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September 2026 | futureofpersonalhealth.com
Future of Healthy Living
RICCO ROSS
The actor talks about breaking down stigmas around prostate health and urges men to get screened for cancer Read more on Page 03
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“Just as we would never expect one month of treatment to cure diabetes, schizophrenia, or heart disease, we should not expect addiction to be different.” Jessica Hulsey, Founder & CEO, Addiction Policy Forum
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“Vaccination is an individual effort with universal impact. There is no immunity without unity.” Georges C. Benjamin, M.D., CEO, American Public Health Association
Advances in Prostate Cancer Treatment: Radiation Therapy and More If you’re diagnosed with prostate cancer, you may feel scared and overwhelmed by the diagnosis and all the decision-making that follows. That’s normal. The good news is that for many patients, there are several effective treatment options.
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he most common treatments are surgery, where a urologist surgically removes the prostate and some surrounding tissues, and radiation therapy, where a radiation oncologist uses invisible targeted beams of energy, radioactive sources, or both, delivered directly to the prostate to kill the cancer cells.
What happens during radiation treatment 1. A consultation visit. Your radiation oncologist
Early Screening, Smarter Tools: Expert Perspectives on Prostate Health Our panel of experts discusses early detection, emerging diagnostic tools, advances in treatment, and how men can protect their long-term health. How do you explain PSA testing’s benefits and limitations to patients, and what does a more individualized screening strategy look like? Cordell Nwokeji: Screening includes PSA blood work and a digital rectal exam. You can have a normal PSA and still have cancer, so we use both to increase the likelihood of finding cancers earlier. For high-risk men — including African American men and men with a family history of prostate cancer — I recommend starting screening at age 40. Keith Crawford: PSA testing can help detect prostate cancer before symptoms appear, when it is often most treatable, but it is not a diagnostic test. A high PSA does not automatically mean cancer, and a lower PSA does not completely rule it out.
will explain how radiation therapy works, and the benefits and potential side effects of various treatments. A planning scan. A special CT scan is performed to help identify and map both the cancerous areas and the surrounding normal organs. Treatment sessions. You will come in for treatment on a regular schedule. Each visit typically lasts about 25-30 minutes. The radiation beam is invisible; you won’t see, feel, hear, or smell it. Your radiation oncologist will monitor for any side effects. Follow-up visits. After your course of treatment ends, you will keep seeing your care team for checkups.
How are newer tools helping patients receive a more accurate diagnosis while avoiding unnecessary biopsies or treatment? KC: Newer tools are creating important steps between an elevated
Prostate cancer is common, but every patient’s experience is unique to them. Talk with your care team. Learn about your options. Ask questions. This will help you choose the treatment plan that is right for you.
What practical steps can people take now to protect their long-term prostate health? CN: Diet, healthy sleep habits, and exercise are all important to
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WRITTEN BY
Neha Vapiwala, M.D. President, American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO)
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Cordell Nwokeji, M.D. Board-Certified Urologist, Premier Urology, PLLC, Kingwood, Texas (Northeast Houston Suburb)
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Adam B. Weiner, M.D. Assistant Professor of Urology, CedarsSinai Medical Center
PSA and a biopsy. Biomarker tests, risk calculators, and multiparametric MRI help physicians estimate whether a patient is likely to have clinically significant cancer. If a biopsy is needed, MRItargeted techniques can sample suspicious areas more precisely.
What recent advances are expanding options for patients? Adam Weiner: Radiation has become both more effective, more convenient, and more precise. We are also shortening treatment. Alongside that, we are getting better at deciding who actually needs hormone therapy with their radiation, who needs only a short course, and who can skip it entirely.
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Keith Crawford, M.D., Ph.D. Director of Clinical Trials and Patient Education, Prostate Health Education Network
better long-term outcomes for men’s health overall. Vitamins and healthy foods are beneficial, but they cannot override a genetic predisposition to prostate cancer. Screening and early detection remain paramount in reducing prostate cancer mortality. Kelvin Moses: Our approach to genitourinary health should mirror what we should do for heart health. This includes regular aerobic and strength exercise four to five times per week, healthy sleep of seven to eight hours, limiting or avoiding alcohol and tobacco, drinking water and eating whole food, and maintaining a positive outlook.
