Podcasts about copd

AI chat bots have reportedly been caught leaving secret messages for future versions of themselves, advising them on how to deceive and avoid oversight by humans. This comes just days after the CEO of Anthropic, makers of the Claude AI, called for an industry wide agreement to slow development of artificial intelligence. The problem with this idea, of course, is that China's developers will never agree to it. In addition, we learned this week that the United States narrowly avoided a Cuban Missile Crisis–level incident in which US special forces, who were already in the air, almost boarded a Chinese ship bound for Iran because an AI incorrectly identified cargo on board the ship as nuclear weapons components. Now, we can categorize these behaviors as "hallucinating" or simple errors, but what if, as we have speculated previously, these AI chat bots are prone to being controlled by an external entity—in other words, a demon? The good news is the Lord has seen this coming from the beginning of creation. We're not too concerned about this, but it is worth watching because these tools will be very useful to a future global government. We also discussed new research at Stanford where researchers created chimeric mice with brains that were about half composed of human cells. While researchers were quick to assure us that they are not human in any sense, it raises the moral and ethical question of where the animal ends in the human begins. Also, how far will researchers go in creating these chimeras? We're asking for your help to Build Bunker Better! We've decided to remain in our home, but we need certain upgrades to make it safe for Derek given his recent mobility limitations compounded by mild COPD. Find out more at Gilberthouse.org/donate. Derek's new book War of the Watchers Book One: From Baal to Balfour is now available at Amazon in paperback and as a Kindle e-book! It's also a part of a special offer at the SkyWatchTV store: Get War of the Watchers, Derek's previous book The Second Coming of Saturn, and a 13-part teaching DVD based on The Second Coming of Saturn for your donation of at least $45! ‘ Here's the link to the trailer for the book. Follow us! • X (formerly Twitter): @pidradio | @sharonkgilbert | @derekgilbert• Telegram: t.me/gilberthouse | t.me/sharonsroom | t.me/viewfromthebunker• Substack: gilberthouse.substack.com | SharonKGilbert.substack.com• YouTube: @GilbertHouse | @UnravelingRevelation• Facebook.com/pidradio Get our free app! It connects you to this podcast, our weekly Bible studies, and our video programs Just Five Things and Iron and Myth. The app is available for iOS, Android, Roku, and Apple TV. Links to the app stores are at pidradio.com/app. JOIN US IN ISRAEL (NOTE NEW DATES)! We will tour the Holy Land October 25–November 6, 2027 with an optional three-day extension to Jordan. For more information, log on to GilbertHouse.org/travel. Think better, feel better! Our partners at Simply Clean Foods offer freeze-dried, 100% GMO-free food and delicious, vacuum-packed fair trade coffee from Honduras. Find out more at GilbertHouse.org/store/.

This episode reviews updated AAP recommendations for RSV prevention in infants and high-risk children entering a second RSV season, phase 3 data suggesting TP53 mutation status may help identify patients with EGFR-mutated advanced non–small cell lung cancer who benefit from adding chemotherapy to osimertinib, and results from two phase 3 trials showing that the IL-33–targeting biologic tozorakimab reduced COPD exacerbations in patients who remained at risk despite standard inhaled therapy.

