Health
‘Smart mask’ could detect asthma, COPD and other medical conditions, researchers say
Your breath could hold clues to your health, researchers say — and they have developed a “smart mask” to tap into them.
Wei Gao, professor of medical engineering at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in Pasadena, led the team that created the EBCare, a mask that analyzes the chemicals in someone’s breath to detect any existing health issues.
The mask is designed to screen for medical conditions like respiratory infections, COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), asthma and post-COVID infections, according to a press release from Caltech.
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EBCare works by cooling the breath to convert it into a liquid, then transports it to sensors to be analyzed for specific biomarkers.
Researchers have developed a “smart mask” (pictured at left) to detect signs of medical conditions. (Caltech/Wei Gao and Wenzheng Heng; iStock)
In an email to Fox News Digital, lead researcher Gao noted the mask’s ability to enable “continuous, real-time monitoring of exhaled breath condensate (EBC) in a non-invasive and wearable format.”
“This technology has the potential to revolutionize the way we monitor respiratory health by providing valuable insights into conditions like asthma, COPD and other metabolic disorders,” Gao said, noting that it could be a path to more personalized health care.
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“It can also be applied to pandemic management by monitoring respiratory infections on a wide scale,” he added.
The ultimate goal is for the EBCare technology to go beyond respiratory diseases, Gao noted.
“As research progresses, we envision that the smart mask can be adapted to detect a wider range of biomarkers, including those related to metabolic, cardiovascular and infectious diseases,” he said.
This schematic shows the process by which the smart mask can detect chemicals in the breath, such as nitrite, which is an indicator of airway inflammation. (Caltech/Wei Gao and Wenzheng Heng)
A study of the mask’s capabilities included 31 healthy adults who wore the EBCare in real-life settings over a 14-hour span, according to Caltech. They only removed the mask for three-minute intervals to eat.
Ten of the participants were smokers, 10 had asthma, nine had COPD and 12 had recently recovered from COVID-19.
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The masks accurately detected the biomarker for asthma and COPD in participating patients. They also successfully detected signs of kidney disease.
EBCare also produced accurate readings of blood alcohol levels.
“Monitoring alcohol levels in real time offers a non-invasive and continuous alternative to breathalyzers or blood tests,” Gao said.
“We would need to see at least a few clinical studies demonstrating that the masks can diagnose better — or more rapidly or with more sensitivity — than the standard of care.”
The research — which was funded by the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, the Tobacco Related Disease Research Program, and the U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity — was published in the journal Science on Aug. 29.
The idea is not for the smart mask to replace traditional medical diagnosis, but to provide “early warning” through continuous health monitoring during daily activities and to “bridge the gap” between doctor’s visits, Gao said.
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“The goal is to identify subtle physiological changes before they develop into more severe conditions, giving individuals the opportunity to take proactive steps in managing their health,” he said.
This is especially important for those who need regular monitoring, such as patients with chronic conditions or those recovering from respiratory infections like COVID-19, according to Gao.
The mask (not pictured) is designed to screen for medical conditions like respiratory infections, COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), asthma and post-COVID infections. (iStock)
“I recommend that health care providers consider integrating real-time EBC analysis technology into their diagnostic and monitoring practices, especially for chronic conditions like asthma and COPD,” he said.
“For individuals, the ability to monitor one’s health non-invasively through a wearable device offers the opportunity to be more proactive in managing personal health, which can lead to early intervention and better health outcomes.”
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MarkAlain Déry, DO, MPH, infectious disease doctor and chief innovation officer at Access Health Louisiana, who was not involved with the development of the smart mask, agreed that it is an “exciting concept.”
“Could it work? Sure,” he told Fox News Digital.
Wei Gao, professor of medical engineering at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, led the team that created the EBCare mask. (Caltech)
“However, we would need to see at least a few clinical studies demonstrating that the masks can diagnose better — or more rapidly or with more sensitivity — than the standard of care,” he went on.
“Then, we would need studies that demonstrate clinical improvement.”
Potential limitations
Some external doctors not involved in the mask’s development questioned whether this mode of data collection is beneficial.
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“While the mask introduces an innovative method to monitor exhaled breath condensate (EBC), we need to ask an important question: Do these continuous, real-time measurements genuinely make a difference in everyday life?” said Dr. Brett Osborn, a Florida neurosurgeon, in a conversation with Fox News Digital.
“For the average person, the biomarkers it detects — ammonium, pH, nitrite and alcohol — do not need constant monitoring, especially when routine blood tests can provide this information more accurately and with greater relevance.”
“For the average person, the biomarkers it detects … do not need constant monitoring, especially when routine blood tests can provide this information more accurately and with greater relevance,” a doctor said. (iStock)
Osborn believes that the concept of the EBCare mask is better suited for “specific, high-stakes environments,” such as real-time monitoring of toxic gases in military or industrial settings.
“However, for the average person, especially in a post-pandemic world, the idea of wearing a mask like this is counterproductive,” he said.
