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☆ Signs of Alzheimer’s were everywhere. Then his brain improved
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-18 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +16 min

Blood biomarkers of telltale signs of early Alzheimer’s disease in the brain of his patient, 55-year-old entrepreneur Simon Nicholls, had all but disappeared in a mere 14 months. “I don’t use the term ‘reverse.’ I don’t know what reverse means when it comes to the field of Alzheimer’s,” Isaacson said. ‘It was time to turn to my brain’Slowly, Nicholls’ heart condition began to improve, but the bad news didn’t end there. A brain scan found telltale signs of vascular damage in Nicholls’ brain, which occurs when the tiniest blood vessels are starved of oxygen. Not only was Nicholls blood negative for amyloid and tau, the test suggested that his brain amyloid might be normal, with no distinguishable signs of the disease.

Persons: Sanjay Gupta, Anderson Cooper ”, Richard Isaacson, Simon Nicholls, “, ”, Isaacson, “ Simon, ” Isaacson, Nicholls, ” Nicholls, Anderson Cooper, It’s, APOE4, Simon, ” Simon Nicholls, Sylver, Lewy, Richard Isaacson ‘, APOE ε4, “ I’ve, Isaacson doesn’t, “ I’m, Shocked, Dr, we’d, “ It’s, Salvadore, Richard Isaacson “, ‘ It’s, I’m Organizations: CNN, telltale, ” CNN, Boca Raton Locations: Boca Raton , Florida, New York City, Florida, Nature, Miami, Isaacson’s Florida, tirzepatide

☆ Patients Hate ‘Forever’ Drugs. Is Wegovy Different?
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-24 | by ( Gina Kolata | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Most people, study after study shows, don’t take the medicines prescribed for them. It doesn’t matter what they are — statins, high blood pressure drugs, drugs to lower blood sugar, asthma drugs. Either patients never start taking them, or they stop. Though it’s still early days, and there is a paucity of data on compliance with the new drugs, doctors say they are noticing another astounding effect: Patients seem to take them faithfully, week in and week out. A national survey showed that when people were told they would gain weight back if they stopped taking the drugs, most lost interest in starting them.

Persons: don’t, nonadherence, Wegovy, it’s

☆ Former FDA commissioner: GLP-1 drugs are a profound medical advance on par with statins
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-29 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailFormer FDA commissioner: GLP-1 drugs are a profound medical advance on par with statinsDr. Scott Gottlieb, former FDA commissioner, joins 'Power Lunch' to discuss how big the GLP-1 drugs are likely to be, what could make the drugs hard for insurance not to pay for, and much more.

Persons: statins Dr, Scott Gottlieb Organizations: Former, statins, FDA

☆ Wegovy Is Shown to Reduce Risk of Heart Attacks and Strokes in Some Patients
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-11 | by ( Dani Blum | More About Dani Blum | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A pivotal new study suggests that the weight loss drug Wegovy cut the risk of heart attack, stroke or death from cardiovascular issues by 20 percent among overweight or obese people with heart disease — a striking benefit that could change the standard of care for these patients. “We’ve just identified a new best practice,” said Dr. Clyde Yancy, chief of the division of cardiology at Northwestern Medicine, who was not involved with the study. Drug companies see potential for the medicines that extends far beyond obesity. Outside of statins, she said, no medication has so dramatically reduced cardiovascular risk among people with heart disease. “The uptake of this drug is going to be skyrocketing in the next couple of years,” she said.

Persons: “ We’ve, ”, Clyde Yancy, Yuan Lu Organizations: Northwestern Medicine, American Heart Association, Yale School of Medicine Locations: Philadelphia, statins

☆ Trial confirms heart benefits of Wegovy, but is weight loss responsible – or something else?
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-11 | by ( Meg Tirrell | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

To cardiologist Dr. Steven Nissen of the Cleveland Clinic, who wasn’t involved in the trial but is leading a similar one of tirzepatide, those effects are all evidence of the benefits of weight loss. Tirzepatide has shown greater levels of weight loss than semaglutide in clinical trials, leading many, including Nissen, to hope it will show even stronger cardiovascular benefits. Importantly, participants didn’t have a history of diabetes; a previous trial had shown that treating people with diabetes with a GLP-1 drug, Ozempic, reduced their cardiovascular risk. The Wegovy trial showed that 569 of 8,803 people taking the drug had a heart attack or stroke or died from heart-related causes, or 6.5%. The amount of weight loss seen in the trial, 9.4%, was less than in other studies of Wegovy, which showed average weight loss closer to 15%.

