Category: 8. Health

  • GLP-1 Therapy for Obesity Requires Substantial Nutritional Framework, Multidisciplinary Support, Joint Advisory Warns

    GLP-1 Therapy for Obesity Requires Substantial Nutritional Framework, Multidisciplinary Support, Joint Advisory Warns

    “Glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists and combination medications (hereafter collectively referred to as GLP-1s) are shifting the treatment landscape for obesity. However, real-world challenges and limited clinician and public knowledge on nutritional and lifestyle interventions can limit GLP-1 efficacy, equitable results, and cost-effectiveness.”1


    As the use of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1s) continues to grow for management of overweight and obesity, an increasingly bright light is revealing that pharmacotherapy alone is not sufficient to achieve long-term weight loss success. Although the medications, which include semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy) and tirzepatide (Mounjaro, Zepbound) have shown weight loss ranging from 5% to 18% in clinical trials, the real-world impact is often more modest, with high rates of discontinuation,2 nutritional deficiencies, and weight regain.3 A new joint advisory from 4 leading professional organizations underscores the urgent need for comprehensive, patient-centered care that integrates nutrition, behavioral support, and lifestyle medicine to optimize the therapeutic potential of GLP-1s.1

    ©K KStock/stock.adobe.com

    The advisory, titled “Nutritional Priorities to Support GLP-1 Therapy for Obesity,” was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition and coauthored by representatives from the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, the American Society for Nutrition, the Obesity Medicine Association, and The Obesity Society. It calls on clinicians to go beyond prescription-writing and actively engage patients in structured, evidence-based programs that support healthful eating, physical activity, and psychosocial well-being.1

    The Role of Comprehensive Support

    GLP-1s are effective in promoting weight loss and offer additional benefits for conditions such as cardiovascular disease,4 heart failure,5 obstructive sleep apnea,6 chronic kidney disease,7 and in more recent studies, substance use disorders. However, therapy often comes with gastrointestinal side effects, including nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, that can reduce appetite and compromise nutrient intake, the guideline authors stressed. As a result, patients may experience fatigue, hair loss, skin issues, poor wound healing, or muscle and bone loss, largely due to inadequate consumption of protein, vitamins, and minerals.1

    These physiological risks are compounded by behavioral and socioeconomic factors. Disordered eating patterns, low health literacy, food insecurity, and limited access to high-quality foods all interfere with adherence to nutritional guidelines. Furthermore, many clinicians have little time during routine visits to offer meaningful lifestyle counseling, and reimbursement mechanisms for health coaching and nutrition therapy remain limited.1

    “All these challenges may be partially mitigated by an evidence-based, structured lifestyle program, particularly around food, when prescribing GLP-1s for obesity,” advisory authors said. “However, practical guidance for clinicians to implement such an approach is limited.”

    The financial barriers8 to overall success of GLP-1 therapy cannot be overlooked, the authors emphasize. Annual costs for GLP-1s can exceed $16,000, even with rebates or compounded formulations, and recent studies suggest they are not yet cost-effective relative to their impact on long-term health outcomes.1

    Patient-Centered Framework

    To guide clinicians, the advisory proposes a structured approach built on the 5As framework: assess, advise, agree, assist, and arrange. This model supports ongoing dialogue, goal setting, and care coordination throughout the treatment journey. Eight key nutritional priorities are outlined to support patients using GLP-1s:

    1. Initiation with a Patient-Centered Plan
      Treatment should begin with shared decision-making, realistic goal setting, and alignment with patients’ values and health priorities.
    2. Baseline Nutritional Assessment and Screening
      A comprehensive evaluation of eating behaviors, psychosocial factors, body composition, and food security provides critical context for individualized care.
    3. Management of Gastrointestinal Side Effects
      Strategies include modified dose titration, dietary modification, and education on symptom management to maintain adequate nutrient intake, especially protein.
    4. Navigation of Dietary Preferences and Intake
      Shifts in taste or food tolerance reported with GLP-1 therapy require adaptive counseling to support the continued consumption of nutrient-dense, minimally processed foods.
    5. Prevention and Mitigation of Nutrient Deficiencies
      Monitoring and supplementation of key nutrients—particularly iron, B vitamins, calcium, and vitamin D—are essential, especially when intake is reduced.
    6. Preservation of Muscle and Bone Mass
      Incorporating resistance training and focusing on sufficient protein intake help mitigate the loss of lean body mass during weight reduction.
    7. Maximizing Weight Loss Efficacy
      Behavioral support, physical activity, and personalized nutrition increase adherence and enhance pharmacologic effects.
    8. Promotion of Other Lifestyle Measures
      Sleep quality, stress management, social support, and substance use cessation all contribute to better outcomes.

    Team-Based Care, Emerging Tools

    Given the time constraints in most primary care settings, successful implementation of this framework will depend in part on multidisciplinary collaboration, the advisory said. Referrals to community professionals, including registered dietitians and nutritionists, behavioral therapists, case managers, and social workers can help enhance behavior continuity and reinforce lifestyle strategies. Other strategies the advisory outlines include group medical visits, digital platforms, and telehealth services, which can all augment patient engagement and accountability.

    Equity is a critical consideration. The advisory calls for systemic changes to improve access to medical nutrition therapy and behavioral health services, especially for marginalized communities. The expansion of “Food as Medicine” programs and culinary literacy initiatives may also bridge gaps in care.

    Research Needs and The Future

    The advisory authors are clear that additional research in the field of obesity medicine is essential. The field still lacks standardized language and diagnostic criteria for clinical and preclinical obesity, as well as data on the long-term impact of nutritional interventions in patients using GLP-1s, they wrote. Among other important investigations, future research should explore how dietary patterns influence endogenous GLP-1 activity, how best to maintain weight loss after medication discontinuation, and how to scale effective behavioral interventions across diverse populations.