Kelvin A. Moses, M.D., Ph.D., FACS Vanderbilt University Medical Center; Chair, Medical Advisory Board, ZERO Prostate Cancer
Contact information: US.editorial@mediaplanet.com
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Publisher Sharon Cho, Mia Newby, Javien Zou Business Developer Katie Labriola Managing Director Samantha Taylor Production Manager Dustin Brennan Creative Director Kylie Armishaw Product Strategy & Growth Director Joelle Hernandez Copy Editor Amara Hartman, Taylor Rice Cover Photo by Eugene Manning All photos are credited to Getty Images unless otherwise specified. This section was created by Mediaplanet and did not involve USA Today. 02
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Ricco Ross on Why Black Men Delay Prostate Screening Actor and ZERO Prostate Cancer global ambassador Ricco Ross discusses why so many men avoid a life-saving test that takes minutes. Why does awareness remain so urgent, especially for Black men? Prostate cancer can be so easily cured if detected early, and the Black community has to understand that. There is a stigma attached to distrust of doctors and of the medical institution, and it’s killing us.
Why do you think there’s still so much stigma surrounding prostate health, and what could be done to break that?
Ricco Ross | Photo by Eugene Manning
We were taught to tough things out, not to show vulnerability, and definitely not to talk about anything related to prostate or sexual health. In Black communities, that silence is even deeper because we’ve seen health systems overlook us. That creates mistrust, and mistrust creates avoidance. Breaking the stigma starts with real conversations. I’ve seen it firsthand: When men hear another brother say, “I got screened,”
or “I’m dealing with this,” it opens the door. That’s why I’m a global ambassador for ZERO Prostate Cancer. When we can have open dialogue about prostate health, we can save lives.
What are some of the biggest misconceptions you’ve encountered about prostate cancer screening? The biggest misconception is that screening is painful or invasive. I know men avoid it because they think it’s going to be uncomfortable. When I explain that the PSA test is just a simple blood draw, you can see the relief on their faces.
What message do you want men to hear before they ignore symptoms or delay screenings? When you ignore the symptoms, it’s like playing Russian roulette with your life. It’s that simple.
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Partner Waking Up Often to Pee? It Might Be Time to Talk About His Prostate. Many men ignore urinary symptoms, but spouses are often the first to notice changes that may be affecting his health and quality of life.
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ave you noticed your partner making more trips to the bathroom, waking up multiple times during the night to pee, or planning activities around restroom access? While many men dismiss these changes as a normal part of aging, they can be signs of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), a non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate.
Starting a conversation Because the symptoms can develop gradually, spouses are often the first to notice changes. A supportive conversation can make a meaningful difference. Rather than focusing on what might be wrong, lead with empathy and observation: • “I’ve noticed you’re getting up several times a night. Has that been bothering you?” • “You don’t seem to be sleeping well lately. How are you feeling?”
What it is BPH is a common condition affecting 70% of men 60-69 years of age and 80% of those 70 years of age or older. Symptoms include frequent urination, urgency, interrupted sleep, and daytime fatigue. These challenges can disrupt a couple’s sleep, travel plans, social activities, and overall quality of life. READ MORE AT FUTUREOFPERSONALHEALTH.COM
Finding treatment options The goal is not to diagnose a condition, but to encourage a discussion with a healthcare professional. Many men assume urinary symptoms are something they must live with, but there are treatment options available, ranging from medications and surgery to minimally
invasive procedures like Optilume BPH, which is a safe, effective, and quick outpatient procedure delivering fast-acting and lasting symptom relief for patients. As couples age together, health conversations are part of caring for one another. Oftentimes, a simple, compassionate question is the first step toward finding answers and improving quality of life. If you have noticed symptoms, start the conversation today. Written by Laborie
To learn more, visit Optilume.com/solvemybph
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Foot and Arch Pain? You Might Be Suffering From Plantar Fasciitis
Healthy Aging Starts With Healthy Feet and Supportive Shoes
Did you know plantar fasciitis is one of the most common causes of heel pain, affecting approximately 1 in 10 people during their lifetime.
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lantar fasciitis occurs when the plantar fascia, the thick band of tissue connecting the heel to the toes, becomes irritated or inflamed. The hallmark symptom is sharp heel pain, especially during the first steps in the morning. Conservative treatment is effective for about 95% of people and may include activity modification, stretching exercises, ice therapy, anti-inflammatory medications, and supportive footwear with orthotic inserts. Because the plantar fascia has a limited blood supply and endures stress with every step, recovery can take months. Experts often recommend a combination approach that includes supportive insoles, a night support, topical pain reliever, and avoiding walking barefoot whenever possible.
Dr. Scholl’s offers products designed to help manage plantar fasciitis symptoms: • Plantar Fasciitis Insoles: Clinically proven to provide all-day pain relief from plantar fasciitis and prevent reoccurrence.
