trying to maintain health
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  improvements while facing financial constraints.
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  As the landscape of weight-loss treatments evolves, it's crucial to address these
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  challenges to ensure accessibility and safety for all patients.
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  The warm, damp environments of your showerhead and toothbrush are the perfect breeding grounds
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  for microbes.
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  A new study has identified hundreds of viruses living there, showcasing the vast biodiversity
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  found in the average home.
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  But before you panic, these viruses are not the kind that will give you the common cold or flu.
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  Instead, they are bacteriophages, or phages for short, which are the natural enemies of
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  bacteria.
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  Each tiny, tripod-looking phage has evolved to hunt, attack, and gobble up a specific
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  bacterial species.
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  Erica Hartmann, an associate professor at Northwestern University’s McCormick School of
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  Engineering, led the study.
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  She expressed amazement at the number of viruses discovered, saying, "The number of
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  viruses that we found is absolutely wild.
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  We found many viruses that we know very little about and many others that we have never seen
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  before.
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  It’s amazing how much untapped biodiversity is all around us."
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  Researchers from Northwestern University studied biofilm samples, which are glue-like
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  communities of microorganisms attached to surfaces, from 34 toothbrushes and 92
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  showerheads.
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  Their findings were published in the journal Frontiers in Microbiomes.
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  This research builds on previous studies that investigated the types of bacteria inhabiting
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  these everyday items.
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  Hartmann noted that they can now examine not just which bacteria are present, but also which
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  bacteriophages.
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  Bacteriophages are already being utilized in clinical trials as a potential solution to the
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  growing problem of antibiotic resistance.
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  By infecting and replicating inside a host bacterium, phages could kill pathogens and form
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  the basis of new drugs to treat antibiotic-resistant or superbugs.
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  Hartmann highlighted the potential to design drugs that specifically target pathogens,
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  leaving the rest of the microbiome intact, unlike broad-spectrum antibiotics.
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  In the United States alone, more than 2.8 million antimicrobial-resistant infections
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  occur each year.
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  The World Health Organization has labeled this issue as one of the biggest global public
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  health threats, as it could make standard medical treatments like surgery, caesarean
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  sections, and chemotherapy much riskier.
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  By sequencing the bacteria’s DNA and examining their corresponding phages using complex
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  computer analyses, researchers have gained significant insights into the microbial world
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  within our homes.
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  Joe Parker, a senior research fellow at the United Kingdom’s National Biofilms Innovation
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  Centre, noted that the study identified a minimum of 22 different bacterial viruses
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  across the samples, with the potential for upwards of 600 different types of phages.
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  On showerheads, many of the microbes originated from water sources, while those on toothbrushes
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  came from a mixture of the human mouth and the surrounding environment.
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  Hartmann explained that a bacterium in your mouth could transfer to your toothbrush, taking
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  its viruses with it, and these could continue evolving there.
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  She hypothesized that some viruses might become endemic to your toothbrush, found nowhere else
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  on Earth.
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  While the thought of so many tiny creatures in our homes may seem unsettling, Hartmann
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  encourages us to appreciate our microbial guests.
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  She said, "Microbes are everywhere all the time.
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  We wouldn’t be able to digest our food or fend off infection if we didn’t have our microbes.
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  As much as we might initially react with a little ick factor, I think it’s really
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  important to approach the microbial world with a sense of wonder and curiosity that these are
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  actually things that do an enormous amount of good and potentially harbor an enormous
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  potential for biotechnology."
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  Dr.
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  Chi-Ming Chow: Let's dive into the fascinating world of spicy foods and how our perception of
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  them might be more about expectations than actual taste.
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  A recent study, published in the journal PLOS Biology, suggests that our preference for spicy
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  foods could be largely influenced by the way we anticipate their taste.
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  This research from China involved brain scans of individuals who both liked and disliked
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  spicy foods, offering intriguing insights into how our brains process these fiery sensations.
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  Dr.
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  Chi-Ming Chow: The study involved 24 people who enjoyed spicy foods and 22 who did not.
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  Researchers used brain imaging to observe reactions as each participant received squirts
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  of mild and high-intensity hot sauces, followed by water.
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  Interestingly, the participants were shown colored peppers that did not accurately
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  indicate the spiciness of the sauce they were about to taste.
