Every week, HEADlines brings you the latest news, stories and commentaries in education and healthcare. This week, get insights on the latest developments in healthcare. image Pushing the boundaries for early detection of dementia Early dementia diagnosis can be difficult. Doctors typically assess patients for dementia only when they display noticeable loss of cognitive ability. By the time diagnosis is confirmed, brain neurons have died and brain anatomy would have changed. This leaves dementia patients to face an inevitable path of decline due to the irreversible nature of this disease. Is there a better way, to not get to this point? Researchers have long recognised the value of treating dementia in its ‘pre-clinical’ stage. However, there are no tools today that can detect dementia when there are few or no symptoms, making it difficult for doctors to intervene early in a patient’s life. This situation is changing as researchers push the boundaries to make early detection of dementia possible. Some significant developments include: Use of nanotechnology to enable blood tests for the detection of early Alzheimer’s disease; Development of an amyloid plague mutation map that allows researchers to better understand the bio-mechanisms that control the onset of the disease; Use of retina scans to assess the risk of Alzhiemer’s and Parkinson’s by observing the neuron changes on the retina. With a better understanding of how dementia develops, the hope is that this will lead to the development of treatments that will be successful at slowing or stopping the progression of dementia – bringing a breakthrough that will benefit the lives of millions of patients. Healthcare in the Spotlight Reuters: WHO urges world not to halt vaccinations as AstraZeneca shot divides Europe Two more European nations and one in Asia join a handful of countries who have suspended use of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine over safety fears. Nature: COVID antibody treatments show promise for preventing severe disease While not a replacement for vaccines, antibody treatments are seen as plan B especially for those who cannot mount an immune response to vaccination. Channel News Asia: Amazon jumps into healthcare with telemedicine initiative The tech giant will be offering its in-house Amazon Care app that connects patients to healthcare service providers via the phone, to employers in the US. The New York Times: Global warming’s deadly combination: Heat and humidity A new study suggests that large swaths of the tropics will experience dangerous living and working conditions if global warming isn’t limited to 1.5 degrees Celsius. EcoWatch: Is climate change making allergy season worse? These scientists think so Compared to the 1990s, today pollen seasons are starting 20 days sooner than they used to and at significantly higher concentrations – as much as 21% up. China Daily: Lawmakers, advisers call for set of TCM standards Top advisors in China are calling upon the government to establish a set of assessment and approval standards tailored to evaluate the efficacy and quality of TCM products. The Straits Times (Insight): Singapore’s healthcare subsidy changes a step in the right direction But more tweaks can be done, especially for older Singaporeans with only basic MediShield Life coverage. Healthbytes The best foods for boosting your immune system Source: Medical News Today A strong immune system helps to keep a person healthy. In times like these, what foods can we eat to boost the immune system and improve the body’s ability to fight off infections?