Throughout history, diseases have been a subject of fascination and fear in the medical world. This profound curiosity encouraged modern scientists to make significant strides in health care that lead to unimaginable achievements. Each medical discovery has brought healthcare professionals closer to understanding the complex mysteries behind diseases and medicines. This resulted in developing treatments and medicines that have saved millions of lives.
With the COVID-19 pandemic going on, the role of vaccines has never been more important. The same goes for biotech companies that continuously develop kinase activity assays critical to drug discovery. These demonstrate medical innovations have made impactful innovations that changed the lives of many.
Even in the middle of a pandemic, the medical community has produced remarkable innovations in the recent year. The spread of COVID-19 may have highlighted vaccines as the latest medical innovations, but there are a lot of recent discoveries we might not heart of. That being said, here are the biggest medical innovations that are changing health care this year.
Discoveries in heart health
The American Heart Association recently unveiled its list of discoveries in medical treatments. The list highlights a new study that will transform how physicians treat hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a condition where the heart muscle becomes thicker than normal.
It also discusses a new method in treating atrial fibrillation, a disorder that affects the rhythm of the heartbeat that leads to the disruption of normal blood flow. The new treatment will be a minor invasive surgery to inhibit stroke. The study also includes a trial that discusses how a major treatment does not directly cure coronary heart disease.
According to cardiologists, issues concerning heart diseases require a comprehensive and interdisciplinary approach. To understand the circulatory system, physicians need to establish connections between different areas in medicine and overcome barriers across medical disciplines. This shows experts and researchers from other areas can collaborate to resolve a complex medical issue.
For instance, they learned how certain medicines for diabetes can also treat patients suffering from heart failure with no signs of diabetes. These studies also helped in establishing connections between flu, COVID-19, and infectious diseases to increase the risk for stroke and heart disease.
The study also seeks to address the declining rate of blood pressure control in the U.S. High blood pressure is supposed to be an easily treated symptom for heart disease and stroke. For two decades, the medical community has gained better control of the disease, that’s why the sudden backsliding is alarming many experts.
Blood test for Alzheimer’s disease
A recent discovery in the treatment and research of Alzheimer’s disease came out as a blood test. While this is good news in neurological research, the procedure is still undergoing trial.
If the test leads to successful results and further approval, this simple blood test can be a game-changer in the medical community.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 5.8 million Americans have Alzheimer’s disease in 2020. By 2060, experts predict cases will triple by 2060. Although the test is still subject to approval, a health company has already started selling Alzheimer’s blood tests.
Advancements in telemedicine
One of the most apparent innovations in health care is how the remote working lifestyle has significantly affected medicine. As people stay indoors and avoid public spaces, telemedicine offers an alternative way to consult a physician.
While telemedicine isn’t particularly a medical discovery, this new approach is a life-saving development on how people access health care. During the lockdown, clinicians realized the importance of seeing patients and not forcing them to cross state boundaries and seek medical treatment.
Although doctors can offer telemedicine services through videoconferencing applications, there are policies and difficulties that restrict patients to cross states to receive medical care as well as those who need care remotely. Because of the pandemic, the situation drove federal and state regulators to minimize barriers to these tools which serves as patients’ critical lifeline.
While medical professionals cannot see their patients personally throughout the lockdown, the emergence of telemedicine has led the medical community to adopt digital tools to expand their practice. It also challenged doctors to examine old policies and traditional perceptions in providing care.
Telemedicine proves innovation doesn’t have to be a remarkable discovery that takes place inside medical labs. What is unfortunate is that the pandemic became a catalyst in pushing realizations in terms of healthcare barriers.
As the world is fraught with setbacks and tragedies, there’s no stopping researchers and scientists from finding a cure for the most complex diseases. Citing breakthroughs in health care indicate the medical community will continue to embrace emerging medical technologies. Until then, we are looking towards a more hopeful year in the medical community.