    GLP-1s represent a powerful tool in the treatment of obesity, but their potential is best realized when embedded in a robust, personalized plan that prioritizes nutrition, movement, and behavioral health, the group concluded. Clinicians prescribing these agents should ensure that every patient receives tailored guidance before, during, and after treatment that is supported by a multidisciplinary team. Integrating lifestyle medicine not only mitigates side effects and nutrient deficits, but also helps sustain functional health and weight loss long-term.


    References
    1. Mozaffarian D, Agarwal M, Alexander L, et al. Nutritional priorities to support GLP-1 therapy for obesity: a joint Advisory from the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, the American Society for Nutrition, the Obesity Medicine Association, and The Obesity Society. Am J Clin Nutrition. 2025;122:344-367. doi:10.1016/j.ajcnut.2025.04.023
    2. Halsey G. High Discontinuation Rates of GLP-1 RA-Based Drugs Linked to Weight Loss Far Below Phase 3 Clinical Trials. Patient Care. June 12, 2025. https://www.patientcareonline.com/view/high-discontinuation-rates-of-glp-1-ra-based-drugs-linked-to-weight-loss-far-below-phase-3-clinical-trials
    3. Jennings S. Tirzepatide Demonstrates Sustained Weight Loss but Discontinuation Results in Weight Regain: SURMOUNT-4 Trial, Patient Care. December 13, 2025. https://www.patientcareonline.com/view/tirzepatide-demonstrates-sustained-weight-loss-but-discontinuation-results-in-weight-regain-surmount-4-trial
    4. Halsey G. Oral semaglutide lowers risk of MACE 14% in high-risk adults: Final phase 3 SOULD trial readout. Patient Care. March 31, 2025. https://www.patientcareonline.com/view/oral-semaglutide-lowers-risk-of-mace-14-in-high-risk-adults-final-phase-3-soul-trial-readout
    5. Halsey G. Semaglutide 2.4 mg significantly reduces HF symptom burden, body weight in adults with HFpEF and obesity. Patient Care. August 25, 2023. https://www.patientcareonline.com/view/semaglutide-2-4-mg-significantly-reduces-hf-symptom-burden-body-weight-in-adults-with-hfpef-and-obesity
    6. Patient Care Editorial Staff. FDA approves tirzepatide as first drug for obstructive sleep apnea with obesity. Patient Care. December 20, 2024. https://www.patientcareonline.com/view/fda-approves-tirzepatide-as-first-drug-for-obstructive-sleep-apnea-with-obesity
    7. Jennings S. Tirzepatide improves heart failure symptoms and renal function in people with obesity, CKD. Patient Care. April 11, 2025. https://www.patientcareonline.com/view/tirzepatide-improves-heart-failure-symptoms-and-renal-function-in-people-with-obesity-ckd
    8. Halsey G. Cost of semaglutide, tirzepatide prohibitive despite significant benefits. Patient Care. March 14, 2025. https://www.patientcareonline.com/view/cost-of-semaglutide-tirzepatide-prohibitive-despite-significant-benefits

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  • Roflumilast Foam 0.3% Effective for Scalp, Body Psoriasis in Phase 3 Trial

    Roflumilast Foam 0.3% Effective for Scalp, Body Psoriasis in Phase 3 Trial

    Melinda J. Gooderham, MD

    Credit: LinkedIn

    A phase 3 study presented at the SDPA Annual Summer Dermatology Conference in Washington, DC, from June 25 to June 29th, demonstrated the effectiveness of once-daily roflumilast foam 0.3% over 8 weeks for psoriasis of the scalp and body.1

    “Patients reported improvements in symptoms, as well as a reduction in how psoriasis symptoms impacted daily life,” wrote investigators, led by Melinda J. Gooderham, MD, from SKiN Centre for Dermatology in Canada.

    Common topical therapies for psoriasis, such as corticosteroids and calcineurin inhibitors, may lead to adverse events. For instance, corticosteroids may cause systemic adverse events, such glaucoma and loss of vision, growth retardation in infants and children, among others.2 Calcineurin inhibitors can result in a burning or stinging sensation, which should only last for about 15 – 20 minutes; this adverse event can occur after applying the topical and should settle down within the first week of use.3

    Along with the adverse events, topical therapies for psoriasis also have limitations on duration of use and restrictions for use in thin-skinned areas, depending on the topicals’ strength. Moreover, patients may experience application difficulties that could reduce their adherence.

    In ARRECTOR, a phase 3, randomized, parallel-group, double-blind, vehicle-controlled, multicenter trial evaluated once-daily roflumilast foam 0.3% for 8 weeks in children aged ≥ 12 years and adult patients with psoriasis of the scalp and body. Roflumilast, a PDE4 inhibitor formulated as a water-based foam or cream, does not contain skin-irritating ethanol, propylene glycol, or fragrances.

    The primary endpoints included Scalp-Investigator Global Assessment (S-IGA) and Body-Investigator Global Assessment (B-IGA) success at week 8. S-IGA success was indicated by scores 0 (clear) and 1 (almost clear), along with a ≥ 2 grade improvement from baseline when rated from clear (0) to severe (4). B-IGA success was a score of 0/1 plus ≥ 2 grade improvement from baseline when rated from clear (0) to severe (4).

    Secondary endpoints included the proportion of patients with 0 or 1 on SI/WI-NRS, which measured itch on a scale of 0 (no itch) to 10 (worst itch imaginable), and PSSI-75 and PSSI-100, referring to ≥ 75% and 100% reduction in PSSI, respectively. Other secondary endpoints included PSD, a validated 16-item questionnaire evaluating itch, pain, and scaling; scalpDex, a validated 23-item survey assessing the quality of life in patients with scalp dermatitis; and DLQI. Investigators also assessed safety and application-site tolerability.

    Eligibility criteria included having at least moderate scalp and mild body psoriasis, BSA ≤ 25% (≤ 20% non-scalp BSA), PSSI ≥ 6, ≥ 10% scalp involvement, and PASI ≥ 2. Participants were randomized 2:1 to receive roflumilast foam 0.3% (n = 281) or vehicle foam (n = 151%) for 8 weeks.