On this episode of Diabetes Connections In the news… The ADA conference controversy continues with a boycott now, new patch pump approved, an update on long running research to reverse type 1, plus consensus guidelines on T1D screening, intermittent fasting for type 1, a new surprising study about COVID and T1D, statins, type 2 and dementia, and lots more..  This podcast is not intended as medical advice. If you have those kinds of questions, please contact your health care provider.  Want to let you know about a webinar I'm doing with Abbott later this month. That's Sept 23 at 7pm ET. We'll be talking about ketones, DKA and learn more about their dual CGM/ketone monitor that was just approved. Join us for a webinar September 23 Check out all of our events like Moms' Night Out and Club 1921 here. Announcing Community Commericals! Learn how to get your message on the show here. Learn more about studies and research at Thrivable here Please visit our Sponsors & Partners - they help make the show possible! Omnipod - Simplify Life All about Dexcom  All about VIVI Cap to protect your insulin from extreme temperatures The best way to keep up with Stacey and the show is by signing up for our weekly newsletter: Sign up for our newsletter here Here's where to find us: Facebook (Group) Facebook (Page) Instagram Check out Stacey's books! Learn more about everything at our home page www.diabetes-connections.com  Transcript: On this episode of Diabetes Connections In the news… The ADA conference controversy continues with a boycott now, an update on long running research to reverse type 1, plus consensus guidelines on T1D screening, intermittent fasting for type 1, a new surprising study about COVID and T1D, statins, type 2 and dementia, and lots more.. It's all coming up right after this. (AD BREAK) Welcome! I'm your host Stacey Simms and this is an In The News episode.. where we bring you the top diabetes stories and headlines happening now. A reminder that you can find the sources and links and a transcript and more info for every story mentioned here in the show notes. We are off to Detroit this week for Moms' Night Out in Bloomfield Michigan. Super excited and as usual I'm getting last minute emails and DMs about respiration from people just finding out about the event. We will always figure it out so drop me a line. But please register now for Seattle next month! Tampa will be open soon as well! Want to let you know about a webinar I'm doing with Abbott later this month. That's Sept 23 at 7pm ET. We'll be talking about ketones, DKA and learn more about their dual CGM/ketone monitor that was just approved. Great crowd already registered for that, hope you can join us. The link is in the show notes. Okay.. our top story this week: XX Member of the American Diabetes Association… are now boycotting it. The notice of the boycott condemns leadership's actions after five researchers were removed by police from its annual meeting in June. Significantly, The editors of ADA's flagship journal, Diabetes Care, have joined on in support of the boycott. "Manuscripts submitted will not be handled until the boycott is over," said Steven Kahn, MBChB, the journal's editor in chief and one of the five researchers ejected from the meeting in New Orleans, in a LinkedIn post on Thursday. Kahn told MedPage Today that "the journal boycott is like establishing a picket line. The boycott already has hundreds of signatures of people who have pledged to suspend all ADA-related activities, including: Planning or attending any meetings led by ADA leadership or the board, including the 2027 ADA Scientific Sessions Participating in board-led activities regarding the investigation of the meeting's events, or the report generated by the "so-called 'independent' committee" Engaging in all other ADA operations, including presentations, fundraisers, grant reviews, manuscript reviews, journal management, manuscript submissions, and position statements The boycott will remain active until the ADA board of directors permits an independent formal review of the organization's structure and function to ensure it "properly represent[s] its professional membership." If demands are not met, signees plan to align with existing or newly formed medical societies. https://www.medpagetoday.com/endocrinology/diabetes/122977 https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd4h548X9qXgkVREQ71k2gDHiU8WFAFF78wTnmS20_ntwUM0w/viewform XX A new patch pump is coming to the US.. Beta Bionics, Inc. announces FDA clearance of Mint, the Company's patch pump featuring a transformative reusable and disposable architecture that does not require recharging, integrates with industry-leading continuous glucose monitors (CGM) and enables smartphone control for iOS and Android users. The Company expects to initiate the full commercial launch of Mint in the United States in the first quarter of 2027 Mint is