Trending News Today: Walgreens, Microsoft Partner to Develop Digital Health Services

Walgreens and Microsoft will be partnering to research and develop new methods of delivering health care services through digital devices, Reuters reported. According to the article, the companies will focus on virtually connecting patients with Walgreens stores and providing services on therapeutic areas such as preventive self-care and chronic disease management. Walgreens said it will pilot up to 12 stores that will select health care-related digital devices in 2019, the article reported.

Women with an increased risk of developing breast cancer may reduce their chances by taking 1 of 3 prescription medications, the Los Angeles Times reported. According to the article, a recent draft recommendation released by the US Preventive Task Force added aromatase inhibitors anastrozole, exemestane, and letrozole as methods to prevent breast cancer. Despite offering more potent breast cancer prevention than previously recommended drugs, the medications also come with a risk for serious adverse effects, such as blood clots, and a higher likelihood of uterine or endometrial cancer, the article reported.

A new study suggests that even small amounts of marijuana may affect the brain of teens, even in those who have only used the drug 1 or 2 times, Reuters reported. According to the article, the researchers analyzed brain images from 46 teens who said they had used cannabis once or twice and 46 teens who had never used the drug. They found clear differences in brain scans between teens who had used marijuana versus the teens who not used the drug, the article reported. However, the researchers acknowledged that the study did not definitively prove that marijuana use led to the difference seen in the scans.