Feedback Loops in Healthcare - An Example

At Massive Health we've been talking a lot about feedback loops, behaviour change and chronic disease. Now let's talk about a technology change that could enable a real shift in the care of one particular disease: heart disease.

We know that heart disease is the biggest killer of people worldwide. We also know that there is a huge impact that can be had through lifestyle change. So what's missing? A feedback loop.

What do you feel when a bowl of pasta urges your body to manufacture loads of triglycerides? Nothing.

What do you feel when abnormally high levels of (inflammatory) insulin is coursing through your veins? Nothing.

As the pounds creep on, and you develop metabolic syndrome (pre-diabetes), what does your body tell you? Worse than nothing: You crave a bowl of pasta to jumpstart your low energy.

Sounds like your body has it in for you.

So where do you get the data you need to make positive change? It's in your veins.

All that pasta is going to slowly increase your insulin resistance over time, and you'll see it in your fasting blood glucose. That invisible inflammation? Check your CRP levels. The expanding cushion around your midsection? You'll see your triglycerides stay elevated.

The problem is that most people will never have such thorough blood work done, and those who do will get their numbers checked perhaps annually. Why? It's expensive and time consuming to draw several vials of blood and run all the labs. Frankly, your physician doesn't have the time or inclination to look at the data so frequently either.

That's all going to change. As more complex blood tests become as simple as a glucose test (just a single finger prick), and the costs begin to drop, these tests - and the data they produce - will be in the hands of normal people.

Imagine if you could get a full do-it-yourself cardiac panel for $10, and get your results in 10 minutes: you could test your blood weekly. You'd have between 50 and 100x more data about your body and what affects it. (!!!!!!!!!!!!)

But data is just half the problem. Once you have all that data, you still need to make meaning of it...

Want to make investments in healthcare?
Next-gen diagnostics = 10-100x more data.
Next-gen software = meaning, from that data.

NB: Yes, Massive Health is in the second group, and we're partnering with companies in the first one.