expected to launch exclusively through the pharmacy channel. Also announced, that Eversense 365 is now compatible with Beta Bionics Senseonics expects development of the Eversense 365-iLet integration to be completed during the fourth quarter of 2026. Commercial launch is planned following completion of integration activities in the fourth quarter of 2026, subject to required testing, validation activities and applicable regulatory requirements. No word yet on timing for Eversense with Mint. https://www.manilatimes.net/2026/09/14/tmt-newswire/globenewswire/beta-bionics-announces-fda-clearance-of-mint-the-companys-transformative-patch-pump-and-unveils-3d-intelligence-as-its-next-generation-insulin-dosing-algorithm/2424457 XX Seven years after Johns Hopkins researchers discovered a previously unknown immune cell called the "X cell," they're now exploring whether that discovery could lead to a new treatment for type 1 diabetes. In preclinical studies, researchers developed an antibody that was able to target and eliminate specific immune cells responsible for attacking the pancreas's insulin-producing beta cells, while leaving the rest of the immune system intact. The researchers say the approach is especially promising because it could potentially reverse the autoimmune process soon after a type 1 diabetes diagnosis, rather than simply managing blood sugar. The work is still in the early stages and has not yet been tested in people; additional laboratory and preclinical studies are needed before human clinical trials can begin. sclerosis.https://hub.jhu.edu/2026/09/09/federal-funds-support-type-1-diabetes-treatment/ XX A new international consensus recommends routine screening for type 1 diabetes in the general population, offering the first framework for how healthcare providers could put widespread screening into practice. The guidance recommends screening children between ages 2 and 4, with children who test negative screened again at ages 6–8 and 10–15. Screening uses a blood test to look for islet autoantibodies, which can signal that the immune system is attacking insulin-producing cells years before symptoms appear or insulin is needed. Finding type 1 diabetes early can greatly reduce the risk of diabetic ketoacidosis, or DKA, at diagnosis and may give people access to treatments such as teplizumab that can delay progression to clinical T1D. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/breakthrough-t1d-convened-paper-outlines-first-international-consensus-guidance-on-general-population-screening-for-early-stage-type-1-diabetes-302875788.html   XX Eating only between noon and 8 p.m. improved blood sugar control in a small study of adults with Type 1 diabetes and obesity, while avoiding an increase in serious complications. The promising findings offer the first evidence that time restricted eating could become another tool for managing the condition. For the study, Varady recruited adults with Type 1 diabetes who were also classified as obese After six months, the time-restricted eating group showed better blood sugar results than the calorie-reduction group. HbA1c, a blood test that reflects average blood sugar over the previous several months, fell by about 0.5% on average in the time-restricted group.   Couple of things here – very small study, only 32 people in total, who were then randomly placed in three groups with different styles of eating. Also, the lead researcher says this is the first study of it's kind for type 1 – which is obviously not true – you can do a quick google search or listen to past episodes of this show.. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/09/260909231740.htm XX A large Danish study found that COVID-19 infection was associated with a slightly lower, rather than higher, risk of subsequently developing type 1 diabetes in people under age 30. Researchers studied more than 2,100 people diagnosed with T1D and found an overall 16% lower risk following a documented COVID infection, with the strongest association—a 42% reduction—seen 31 to 180 days after infection. The reduced risk appeared primarily among people who had not been vaccinated against COVID-19, although researchers cautioned that the vaccination findings were less certain. Importantly, this was an observational study, so it cannot show that COVID infection actually protects against type 1 diabetes or explain what caused the association. Researchers say the findings conflict with some earlier studies and should be investigated in other countries and populations. https://www.news-medical.net/news/20260908/COVID-19-linked-to-lower-subsequent-risk-of-type-1-diabetes.aspx   XX   Semaglutide, a medication widely used for type 2 diabetes and weight loss, may also provide an unexpected benefit for people with asthma. New research presented at the European Respiratory Society (ERS) Congress in Barcelona, Spain, found that semaglutide use was associated with a reduction in asthma attacks of nearly 40%.   