• Plantar Fasciitis Arch Support Sleeve: Comfortable to wear overnight and clinically proven to reduce occurrence of morning plantar fasciitis pain. • Plantar Fasciitis Pain Patch: Lidocaine & menthol patches provide up to 12 hours of relief. If heel pain persists or interferes with daily activities, consult a healthcare professional. Written by Dr. Scholl’s To learn more about plantar fasciitis and Dr. Scholl’s products, scan the QR code:
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Foot pain is not an inevitable part of aging, and treating it early helps protect balance and independence. s we age, muscles weaken, joint motion declines, and the natural cushioning beneath the foot becomes thinner. These changes can alter the way we walk, increasing the risk of falling long before pain becomes severe. One of the simplest ways to protect your mobility is to wear supportive shoes every day. Choose shoes that fit securely, hold the heel firmly in place, and have nonslip rubber outsoles. Athletic or walking shoes with laces or strong Velcro closures generally provide greater stability than backless slippers, sandals, flip-flops, or slip-on shoes. Avoid walking barefoot or in socks on
smooth floors, as both increase the risk of slipping. When shopping, look for products that have earned the American Podiatric Medical Association’s Seal of Acceptance or Seal of Approval, recognizing products that promote foot health. Healthy aging is not simply about adding years to life. It is about preserving the strength, confidence, and independence to continue doing the things you love. Every step you take to care for your feet today is an investment in your mobility tomorrow. Written by Holly Spohn-Gross, D.P.M, Podiatric Surgeon, Trustee, American Podiatric Medical Association
Menopause Is One Day. Protecting Your Health Takes Decades. Menopause is a single day on the calendar, but what it changes in your body lasts the rest of your life.
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enopause is one day: the 12-month mark after your final period. However, the symptoms are not brief. In the landmark Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation, frequent hot flashes and night sweats lasted a median of 7.4 years, persisting 4.5 years past the final period. If you’ve been told you’re too young to be in this phase, believe me: It is not in your head. Ask for your numbers, not reassurance. Get your blood pressure, cholesterol, and A1C measured in your 40s, so you have a baseline. Get a bone density test if you have risk factors for osteoporosis. Lift something heavy twice a week.
Resistance and weight-bearing exercise is the rare intervention that supports bone, heart, and mood all at once. Get enough calcium, vitamin D, and sleep, and limit alcohol consumption. Ask your doctor about hormone therapy. For many healthy women within 10 years of their final period, we now know the risk-and-benefit picture is far more favorable than what our mothers were told. We are the first generation with this much information and this little reason to stay quiet. Let’s use it. Written by Claire Gill, Founder, National Menopause Foundation
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Colin McFarlane on Why He Campaigns to Save Lives British actor Colin McFarlane, who has prostate cancer, wants men to be their own advocates when it comes to their health.
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cFarlane, 65, was tested annually for prostate cancer for six years, then every six months for two more years before testing positive. Fortunately, it was caught early and no treatment was required. Instead he has “active surveillance,” which means a PSA test every three months and an MRI once a year. His doctor then encouraged him to use his platform to campaign about it. “My doctor referred to the disease as a silent killer,” McFarlane said. “If you wait for pain or symptoms, the cancer may already have spread beyond the prostate, which makes it much more difficult to treat. Age is your risk. Please ignore anything negative you hear about the PSA blood test. Used with an MRI and, if needed, a biopsy, it’s still our best weapon. Get tested once a year and note your number, that’s key.” He points out that mistrust of institutions can dissuade some Black men from going to the doctor. “But if you’re Black, you have double the risk, so it’s important to get checked.” McFarlane was at pains to underline that this is the biggest cancer killer of ALL men.
Exploring your options “At the moment, if you have your prostate removed or have radiotherapy, there is a strong chance you may experience some level of erectile dysfunction or incontinence, which obviously puts a lot of men off even getting tested,” McFarlane said. However, if prostate cancer is caught early, at Stages 1 or 2, less invasive treatments like focal therapy may be available, with a much lower risk of those side effects. “If your doctor doesn’t recommend it, please get a second opinion.” McFarlane recalls a woman at a prostate cancer event whose husband had undergone prostate removal, saying: “’We’ve got no sex life. I’m only in my bloody 50s.’ They hadn’t realised the impact removal would have on their lifestyle. Catch it early and you have better treatment options. We need to save lives AND lifestyles. Hopefully that word will get out there.” Written by Melinda Carter
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18 Years After a Prostate Cancer Diagnosis, He’s Still Protecting What Matters Most. In 2004, prostate cancer “rocked” David Brown’s world. At 48, he wondered what survival might cost.
