Ayah Bdeir’s Post

Proud to have led this amazing project to determine the top 10 social determinats of health leading to cardiovascular disease outcomes across a sea of hidden data from thousands of published scientific studies as my last legacy contribution at the Novartis Foundation. AI holds a huge potential to unlock value for populations around the world and improve the patient outcomes and experience. Innovation is all around us, yet mostly hidden in invisible layers... #healthtech #LLM #AI

Cardiovascular diseases are one of the most burdensome health threats globally, accounting for nearly 20 million lives lost each year. One of the major challenges is the complex range of factors that can lead to or exacerbate someone’s risk. These include natural and built environments, social and economic contexts, genetic factors, individual behaviors, and pre-existing conditions. Each of these factors not only affect cardiovascular disease but are also interrelated and context dependent. In other words, cardiovascular diseases are a complex system. Today we're excited to share the first results of our collaboration with the Novartis Foundation to model and better understand that system. Leveraging the System Graph and System's AI, teams at the Novartis Foundation were able to quickly synthesize vast amounts of data and understand and quantify the direct and indirect relationships between thousands of social, environmental, biological, and behavioral determinants and cardiovascular health outcomes. In combination with local data, the results from this project are contributing to developing new population health roadmaps. AI4HealthyCities is led by Peter Speyer and the AI4HealthyCities Global Expert Council is co-chaired by Michelle Williams, Joan and Julius Jacobson Professor of Epidemiology and Public Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Ann Aerts, Head of the Novartis Foundation.

"Day one of the first international conference on Long COVID suggested: Pieces of the virus appear to be persisting for several years in long-COVID and perhaps in recovered patients. It’s not clear, though, that they are causing long COVID. We should know more about that in the not-too-distant future as numerous trials are underway that are attempting to wipe out the virus in long COVID. Multidimensional studies that include both the immune system and hormones – are exceedingly rare in long COVID – but appear to be more effective than studies that focus entirely on the immune system. The long COVID field might want to take a note from the ME/CFS field and check out the HPA axis and cortisol more. Monocytes – a virtually unexplored area of focus in ME/CFS until quite recently – are showing up big time in both ME/CFS and long COVID. The only study to assess long COVID patients who met the criteria (CCC) for ME/CFS found “striking” changes in monocytes. The focus on the spike protein that infects cells is understandable in long COVID but given the similarities between long COVID and ME/CFS and other post-infectious diseases which do not feature the coronavirus, researchers need to “go beyond the spike” and look deeper. Small parts of the immune system -such as monocyte subsets – that might have been missed in ME/CFS or long COVID could have major implications for the diseases – and if, found, could move the field forward quickly. Most immune dysregulations that show up say 8 months later in long COVID disappeared two years later even in people for whom long COVID persisted. Instead of smushing them together in one study, the long COVID field needs to differentiate the different types of long COVID present. The RECOVER Initiative could make a big impact here. Despite the bad press that the NIH’s RECOVER Long COVID Initiative has received it got excellent reviews from several presenters. Let’s not count RECOVER out just yet." https://lnkd.in/e39XBgBH

Resistance training is a safe and effective exercise that improves cardiovascular health and reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease. The American Heart Association highlights its benefits for individuals with and without heart conditions. It positively impacts traditional risk factors like high blood pressure and cholesterol, as well as nontraditional factors like insulin resistance, inflammation, and arterial stiffness. Unfortunately, less than one-third of US adults engage in the recommended resistance training activities. The scientific statement provides strategies to promote and prescribe resistance training to individuals of different health statuses. Paluch AE, Boyer WR, Franklin BA, Laddu D, Lobelo F, Lee DC, McDermott MM, Swift DL, Webel AR, Lane A; on behalf the American Heart Association Council on Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Health; Council on Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology; Council on Clinical Cardiology; Council on Cardiovascular and Stroke Nursing; Council on Epidemiology and Prevention; and Council on Peripheral Vascular Disease. Resistance Exercise Training in Individuals With and Without Cardiovascular Disease: 2023 Update: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2024 Jan 16;149(3):e217-e231. doi: 10.1161/CIR.0000000000001189. Epub 2023 Dec 7. PMID: 38059362. #personaltraining #clinicalexercisephsyiology #exercisereferral #strengthtraining #exerciseismedicine