    The arms had similar demographic and baseline disease characteristics, with most patients (81.9%) previously using topical corticosteroids for psoriasis of the scalp and body. The roflumilast foam and vehicle foam arm had a mean age of 48.6 and 45 years, 54.1% and 60.3% females, respectively. Both arms at baseline had a mean S-IGA of 3.1 and a B-IGA of 2.8.

    The analysis showed patients well-tolerated roflumilast foam 0.3%, which was consistent with safety outcomes reported in previous trials of roflumilast cream 0.3% in patients with psoriasis. Treatment-related adverse events (TEAEs) were mild or moderate in the roflumilast (96%) and vehicle (92%) arms, with 5.7% and 2% considered related to the study treatment, respectively.

    The most common TEAEs were headache, diarrhea, COVID-19, and nausea. Discontinuations due to TEAEs were similar between the arms: roflumilast (n = 5; 1.8%) and vehicle (n = 2; 1.3%).

    At week 8, significantly more patients on roflumilast achieved S-IGA success, B-IGA success, SI-NRS/WI-NRS 0/1, PSSI-75/100, and improvement in PROs, compared with the control arm (P < .0001). Furthermore, investigators observed improvements in patient-reported Scalpdex and PSD component scores with roflumilast as early as week 2 and continued through week 8.

    “This is also in line with significant improvement (P<0.05) in scalp itch (SI-NRS) and worst itch (WI-NRS) previously observed within 24 hours after the first application of roflumilast foam 0.3%,” investigators concluded.

    References

    1. Gooderham M, Alonso-Llamazares J, Bhatia N, et al. Roflumilast Foam 0.3% in Patients with Psoriasis of the Scalp and Body: Improvements in Patient-Reported Outcomes in the ARRECTOR Trial. Presented at 2025 SDPA in Washington DC from June 25 – June 29th.
    2. 2 Dhar S, Seth J, Parikh D. Systemic side-effects of topical corticosteroids. Indian J Dermatol. 2014 Sep;59(5):460-4. doi: 10.4103/0019-5154.139874. PMID: 25284850; PMCID: PMC4171913.
    3. Topical Calcineurin Inhibitors (TCIs). Eczema Society. https://eczema.org/information-and-advice/treatments-for-eczema/topical-calcineurin-inhibitors/. Accessed July 8, 2025.

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  • Innovative liquid biopsy test uses RNA to detect early-stage cancer

    Innovative liquid biopsy test uses RNA to detect early-stage cancer

    Liquid biopsies are tests that detect signs of cancer through a simple blood draw. Unlike traditional biopsies, which require removing a piece of tissue, a liquid biopsy typically looks for mutations or modification changes in fragments of DNA from cancer cells circulating in the blood. While liquid biopsies are a promising, non-invasive way to detect and monitor cancer as it progresses, they aren’t as sensitive or accurate for the early stages of disease.

    Researchers at the University of Chicago have now developed a more sensitive liquid biopsy test that uses RNA instead of DNA for detecting cancer. Using blood samples from patients with colorectal cancer, the test was able to detect the earliest stages of the disease with 95% accuracy, vastly improving on current, commercially available, non-invasive testing methods.

    Challenges to early diagnosis

    When tumor cells die, they disintegrate and release particles of genetic material into the bloodstream. Standard liquid biopsies rely on this floating DNA, called circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) to detect cancer. In the early stages of disease when tumor cells are still growing and thriving, however, there isn’t very much cfDNA in the bloodstream.

    “That has been a major challenge for early diagnosis. You just don’t have enough tumor DNA released into the blood,” said Chuan He, PhD, the John T. Wilson Distinguished Service Professor of Chemistry and Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at UChicago. “That was a challenge for us and everyone else to do early diagnosis of colon cancer, so we decided to look at RNA instead.” Dr. He is the senior author of the new study, published this week in Nature Biotechnology.

    RNA is a transitional form of genetic code that copies and carries out instructions from DNA to produce proteins that cells need. Analyzing RNA is a good proxy for genetic activity, because the presence of RNA means that cells are busy doing things and building proteins.

    For the new study, graduate student Cheng-Wei Ju and Li-Sheng Zhang, PhD, a former postdoc in Dr. He’s lab who is now a faculty member at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, began to investigate the possibility of using circulating cell-free RNA (cfRNA), instead of cfDNA, for the diagnosis and detection of cancer.

    Measuring the simple abundance of RNA molecules in the blood isn’t always reliable, however, because amounts can vary greatly depending on the timing and preparation of samples. Dr. He’s lab specializes in studying the biological functions of RNA modifications, chemical changes made to RNA molecules that alter their activity.  So, for the new study, the researchers focused on analyzing RNA modification levels in blood samples, which remain relatively stable no matter how much RNA is present. For example, if an RNA transcript is modified by 30%, that percentage remains that the same whether it is measured on 100 or 1,000 copies.

    Detecting changes in the microbiome

    The team worked with samples from colorectal cancer patients provided by gastroenterologist and longtime collaborator Marc Bissonnette, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine at UChicago. To their surprise, not only were they able to measure modifications on cfRNA from human cells, but they were also able to detect RNA from gut microbes as well. Billions of bacteria coexist with us inside the digestive system, and in the presence of a cancerous tumor, their activity changes too.

    Drawing on previous research in plants, Dr. He and his team knew that RNA modification levels reflect an organism’s state: the more active the organism, the more modifications are made to certain RNAs to sustain that activity. This same pattern was observed in the colorectal cancer samples as well.

    “We found that RNA released from microbes has substantial differences between cancer patients versus healthy individuals,” Dr. He said. “In the gut when you have a tumor growing, the nearby microbiome must be reshaped in response to that inflammation. That affects the nearby microbes.”

    The microbiome population also turns over much more quickly than human cells, with more cells dying more often and releasing RNA fragments into the bloodstream. This means that a test measuring modifications on microbial RNA can detect possible cancerous activity much earlier than tests that rely on DNA released by human tumor cells.