Persons: Ania Jastreboff, Wegovy, Dr, Amit Khera, National Institutes of Health’s Dr, Tiffany M, Powell, Wiley, Eli Lilly, Steven Nissen, wasn’t, ” Nissen, “, Tirzepatide, Nissen, Michael Lincoff, Lincoff, ”, Jastreboff, Sanjay Gupta, hadn’t, “ semaglutide Organizations: CNN, Nordisk’s Wegovy, American Heart Association, Yale Obesity Research Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center Dallas, National Institutes of Health’s, New England, of Medicine, US Food and Drug, Cleveland Clinic, Novo Nordisk, Cleveland, CNN Health Locations: Philadelphia, Powell

☆ Novo Nordisk says Wegovy heart benefits due to more than weight loss
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-11 | by ( Patrick Wingrove | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

A 0.25 mg injection pen of Novo Nordisk's weight-loss drug Wegovy is shown in this photo illustration in Oslo, Norway, September 1, 2023. REUTERS/Victoria Klesty/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsPHILADELPHIA, Nov 11 (Reuters) - Novo Nordisk (NOVOb.CO) on Saturday said the heart protective benefits of its wildly popular Wegovy obesity treatment are due to more than weight loss alone, according to new data presented at a major medical meeting on Saturday. Given that patients had not started losing weight when the cardiovascular benefits first appeared suggests the heart protection was not purely the result of weight loss, Novo said. Though the trial was not conducted to test weight loss, participants lost an average of nearly 10% of their total body weight. Novo said patients in the heart study were not required to track diet and exercise as they are in obesity trials.

Persons: Victoria Klesty, Wegovy, Novo, Martin Lange, Lange, Eli Lilly's, Patrick Wingrove, Bill Berkrot Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Novo Nordisk, American Heart Association, New England, of Medicine, Novo Nordisk's, U.S . Food, Drug Administration, Thomson Locations: Oslo, Norway, Victoria, Philadelphia, U.S, EU

Such forecasts have prompted a sell-off in a wide range of companies from makers of bariatric surgery devices to companies whose products address the health issues created by excess weight, from diabetes to sleep apnea. "The market is in a shoot-first, ask-questions-later mood when it comes to weight-loss drugs," said Nicholas Anderson, manager of the Thornburg International Growth Fund, which holds shares of Novo Nordisk. By contrast, the iShares U.S. Medical Devices exchange-traded fund has lost more than 22% in the last three months. Injectable weight-loss drugs, known as GLP-1 receptor agonists, are considered highly effective but are also expensive, costing more than $1,300 per month. "Overall, we'll see an increased interest in bariatric surgery, but that will get delayed in the short term."

Persons: Doctor Thomas Horbach, Wegovy, Nicholas Anderson, Eli Lilly, Kenneth Stein, Margaret Kaczor Andrew, William Blair, Michael Farrell, Jeff Jonas, Johnson, Myriam Curet, Ann Hynes, Hynes, David Gaffen, Manas, Michael Erman, Caroline Humer, Sonali Paul Organizations: Novo Nordisk, Healthcare, Growth Fund, Medical Devices, Boston, Gabelli Funds, Johnson, Reuters, Mizuho Securities, Manas Mishra, Thomson Locations: Germany, Munich, Danish, U.S, Boston, GLP, New York, Bengaluru

☆ Bank of America sees risks for employers as insurance coverage of weight loss drugs grows
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( Christina Cheddar Berk | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The eye-popping predictions for weight loss drug sales hinge on insurance companies agreeing to provide coverage of the pricey treatments, and momentum seems to be building on that front. The drugs include Novo Nordisk's semaglutide, which is sold as Ozempic for diabetes management and as Wegovy for weight loss. Unlike earlier generations of weight loss medicines, their side effects have been largely mild and included diarrhea, constipation and nausea. Higher hospital labor costs as well as GLP-1 medications are contributing to the biggest jump in health insurance costs since 2012, Lutz said. But those numbers will grow, especially as ongoing research continues to make the case for benefits beyond blood sugar control and weight loss.