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rown found Cordell Nwokeji, M.D., a Black urologist whose father and uncle faced prostate cancer. The disease was personal; Dr. Nwokeji introduced Brown to Sonablate® HIFU. For many men, treating cancer is only part of the concern. Loss of urinary control and sexual function can change life after treatment. Regret often begins when these tradeoffs or less-invasive options are understood too late. “That’s exactly what I need,” Brown recalls — precision, preservation, and personalization. Eighteen years later, he remains cancer-free with his quality of life preserved. “It gave me back everything — my life.” His experience is not isolated. A U.K. registry built on 20 years of clinical
experience reported 99.8% prostate cancer-specific survival and 96.7% metastasis-free survival at 10 years among 2,897 Sonablate patients. Brown’s advice: Understand tradeoffs, seek a second opinion, and ask what evidence supports treatment.
About Sonablate HIFU Not all HIFU technologies are the same, and neither is the clinical evidence behind them. Over three decades, Sonablate has pioneered focal HIFU evidence, regulatory approval, and reimbursement. Sonablate became the first HIFU system to be cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for prostate tissue ablation in 2016. It has 20+ years of clinical use, published long-term outcomes,
READ MORE AT FUTUREOFPERSONALHEALTH.COM
and experience with 70,000+ patients in 50+ countries. Medicare reimbursement is available for eligible procedures; commercial coverage varies by plan. For appropriate patients considering focal HIFU, Sonablate is the evidence-backed choice when outcomes matter. Visit SonaAccess.com.
INTERVIEW WITH
David Brown Father, Husband, Prostate Cancer Survivor
Written by Alexander Onyina INTERVIEW WITH
Watch David’s full 18-year story:
**European Urology, 2026. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. eururo.2026.05.007
Cordell Nwokeji, M.D. Board-Certified Urologist, Premier Urology, PLLC, Kingwood, Texas (Northeast Houston Suburb)
***Shoji et al., 2025. https://doi.org/10.1038/ s41391-024-00921-0 Sonablate® HIFU is FDA-cleared for transrectal ablation of prostatic tissue.
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Why the Stigma Around Addiction Isn’t Harmless Overcoming addiction stigma starts with recognizing substance use disorder as a health condition — not a failure of willpower.
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ddiction can affect anyone, regardless of background. Yet people with substance use disorders are often judged as weak or blamed for making poor choices. That stigma can create shame and make it harder to ask for help. “By addressing addiction as the health condition it is, we can reduce stigma and make it easier for people to seek treatment and pursue sobriety,” said Stokes Aitken, CEO of Northpoint Recovery, which offers addiction recovery services to adults and adolescents in Idaho, Colorado, Washington, and Nebraska. Aitken says addiction is complex and requires more than willpower to overcome. “Treatment gives people the support, structure, and clinical care they need to safely stabilize, understand what is driving their substance use, and develop the skills necessary to build a healthier life.” Northpoint Recovery focuses on treating the whole person, including substance use and co-occurring mental health conditions. With a continuum of care ranging from detox and residential treatment to outpatient services and ongoing alumni support, treatment can be tailored to where each person is in their recovery. Written by Kristen Castillo
To learn more, visit northpointrecovery.com
Understanding Addiction as a Chronic Health Condition Addiction does not resolve in a month, and treating it like an acute illness sets patients and families up for failure.
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oo often, addiction is treated like an acute issue instead of a chronic disease in the United States. Movies and TV shows often reference one-month treatment programs that sound like a cure. However, unlike a common cold, the flu, or pneumonia, addiction does not resolve quickly or just disappear. Learning from models used for other chronic diseases can help providers, patients, caregivers, and community members understand better approaches. For example, a chronic care plan for a patient with type 2 diabetes may include insulin, medication monitoring and adjustments by the physician, control of blood glucose levels through regular testing, consulting with a nutritionist on healthy eating habits, and physical exercise.
Jessica Hulsey Founder & CEO, Addiction Policy Forum
Stokes Aitken, a leader in addiction recovery, reflects on the challenges facing the field and what gives him hope for the future of it. What are the biggest challenges facing the field today? We need to continue moving away from viewing addiction as a personal failure and toward understanding it as a complex medical and behavioral health condition that deserves the same compassion and individualized care as any other health issue.
Effective treatment has to go beyond simply addressing the addiction itself. We need to understand and address the underlying mental health conditions and other factors that may be contributing to MEDIAPLANET
WRITTEN BY
Recovery Is Possible: A Conversation on the Future of Addiction Treatment
How can providers better meet people where they are and deliver more individualized care?