    Commercial tests that measure DNA or RNA abundance in the stool are about 90% accurate for later stages of cancer, but their accuracy drops below 50% for early stages. The new RNA modification-based test was almost 95% accurate overall, and also accurate at the earliest stages of cancer.

    “This is the first time RNA modifications have been used as a potential biomarker for cancer, and it looks to be much more reliable and sensitive compared to RNA abundance,” Dr. He said. “Being able to detect the cancer at those early stages is unprecedented.”

    The study, “Modifications of microbiome-derived cell-free RNA in plasma discriminates colorectal cancer samples,” was supported by the Ludwig Center for Metastasis at the University of Chicago, the Rolfe Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, the Hong Kong Research Grants Council, and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

    Additional authors include Ruitu Lyu, Han Li, Jiangbo Wei, Urszula Dougherty, Akushika Kwesi, Alexander Luna, Xuanhao Zhu, Xiaolong Cui, Bochen Jiang, Yiyi Ji, Peng Xia, Diana C. West-Szymanski, Chenxi Sun, Yuhao Zhong, Chang Ye, Angelica Moran, Christopher Lehmann, and Eric Pamer from UChicago; Alberto J. Parra Vitela from Advocate Lutheran General Hospital; Shenghai Shen from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology; Yunzheng Liu from the California Institute of Technology, Liangliang Wang from the Chinese Academy of Sciences; Yuzhi Xu from New York University; and  Wei Zhang from Northwestern University.


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  • Healthy plant-based diet ilinked with reduced risk of inflammatory bowel disease

    Healthy plant-based diet ilinked with reduced risk of inflammatory bowel disease

    A large prospective study published in Molecular Nutrition and Food Research reveals that a healthy plant-based diet is linked with a reduced risk of inflammatory bowel disease.

    For the study, 143,434 individuals in the UK reported on their dietary intake. During an average follow-up of 14.5 years, 1,117 participants developed inflammatory bowel disease-795 cases of ulcerative colitis and 322 cases of Crohn’s disease.

    A healthy plant-based diet was associated with an 8% lower risk of ulcerative colitis, and a 14% lower risk of Crohn’s disease. An unhealthy plant-based diet was associated with a 15% higher risk of Crohn’s disease, with results suggesting that this was in part due to higher intake of vegetable oils and animal fats. Fruits and vegetables were identified as protective factors against inflammatory bowel disease.

    Blood analyses suggested that the benefits seen in this study might be explained by the anti-inflammatory properties of plant-based foods.

    Our research indicates that a healthy plant-based diet may protect against inflammatory bowel disease, with its anti-inflammatory properties playing a key role.”


    Zhe Shen, MD, corresponding author of the Zhejiang University School of Medicine, China

    Source:

    Journal reference:

    Jin, Z., et al. (2025). Healthy Plant‐Based Diet Is Associated With a Reduced Risk of Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Large‐Scale Prospective Analysis. Molecular Nutrition & Food Research. doi.org/10.1002/mnfr.70151.

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  • Understanding alzheimer’s: Four distinct progression routes

    Understanding alzheimer’s: Four distinct progression routes

    By mapping millions of real patient health records, UCLA scientists have uncovered four unique and predictable routes to Alzheimer’s, reshaping how we detect, understand, and potentially prevent the condition.

    Study: Identifying common disease trajectories of Alzheimer’s disease with electronic health records. Image credit: Vitalii Vodolazskyi/Shutterstock.com

    University of California, Los Angeles researchers identified four distinct pathways leading to Alzheimer’s disease. The study is published in eBioMedicine.

    Background

    Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by memory loss, cognitive decline, and difficulty performing daily activities. The prevalence of AD and AD-related dementia is steadily increasing worldwide. In the United States, over 6.7 million people live with these conditions, which is projected to reach 13 million by 2050.

    Several risk factors have been identified for AD, including cardiovascular disease, hearing loss, depression, diabetes, traumatic brain injury, and physical inactivity. Developing preventive, diagnostic, and therapeutic strategies for AD requires an in-depth understanding of how these risk factors co-occur and in what sequence they emerge, rather than analyzing individual risk factors. 

    Evaluation of the timing and sequence of potential risk factors is particularly important for accurate AD risk prediction and identification of effective time frames for applying preventative measures or treatments. This study used millions of electronic health records to identify disease pathways that sequentially progress toward AD.

    The Study

    The researchers analyzed health data from 24,473 patients in the University of California Health Data Warehouse. They validated the findings in the nationally diverse All of Us Research Program, a diverse, nationally representative cohort.   

    After filtering out diagnoses that were not positively associated with subsequent AD, researchers identified 5,762 patients who contributed 6,794 unique disease trajectories of AD. Disease trajectory is defined as a sequence of health events over time occurring irregularly and encompassing diagnoses, medications, procedures, and laboratory tests. Each trajectory included at least three temporally ordered diagnoses, and many patients were found to follow more than one distinct disease path, with up to three trajectories per individual.

    Researchers mapped the temporal relationships between diagnoses leading to AD using advanced computational methods, including dynamic time warping, a method for comparing time series with irregular timing, k-means clustering, and network analysis.     

    Key findings

    The study identified four distinct disease trajectories leading to AD. These trajectories were: a mental health trajectory representing psychiatric conditions leading to cognitive decline; an encephalopathy trajectory representing brain dysfunctions that escalate over time; a mild cognitive impairment trajectory representing gradual progression of cognitive decline; and a vascular disease trajectory representing cardiovascular conditions contributing to dementia risk.

    Each pathway had characteristic demographic features, comorbidity patterns, and progression rates, suggesting different progression trajectories for different populations.

    The mental health trajectory focusing on depressive episode (F32) mainly affected women and Hispanic people and progressed to AD.  The mild cognitive impairment trajectory showed the progression from mild cognitive impairment (G31.84) to AD, and the vascular disease trajectory exhibited the longest electronic health record histories and the highest comorbidity burden, which highlights the chronic nature of cerebrovascular disease.