Persons: Allen Lutz, Lutz, Lutz's, Savanta, Accolade, Eli Lilly, Mercer, Willis Towers Watson, Peter Verdult, Verdult, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: Bank of America, Accolade, Novo Nordisk's semaglutide, Food, Drug Administration, Citi, Nordisk, Centers for Disease Control Locations: U.S

☆ Will weight loss drugs lead to less food consumption? Here's what Walmart is saying
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( Christina Cheddar Berk | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

While there has been a huge gain, it is barely scratching the surface of the potential market. Some potential patients don't have coverage of the pricey medicines through their health insurance plans yet. (For example, those seeking to use GLP-1 drugs for obesity can't receive coverage if they are insured by Medicare as the federal health plan is not allowed to cover weight loss drugs.) Walmart told Bank of America that fiscal second-quarter sales benefited roughly 1% from GLP-1 drug sales volumes. Its stock has fallen 45% year to date on fears that these drugs will shrink the company's market potential.

Persons: John Rainey, Eli Lilly's Mounjaro, Eli Lilly, Morgan Stanley, Wells, Larry Biegelsen, Biegelsen, Daniel Lyons, Janus Henderson, Lyons, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: Wall Street, Nordisk's Wegovy, Bank of, Walmart, Health, Novo Nordisk, Medicare, Drug, Bank of America, Janus, Janus Henderson Investors, CNBC Locations: U.S, GLP

☆ Analysts predicted new obesity medicines would be blockbusters. Now they’re raising their forecasts
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-16 | by ( Christina Cheddar Berk | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Fernandez sees a total addressable market of $140 billion to support patients with obesity. He expects there is a potential for GLP-1 drugs to become as common and widely used, much like statins are used to lower cholesterol. Morgan Stanley's Flynn estimates a 30% share of the diabetes market would generate $109 billion on a worldwide basis for GLP-1 drugs. Layer in a 15% to 30% share of the obesity market and that equates to worldwide sales of $97.4 billion to $194.8 billion. Guggenheim's estimates also assume that oral GLP-1 drugs that are currently in development are able to come to market a few years from now.

Persons: Seamus Fernandez, Fernandez, Lilly, Eli Lilly, Morgan Stanley, Terence Flynn, Eli Lilly's Mounjaro, Insulet, Canaccord, William Plovanic, Plovanic, It's, Morgan Stanley's Flynn, Flynn, Novo, Michael Bloom Organizations: Wall, Novo, American Heart Association, Food and Drug Administration, Novo Nordisk, Iqvia, Disease Control Locations: GLP

☆ Fluctuating cholesterol linked with Alzheimer’s, study finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( Kristen Rogers | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

In addition to total cholesterol, the study tracked triglycerides, a type of fat that comes from butter and oils; low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, also known as LDL or “bad” cholesterol; and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, known as HDL or ‘good’ cholesterol. In the Neurology study, variations in LDL and HDL cholesterol weren’t associated with higher risk for Alzheimer’s disease or related dementias. Lipids and neurodegenerative diseaseThe authors found a link, but not a causal relationship, between fluctuating levels of cholesterol and triglycerides and risk of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. Exactly how varying lipid levels and risk for Alzheimer’s or related dementias are related remains unclear, Bielinski said. “Always consult your doctor or healthcare provider if you are concerned about your cardiovascular health, cholesterol levels, or cognitive decline,” Weber said via email.

Persons: ”, Christopher Weber, Suzette J, Bielinski, hadn’t, ” Bielinski, ” Weber, “, Weber Organizations: CNN, Alzheimer’s Association, Mayo Clinic, Neurology Locations: Minnesota

☆ A New Genetic Test Takes Aim at Young Hearts
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( Gina Kolata | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Despite the high hopes for the new tests, there are many questions. It can be difficult for young people to focus on possible threats to their health decades in the future, and some of Dr. Rader’s patients have put off even getting polygenic risk tests after he recommends them. “Now, whenever they experience the common aches, pains and twinges of life, they wonder if it is because they have this ‘disease,’” Dr. Redberg said. “And they may then go to the doctor or even emergency room for things they would not have previously. Dr. Iftikhar Kullo of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., asked, “Do you actually improve long-term outcomes” by using the tests and acting on them?