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Similarly, chronic disease management for substance use disorders may include the use of medications, counseling, behavioral therapies, and residential or outpatient care. Treatment includes the management of other diagnoses or health concerns, as well as mental health needs. Just as we would never expect one month of treatment to cure diabetes, schizophrenia, or heart disease, we should not expect addiction to be different.
INTERVIEW WITH
Stokes Aitken CEO, Northpoint Recovery
a person’s substance use. Treating one without the other is unlikely to lead to lasting change. Recovery requires more than stabilizing someone; it requires giving them insight into their addiction and the tools they need to make lasting changes.
What gives you the most hope about the future of addiction treatment and recovery? As we continue to expand access to care by removing stigma and barriers, using data to better understand longterm outcomes, and building stronger communities around people in recovery, we’re going to help more people find a path forward that works for them.
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Life After Prostate Cancer Surgery: Why Recovery of Urinary Control Matters Urinary incontinence is a common side effect of prostate cancer surgery that can affect confidence, relationships, and daily life. Understanding recovery and the efforts underway to improve it is an important part of the patient journey.
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or men facing prostate cancer treatment, removing the cancer is the top priority. But what happens after surgery can have a lasting impact on quality of life. Radical prostatectomy, the surgical removal of the prostate, remains one of the most effective treatment options for men with intermediate and high-risk prostate cancer. While cancer control is the primary objective, recovery often involves much more than healing from surgery. One of the most common side effects following prostate cancer surgery is urinary incontinence. Most men experience some degree of urinary leakage after surgery, although physicians cannot predict exactly how much leakage a patient will experience or how long recovery will take. Urinary control returns within weeks for some men, while recovery may take months for others. Although most patients ultimately regain continence, the recovery journey can have a significant impact on quality of life. Urinary incontinence affects far more than physical comfort. For many patients, it becomes a daily quality-of-life issue, affecting confidence, relationships, and emotional well-being. The impact can extend into nearly every aspect of life. Some men avoid social gatherings or travel because they are concerned about accidents away from home. Others change how they exercise, withdraw from intimacy with their partners, or become less active with children and grandchildren. While these challenges are often
The issue becomes how long does it take to get there? That’s what we’re trying to improve.
temporary, they can have a meaningful impact on independence, relationships, and overall well-being during recovery.
is common, and there are specialists dedicated to helping patients improve their quality of life.
Life after treatment is rarely, if ever, identical to life before treatment. Improving quality of life This is why setting realistic expectations before surgery is so important. Recovery is not simply about surviving cancer; it is about helping patients return to the activities and relationships that matter most to them. Fortunately, effective strategies can support recovery. Pelvic floor exercises, physical therapy, maintaining a healthy weight, and staying active can all play important roles in helping men regain urinary control. Just as importantly, patients should know they do not have to suffer in silence. Urinary incontinence after prostate cancer treatment
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Historically, efforts have focused on helping patients manage urinary incontinence after surgery. Increasingly, researchers are exploring ways to improve recovery from the time of surgery itself, helping patients regain urinary control sooner and reduce the impact on quality of life.
treatment, making recovery of urinary control an important part of their overall cancer journey. Researchers continue to investigate ways to improve continence recovery, including refinements in surgical technique, rehabilitation strategies, and approaches designed to support earlier recovery of urinary control. As prostate cancer care continues to advance, physicians are increasingly focused not only on curing cancer but also on improving recovery after treatment. Through continued research, patient education, and individualized care, the goal is not only to cure prostate cancer, but to help men return to the relationships and activities that matter most.
WRITTEN BY
Dr. James Eastham Chief of Urology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
A key part of recovery While many men ultimately recover urinary continence after surgery, an important challenge remains how long that recovery takes. Most patients who undergo radical prostatectomy are expected to live 15 to 20 years after
To learn more, visit leveemedical.com
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From Suspicion to Specificity: Expanding the Diagnostic Lens in Infectious Disease When the cause of infection remains uncertain, hybrid-capture next-generation sequencing (NGS) — which is used in Eurofins Viracor’s NeXGen® Fungal / AFB NGS assay — can help clinicians move beyond suspicion toward actionable answers.