    The encephalopathy trajectory was associated with the most rapid progression to AD and subsequent death, highlighting a more aggressive disease course. The study further found that the encephalopathy cluster showed the shortest interval from the first disease indicator to AD diagnosis, and from AD diagnosis to death, suggesting a faster disease course in that subgroup.

    The presence of shared vascular risk factors such as hypertension across multiple trajectories indicates that these distinct disease progression pathways may be associated with common pathophysiological mechanisms. These findings highlight the importance of considering and managing shared risk factors to prevent the progression of multiple disease pathways to AD.

    The study found consistent directional ordering for approximately 26% of diagnostic progressions regarding directionality of relationships within these trajectories. For example, essential hypertension is frequently followed by depressive episodes, which then progress to AD, suggesting a potential causal sequence.

    The validation of study findings in the All of Us Research Program highlighted the generalizability of these trajectories across diverse populations and healthcare settings. These progression trajectories were found to predict the risk of AD more accurately than individual risk factors.

    As researchers suggest, healthcare professionals can use these trajectories to identify high-risk patients early, develop targeted interventions, and restrict harmful consequences.

    The study used causal inference modeling (Greedy Equivalence Search) to identify likely directional links between diagnoses within each trajectory. The encephalopathy cluster showed more consistent directional relationships (42.9%), indicating a more substantial potential for causal interpretation in this group.

    The researchers also constructed simplified “backbone” networks to highlight the most common disease sequences within each trajectory, using modularity-based pruning to reduce noise and emphasize dominant patterns.

    Study significance

    The study provides a comprehensive framework for identifying distinct and interconnected disease progression routes that lead to AD. This approach can be applied in different clinical settings to improve risk assessment, timely diagnosis, and targeted interventions. Healthcare professionals should consider the cumulative impact of sequential disease progression while assessing AD risk.

    The distinct trajectories identified in the study suggest that AD may develop through multiple pathways. The identification of specific risk factors such as depression, cerebrovascular disease, and other neurodegenerative conditions that often precede AD by several years provides opportunities for early intervention.

    The dataset analyzed in the study excluded patients older than 90 years, which may restrict the generalizability of its findings to the population with a high prevalence of AD. Furthermore, health data was collected from six academic health systems in California, which may limit representativeness relative to population-based samples.

    Potential misclassifications of AD patients in electronic health records may affect the study findings. Given this concern, researchers advise interpreting these trajectories as pathways leading to clinically diagnosed AD rather than biologically confirmed AD, which would require biomarkers for amyloid or tau pathology. Some diagnostic codes like “unspecified dementia” may reflect temporary or transitional clinical labels, highlighting the real-world complexity of disease classification in health records.

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  • Major autism study uncovers biologically distinct subtypes, paving the way for precision diagnosis and care

    Major autism study uncovers biologically distinct subtypes, paving the way for precision diagnosis and care

    Researchers at Princeton University and the Simons Foundation have identified four clinically and biologically distinct subtypes of autism, marking a transformative step in understanding the condition’s genetic underpinnings and potential for personalized care.

    Analyzing data from over 5,000 children in SPARK, an autism cohort study funded by the Simons Foundation, the researchers used a computational model to group individuals based on their combinations of traits. The team used a “person-centered” approach that considered a broad range of over 230 traits in each individual, from social interactions to repetitive behaviors to developmental milestones, rather than searching for genetic links to single traits.

    This approach enabled the discovery of clinically relevant autism subtypes, which the researchers linked to distinct genetic profiles and developmental trajectories, offering new insights into the biology underlying autism. Their results were published July 9 in Nature Genetics.

    “Understanding the genetics of autism is essential for revealing the biological mechanisms that contribute to the condition, enabling earlier and more accurate diagnosis, and guiding personalized care,” said senior study author Olga Troyanskaya, director of Princeton Precision Health, the Maduraperuma/Khot Professor of Computer Science and the Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics at Princeton, and deputy director for genomics at the Center for Computational Biology of the Simons Foundation’s Flatiron Institute.

    Princeton University reserachers Aviya Litman, Olga Troyanskaya and Chandra Theesfeld are among the co-authors of a major study on autism subtypes and their underlying genetics. Photo by Denise Applewhite, Office of Communications

    The study defines four subtypes of autism — Social and Behavioral Challenges, Mixed ASD with Developmental Delay, Moderate Challenges, and Broadly Affected. Each subtype exhibits distinct developmental, medical, behavioral and psychiatric traits, and importantly, different patterns of genetic variation.

    • Individuals in the Social and Behavioral Challenges group show core autism traits, including social challenges and repetitive behaviors, but generally reach developmental milestones at a pace similar to children without autism.  They also often experience co-occurring conditions like ADHD, anxiety, depression or obsessive-compulsive disorder alongside autism. One of the larger groups, this constitutes around 37% of the participants in the study.
    • The Mixed ASD with Developmental Delay group tends to reach developmental milestones, such as walking and talking, later than children without autism, but usually does not show signs of anxiety, depression or disruptive behaviors. “Mixed” refers to differences within this group with respect to repetitive behaviors and social challenges. This group represents approximately 19% of the participants.
    • Individuals with Moderate Challenges show core autism-related behaviors, but less strongly than those in the other groups, and usually reach developmental milestones on a similar track to those without autism. They generally do not experience co-occurring psychiatric conditions. Roughly 34% of participants fall into this category.
    • The Broadly Affected group faces more extreme and wide-ranging challenges, including developmental delays, social and communication difficulties, repetitive behaviors and co-occurring psychiatric conditions like anxiety, depression and mood dysregulation. This is the smallest group, accounting for around 10% of the participants.

    “These findings are powerful because the classes represent different clinical presentations and outcomes, and critically we were able to connect them to distinct underlying biology,” said Aviya Litman, a Ph.D. student at Princeton and co-lead author.

    Distinct genetics behind the subtypes

    For decades, autism researchers and clinicians have been seeking robust definitions of autism subtypes to aid in diagnosis and care. Autism is known to be highly heritable, with many implicated genes.