☆ Lower cholesterol with a plant-based diet, study says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-24 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

In study particpants, LDL levels dropped 10% and total cholesterol declined 7% for people following a plant-based diet when compared with those who eat both meat and plants, the study found. A plant-based diet can help reduce LDL cholesterol, a new study said. Statin treatment is superior to plant-based diets in reducing fats and cholesterol levels, Frikke-Schmidt said in a statement. In addition, people who transition to a plant-based diet should still be mindful about the kinds of foods they’re consuming. “Not all plant-based diets are equal,” said Aedin Cassidy, professor and director for interdisciplinary research at the Institute for Global Food Security in Queen’s University Belfast, in a statement.

☆ Novo Nordisk rivals see room to compete in $100 billion weight-loss drug market
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Michael Erman | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

The company has two oral GLP-1 drugs in mid-stage trials, and aims to choose one for a late-stage trial this year. He forecasts GLP-1s or similar drugs topping $100 billion in annual sales early in the 2030s, with Lilly's product accounting for more than $50 billion in sales. Smaller biotechs are also vying for a piece of the obesity market and hope large pharmaceutical companies will pay up for partnerships. "I don't know if it's $90 billion or $80 billion or $50 billion. The current GLP-1 drugs can cause nausea and vomiting.

☆ Cognitive decline, dementia common after stroke
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

About 40% of the survivors of stroke have mild cognitive impairment that does not meet the diagnostic criteria for dementia. Cognitive impairment is most common within the first two weeks after a stroke, the statement said. The American Stroke Association’s statement did offer some good news: About 20% of people who experience mild cognitive impairment after a stroke fully recover their cognitive function, typically within the first six months. Stroke risk factors, such as hypertension, high cholesterol and type 2 diabetes, should be treated, as should atrial fibrillation. “Perhaps the most pressing need, however, is the development of effective and culturally relevant treatments for post-stroke cognitive impairment,” she said.

☆ People Can't Get Ozempic, New Weight-Loss Drugs Because of Broken Healthcare System
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +15 min

Wegovy is just one of a wave of revolutionary weight-loss drugs, which also includes the buzzy Ozempic, that represents a watershed moment for obesity treatment. Demand for weight-loss drugs is surgingDoctors and healthcare professionals searched for a healthy, safe, and effective weight-loss solution for years before the drugs, known collectively as GLP-1 agonists, exploded on the scene. If there is one key that could unlock access to expensive weight-loss drugs for Americans, it's Medicare. Expanding coverage for Ozempic and other weight-loss drugs for just a small segment of the population could cost Medicare up to $26.8 billion a year. Patients lose outYears from now, patients may have an easier time getting their hands on weight-loss drugs.

☆ Health plans could soon reduce coverage for preventive care. Here's what to know
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Annie Nova | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Around 100 million people with private insurance got preventive care required under the ACA in 2018, one estimate found, making it the provision with the widest reach. Insurers generally must not impose copays or deductibles on the recommended preventive care. "Many preventive care services are not covered by this decision," Simon said. Health plans will still be required to ensure no copays for many preventive services, including birth control and mammograms, Simon said. Some states have their own mandates, meanwhile, around free preventive care.

☆ Health misinformation is lowering U.S. life expectancy, FDA Commissioner Robert Califf says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Meg Tirrell | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

watch nowLife expectancy in the U.S. is between three and five years lower than the average in other high-income countries — and the gap comes in part from misinformation, Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf said. He said there's a need for better regulation, including "specific authorities at FDA, FTC and other areas" to root out misinformation. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Robert Califf testifies before a Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions hearing to examine an update on the ongoing Federal response to COVID-19, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S., June 16, 2022. The FDA commissioner spoke about multiple topics including efforts to cut drug prices, a priority for the Biden administration and lawmakers from both parties in Congress. Incentives for researchCaliff is also encouraging the drug industry to consider investments in neglected areas of research.

☆ Inside Nike: Sources share claims of sexism, cheating, abuse at the world's wokest brand
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Joshua Hunt | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +51 min

The conservative blowback came as no surprise to Parker, who told Nike's board of directors to expect some short-term backlash. In late 2014, the BBC sent a film crew to Portland to interview several former Oregon Project employees. "He would be at the side of the track calling out runners' splits but wouldn't call Kara's out," Adam Goucher told me. When people asked why she left the Oregon Project, she said it was a "personal decision." "I don't think it has anything to do with who the CEO is," Goucher told me.