American Heart Association Stroke Journal: Exciting new research published in the Stroke Journal has shed light on the discrepancies in stroke burden across European regions and countries. The objective of this analysis was to evaluate the stroke burden in 2019 and compare it to 2010. Using the GBD 2019 analytical tools, the researchers evaluated regional and country-specific estimates of stroke incidence, prevalence, deaths, and disability-adjusted life years. The results were analyzed at a regional, subregional, and country level. The findings revealed that in the European Union with its 53 member countries (EU-53), there was a 2% increase in the absolute number of incident strokes from 2010 to 2019, with a total of 1,802,559 new cases. Similarly, the number of prevalent strokes increased by 4% during the same time period. In the European Union with its 28 member countries (EU-28), the number of prevalent strokes and stroke-related deaths increased by 4% and 6% respectively. However, the all-stroke age-standardized mortality rates decreased significantly by 18% in EU-53 and 15% in EU-28. Despite these positive trends, there were still significant discrepancies between countries. The age-adjusted incidence, prevalence, mortality, and disability-adjusted life year rates remained higher in EU-53 compared to EU-28, with rates being 1.4×, 1.2×, 1.6×, and 1.7× higher respectively. This research highlights the need for targeted interventions and strategies to address the variations in stroke burden across European regions and countries. By understanding these discrepancies, healthcare professionals and policymakers can work towards improving stroke prevention, treatment, and overall outcomes for patients. #StrokeResearch #EuropeanHealthcare #HealthDisparities #PublicHealth #epidemiology #StrokePrevention #StrokeTreatment #EuropeanUnion #HealthcareDisparities #ResearchFindings #HealthcareInterventions #HealthcarePolicy #HealthcareOutcomes

Professor Paula Lorgelly, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences and School of Business,  "The authors of this paper argue that we need to improve evidence generation in order “to take Long COVID seriously, improve outcomes, and avoid the risks of misdiagnosis and inappropriate treatment”. A better estimate of prevalence could indeed help, but given patients are being gaslit and struggling to get diagnosed with little treatment options available, and certainly no specialist clinics in Aotearoa, understanding the impact of Long COVID beyond its prevalence will allow the Ministry of Health, healthcare providers and other agencies to take Long COVID seriously.” Emeritus Professor Warren Tate FRSNZ CNZM, Department of Biochemistry, University of Otago “The call not to divert precious funding towards Long COVID and away from other needs – while having vaildity – ignores the fact that for decades the collective group of post viral syndromes (#MECFS) has been poorly resourced, and the affected largely ignored. This new interest in Long COVID has benefits for those people who have been living with such debilitating conditions for many years. But the BMJ paper principle is important in that these affected people may have even less support if the focus is totally on #LongCOVID. But it would be a tragedy if those affected with Long COVID become another subgroup of the ‘missing millions’.” Dr Mona Jeffreys, Associate Professor (Research) in Epidemiology “These are useful reminders about how to carry out careful epidemiological investigations. “However, the authors do not appear to have been informed by the #MyalgicEncephalomyelitis/ Chronic Fatigue Syndrome literature; they appear to prefer to focus on a set of pre-defined, persisting, single post-COVID symptoms, rather than considering Long COVID as a term for a syndrome or collection of symptoms which can fluctuate in presence/ absence as well as severity. “There is no evidence for the “unintended consequences” listed in the key messages box, these are not mentioned in the paper, and appear to be the authors’ impressions, rather than evidence-based statements. #PVFS

🚗🔊 Traffic noise, a novel risk factor for cardiovascular diseases Epidemiological studies have shown that traffic noise - such as road, rail, or aircraft noise - increases the risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, with high-quality evidence for the development of cardiometabolic diseases such as ischemic heart disease, heart failure, stroke, and diabetes. https://lnkd.in/e57XQAu3

