Latest / Morning Medical with Dr. Chow / Machine Learning Biases, Ultra-Processed Foods, and Walking Pneumonia Insights

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Machine Learning Biases, Ultra-Processed Foods, and Walking Pneumonia Insights · Morning Medical with Dr. Chow

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  Welcome to "Morning Medical with Doctor Chow," your daily dose of health and medical news from
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  around the globe.
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  I'm your host, Doctor Chi-Ming Chow, and today, we're diving into the fascinating world of
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  machine learning and its impact on healthcare.
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  Our first story focuses on how machine learning systems are being harnessed to improve health
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  outcomes, one algorithm at a time.
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  The Massachusetts Institute of Technology, renowned for its innovation and cutting-edge
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  research, is at the forefront of this healthcare revolution.
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  Specifically, we're looking at the work of Marzyeh Ghassemi, an associate professor in the
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  Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and the Institute for Medical
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  Engineering and Science at MIT.
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  Her journey from a childhood fascination with video games and puzzles to a leading role in
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  merging computer science with healthcare is truly inspiring.
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  Ghassemi's research group, aptly named Healthy Machine Learning, is dedicated to making
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  machine learning models more robust and fair.
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  This is crucial because, as she discovered during her doctoral work, biases in health data
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  can inadvertently seep into these models, affecting their performance across different
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  demographics.
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  Her work is a crucial step towards ensuring that these systems do not just perform well on
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  average but are also equitable for all patients, regardless of their gender, race, or
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  socioeconomic status.
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  One of the most significant breakthroughs from Ghassemi's research is the revelation that
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  machine learning models can detect a patient's race from medical images like chest X-rays,
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  something even trained radiologists cannot do.
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  However, this capability brings to light a critical issue — models optimized for average
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  performance often falter when it comes to specific subgroups, such as women and
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  minorities.
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  To tackle this, Ghassemi and her team are emphasizing the need for models to be trained
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  with demographic differences in mind, rather than just aiming for overall high performance.
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  This means that each healthcare setting might require a unique approach to model training,
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  ensuring that these systems are tailored to the specific needs of the population they serve.
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  Ghassemi's personal journey, as a visibly Muslim woman and a mother, also informs her
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  perspective and research focus.
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  She highlights the importance of tackling biases in machine learning, driven by her own
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  experiences and identity.
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  Her approach involves breaking down complex problems into smaller parts and challenging
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  assumptions, a strategy she has found effective in advancing her research.
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  Her story is a reminder that the path to innovation often involves revisiting and
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  redefining one's identity and goals.
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  As Ghassemi quotes the Persian poet Rumi, 'You are what you are looking for.' This philosophy
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  underpins her commitment to not only advancing the field of machine learning in healthcare but
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  also ensuring that it serves everyone fairly and effectively.
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  Our next story takes us into the realm of nutrition, specifically focusing on
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  ultra-processed foods and their impact on our health.
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  In a world where convenience often takes priority over nutritional value,
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  ultra-processed foods have become a staple in many diets.
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  These foods undergo extensive industrial processing, making them convenient and
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  hyper-palatable but potentially detrimental to long-term health.
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  The term 'ultra-processed foods' is often defined using a classification system known as
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  NOVA.
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  According to this system, these foods contain additives and undergo significant alterations
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  from their natural state.
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  They're typically energy-dense and nutrient-poor, often boasting long shelf lives.
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  This processing level raises concerns about their role in diet-related health outcomes like
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  heart disease, diabetes, and obesity.
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  Our busy lifestyles often lead us to choose quick, easy, or low-cost options instead of
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  cooking and eating more unprocessed or minimally processed foods like fruits,
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  vegetables, eggs, nuts, or seeds.
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  Caroline Passerrello, a registered dietitian nutritionist and spokesperson for the Academy
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  of Nutrition and Dietetics, emphasizes the importance of understanding the foods we
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  consume.
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  She points out that it is essential to educate ourselves on label reading and to focus on
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  actual foods and nutrients rather than broad categories.
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  Foods like packaged cookies and sodas may provide energy and calories but lack the
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  vitamins and minerals our bodies need, potentially leading to nutrient deficiencies
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  and unintended weight gain over time.
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  Passerrello highlights that the way our bodies respond to calories and nutrients varies with
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  factors like age, activity level, and overall dietary patterns.
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  While the NOVA classification offers a common framework for understanding food processing,
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  other systems, such as the one from the International Food Information Council, also
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  exist.
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  Generally, highly processed foods are those that contain high amounts of sugars, fats, and
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  salt, and low amounts of dietary fiber.
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  They often include industrial ingredients, whether derived from foods or created in labs,
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  and contain little to no whole foods.
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  You can easily find these ultra-processed foods on supermarket shelves, including mass-produced
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  bread, carbonated drinks, breakfast cereals, and ice cream.
