Healthcare Knuggets
Dec 11, 2025
Subject: APAC to lead medical device growth | Healthway opens Cebu Velez hospital | Bangkok Hospital launches CardioWatch Bracelets
Summary: Asia-Pacific is projected to lead global medical device market growth in 2026, with a forecasted 7.3% market rise. Healthway Medical Network has inaugurated Healthway Cebu Velez General Hospital, with plans for expansion. Bangkok Hospital launched the CardioWatch Bracelet, a monitoring device tracking blood pressure, pulse, oxygen saturation, and heart rate for in-hospital patients. The surgical drapes and gowns market is expected to reach $6.01 billion by 2030 due to rising healthcare-associated infections. Additionally, a new $553.3 million John Hunter acute services building will link the existing hospital to the Hunter Medical Research Institute. The email also highlights regional healthcare initiatives, medtech investment trends, and upcoming Healthcare Asia events.
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Subject: In Slovenia, a model for prioritizing chronic disease prevention
Summary: Slovenia has long prioritized chronic disease prevention through systematic early detection and family medicine screening, routing at-risk patients to lifestyle coaching and counseling programs, with health promotion centers offering nutrition, exercise, and stress management support. Contrasting with the US, where chronic disease prevention is gaining political attention, Slovenia’s approach illustrates successful long-term strategies. Medical school enrollment in the US reached over 100,000 for the 2025-2026 academic year, a record high fueled by increased applicants, though concerns remain about diversity and financial challenges due to policy changes. Additionally, new findings link uterine fibroids to an elevated risk of cardiovascular disease among premenopausal women, underscoring the need for broader cardiovascular risk assessment.
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Subject: 🙋🏻♂️ Dueling health votes
Summary: The US Senate is set to vote on competing health care plans: Democrats seek to extend enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies for three years, while Senate Republicans propose replacing those subsidies with direct health savings account contributions. Neither plan is expected to reach the 60-vote threshold. Meanwhile, clinical lab companies, including Quest Diagnostics and LabCorp, oppose imminent Medicare payment cuts for diagnostic tests scheduled in January, warning that cuts could hinder innovation and precision medicine advancements. Hospitals are also closing pediatric services due to financial and staffing pressures, with declines in capabilities for common pediatric care. Despite a projected shortage of physicians, medical school enrollment reached over 100,000 students this academic year, a record high, though financial stresses persist for students amid federal aid changes.
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Subject: November Updates | Explore STAT’s latest series and event savings 💸s
Summary: STAT announces its new multipart series “American Science Shattered,” exploring how recent rapid policy changes in the US have destabilized scientific research and discovery. STAT+ subscribers get exclusive access, early alerts, and discounts for upcoming events including the Breakthrough Summit in March featuring leaders in healthcare and biotech. The newsletter highlights exclusive stories about FDA leadership changes and vaccine regulation shifts, as well as biotech company insights. Subscribers are encouraged to access premium journalism and data tools through STAT+ for comprehensive coverage of health and science.
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Subject: Correction❗ December Updates | Explore STAT’s latest series and event savings
Summary: This email corrects and reiterates the November STAT updates, emphasizing the continuing “American Science Shattered” series detailing challenges to US scientific research and the disruption caused by federal policy changes. Subscribers can receive alerts on NIH reporting and attend live reporting from JPM in San Francisco. The upcoming Breakthrough Summit in NYC highlights biomedical innovators, with STAT+ members receiving discounts. Exclusive articles about regulatory shifts at the FDA and biotech sector insights accompany this update, encouraging readers to join or continue STAT+ subscriptions for full benefits.
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Subject: Pompeii renovation frozen in time reveals secret of ‘self-healing’ Roman concretes
Summary: New research on a Pompeii site frozen by Mt. Vesuvius eruption reveals that Roman concrete’s durability comes from quicklime clasts that ‘self-heal’ by dissolving in moisture to fill cracks. Additional findings include genetic studies from over a million people showing psychiatric disorders cluster into five overlapping categories, implying shared biology beyond current diagnostic labels. Humans rank among the most monogamous mammals based on sibling parentage data across various societies. Features also explore a breakthrough in immune system research on proteasomes, investigations into mental exhaustion mechanisms relevant to long COVID and neurodegenerative diseases, and a critique of diet myths from nutrition researchers. Furthermore, the former CDC chief medical officer criticizes eroded federal public health leadership affecting vaccine-preventable disease outcomes in the US.
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