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  This was then repeated with a twist: the peppers' colors indicated the spice level,
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  adding a psychological element to the experience.
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  Dr.
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  Chi-Ming Chow: The results were quite revealing.
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  For those who loved spicy foods, parts of the brain associated with pleasure lit up,
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  especially when the heat was intense.
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  Conversely, those who disliked spice showed increased activity in brain areas linked to
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  pain, particularly when they knew a hot sauce was coming.
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  Lead author Yi Luo noted the significant impact of negative expectations on pain response,
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  highlighting how anticipation can amplify discomfort.
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  Dr.
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  Chi-Ming Chow: Dr.
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  Susan Albers, a clinical psychologist at the Cleveland Clinic, provided additional context.
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  She explained that expectations are powerful and can transform a burning sensation into
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  either a pleasurable or unpleasant experience.
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  This psychological aspect of taste is fascinating, as it shows how much our mindset
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  can influence our sensory experiences.
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  Dr.
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  Chi-Ming Chow: The study also touches on genetic factors that might influence our food
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  preferences.
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  For example, some people have a gene that makes cilantro taste like soap, while others enjoy
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  its flavor.
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  Albers emphasizes that our taste preferences are unique, much like fingerprints,
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  underscoring the complexity of how we experience food.
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  Dr.
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  Chi-Ming Chow: For those looking to enjoy spicier foods, Albers offers some practical
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  tips.
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  She suggests reframing negative associations and approaching spicy foods with curiosity.
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  Experimenting with different spices and being mindful of visual cues can also help manage
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  expectations.
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  Albers advises paying attention to your body's responses and gradually increasing spice
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  tolerance to find what feels good for you.
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  Dr.
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  Chi-Ming Chow: It's also important to note that while some people thrive on spice, there are
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  physiological responses to be aware of.
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  Spicy foods can increase metabolism and heart rate, and in some cases, cause gastric
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  distress.
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  Albers warns that if you experience rapid heart rate or excessive sweating, it might be a sign
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  that spicy food is not suitable for you.
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  As we continue to explore pivotal topics in the realm of health and technology, there's a
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  growing conversation around the use of suicide prevention software in schools.
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  This initiative is part of a broader response to the escalating youth mental health crisis.
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  Schools across the country are turning to innovative technologies to monitor students'
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  activities on school-issued devices, aiming to detect signs of distress or potential
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  self-harm.
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  These software tools, developed by companies such as Gaggle, GoGuardian Beacon, Bark, and
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  Securly, are designed to scan what students type into Google searches, essays, emails, and
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  text messages.
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  The goal is to identify concerning behavior and alert school counselors if a student appears to
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  be at risk of suicide or self-harm.
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  While the intention is noble, the implementation of such technology raises
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  significant questions about efficacy, privacy, and the balance between surveillance and
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  support.
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  The potential benefits of these tools are substantial.
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  They could indeed save lives by providing early intervention for students who might otherwise
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  go unnoticed.
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  For students experiencing anxiety or depression, these alerts could prompt timely
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  conversations with counselors or mental health professionals, leading to necessary care and
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  support.
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  However, there are concerns about the accuracy and privacy implications of these technologies.
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  False positives—alerts triggered by innocent queries or comments—can lead to unnecessary
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  stress for students and families.
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  Moreover, the constant monitoring of students' digital activities raises questions about
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  privacy rights and the potential psychological effects of being under surveillance.
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  As we examine these issues, it's crucial to consider the perspectives of all stakeholders
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  involved—students, parents, teachers, and school administrators.
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  Each group may have different experiences and insights into how these tools impact school
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  environments and student well-being.
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  Are these technologies truly effective in preventing suicide?
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  Do they provide the necessary support for students struggling with mental health issues?
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  And importantly, do they respect the privacy and dignity of those they aim to protect?
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  These are the questions that need thoughtful exploration as we navigate the integration of
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  technology into mental health initiatives.
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  The conversation around suicide prevention software is a reminder of the delicate balance
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  between innovation and ethical responsibility.
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  As we close today's episode, let's continue to seek solutions that prioritize both the safety
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  and privacy of our youth.
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  Thank you for joining me on this episode of Morning Medical with Dr.
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  Chow.
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  As always, I appreciate your time and attention to these critical issues.
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  Until next time, stay informed and take care.