From smartphones to skincare, health is showing up where consumers already spend their time.
Everyday devices unlock health diagnostics
Google researchers published new findings showing smartphones can estimate heart rate by detecting subtle changes in facial blood flow through the front-facing camera.
- The system requires no smartwatch, ring, or additional hardware. A passive approach, it turns routine screen time into a cardiovascular health check.
- While wearable users skew young, affluent, and health-conscious, the global distribution of diagnostic-equipped smartphones could reach populations underserved by preventative care.
As health data becomes abundant, the next wave of preventative health is unlocking better outcomes by meeting people where they already are.
Midi Health expands into skincare
The women’s telehealth company launched a lineup of prescription-grade topicals designed to address hormone-related skin changes during menopause and midlife.
The products join Midi’s growing portfolio, which now includes menopause care, metabolic health, musculoskeletal support, supplements, and hormone therapy.
As women’s health expands beyond treating symptoms, companies like Midi are embedding care into everyday habits and building broader relationships with patients over time.
People are taking mental healthcare into their own hands
A survey of 18K Americans found people with depression increasingly combine cannabis, supplements, GLP-1s, online communities, gaming, reading, and other lifestyle interventions alongside traditional care.
Dubbed the “Self-Medication Generation,” younger adults especially are assembling their own treatment path, but the trend spans generations.
Expanding the definition of mental healthcare, research, telehealth, AI, communities, and wellness habits are giving consumers more ways to experiment outside traditional clinical settings.