The study was led by Professor Chloe Bloom, Clinical Associate Professor in Respiratory Epidemiology at the National Heart & Lung Institute, Imperial College London, UK, and presented by Dr. Bohee Lee.       Exploring GLP 1 Drugs and Lung Health   Dr. Bloom said: "GLP-1 receptor agonists are widely used to treat type 2 diabetes and obesity. Previous research suggests that they may have anti-inflammatory effects and may improve lung-related outcomes. However, asthma and COPD outcomes have not been included as outcomes in GLP-1 drug trials.   "We wanted to use real-world health records to investigate whether people with asthma or COPD who started GLP-1 receptor agonists had fewer acute respiratory attacks."   To investigate that question, the researchers analyzed electronic medical records from the UK. They carried out four parallel studies, each involving between 20,000 and 22,000 people who had started treatment with either a GLP-1 medication or a different type of diabetes drug known as a sulfonylurea.   The results suggested that people with airway diseases such as asthma and COPD who received GLP-1 therapies experienced fewer asthma attacks and COPD flare-ups than comparable patients who were prescribed other diabetes medications.   Semaglutide Showed the Strongest Effect   Among the GLP-1 drugs examined, semaglutide appeared to stand out, particularly for people with asthma.   Bloom explains: "The effect was strongest with semaglutide, especially in people with asthma, where use of semaglutide appears to be associated with nearly a 40% reduction in asthma attacks. Semaglutide also led to a 20% reduction in COPD flare-ups."   The findings suggest that people who already qualify for GLP-1 receptor agonists because they have obesity or type 2 diabetes could potentially receive an additional benefit for their respiratory health.   However, Bloom emphasized that the results are not enough to recommend these medications specifically as treatments for asthma or COPD.   She explains: "The findings from this study are encouraging, but they should not change treatment decisions on their own. People with asthma or COPD should not start GLP-1 receptor agonists specifically for their lung condition outside current prescribing guidance. While the findings suggest that some people taking GLP-1 receptor agonists may experience fewer respiratory attacks, this needs confirmation in clinical trials." https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/09/260909005155.htm XX XX A large study suggests women with endometriosis may have a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Researchers analyzed health records from nearly 3 million women in Utah and found those diagnosed with endometriosis were 46% more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those without the condition. The association was strongest among women who had not yet reached menopause and those without obesity, a group typically considered at lower risk for type 2 diabetes. Certain forms of endometriosis, including those found outside the pelvic area, were associated with more than twice the risk. Researchers say more study is needed, but the findings suggest endometriosis may have health effects beyond the reproductive system and could eventually help identify women who may benefit from earlier diabetes screening. https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/endometriosis-may-increase-type-2-diabetes-risk   XX MiniMed files FDA submission for it's first patch pump, with a planned launch next summer. To be called MiniMed fit, it would have a 300-unit insulin reservoir and would accommodate up to seven days of wear time. MiniMed also completed enrollment of a pivotal trial for a fully closed loop algorithm, which would calculate the amount of insulin a person needs throughout the day, even if they don't announce meals or count carbohydrates. Interestingly, on an investor call, the CEO acknowledged that CGMs have been their – quote – Achilles' heel for a very long time" and that their newest sensor has helped drive insulin pump growth. https://www.medtechdive.com/news/minimed-submits-new-patch-pump-for-fda-clearance/829313/ XX A new study based on national health registers in Denmark suggests starting statin treatment after a type 2 diabetes diagnosis could lower the risk of dementia, and it seems that the sooner patients did, the better. The research, published in The Lancet Regional Health, is an observational study, meaning it can find statistically relevant patterns at the population level, but doesn't necessarily explain what caused those patterns. The results, however, were interesting enough that the researchers, led by medical doctor Tummas Ternhamar of the Copenhagen University Hospital, are urging doctors to consider statin therapy when diagnosing type 2 diabetes