    “While genetic testing is already part of the standard of care for people diagnosed with autism, thus far, this testing reveals variants that explain the autism of only about 20% of patients,” said study co-author Jennifer Foss-Feig, a clinical psychologist at the Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and vice president and senior scientific officer at the Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative (SFARI). This study takes an approach that differs from classic gene discovery efforts by identifying robust autism subtypes that are linked to distinct types of genetic mutations and affected biological pathways.

    For example, children in the Broadly Affected group showed the highest proportion of damaging de novo mutations — those not inherited from either parent — while only the Mixed ASD with Developmental Delay group was more likely to carry rare inherited genetic variants. While children in both of these subtypes share some important traits like developmental delays and intellectual disability, these genetic differences suggest distinct mechanisms behind superficially similar clinical presentations.

    “These findings point to specific hypotheses linking various pathways to different presentations of autism,” said Litman, referring to differences in biology between children with different autism subtypes.

    Moreover, the researchers identified divergent biological processes affected in each subtype. “What we’re seeing is not just one biological story of autism, but multiple distinct narratives,” said Natalie Sauerwald, associate research scientist at the Flatiron Institute and co-lead author. “This helps explain why past genetic studies often fell short — it was like trying to solve a jigsaw puzzle without realizing we were actually looking at multiple different puzzles mixed together. We couldn’t see the full picture, the genetic patterns, until we first separated individuals into subtypes.”

    Autism biology unfolds on different timelines

    The team also found that autism subtypes differ in the timing of genetic disruptions’ effects on brain development. Genes switch on and off at specific times, guiding different stages of development. While much of the genetic impact of autism was thought to occur before birth, in the Social and Behavioral Challenges subtype — which typically has substantial social and psychiatric challenges, no developmental delays, and a later diagnosis — mutations were found in genes that become active later in childhood. This suggests that, for these children, the biological mechanisms of autism may emerge after birth, aligning with their later clinical presentation.

    “By integrating genetic and clinical data at scale, we can now begin to map the trajectory of autism from biological mechanisms to clinical presentation,” said co-author Chandra Theesfeld, senior academic research manager at the Lewis-Sigler Institute and Princeton Precision Health.

    A paradigm shift for autism research

    This study builds on more than a decade of autism genomics research led by Troyanskaya and collaborators, supported by the Simons Foundation and the U.S. National Institutes of Health, and most recently by Princeton Precision Health, an interdisciplinary initiative launched in 2022. It is enabled by the close integration of interdisciplinary expertise in genomics, clinical psychology, molecular biology, computer science and modeling, and computational biology — with experts from Princeton Precision Health, the Flatiron Institute and SFARI.

    “The Princeton Precision Health initiative uses artificial intelligence and computational modeling to integrate across biological and clinical data,” said Jennifer Rexford, Princeton University provost and Gordon Y.S. Wu Professor in Engineering. “This initiative could not exist without the University’s charitable endowment. Our investments allow experts to collaborate across a range of disciplines to conduct transformative research that improves human health, including the potential for major advances in the diagnosis and treatment of autism made possible in this exciting project.”

    “It’s a whole new paradigm, to provide these groups as a starting point for investigating the genetics of autism,” said Theesfeld. Instead of searching for a biological explanation that encompasses all individuals with autism, researchers can now investigate the distinct genetic and biological processes driving each subtype.

    This shift could reshape both autism research and clinical care — helping clinicians anticipate different trajectories in diagnosis, development and treatment. “The ability to define biologically meaningful autism subtypes is foundational to realizing the vision of precision medicine for neurodevelopmental conditions,” said Sauerwald.

    While the current work defines four subtypes, “this doesn’t mean there are only four classes,” said Litman. “It means we now have a data-driven framework that shows there are at least four — and that they are meaningful in both the clinic and the genome.”

    Looking ahead

    For families navigating autism, knowing which subtype of autism their child has can offer new clarity, tailored care, support and community. “Understanding genetic causes for more individuals with autism could lead to more targeted developmental monitoring, precision treatment, and tailored support and accommodations at school or work,” said Foss-Feig. “It could tell families, when their children with autism are still young, something more about what symptoms they might — or might not — experience, what to look out for over the course of a lifespan, which treatments to pursue, and how to plan for their future.”

    Beyond its contributions to understanding autism subtypes and their underlying biology, the study offers a powerful framework for characterizing other complex, heterogeneous conditions and finding clinically relevant disease subtypes. As Theesfeld put it: “This opens the door to countless new scientific and clinical discoveries.”


    The paper, “Decomposition of phenotypic heterogeneity in autism reveals underlying genetic programs,” was published July 9 in Nature Genetics. In addition to Litman, Sauerwald, Foss-Feig, Theesfeld and Troyanskaya, co-authors include LeeAnne Green Snyder of the Simons Foundation, Christopher Y. Park and Yun Hao of the Flatiron Institute, and Ilan Dinstein of Ben Gurion University of the Negev, who contributed to the study during a sabbatical at the Simons Foundation. The research was supported in part by the U.S. National Institutes of Health and the Simons Foundation.

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  • Landmark Study Shows Ultromics’ EchoGo® Amyloidosis Significantly Improves Detection of Cardiac Amyloidosis with Echocardiography

    Landmark Study Shows Ultromics’ EchoGo® Amyloidosis Significantly Improves Detection of Cardiac Amyloidosis with Echocardiography

    • Cardiac amyloidosis is an often-missed, life-threatening cause of heart failure. As new disease-modifying therapies emerge, timely and earlier diagnosis is critical.
    • EchoGo® Amyloidosis is the first FDA-cleared AI screening tool for cardiac amyloidosis using an echocardiogram and has received Breakthrough Device designation from the FDA.
    • Study results demonstrate accuracy of EchoGo® Amyloidosis in detecting cardiac amyloidosis, with strong performance across AL, ATTRwt, and ATTRv subtypes.

    OXFORD, England, July 9, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — A large-scale, multi-center international study published in the European Heart Journal has shown that EchoGo® Amyloidosis, an AI-powered tool developed by Ultromics, significantly improves the screening of cardiac amyloidosis from a standard echocardiogram. It is the first FDA-cleared AI tool for this condition and has also received Breakthrough Device designation from the FDA.

