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Dr Gérald Kierzek (Medical Director)
Faced with the unpleasant hot flashes that appear during menopause, American scientists have developed an algorithm capable of predicting the next flush, and reacting accordingly to avoid heat stroke. Gadget or real progress?
Science is currently serving women and that is an excellent thing. So hot flashes affect around 75% of menopausal women, new solutions to counter them are currently being tested. And now an unexpected new solution enters the arena: artificial intelligence capable of predicting the next hot flash and simply stopping it.
An algorithm that determines when to send a cold blast to the skin
These are researchers from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and Embr Labs (a spin-off from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology) who claim to have developed a machine learning algorithm capable of predicting a hot flash in women.
The idea is not just to detect the hot flash, but to combine that algorithm with a product called Embr Wave, a watch-like wearable device that can emit coolness to the sensitive skin on the inside of the wrist , thus providing relief to the entire body. The device, sold for $299, is already presented as a way to manage menopausal hot flashes… But without its algorithm.
Once this is added, the device would be able to “continuously monitor physiological signals – skin temperature, body temperature, sweating, activity level or heart rate – and identify the first indicators preceding the appearance of a hot flash”, explains Michael Busa who led the team that developed the algorithm. By acting in less than a second, the device would therefore be able to stop heatstroke.
“Refreshing therapy”, stronger than hormone therapy?
If the method of this refreshing watch is so popular, it is because it offers a new option compared to hormonal therapy, the main treatment to combat the side effects of menopause.
“But some women don’t want to take estrogen, or shouldn’t because of medical contraindications.” explains Karen Adams, director of the menopause and aging program in WebMD magazine. Hormone therapy is generally not recommended for people with a history of breast cancer, blood clots, or heart or blood vessel diseases.
This new “cold” option nevertheless remains new and still needs to prove itself. “Despite the fact that seeking relief through cooling is a woman’s immediate natural response to the onset of a hot flash, little work has been done to understand the benefits of this natural therapy. said Matthew Smith, PhD, Chief Technology Officer at Embr Labs. But to truly evaluate the device as a treatment for hot flashes, it would need to be tested in randomized trials.
The opinion of Dr. Géral Kierzek, medical director of Doctissimo
What do you think of this new cold option associated with an algorithm? Is this the future for fighting hot flashes? Dr Kierzek remains skeptical for the moment: “At the risk of repeating myself, in the event of symptoms, you must first go through your doctor and a diagnosis. This AI and this bracelet are only a symptomatic treatment, whereas we know today that the real treatment for relief for women remains hormonal therapy. I would like us to turn to more natural solutions, but at this price, for a model that is still experimental, it is still too risky. In my opinion, it is better to receive a suitable treatment , personalized, and consider something else if that doesn’t work.”