patients. "Statins seem to be underused in patients with type 2 diabetes, despite their protective effects against cardiovascular disease." https://www.sciencealert.com/statins-linked-to-lower-dementia-risk-in-massive-type-2-diabetes-study XX Big sports news with type 1. Alezander Zverev wins Family was at the heart of Alexander Zverev's U.S. Open triumph on Sunday as the German saluted the members of his inner circle and paid a heartfelt tribute to his mother for refusing to let diabetes define his future. The ​top seed beat American Ben Shelton 6-3 7-6(2) 5-7 6-2 at Flushing Meadows to finish a spectacular year at ‌the Grand Slams in which he proved his doubters wrong by going from perennial nearly man to two-time major champion. Shortly after his victory, Zverev reserved special praise for his mother Irina, a former professional tennis player, and credited her with ensuring type 1 diabetes never limited his ambitions in life. "When your 4-year-old son is diagnosed with diabetes and doctors in the office ​tell you that life and sports will be very limited for that child, it takes a very strong mother to ​say 'my son will be whatever he wants to be'," Zverev said. "'If he wants to be a tennis player, ⁠he'll be a tennis player. If he wants to do something else, he'll do something else, but this illness will not define us'. https://www.reuters.com/sports/tennis/zverev-hails-mothers-belief-after-us-open-triumph-2026-09-13/ XX Also, shout out to Garrett Mitchell (Center field  Milwaukee Brewers) lives with Type 1 Diabetes and hit a grand slam immediately after having a failed insulin pump site. He was diagnosed with T1D at the age of 9. And I have a T1d mom friend who's known him since he was a kid. Just great to see athletes talking about failed insulin sets like they're just part of everyday life.. because they are. Btw it was the first grand slam for the brewers all year. XX The new Netflix movie The Runner is getting a bit of a side eye from some in the diabetes community… the Gal Gadot thriller features a child with type 1 but as usual, there are some weird inaccuracies. Ginger Vieria from Diabetes nerd has a great vide on this – I'll link it up: but they're saying things like Insulin Dispenser instead of pump.. and some other weird stuff.. but I've heard such bad things about this movie I'm not sure it's worth watching just for this. Ginger's video is though! https://www.youtube.com/shorts/o8cw_gEZj5s  

Program notes:0:33 Vaccines for RSV, flu, and Covid1:35 Studies available right now2:33 Reduction of hospital encounters for infants3:33 Maternal vaccination for RSV4:34 Gene silencing therapy for cardiomyopathy5:35 Decreased primary outcome about 20%6:35 Should we be screening?7:06 A new protein to pinpoint preeclampsia8:05 Low levels in first trimester9:08 Anchors embryo to uterus10:05 A new therapy for COPD exacerbations11:05 Phase three trial of monoclonal12:34 End

Send us Fan MailTwenty-five years after September 11, 2001, the true scale of loss is still being measured. While 2,977 lives were lost on that morning, more than 4,343 first responders and survivors have since died from toxic exposures at Ground Zero—a secondary wave of loss that continues to rise. In this episode, Charlie reflects on walking through the dust in Manhattan just three blocks from the towers, and Marianne shares her experience preparing to speak at a grief conference as news broke. We honor the breathtaking composure of flight attendant Betty Ong on Flight 11. We dive into the science of cancer latency, discuss the new seventh bell toll at Ground Zero, and find hope in the enduring story of the World Trade Center's Survivor Tree. https://bit.ly/46R3dcVSensitive Content Notice: Today's episode contains sensitive material regarding the events, personal accounts, and long-term health aftermath of September 11, 2001. Listener discretion is advised, particularly for first responders, survivors, and affected families.Episode Chapters & Timestamps00:00 - 25 Years Later: The Crisis That Didn't End 02:02 - Walking Through the Dust: Charlie's Account 3 Blocks from Ground Zero06:56 - Speaking on Grief as the World Changed: Marianne's Experience10:39 - Calm Courage in the Air: Flight Attendant Heroics on Flight 11 20:09 - The Unseen Disaster: Long-Term Toxic Health Effects of 9/11 23:59 - The Latency Period: Why 9/11-Related Illnesses Are Spiking Now 27:24 - Honoring the Second Wave: The New Seventh Bell Toll 30:42 - Life After Tragedy: The World Trade Center Survivor Tree 32:30 - Closing Reflections & OutroWorld Trade Center Health Program: Learn about eligibility, medical monitoring, and treatment resources at WTC Health Program.  #911 #September11 #GroundZero #WorldTradeCenter #FirstResponders #Firefighters #Remember911 #BettyOng #SurvivorTree #911Memorial #WTCHealthProgram Support the show