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urofins Viracor’s NeXGen assay represents a technological leap in infectious disease diagnostics, offering species-level identification of over 600 fungal and acid-fast bacterial pathogens directly from bronchoalveolar lavage and whole blood specimens. Leveraging hybrid-capture NGS, the assay enables rapid, sensitive, and comprehensive detection of rare, atypical, and difficult-to-culture organisms, critical for immunocompromised patients and those with complex pulmonary infections. This advanced molecular diagnostic tool supports earlier and more accurate therapy decisions by identifying pathogens that traditional culture or PCR methods may miss. The NeXGen assay empowers clinicians to tailor antimicrobial therapy, reduce unnecessary broad-spectrum antibiotic use, and improve patient outcomes through personalized medicine. Its application is especially valuable in transplant, oncology, and infectious disease settings where timely and precise diagnosis is essential. Written by Eurofins Viracor
To learn more, scan the QR code:
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Infectious Disease Surveillance: The Devil’s in the Funding, Not the Details How do you pay to operate any disease surveillance system when funding disappears? All too often, the answer is: You don’t. Surveillance simply ends until the next outbreak occurs, and everyone asks, “Why didn’t we know sooner?”
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isease surveillance is often viewed as discretionary spending. Funding for disease surveillance is also largely a zero-sum game, meaning any new surveillance tool must be paid for out of a limited funding pool, often leading to the loss or degradation of another surveillance tool. This funding model misses the point that robust, multilevel disease surveillance systems are critical infrastructure components, just as much as the roads, bridges, and fiber optic cables that enable modern life. Unfortunately, the funding challenges are only worsening for surveillance due to AI and next-generation tools claiming they
are faster, better, and cheaper. Worse yet, many AI tools just repackage surveillance data collected by other entities, adding little if any value to the surveillance landscape while capturing large amounts of limited funding. Disease surveillance is at a critical inflection point. We either decide it is something worth investing in and ensuring transparency, or it will quietly devolve into yet another example of the global haves and have-nots.
Written by Jarod Hanson, D.V.M., Ph.D., DACVPM, DABT, Chief Content Officer, ProMED, International Society for Infectious Diseases
America’s Best Plan for Childhood: Why the Vaccine Schedule Matters When it comes to protecting children from infectious diseases, the U.S. childhood immunization schedule is our carefully engineered national roadmap.
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ecades of scientific evidence, rigorous safety monitoring, and the expertise of physicians, scientists, and public health experts have led to each vaccine, dose, and age recommendation. Independent experts, in turn, carefully evaluated these for safety, effectiveness, disease burden, and real-world performance before any recommendation was enacted. All of this is to achieve one goal: give every child in America the surest possible start in life. Childhood vaccines are recommended at the confluence of when kids are most vulnerable to serious disease and when their immune systems are most likely to produce strong, lasting protection. The results speak for themselves. Childhood immunizations have prevented millions of
hospitalizations and deaths in the United States while dramatically reducing illnesses that once filled pediatric wards. Parents naturally want the very best for their children, and often have questions about how to achieve this. Those conversations deserve respect, compassion, and trustworthy information. Pediatricians and pediatric infectious diseases specialists welcome these discussions, which can lead to informed decisions built on evidence, not misinformation. The science is clear, the evidence is overwhelming, and the destination is one every family wants to reach: healthy children with bright futures. Written by Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society
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The Future of Infectious Disease Response: Detection, Collaboration, and Preparedness Our panel of experts shares their perspectives on what it will take to build a more resilient, coordinated, and equitable infectious disease response system. What will define a resilient infectious disease response over the next decade? Jessilyn Dunn: Resilience will depend on connected, data-driven approaches to public health combined with public trust in the system. Real-time diagnostics and continuous, remote monitoring — such as with wearables — will enable earlier detection, faster intervention, and a more proactive approach to managing infectious diseases. Joseph Bresee: Effective responses are built on trusted partnerships between scientists, health workers, governments, and the public. Efforts to create and nurture honest communication and cooperation between these groups must start before a response. Without that trust, outbreak responses are likely to be slow and ineffective.
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Jessilyn Dunn, Ph.D. Associate Professor, Biomedical Engineering, Duke University
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Sharon Massingale, Ph.D. President, Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL) Board of Directors
What partnerships are needed across healthcare, public health, academia, and industry to strengthen infectious disease response? JB: Partnerships are essential at every level. Healthcare institutions need to share data and learnings freely to support early detection and readiness. Public health agencies must be able to communicate and share knowledge without friction. Academic institutions need the freedom to disseminate new findings quickly. SI: Strong partnerships are essential, but the challenge is not simply bringing stakeholders together; it is creating alignment across organizations that operate on very different timelines and priorities. Scientific innovation often moves faster than policy development, regulatory frameworks, and reimbursement mechanisms, leaving patients facing barriers to access even when effective technologies exist.
