Health Breakthroughs That May Be Big in 2016
The health care industry is constantly evolving as new technologies allow for better, more targeted treatments for patients. And in addition to better treatments, the future, including the rest of 2016, will also help medical professionals diagnose conditions more easily and more quickly than ever before. After all, when it comes to curing diseases effectively, early detection is vitally important.
What health breakthroughs should you expect to possibly be the biggest news in 2016? Continue reading to learn more.
A Mini Pacemaker
A miniature pacemaker is showing promise in clinical trials, so it is likely to become FDA approved in 2016. Traditional pacemakers involve the use of wires that can become infected and cause serious complications, but this new device, specifically designed for patients that require proper pacing in a single chamber rather than in both, works wirelessly. And the best part is that the device does not require a surgery. Instead, it is implanted directly into the patient’s heart via a catheter that is steered through a femoral vein.
Artificial Limbs that are Naturally Controlled
Moving artificial limbs naturally will be made possible by EEG placed systems. These are not implanted, but rather placed onto the surface of a patient’s head, allowing for movement to result from neuro signals that come from the person’s brain. Costs will likely go down, along with safety risks, as a result of these new non-invasive options.
Truly Personalized Care
Medical care that is truly tailored to your particular needs, and that is based upon your genetic information, will be possible in 2016, thanks to the Precision Medicine Initiative. This will revolutionize the way that diseases are treated, removing the one-size-fits-all approach and replacing it with tailored approaches that will suit your specific body and its needs. It will work on understanding the factors that influence health, and it will hopefully eliminate the current problem of some treatments working only for some people but not all.
Teaching the Body to Fight Cancer Cells
Just as your immune system naturally fends off germs that result in infections, it can be taught to combat cancer cells. Immunotherapy is set to grow in 2016 with the creation of cancer vaccines that will train your body to use its own anti-viral response to kill cancer cells while keeping healthy cells thriving. The FDA approved vaccines for melanoma and prostate cancer, and researchers are also trying to find ways of using traditional vaccines, such as the tetanus vaccine, alongside new cancer vaccines to treat other types of cancer, such as brain cancer. Current research is showing that individuals that received dual vaccines lived longer than those who got the single cancer vaccine. A lung cancer vaccine, in particular, is highly anticipated for 2016.
Just as in the past, medical device development from companies like DeviceLab are really changing the way that the medical industry is able to help patients. It will definitely be exciting to see what 2016, and the future beyond it, have in store for medical professionals and their patients.