Dr. John W. Ayers, PhD, vice chief of innovation in the Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health at the University of California San Diego, also questioned the idea of having patients with asthma or COPD — who already experience breathing difficulties — wear the masks.
“For the average person, especially in a post-pandemic world, the idea of wearing a mask like this is counterproductive.”
The lead researcher, Gao, responded to some of these comments.
“While routine blood tests are indeed reliable, they are typically periodic and require a clinical setting, which limits their ability to capture dynamic, day-to-day physiological changes,” he told Fox News Digital.
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“The real innovation of the EBCare mask lies in its ability to continuously monitor health in real time, offering insights that might not be detectable with intermittent tests.”
For individuals managing chronic conditions like asthma, COPD or metabolic disorders, fluctuations in certain biomarkers can provide early warning signs, according to the researchers. (iStock)
For individuals managing chronic conditions like asthma, COPD or metabolic disorders, fluctuations in certain biomarkers can provide early warning signs before symptoms worsen, allowing for timely intervention, according to the researcher.
Gao, however, did acknowledge some limitations with the EBCare device.
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“One limitation was the relatively small sample size in some of the clinical trials, particularly for conditions like COPD and asthma,” he told Fox News Digital.
“Future studies with larger and more diverse populations will help to further validate the device’s performance across a broader range of conditions and environments.”
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There has been a shake-up in the Make America Healthy Again movement regarding glyphosate, a widely used herbicide that has been the subject of significant controversy.
The debate follows an executive order signed by President Donald Trump that ensures an adequate supply of elemental phosphorus and glyphosate-based herbicides related to national defense.
MAHA supporters have previously pushed a pesticide-free agenda, warning of potential health harms caused by glyphosate.
Dr. Marc Siegel, Fox News senior medical analyst, said he believes there is sufficient evidence linking glyphosate to neurodegenerative diseases, including ALS, Parkinson’s and multiple sclerosis, to warrant limiting exposure.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order that ensures an adequate supply of elemental phosphorus and glyphosate-based herbicides related to national defense. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
“With Parkinson’s, this association appears to be due to the gut, vagus nerve and brain axis, where the exposure affects the microbiome in the gut, which then ascends slowly up to the brain, causing the neurodegenerative disease years later,” Siegel told Fox News Digital.
“There is also a growing association being found between high-dose glyphosate or occupational exposure and metabolic disorders, liver disease and some cancers, specifically lymphoma.”
He added, “Growing research backs this. I favor limiting it.”
“When we apply them across millions of acres and allow them into our food system, we put Americans at risk.”
Studies have shown that glyphosate, which is used in products such as Roundup, owned by Monsanto, could raise cancer risk.
In one University of Washington study published in the journal Mutation Research, researchers found that exposure to it increased the risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma by 41%.
The nonprofit Investigate Midwest, which analyzed data from both the U.S. Geological Survey and the National Cancer Institute, also recently found that pesticides may contribute to cancer rates.
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Among the top 500 counties for per-square-mile pesticide use, more than 60% had cancer rates above the national average of 460 cases per 100,000 people, according to the report.
Investigate Midwest, which is based in Illinois, interviewed more than 100 farmers, environmentalists, lawmakers and scientists as part of a partnership with the Pulitzer Center’s StoryReach U.S. Fellowship.
Among the top 500 counties for per-square-mile pesticide use, more than 60% had cancer rates above the national average of 460 cases per 100,000 people, according to one study. (iStock)
Iowa, which used 53 million pounds of pesticides last year, holds the nation’s title for second-highest cancer rate.
Bill Billings, a resident of Red Oak, Iowa, was diagnosed with cancer in 2014.
“The cancer specialist said, very directly, (my) cancer is a result of being exposed to chemicals,” Billings said in the report.
Kelly Ryerson, founder of Glyphosate Facts and owner of the Instagram account @glyphosategirl, told Fox News Digital her journey researching the herbicide began with her own health struggles.
Ryerson, who is based in California, previously struggled with chronic illness and autoimmune issues, which she said improved when she stopped eating gluten.
Iowa, which used 53 million pounds of pesticides last year, holds the nation’s title for second-highest cancer rate. (iStock)
After attending a medical conference at Columbia University’s Celiac Disease Center, Ryerson began to question modern farming practices rather than the gluten itself.
“A lot of times, farmers are spraying Roundup on our grains right before harvest to facilitate an easier harvest,” she said. “After that easier harvest, because everything’s dry at the same time, those crops go directly to the mill and may end up in our food supply, at alarmingly high levels.”
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In 2015, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), part of the World Health Organization framework, classified glyphosate as “probably carcinogenic to humans.”
The classification was based on limited evidence of cancer in humans (notably non-Hodgkin lymphoma in some studies) and sufficient evidence in experimental animals.
“President Trump’s executive order reinforces the critical need for U.S. farmers to have access to essential, domestically produced crop protection tools, such as glyphosate,” a Monsanto spokesperson said. (Wolf von Dewitz/picture alliance via Getty Images)
A spokesperson for Monsanto told Fox News Digital it will comply with Trump’s order to produce glyphosate and elemental phosphorus.