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  These products typically contain artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives, designed
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  for long shelf life and convenience, often at the expense of nutritional value.
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  Research has shown a clear link between consuming ultra-processed foods and adverse
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  health effects.
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  A study published in the British Medical Journal found that diets high in these foods
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  are associated with increased calorie intake, weight gain, and a higher risk of
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  cardiovascular diseases.
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  Participants consuming ultra-processed diets ate an average of 500 more calories per day
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  compared to those on unprocessed diets, leading to additional weight gain over time.
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  Moreover, researchers have connected ultra-processed foods to 32 health conditions,
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  including cancer, mental health disorders, and Type 2 diabetes.
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  Recent findings from the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health suggest that a
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  healthier diet might slow down the aging process and reduce the likelihood of developing
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  dementia, highlighting the significant impact dietary choices can have on overall health and
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  cognitive function.
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  Eating more nutrient-dense foods and fewer ultra-processed ones is especially crucial for
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  children and older adults, whose changing bodies have different energy needs and require
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  higher-quality calories.
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  Caroline Passerrello advises not to worry about occasional indulgences, such as enjoying some
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  mac and cheese or ice cream.
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  Instead, she suggests focusing on eating patterns over a week rather than day-to-day.
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  Passerrello also offers practical tips for reducing ultra-processed food intake.
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  She suggests starting with small steps, like adding more nutrient density to meals by opting
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  for a side salad instead of french fries.
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  Other tactics include ordering off the children's menu to reduce portion size when
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  dining out, adding raw fruit to packaged breakfast cereal, and learning to read food
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  labels to choose products with fewer additives and more recognizable ingredients.
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  By prioritizing whole or minimally processed foods and adopting a holistic approach to
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  dietary patterns, we can consider the cumulative impact of our food choices over
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  time.
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  Meeting with a registered dietitian or nutritionist can also help create a food plan
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  that aligns with your lifestyle, food preferences, and budget.
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  By becoming informed and empowered consumers, we can reduce our risk of poor health later on.
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  As we transition into the colder months, the season for colds and flu is upon us, and with
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  it, an increase in cases of walking pneumonia.
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  This mild but contagious lung infection, caused by both viral and bacterial agents, is seeing a
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  rise in numbers across Canada and the United States, particularly among children and
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  teenagers.
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  Health officials are sounding the alarm, urging us to be vigilant about recognizing symptoms
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  and taking preventive measures.
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  Walking pneumonia, while generally mild, can still be a cause for concern.
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  Doctor Matthew Tenenbaum, the Associate Medical Officer of Health for
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  Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health, notes that the infection often begins with symptoms
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  such as a cough, fever, and sore throat.
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  These can persist for some time before more concerning signs like difficulty breathing
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  emerge.
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  He advises that anyone experiencing trouble breathing should seek medical attention
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  promptly, either by visiting their family doctor or, if symptoms are severe, heading to
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  the emergency room.
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  One of the primary bacterial culprits of walking pneumonia is mycoplasma pneumoniae.
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  Doctor Tenenbaum highlights that this particular bacteria is currently a significant
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  indicator of the rising trend in cases.
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  Although specific tracking of walking pneumonia cases is not conducted, anecdotal evidence from
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  family doctors and positive test results from Public Health Ontario suggest a growing number
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  of infections.
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  The current situation is unusual, as walking pneumonia typically affects adults more than
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  children and teens.
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  However, this year, the trend seems to have reversed, with young people, especially those
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  under five, experiencing a higher rate of infection.
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  Doctor Tenenbaum points out that while the mycoplasma pneumoniae bacteria tends to have a
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  cyclical nature, the increased susceptibility among young individuals this year remains
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  unexplained.
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  Doctor Earl Rubin, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at the Montreal Children's
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  Hospital, has observed a similar pattern.
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  He reports an uptick in hospital admissions for walking pneumonia among children, a trend
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  echoed by other pediatric specialists across Canada.
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  Hospitals like Halifax's IWK Health and Vancouver's B.C.
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  Children's Hospital have also noted an increase in cases since August.
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  Although there is no evidence that the bacteria itself has mutated, experts suggest that a
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  growing number of individuals might lack immunity, making them more vulnerable to this
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  infectious disease.
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  With various viruses circulating, Doctor Tenenbaum advises those feeling unwell to stay
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  home, wear a mask, and consult with their healthcare provider.
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  He also emphasizes the importance of staying current with vaccinations, including COVID-19
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  and flu shots.
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  As we wrap up today's episode, remember that staying informed and taking preventive measures
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  can help reduce the spread of walking pneumonia and other seasonal illnesses.
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  Thank you for tuning in to "Morning Medical with Doctor Chow." Stay healthy, and we'll see
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  you next time.