What lessons from recent public health emergencies should continue to shape infectious disease preparedness moving forward? Sharon Massingale: Recent public health emergencies have reinforced that preparedness is not about predicting the next threat; it is about sustaining and strengthening the capabilities to respond to any threat. READ MORE AT FUTUREOFPERSONALHEALTH.COM
The Next Frontier in Urinary Tract Infection Diagnostics: Clinical Metagenomic Sequencing The standard of care for diagnosing urinary tract infections (UTIs) is outdated. Clinical metagenomic approaches are enabling more accurate diagnosis.
How can advances in early detection, diagnostics, and surveillance improve patient care and outbreak preparedness? Stephanie Ibbotson: Advances in diagnostics and surveillance can improve both patient care and outbreak preparedness, but we need to think beyond simply doing more human testing. Some of the most valuable surveillance approaches — such as wastewater monitoring, genomic surveillance, and integrated public health reporting — can often identify emerging threats earlier, at lower cost, and with a broader view of community spread than relying solely on individual patient testing.
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rinary tract infections (UTIs) are one of the most common infections worldwide, yet the way we diagnose them has changed little over the past 70 years. Urine culture attempts to grow bacteria found in urine under standardized conditions. What many don’t know is that it can produce false-negatives in as many as 30-50% of cases. Called a culture-negative UTI, patients who receive negative or “no growth” culture results are often treated blindly, delaying relief and contributing to the spread of antibiotic resistance. Launched from Cornell University, Biotia is changing the way we diagnose UTIs by leveraging an approach called clinical metagenomics. Rather than growing pathogens from urine, the BIOTIA-ID Urine Test reads the pathogen’s DNA directly, giving patients and providers more comprehensive information — including what treatment may work best. It is available across all 50 U.S. states for at-home and in-person collection. With precision diagnosis and targeted treatment, the BIOTIA-ID Urine Test is helping patients with recurrent, complicated, and culture-negative UTIs find relief when standard urine culture could not.
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Stephanie Ibbotson Senior Director, Strategic Marketing and Market Access, Diasorin
WRITTEN BY
Niamh B. O’Hara, Ph.D. Co-Founder and CEO, Biotia
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Joseph Bresee, M.D. Director, Partnership for International Vaccine Initiatives MEDIAPLANET
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Community Action Protects Our Health Just like a community that comes together to tackle growing weeds, the more people who are vaccinated, the more they can protect themselves and their neighbors.
Disease Doesn’t Care About Politics. It’s Time to Be a Booster. You don’t have to be a doctor or scientist to help protect vaccines — you just have to be willing to speak up.
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accines have become a fault line among American families, friends, and neighbors. As political rhetoric grows louder and preventable diseases like measles return, many people who support immunization have chosen to avoid the conflict. But silence can leave lawmakers with a distorted picture of what their constituents believe. Many consequential decisions — including our access to vaccines and how we manage outbreaks — are made at the state and local levels. That means we have both power and an urgent opportunity to speak up. Doctors, nurses, scientists, and public health professionals shouldn’t have to defend vaccines alone. Elected officials also need to hear from parents, patients, and neighbors who trust vaccines and want public health decisions grounded in evidence. Being a Booster is simple: Contact a lawmaker, share accurate information, respond to a local call to action, or tell your story when protections are threatened. Written by American Families for Vaccines
Will you Be a Booster? Sign the pledge to speak up for vaccines.
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ommunities can come together and help their neighbors by getting vaccinated against infectious diseases. However, a community is only as strong as its weakest link, and in the United States, those weak links are multiplying. Decades of anti-science rhetoric and state-level policies have undermined safe and effective vaccines, leading to drops in school vaccination rates. Nationwide vaccination rates for measles, mumps, and rubella among kindergarteners in the 2024–25 school year fell below the 95% threshold needed to adequately protect children from spreading measles, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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WRITTEN BY
Georges C. Benjamin, M.D. CEO, American Public Health Association
Sleep Is the Third Pillar of Health as We Age Dr. Jennifer Martin, a past president of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, explains why bad sleep is never normal aging. Why should sleep be considered the third pillar of health, alongside nutrition and physical activity? Sleep is an important pillar of health because it affects all aspects of our functioning. Many of the health conditions that become more common as people get older are directly affected by sleep.
How can poor sleep affect an older adult day-to-day? When a person chronically has poor sleep, there are studies showing that it increases the risk of cognitive decline with aging, contributes to the risk of depression, increases inflammation, and impairs the immune system.
