All posts tagged: dosage

MIT scientists create pill capsule sensor to help doctors track missed doses

MIT scientists create pill capsule sensor to help doctors track missed doses

Published by Jenni Sidey

Missing a dose can feel small in the moment. But in transplant care, HIV, tuberculosis, and many heart conditions, a skipped pill can carry a heavy price. That gap between what a doctor prescribes and what a patient actually takes has long frustrated clinicians and families. Now MIT engineers say they have built a pill that can confirm, within minutes, that it was swallowed, then largely dissolves in the stomach. The new system is designed to fit inside existing pill capsules. It relies on radio frequency, a signal type that can be detected from outside the body and is considered safe for humans. The capsule stays quiet before you swallow it. After ingestion, it sends a confirmation signal. Most of its parts then break down in the stomach, while a tiny radio frequency chip passes through the digestive tract and exits the body. “The goal is to make sure that this helps people receive the therapy they need to help maximize their health,” said Giovanni Traverso, an associate professor of mechanical engineering at MIT, a …

Are you taking supplements correctly? Here’s a guide on their dosage limits | Well actually

Are you taking supplements correctly? Here’s a guide on their dosage limits | Well actually

Published by Sam Flores

There are more than 100,000 supplements on the US market – capsules, powders, tablets and gummies sold to improve or maintain health. Supplements can contain vitamins, minerals, botanicals and amino acids on their own or in various combinations. The consumption of these products is surging. But it’s a common misunderstanding that these products are entirely safe, says Dr Pieter Cohen, an internist and associate professor at Harvard Medical School. Excessive amounts of nutrients can cause health problems, so it’s critical to know whether you’re using the correct dosage of high-quality products. Here’s what experts say about navigating the world of supplements, and what happens if you take too much of some common ones. Choose supplements and dosage carefully Ideally, the nutrients we need come from the food we eat, says Dr Denise Millstine, director of integrative medicine at the Mayo Clinic Arizona. But that’s not always possible for various reasons, like a lack of access to nutritious foods or the effects of certain medications. “Some people may need a supplement; some people need to be …