    Researchers from Ultromics and Mayo Clinic, with investigators at The University of Chicago Medicine and collaborators around the world, validated and tested the model in a large and multiethnic patient population, and compared its performance to conventional diagnostic methods.

    The findings demonstrate that EchoGo® Amyloidosis is highly accurate, achieving 85% sensitivity and 93% specificity.1 The model performed consistently well across all major cardiac amyloidosis subtypes, and crucially distinguished the disease from phenotypically similar conditions such as hypertensive heart disease, HFpEF, and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, conditions that often contribute to missed or delayed diagnosis.1

    “EchoGo® Amyloidosis is a breakthrough tool that can help us identify at-risk patients so they can receive the treatment they need,” said Ross Upton, CEO and Founder of Ultromics. “It uses deep learning to analyze a single routine echocardiography videoclip to deliver insights, helping clinicians decide when further investigation is needed. Early identification is critical in guiding access to therapies that are most effective when initiated at earlier stages of disease.”

    Cardiac Amyloidosis: An Urgent Clinical Challenge

    Cardiac amyloidosis is a serious and often underdiagnosed cause of heart failure, driven by abnormal amyloid protein deposits, either light chain (AL) or transthyretin-derived (ATTRwt and ATTRv), that stiffen the heart and impair its function. Symptoms often mimic those of other cardiac conditions, making diagnosis challenging. As many as two-thirds of cases may be missed clinically. 2-4 Early diagnosis is crucial, as new drug therapies such as Tafamidis are now available that can slow or halt disease progression.5

    The condition is especially difficult to identify in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), a common but diagnostically complex subtype of heart failure. Studies suggest that an estimated 15% of HFpEF patients may have underlying cardiac amyloidosis,6 a hidden burden that often goes unrecognized.

    Study Design and Key Findings

    The clinical study evaluating EchoGo® Amyloidosis followed a rigorous two-phase process:

    • Development & Optimization Phase: Conducted at Mayo Clinic using 9,786 patients, including 1,349 biopsy-confirmed cardiac amyloidosis (CA) cases and 1,263 matched controls, to train and refine the deep learning model.
    • External Validation Phase: Conducted across 2,719 patients at 18 global centers, where the AI was independently tested against gold-standard diagnostic criteria

    The external validation cohort included a broad range of institutions including The University of Chicago Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, University of Pennsylvania, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, University of Washington, Hospital of the University of Occupational and Environmental Health (Japan), Instituto do Coração – INCOR (Brazil), ICBA and Centro Privado de Cardiología (Argentina), The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, NorthShore University HealthSystem, University of Virginia Medical Center, Boston University, MedStar Health Research Institute, University of Leicester (UK), and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

    EchoGo® Amyloidosis was trained using apical 4-chamber echocardiographic video clips and validated against established diagnostic benchmarks, including biopsy and Tc-PYP imaging.

    The AI demonstrated high diagnostic performance, achieving 85% sensitivity and 93% specificity, indicating its ability to detect cardiac amyloidosis accurately from a single routine echocardiogram.1

    EchoGo® Amyloidosis demonstrated strong performance across all major subtypes of cardiac amyloidosis, with sensitivities of 84% for AL, 85% for ATTRwt, and 86% for ATTRv.

    In a high-risk subgroup of HFpEF patients with increased wall thickness, EchoGo® Amyloidosis maintained strong diagnostic performance, demonstrating potential utility in one of the most diagnostically challenging settings in cardiovascular care.1

    In comparative analysis, EchoGo® Amyloidosis outperformed two validated clinical scoring systems, the Transthyretin Cardiac Amyloidosis Score (TCAS) and the Increased Wall Thickness Score (IWT). The AI model demonstrated an AUC of 0.921, significantly exceeding TCAS (0.74) and IWT (0.80) in diagnostic accuracy.1

    Decision curve analysis showed EchoGo® Amyloidosis identified 36.4% more true positive cases and reduced unnecessary referrals by 6.9% compared to the next best method.1

    “EchoGo® Amyloidosis achieved high diagnostic accuracy across a broad spectrum of patients and clinical environments,” said Patricia A. Pellikka, MD, Vice Chair, Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Mayo Clinic, and senior author of the study. “In our subgroup analysis of older adults with HFpEF, where diagnosis is particularly challenging, the model not only maintained strong performance but also significantly outperformed traditional clinical and transthoracic echo-based screening methods. These results highlight its potential to improve early detection, reduce diagnostic uncertainty, and enhance patient care.”

    “Current approaches to detecting cardiac amyloidosis on echocardiography often rely on markers that are either unreliable in contemporary clinical settings or time-consuming to implement consistently across high-volume echocardiography laboratories,” said Jeremy A. Slivnick, MD, co-author and Assistant Professor at The University of Chicago Medicine. “With its ability to provide fully automated detection of cardiac amyloidosis using a single apical 4-chamber view, EchoGo® Amyloidosis offers a practical alternative that can be seamlessly integrated into routine workflows without compromising diagnostic performance.”

    EchoGo® Amyloidosis is FDA-cleared and currently in use across multiple U.S. centers. It is part of Ultromics’ growing AI portfolio, which also includes EchoGo® Heart Failure, an FDA-cleared device designed to aid in the detection of HFpEF, reimbursable under Medicare and commercial payer pathways, including Category III CPT Code 0932T for outpatient use and NTAP (XXE2X19) coverage for inpatient settings. Both tools operate through the EchoGo® platform, delivering diagnostic and clinical decision support from standard echocardiographic video clips, while integrating seamlessly into existing workflows to enable timely, informed care.

    Ultromics continues to advance the field of cardiovascular imaging by integrating AI and deep learning into everyday practice. Its mission is to support earlier detection, smarter triage, and broader access to therapies that are most effective when introduced at earlier stages of disease.

