CNN explores the fascinating science of sweat - On Vital Signs

HONG KONG, Dec. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- With rapid advancements in sweat diagnostics, CNN's Chief Medical Correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, explores how one of the body's most overlooked fluids has the potential to transform healthcare on Vital Signs. From monitoring diseases to enhancing mental wellness and advancing precision medicine, sweat is emerging as a powerful tool at the forefront of medical research.

At the University of California, San Diego, Professor Joseph Wang and his team have developed a touch-based fingertip sweat monitor capable of measuring levels of levodopa, a Parkinson's medication, directly from sweat. Their goal is to build a revolutionary "closed-loop" system that could assist physicians in precise medication dosage delivery, enabling patients to manage their symptoms more effectively.

Sweat is also revealing new biomarkers, many with a direct correlation to blood. Professor Wei Gao and his researchers from CalTech are embarking on groundbreaking work focusing specifically on how uric acid levels in sweat could help monitor and treat inflammatory diseases like gout, and potentially prevent debilitating attacks for patients. In Chicago, Professor John Rogers from Northwestern University, a pioneer in microfluidic wearable technology, enlists Sanjay to demonstrate two innovative sweat collection methods, highlighting how these advancements could one day become part of everyday healthcare, helping people to monitor their health conveniently from home.

Following a groundbreaking 2022 pilot study with over 1,000 firefighters which showed that sweat biomarkers could identify chemicals linked to depression and stress with 90% accuracy, researchers in Thailand are leveraging sweat analysis to screen individuals in other high-stress jobs. Researchers and doctors at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok have now shifted their focus to nurses in hospitals across Thailand. By analyzing sweat samples collected during their busiest shifts, researchers are uncovering new possibilities for consistent and objective mental health screening — a crucial advancement for frontline workers navigating immensely stressful situations.

Vital Signs trailer: https://bit.ly/49FicHM
Vital Signs images: https://bit.ly/3VIgfUZ

Airtimes for 30-minute special:
Saturday, 21^st December 4:30pm HKT
Sunday, 22^nd December 10am and 1:30pm HKT
Monday, 23^rd December 12am HKT

About CNN International  
CNN's portfolio of news and information services is available in seven different languages across all major TV, digital and mobile platforms, reaching more than 475 million households around the globe. CNN International is the number one international TV news channel according to all major media surveys across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, the Asia Pacific region, and Latin America and has a US presence that includes CNNgo. CNN Digital is a leading network for online news, mobile news and social media. CNN is at the forefront of digital innovation and continues to invest heavily in expanding its digital global footprint, with a suite of award-winning digital properties and a range of strategic content partnerships, commercialised through a strong data-driven understanding of audience behaviours. CNN has won multiple prestigious awards around the world for its journalism. Around 1,000 hours of long-form series, documentaries and specials are produced every year by CNNI's non-news programming division. CNN has 36 editorial offices and more than 1,100 affiliates worldwide through CNN Newsource. CNN International is a Warner Bros. Discovery company.

source: CNN International