The following are the Top 7 posts by Quantified Health in 2014 in terms of pageviews:
1. Enterovirus EV-D68 is causing an outbreak of a severe "summer cold" among kids (9/11/14)
There has been a serious outbreak of respiratory illness in kids and teenagers across the Midwest caused by a "cold" virus. Over the last week more than a thousand children have been afflicted, and as many as 15% have been hospitalized with some in intensive care units. None have died. The 10 most affected states are Colorado, North Carolina, Georgia, Ohio, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma and Kentucky as reported by USA Today. The culprit is Enterovirus EV-D68; the D68 indicates a particular subtype of Enterovirus (EV).
2. How would the iWatch measure blood glucose? (2/9/14)
Thus, my prediction: the iWatch will not have a blood glucose sensor when it is released this year. Perhaps future versions will possess this capability. Regardless non-invasive blood glucose monitoring is an exciting technology to follow.
3. Samsung Galaxy S5 can measure your heart rate (3/2/14)
As shown in Figure 1, the S5 uses its camera LED flash to shine light on your finger (which you place over the flash), and then a sensor next to the LED can measure the light signal from the finger (instead of the face as in the Xbox One). It is a clever idea, although somewhat awkward.
4. Kegels! and premature ejaculation (7/27/14)
Fortunately resources exist on the Internet to remedy my ignorance; Wikipedia to the rescue:
"Pelvic floor exercise, or Kegel exercise (/ˈkeɪɡəl/), consists of repeatedly contracting and relaxing the muscles that form part of the pelvic floor, now sometimes colloquially referred to as the "Kegel muscles". Several tools exist to help with these exercises, although various studies debate the relative effectiveness of different tools versus traditional exercises. Exercises are usually done to reduce urinary incontinence, reduce urinary incontinence after childbirth, and reduce premature ejaculatory occurrences in men, as well as to increase the size and intensity of erections. They were first described in 1948 by Arnold Kegel."5. What is Ebola virus disease and should I be worried? (8/3/14)
A very deadly outbreak of Ebola virus disease (EVD) has occurred in West Africa affecting the countries of Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia. It has infected approximately 1200 people and killed about 700 of them. What makes this disease so scary is that the fatality rate is very high historically from 50-90% of infected people die. [...]
Should I be worried? Unless you live in Western Africa, the answer is a resounding no.
6. The 7-minute (really 8-minute) workout and app (11/2/14)
There are 12 exercises that do not require any special equipment (other than a chair and wall). You perform each of the exercises for 30 seconds followed by 10 seconds of rest. [...]
Although the authors title the program the "7-minute workout", when you add up the time, it is 12 * (30 + 10) = 480 seconds or 8 minutes (or 470 seconds if you leave out the last 10s rest). It should really be called the 8-minute workout.
7. "Guarded Optimism" after Phase 2 trial results for novel drug against (HER2-negative ER-positive) breast cancer (4/10/14)
The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) is holding its annual meeting this year in San Diego. There have been many exciting developments, but perhaps the biggest was by the pharmaceutical company Pfizer which reported the Phase 2 clinical trial results of its anti-breast cancer drug Palbociclib. One cancer researcher proclaimed that the results were “quite groundbreaking.” The title of the New York Times article on the results was a bit more subdued: "Guarded Optimism After Breast Cancer Drug Shows Promising Results". I think guarded optimism is the better description.
Figure 1. With 2014 in the rear-view mirror, time to focus on a healthy 2015.
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