    Full study: https://academic.oup.com/eurheartj/article-lookup/doi/10.1093/eurheartj/ehaf387

    About Ultromics

    Ultromics is a pioneering health technology company founded at the University of Oxford, dedicated to transforming cardiac care through AI-powered echocardiography. Its flagship product under the EchoGo® platform applies advanced artificial intelligence to routine ultrasound scans, helping clinicians detect heart disease earlier and more accurately, starting with HFpEF and cardiac amyloidosis. With multiple FDA-cleared solutions, including the first AI screening tool for cardiac amyloidosis, Ultromics is setting new standards for real-world clinical integration of AI in cardiovascular imaging. The company collaborates with world-leading institutions, including Mayo Clinic, Pfizer, and Janssen Biotech, Inc. (a Johnson & Johnson Company), to accelerate innovation and improve outcomes for patients globally. Learn more at ultromics.com.

    Website: www.ultromics.com

    References

    [1] Slivnick, Hawkes et al., Eur Heart J (in press).
    [2] González-López E, et al., Eur Heart J. 2015;36:2585–94.
    [3] Hahn VS, et al., JACC Heart Fail. 2020;8:712–24.
    [4] AbouEzzeddine OF, et al., JAMA Cardiol. 2021;6:1267–74.
    [5] Maurer MS, et al., N Engl J Med 2018;379:1007–16.
    [6] Hahn VS et al, JACC Heart Fail. 2020;8:712–724.

    Photo:         https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2727632/Ultromics.jpg
    Infographic: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2727633/Ultromics_Central_Graphic_Infographic.jpg

    SOURCE Ultromics

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  • CDC moves to monthly reporting for H5N1 bird flu in people – Feedstuffs

    1. CDC moves to monthly reporting for H5N1 bird flu in people  Feedstuffs
    2. CDC declares bird flu emergency over as experts warn of possible fall resurgence  Fox News
    3. Thousands of Lancaster County birds impacted by Avian Influenza  ABC27
    4. Illinois dairy herds still clean of HPAI; CDC ends emergency response  Brownfield Ag News
    5. CDC streamlines bird flu and influenza reporting  American Hospital Association

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  • Usually Harmless Virus May Trigger Parkinson’s Disease, Study Finds

    Northwestern Medicine researchers discovered the Human Pegivirus in 50% of Parkinson’s cases they looked at. There is currently no test for the virus, but the study opens up avenues for more research. Other public health news is on autism, Alzheimer’s, prediabetes, and more.

    CBS News:
    A Virus Might Trigger Or Contribute To Parkinson’s Disease, Northwestern Medicine Researchers Find 

    New research from Northwestern Medicine has discovered that a virus that is usually harmless could trigger or contribute to Parkinson’s disease. Parkinson’s disease is a neurogenerative disease that affects more than 1 million people in the U.S. Speaking to CBS News Chicago on Tuesday afternoon, Northwestern Medicine chief of neuroinfectious diseases and global neurology Dr. Igor Koralnik said while some cases are caused by genetics, the cause is unknown in most. (Saavedra and Harrington, 7/8)

    On autism and Alzheimer’s —

    Medical Xpress:
    Major Autism Study Uncovers Biologically Distinct Subtypes, Paving The Way For Precision Diagnosis And Care

    Researchers at Princeton University and the Simons Foundation have identified four clinically and biologically distinct subtypes of autism, marking a transformative step in understanding the condition’s genetic underpinnings and potential for personalized care. (7/9)

    San Francisco Chronicle:
    Stanford Test Shows Organ Age, Links ‘Old’ Brain To Alzheimer’s Risk

    A team of Stanford scientists has developed a tool that can determine from a blood test whether a person’s brain, heart or other organs appear “younger” or “older” than their chronological age, according to new research. Additionally, the scientists found that older-appearing organs are associated with a higher risk of developing a disease or other complication in that organ. Of most interest, though, was the brain: An “extremely aged” brain was associated not only with an increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, but a 182% increased risk of dying in the next 15 years. (Allday, 7/9)

    In other health and wellness news —

    ABC News:
    1 In 3 Teens Have Prediabetes, New CDC Data Shows

    An estimated 1 in 3 teens and preteens, ages 12 to 17, have prediabetes, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC data means an estimated 8.4 million young people — or 32.7% of the U.S. adolescent population — had prediabetes in 2023, the most recent data available. With prediabetes, blood sugar levels are higher than normal but not high enough for a Type 2 diabetes diagnosis. (Benadjaoud, 7/9)

    Bloomberg:
    Covid-19 Variant Nimbus Dominant In US As Vaccine Access In Flux

    A new Covid-19 variant, officially known as NB.1.8.1 and nicknamed Nimbus, is now the most common strain in the US, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC said it is “aware of increasing detections” of Nimbus in the US, where it monitors spread of the virus through nasal and wastewater samples collected via its airport screening program. Nimbus makes up between 13% and 68% of circulating Covid strains, according to a spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services. (Amponsah, 7/8)

    CIDRAP:
    Experimental Flu Drug May Protect Better Than Flu Vaccines, Company Data Show

    A new influenza drug that lasts for an entire flu season may outperform flu vaccines, according to the results of a large phase 2b trial highlighted in a news release by the drug’s manufacturer, Cidara Therapeutics of San Diego. Single doses of 150 milligrams (mg), 300 mg, and 450 mg provided 58%, 61%, and 76% protection from symptomatic flu, respectively, for about 6 months after injection, according to the data, which has been submitted to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). (Wappes, 7/8)

    KFF Health News:
    Listen To The Latest ‘KFF Health News Minute’

    Katheryn Houghton reads the week’s news: The Trump administration is cutting some programs intended to prevent gun violence, and seniors who don’t sign up for Medicare at age 65 can be on the hook for medical bills, even if they still have health insurance through work. … Jackie Fortiér reads the week’s news: Gatherings called “memory cafés” can help both people with dementia and their caregivers reduce depression and isolation, and the looming end of some Affordable Care Act subsidies will make ACA plans much more expensive. (Cook, 7/8)


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