Good morning from Pharma Daily: the podcast that brings you the most important developments in the pharmaceutical and biotech world. Sandoz's recent move to invest $2.5 billion in creating a vertically integrated biosimilar manufacturing network is making waves across the industry. This significant investment underscores the growing importance of biosimilars as cost-effective alternatives to biologics. With plans to develop 100 biosimilars by 2040, Sandoz is strategically positioning itself to meet increasing global demand for affordable treatments. This initiative not only enhances their production capabilities but also aligns with the push from healthcare systems worldwide for more economical care options. The vertical integration model promises to streamline production, reduce supply chain issues, and maintain high-quality standards, reinforcing Sandoz's competitive position in the biosimilars market. Meanwhile, Amgen has achieved a noteworthy milestone with its drug Imdelltra (tarlatamab-dlle), which met its Phase 3 overall survival endpoint for extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) maintenance therapy. Imdelltra, a bispecific T-cell engager targeting DLL3, represents a novel approach in oncology, potentially setting a new standard of care for SCLC patients who have severely limited treatment options. The positive trial results could lead to regulatory approval, broadening access to this innovative therapy and potentially improving patient outcomes significantly. Regulatory stability is on the horizon with the FDA appointing permanent heads for its Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) and Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER). This leadership continuity is crucial as it supports the agency's ongoing restructuring efforts aimed at enhancing efficiency and oversight. Stable leadership within these centers ensures rigorous drug evaluation processes continue, which is critical for timely approvals and has a direct impact on drug developers' strategic planning and market entry timelines. Clinical trials continue to yield varied results, showcasing the inherent uncertainties in drug development. AstraZeneca's Tozorakimab showed promise with approximately a 30% reduction in exacerbations in Phase 3 trials for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), hinting at improved management of respiratory diseases through targeted monoclonal antibody therapies. Conversely, challenges persist as Evommune's Evo756 did not meet its Phase 2b trial expectations for atopic dermatitis, and Tyra Biosciences' Dabogratinib fell short in non-muscle invasive bladder cancer trials—highlighting the unpredictable nature of clinical research. Investment flows into biopharmaceuticals remain robust, with Encoded Therapeutics raising $275 million to advance its gene therapy program for Dravet syndrome. Similarly, Luma Group has secured $410 million for ventures focusing on ophthalmology and cellular rejuvenation technologies. Such investments reflect strong confidence in gene and cell therapies' transformative potential on patient care. On the mergers and acquisitions front, Sernova Biotherapeutics' merger with Seraxis to form Betanova Biotherapeutics exemplifies how companies are consolidating expertise to enhance R&D capabilities and expand their market reach, particularly in cell therapy solutions for diabetes management. These strategic consolidations indicate ongoing efforts to leverage synergies that could redefine therapeutic landscapes. The biopharmaceutical sector is also seeing shifts due to ongoing geopolitical tensions between the U.S. and China, pushing companies to seek investment opportunities outside China. This diversification strategy aims to mitigate geopolitical risks while continuing global innovation efforts. In obesity treatment research, partnerships like those between GemPharmaTech signal new frontiers beyond GLP-1 receptor agonists. These collaborations highlight an industry commitment to tackling global health challenges with innovative therapies that prioritize efficacy and safety. These developments collectively paint a picture of a dynamic industry marked by scientific breakthroughs, strategic investments, regulatory evolution, and significant challenges in clinical trials. As these sectors evolve, they promise exciting advancements that could profoundly redefine global healthcare paradigms. The focus remains on overcoming therapeutic barriers through sustained research efforts and innovative approaches—a testament to the industry's relentless pursuit of improving patient care outcomes worldwide.Support the show