“President Trump’s executive order reinforces the critical need for U.S. farmers to have access to essential, domestically produced crop protection tools, such as glyphosate,” the spokesperson said.
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HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has long been a vocal critic of Roundup, working with his legal team in 2018 to award $289 million to a man who alleged the weed killer caused his non-Hodgkin lymphoma, according to reports.
Following backlash to Trump’s executive order, Kennedy said he supports the order but acknowledged that “pesticides and herbicides are toxic by design, engineered to kill living organisms.”
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“When we apply them across millions of acres and allow them into our food system, we put Americans at risk,” he posted on X. “Chemical manufacturers have paid tens of billions of dollars to settle cancer claims linked to their products, and many agricultural communities report elevated cancer rates and chronic disease.”
Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment.
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Living near heavy traffic could negatively impact your heart health.
A European study, published in the journal Environmental Research, found that exposure to nighttime road traffic noise is linked to changes in the blood, leading to worsened cholesterol and cardiovascular risks.
The researchers considered data from the U.K. Biobank, Rotterdam Study, and Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966, including more than 272,000 adults over the age of 30, according to a press release.
Nighttime road noise exposure was estimated at all participants’ homes based on national noise maps. Researchers also took blood samples to measure the participants’ metabolic biomarkers for disease, then mapped the link between nightly noise levels and existence of biomarkers.
Exposure to loud noise was associated with increased concentrations of cholesterol-related biomarkers. (iStock)
The study found that people exposed to louder noise at night — especially sounds above 55 decibels — showed changes in 48 different substances in their blood. Twenty of these associations “remained robust” throughout all cohorts.
Exposure to loud noise was associated with increased concentrations of cholesterol-related biomarkers, especially LDL “bad” cholesterol, IDL (intermediate-density lipoprotein) and unsaturated fatty acids.
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As noise levels increased, starting at around 50 decibels, cholesterol markers rose steadily, the release stated.
The authors concluded that this study “provides evidence that nighttime road traffic noise exposure from 50 dB upward is associated with alterations in blood cholesterol and lipid profiles in adults.”
Researchers noted a link between traffic noise and cardiometabolic disease. (iStock)
Study co-author Yiyan He, doctoral researcher at the University of Oulu in Finland, noted that in this type of research, small effect sizes are expected, and environmental exposures such as traffic noise are “typically modest.”
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“Despite this, we observed statistically robust and consistent associations across many biomarkers, especially those related to LDL and IDL lipoproteins,” she told Fox News Digital.
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“We also identified a clear exposure-response pattern starting at around 50 dB, suggesting that metabolic changes become more evident as noise levels increase.”
This aligns with public health guidance, as the World Health Organization recommends lower nighttime noise limits at around 40 to 45 dB, Yiyan He added.
“This finding may clarify the association between traffic noise and cardiometabolic diseases,” the researchers wrote. (iStock)
“The 55 dB level is often used as an interim benchmark associated with substantial noise annoyance and sleep disturbance,” she said. “In our study, we observed associations not only at 55 dB, but also indications of effects emerging at around 50 dB.”
The strength and consistency of the cholesterol-related associations were surprising, as these changes are usually “subtle.”
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“Instead, we found consistent associations across multiple large European cohorts, which strengthens confidence that the findings may reflect real biological patterns,” Yiyan He went on. “We were also interested to see that effects were minimal below ~50 dB, suggesting a possible threshold-like pattern.”
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The researcher noted that these findings were consistent across genders, education levels and obesity status.
The study was restricted to White Europeans, which posed a limitation. There was also a lack of information on the fasting status in the UK Biobank.
Changes in cholesterol levels were more severe than researchers expected. (iStock)
“Fasting can influence levels of certain metabolites, particularly fatty acids,” Yiyan He said. “However, based on UK Biobank documentation, fewer than 10% of participants were fasting for at least eight hours, and our main findings focused on cholesterol-related biomarkers, which are generally less sensitive to short-term fasting.”
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The researchers also lacked information on bedroom location, indoor noise exposure and time spent at home.
“These factors may introduce non-differential exposure misclassification,” Yiyan He said. “Additionally, noise exposure estimates were based on participants’ temporary residential addresses at the time of blood sampling, without considering the duration of residence.”
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“Many of these limitations would tend to bias results toward the null, so the consistent associations we observed remain noteworthy.”
Experts recommend taking measures to limit traffic noise at night. (iStock)
Based on this latest research, Yiyan He noted that nighttime noise is a “health-relevant exposure,” not just “an annoyance.”
“Our findings suggest that nighttime traffic noise may subtly but consistently affect metabolic health,” she said. “While the changes in cholesterol and lipid levels for any one individual are small, traffic noise affects a very large number of people, which means the potential public health impact could be substantial.”
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The researcher recommends taking measures like improving sound insulation, using noise-reducing strategies and placing bedrooms on the quieter side of the home when possible.
“Because sleep is a key pathway linking noise to health, protecting the nighttime sleep environment is especially important,” she added.
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