‘Better Informed Than Any Doctor in the Country’: What We Heard This Week

“It can give you a second opinion that is much better informed than any doctor in the country.” — Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., appearing to suggest that patients should have more confidence in artificial intelligence (AI) than U.S. physicians.

“That’s a huge opportunity for AI.” — Stephanie Carlton, of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, on using AI to enhance preventive care during Medicare annual wellness visits.

“This is quite unusual because onycholysis cannot be related to weight loss.” — Bianca Maria Piraccini, MD, PhD, from the University of Bologna in Italy, who presented research showing that users of GLP-1 medications had a higher likelihood of nail detachment.

“And they bite.” — Jonathan Oliver, PhD, of the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, warning about lone star tick larvae swarms, otherwise known as “tick bombs.”

“It’s like me guaranteeing that you’ll be able to apply for American Ninja Warrior after a 2-day fitness camp — I’m not guaranteeing anything of actual value.” — Gideon Meyerowitz-Katz, PhD, from the University of Sydney in Australia, on an AI-powered “Research Boot Camp” promising a journal-ready manuscript in a single weekend.

“Age is just a number.” — Pallawi Torka, MD, of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City, discussing the considerations when treating diffuse large B-cell lymphoma in elderly or frail patients.

“It’s not just about wearing thicker glasses.” — Rupa Wong, MD, of the Honolulu Eye Clinic, discussing how severe near-sightedness has been linked to increased risks for cataracts, glaucoma, and other eye problems, amid efforts to formally classify myopia as a disease.

“The uncommon presentation of common diseases is certainly more common, in our experience, than the common presentation of uncommon diseases.” — Norman Saffra, MD, of Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City, on a case where a routine strep infection — typically seen in kids — triggered a rare eye condition in an adult.