☆ As weight-loss drugs hit the U.S. market, doctors debate how to use them
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Patrick Wingrove | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

[1/2] The American Medical Association logo is seen at their office in Washington, D.C., U.S., August 30, 2020. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly/March 30 (Reuters) - As powerful new obesity drugs enter the U.S. market, medical associations are keen to advise their members on how to best use them for patients. "These new compounds are game changers, there's no doubt about it," said Anthony Comuzzie, chief executive of The Obesity Society. The group last provided obesity treatment guidelines in 2013 alongside the American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology. OBESITY AS A DISEASEThe American Medical Association, the nation’s largest medical group, recognized obesity as a disease in 2013.

☆ Alternatives to Popular Cholesterol-Lowering Drug Cut Heart-Attack Risk
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( Betsy Mckay | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Cardiologists said they welcome new options to help patients who can’t benefit enough from statins. New options are emerging for people who are at risk of heart attacks and strokes but can’t take or benefit fully from widely used cholesterol drugs. Despite decades of progress against high cholesterol, as many as 30% of people prescribed the popular cholesterol-lowering pills known as statins don’t take them or have to limit their doses because they can’t tolerate the muscle pain that sometimes comes as a side effect. Others remain at risk of cardiovascular disease even when they are on full doses.

☆ Fact Check-No evidence COVID-19 mRNA vaccines are significant contributing factor to UK’s 30,000 excess cardiovascular deaths
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Millions of people have viewed a BBC News interview with a British cardiologist who used the broadcast to spread misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines. Malhotra cites the British Heart Foundation (BHF) for reporting 30,000 excess cardiovascular deaths “during the pandemic or since the pandemic”. A BHF spokesperson told Reuters that there were indeed 30,000 excess deaths involving ischaemic heart disease (IHD) in England between March 2020 and August 2022. Reuters has addressed similar claims linking COVID-19 vaccines with excess mortality (here, here and here), cardiac arrests (here, here and here), and other heart issues. Experts say the 30,000 excess cardiovascular deaths reported since the beginning of the pandemic are due to COVID-19 infection and issues with healthcare services.

☆ Drug companies favor biotech meds over pills, citing new U.S. law
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Deena Beasley | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The pharmaceutical industry, whose members gathered in the thousands this week in San Francisco for the annual JP Morgan Healthcare conference, opposed the legislation and has begun implementing strategies to mitigate its impact. "In 10 years, we'll have far fewer small molecules being developed than we do today." He questioned the benefit of "rules that really just disincentivize investment in what ends up being convenient drugs, drugs for tough conditions like cancer and drugs that get really cheap when they go generic." Most medicines on the market today are small molecules, which can be taken by mouth, absorbed into the bloodstream and easily penetrate cell membranes. He noted it is not unusual for pharmaceutical companies to choose not to pursue a drug they once thought promising.

Around 67% of people who took the experimental pill, called VV116, reported side effects, compared to to 77% who took Paxlovid. In the trial of VV116, more than 380 people took the experimental drug, while a similarly sized group took Paxlovid. The median time to recovery — defined as no Covid symptoms for two consecutive days — was four days for VV116 recipients and five days for those who took Paxlovid. Three-quarters of the trial participants were vaccinated, though the study found consistent results regardless of vaccine status. The National Institutes of Health recommends Paxlovid, with molnupiravir as an alternative in situations when neither Paxlovid nor remdesivir is available or appropriate.

☆ Statins lower the risk of one of the deadliest kinds of strokes, study finds
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Jen Christensen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Doctors know that drugs called statins lower a person’s risk of a stroke due to a blood clot. But a new study shows that the inexpensive medications can also decrease the risk of a first stroke as a result of an intracerebral hemorrhage, the deadliest kind. People in the study who used statins for any period of time had a 17% lower risk of a stroke in the lobe areas of the brain and a 16% lower risk of a stroke in the non-lobe areas of the brain. When they used a statin for more than five years, they had a 33% lower risk of a bleeding stroke in the lobe areas and a 38% lower risk in the non-lobe areas. She said this study shows what biologically makes sense: Taking statins and keeping fatty deposits from building up in the arteries makes hemorrhagic strokes less likely.

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