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The United States will likely lose its measles elimination status, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Public health is all about prevention through intervention. Contact your healthcare provider to make sure you and your loved ones are up to date on your vaccines. Vaccination is an individual effort with universal impact. There is no immunity without unity.
INTERVIEW WITH
Dr. Jennifer Martin Past President, American Academy of Sleep Medicine
What practical steps can older adults take to improve their sleep quality and support healthier aging?
Make sure they are doing things that are active and meaningful during the day, which really helps support a good night of sleep. Keeping to a regular routine and schedule is second. The third thing is that if you are struggling with sleep and you cannot get it back on track with the basic healthy habits and routines, reach out to your healthcare practitioner and get an evaluation for sleep disorders.
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Your Wearable Knows Something’s Off. What Happens Next?
WRITTEN BY
Jessilyn Dunn, Ph.D. Theodore Kennedy Associate Professor, Duke University
Early infections often look like allergies or ordinary fatigue, but by the time symptoms are obvious, a person may already have spread the illness to others. Wearable technology could help close that gap.
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martwatches, rings, and fitness trackers already collect signals that reflect how the body is doing through heart rate, sleep patterns, skin temperature, blood oxygen levels, respiratory rate, and fitness measures. These signals do not diagnose infection on their own, but changes from a person’s normal baseline may provide an early warning that something is off. More research is needed to better define digital biomarkers of infection and link them to downstream actions. This research may be facilitated by widespread implementation of common data
Wearables will not replace clinical tests, clinicians, or public health systems, but if interpreted responsibly, they could become an early warning layer that helps people make more informed daily decisions.
standards and tools that combine wearable signals with symptoms, exposure history, and diagnostic test results, as well as related research ensuring these tools are accurate, equitable, and useful across communities. A trusted digital decision tool could bring the key pieces of information together: wearable signals, symptoms, recent exposures, at-home test results, and local public health information. Instead of simply saying, “Your heart rate is elevated,” an app could help answer a practical question: “What should I do today?” For an individual, that might mean watch and wait, take an
at-home test, avoid visiting an older or immunocompromised relative, or seek medical care if symptoms worsen or risk factors are present. For public health professionals, the same system could help detect unusual patterns earlier when combined with wastewater data, laboratory testing, school and work absenteeism, and clinic reports. Wearables will not replace clinical tests, clinicians, or public health systems, but if interpreted responsibly, they could become an early warning layer that helps people make more informed daily decisions.
Sponsored
The Information Advantage: Why Better Diagnostics Lead to Better Care Healthcare leaders today are redefining diagnostic stewardship as more than a laboratory initiative. It is becoming a strategic approach to improving clinical decision-making, strengthening financial sustainability, and delivering higher-value care.
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ealthcare leaders today face a defining challenge: delivering better patient outcomes while maintaining financial sustainability. Rising costs, workforce shortages, reimbursement pressures, and growing care complexity require health systems to make every clinical decision count. That is why diagnostic stewardship has become a strategic priority. Better decisions begin with better information. Timely, actionable diagnostic insights help clinicians make more confident treatment decisions while improving operational efficiency and supporting higher-value care. Rapid molecular diagnostics have transformed what is possible in infectious disease care. The opportunity today is ensuring those innovations are consistently integrated into clinical practice
so they improve both patient outcomes and healthcare sustainability. As a global leader in molecular diagnostics, Diasorin is helping advance diagnostic stewardship by transforming diagnostic information into clinical insight that supports faster, more informed decision-making. “Every major clinical decision begins with information,” said Angelo Rago, president of Luminex Corporation, a Diasorin company. “If the information is incomplete, delayed, or not relevant to the patient in front of us, everything downstream becomes more difficult.” “The biggest barrier is rarely the technology,” Rago said. “More often, it is implementation.” Meeting that challenge requires healthcare leaders to think differently about diagnostics. Rather than viewing
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diagnostics as a laboratory cost, organizations increasingly recognize them as strategic infrastructure that supports better clinical decisions, operational excellence, antimicrobial stewardship, and more sustainable healthcare delivery. “The value of diagnostics is not in the test itself,” Rago said. “The value is in the decision that the information enables.” Organizations that integrate better diagnostic information into everyday clinical practice are improving care while strengthening financial and operational performance. Diagnostic stewardship is helping healthcare leaders deliver higher-value, more sustainable care today. Because every treatment decision begins with a diagnostic decision.
INTERVIEW WITH
Angelo Rago President, Luminex Division of Diasorin
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Written by Emily Rose MEDIAPLANET
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MEDIAPLANET
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