The Miracles of the Gut Microbiome Part 3 What is the link between the gut microbiome and the immune system? We all have an innate and an adaptive immune response. The innate response goes straight to the site of infection and the adaptive response can target specific issues. In the case of the intestines, the gut microbiome is the first system to be presented with an incoming virus, and then the immune system (cytokines) activate the innate system which sets off mast cells, granulation and inflammation. These innate reactions can all cause us to feel lethargy, fever and swelling due to tissue damage. Debris is present in the area and so the immune macrophages and dendritic cells clear up the debris, but this is not targeted, so our immune system may ‘attack’ some of our own cells, which are being presented to the adaptive immune system, and so this is how autoimmune conditions may arise. The ‘bystander effect’ is when our tissue becomes an innocent bystander, and so you can see how the immune response is highly influenced by the gut microbiome, as T regulatory cells make ‘decisions’ upon what is deemed a pathogen, poison or problem and needs a diverse and beneficial microbiome to make the correct calls. ‘Molecular mimicry’ can happen whereby the immune system mistakes a food or pathogen for ‘self’ and autoimmune and IBD diseases are then driven, which can also cause secondary conditions such as depression. Taking a look at reflux disease and depression, for example, they have the same pathology, in that they are driven by a loss of resilience, due to low key strains of beneficial gut microbiome species. Some of the major causes of mortality, such as diabetes, obesity and heart disease are also related to severe mucosal dysfunction. To give an example of the mechanisms of action, when the HIV virus was able to proliferate the host and become AIDS it used gut lining mucosal dysfunction to accelerate the progression of the illness, and in more recent times, these pathways may also be why individuals with severe diabetes and chronic inflammation may have had more severe COVID related issues. 🙏🏼 Ref: The Total Gut Restoration Conference, Kiran Krishnan #LaylaGordon #SelfcareSeptember #October #trickortreat – #guthealth #digestivehealth #probiotics #gutmicobiome #IBS #LaylaGordon #nutritionist #NHS #privatepractice #guthealth #nutritionaltherapist #menshealth #healthyliving #fitlife #instahealth #wellbeing #selfcare #cortisol #guthealth #fermentedfoods #glutenfree #healthtips #nutrition #nutritioncoach #nutritioncoaching #nutritionist #nutritionmatters #nutritiontips Reda Lyle Simon H-C Kamwell

International Awareness Day for Chronic Immunological and Neurological Diseases is a crucial opportunity to shed light on conditions that significantly impact the lives of millions worldwide. These diseases encompass a broad spectrum of disorders affecting the immune system and neurological functions, often leading to long-term health challenges. Some of the most well-known chronic immunological diseases include autoimmune disorders like rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and multiple sclerosis. These conditions occur when the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy cells and tissues, leading to inflammation and tissue damage. On the other hand, chronic neurological diseases encompass conditions such as Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, and epilepsy, which affect the brain and nervous system, often resulting in cognitive impairment, movement disorders, and seizures. The causes of these diseases are complex often involving a combination of genetic predisposition, environmental factors, and dysregulation of the immune or nervous systems. While the exact triggers vary depending on the specific condition, factors such as genetics, infections, environmental toxins, and lifestyle choices may contribute to the development and progression of these diseases. Prevention strategies for chronic immunological and neurological diseases focus on promoting overall health and well-being, reducing risk factors, and managing underlying conditions. Some key preventive measures include: 1. Healthy Lifestyle Choices: Adopting a balanced diet, regular exercise routine, adequate sleep, and stress management techniques can support immune function and neurological health. 2. Avoiding Environmental Toxins: Minimizing exposure to environmental pollutants, chemicals, and toxins can help reduce the risk of triggering immune system dysfunction or neurological damage. 3. Vaccinations: Immunizations can prevent certain infections known to trigger autoimmune responses or neurological complications, thus reducing the risk of related diseases. 4. Early Detection and Treatment: Regular medical check-ups and screenings can help detect potential health issues early, allowing for prompt intervention and management to prevent progression or complications. 5. Managing Chronic Conditions: Effective management of underlying chronic conditions, such as diabetes, hypertension, or autoimmune disorders,can help reduce the risk of complications affecting the immune or nervous systems. 6. Supporting Research and Awareness: Supporting research initiatives, raising awareness, and advocating for improved access to healthcare resources can help advance our understanding of these diseases and facilitate the development of more effective treatments and interventions. By promoting awareness, fostering research, and implementing preventive measures,we can work towards reducing the burden of these conditions and improving the quality of life for those affected. #lightsalubrityinternational