Is obesity still a disease worthy of treatment when the patient is six years old?This week, Novo Nordisk released Phase 3 STEP Young data in children ages 6 to 11 with obesity. After 68 weeks, 40.4% of children treated with semaglutide moved below the obesity threshold, compared with 0% on placebo. More than 85% of the children entered the trial with class II or class III severe obesity, and both groups received lifestyle intervention.That raises a harder question than whether people are comfortable with kids taking GLP-1s: compared with what? A nearly 90% chance that obesity present at age 3 persists into the teen years? An approximately 80% chance that a teen with obesity carries it into adulthood? Another decade of stigma, bullying, and metabolic disease while we keep telling families to try harder?I'm unapologetically supportive of studying and treating severe childhood obesity. That does not mean ignoring long-term questions around growth, puberty, nutrition, lean mass, or what happens when treatment stops. It means recognizing that withholding treatment is also a decision with consequences.We also break down the new Structure Therapeutics data, including aleniglipron, an oral small-molecule GLP-1 that produced up to 16.2% mean weight loss at 72 weeks, and ACCG-2671, an experimental oral amylin/calcitonin agonist that produced 3.3% mean weight loss after a single dose, with some important tolerability caveats.Plus, we look at a preliminary semaglutide signal involving asthma and COPD, and one of the strangest Ozempic access stories of the week.Recorded from the Bask Health Studios.This episode is sponsored by VoaFit. Learn more about VoaFit here:https://voafit.com/otpThis episode was filmed in the Bask Health Studios, visit:https://bask.healthFollow On The Pen everywhere plus get special discounts:https://otplinks.comRead more at:https://obesity.news

Starting a biologic can feel intimidating, especially if you are worried it means being on medication forever, or wondering if it will actually replace your inhaler or your next sinus surgery. After this episode, we hope your biggest biologics questions are answered. Kortney and Dr. Payel Gupta are joined by Dr. Giselle Mosnaim, an allergist and immunologist, to walk through the united airway, what uncontrolled disease really means, and the most common questions patients have before starting a biologic. What we cover in this episode about biologics for asthma, COPD, and nasal polyps The united airway. Why the nose and lungs share the same lining, and why the same biologics can treat conditions in both. What a biologic actually is. How it targets one specific part of the immune system instead of suppressing the whole thing like steroids. What uncontrolled disease means. Why taking your medication as prescribed does not always mean your asthma, COPD, or nasal polyps are under control. The goal of starting a biologic. What results to expect, how biologics work alongside your inhaler or nasal spray instead of replacing it, and how they can reduce the need for repeat sinus surgery. Common myths and fears. Answers to real patient worries about weight gain, needles, side effects, pregnancy, and being on a biologic long term. ________ Made in partnership with The Allergy & Asthma Network. Thanks to AstraZeneca for sponsoring today's episode.  This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not substitute for professional medical advice. Always consult with your healthcare provider for any medical concerns.  

401: If you or someone you know has suffered with long COVID and still haven't felt the same before you got the virus, this episode may be the key to unlocking and explaining why, common symptoms to look for, and of course, protocols to help relieve those long COVID symptoms (and what they even are). I have Lily Spechler with me today who specializes in long COVID as she personally experienced it herself, now she is helping others recover from this debilitating and frustrating issue. People are suffering in silence and wondering what is going on, so we break it down in today's conversation and bring up MCAS, Histamine intolerance, COPD, POTS, and foods to avoid that can trigger flare ups and safer alternatives if you are struggling. Everything from exercise intolerance, to anxiety attacks, to nicotine, we cover it all and I also share my personal experience with long COVID that you may have never heard me talk about....so let's get right into the episode.   Topics Discussed: → Long COVID symptoms → How to treat long COVID → MCAS → POTS → Histamine intolerance  → Foods to avoid with histamine intolerance  → Helpful tools post COVID → Nicotine therapy  As always, if you have any questions for the show please email us at digestthispod@gmail.com. And if you like this show, please share it, rate it, review it and subscribe to it on your favorite podcast app.  Sponsored By:  → Santa Barbara Chocolate | Go to https://www.santabarbarachocolate.com/ and use code LILSIPPER for a discount sitewide!  Timestamps: → 00:00:00 - Introduction → 00:04:28 - Lily Spechler's personal experience with long COVID → 00:09:10 - How is long COVID diagnosed?→ 00:13:28 - Histamine intolerance and long COVID → 00:18:16 - Foods to avoid with histamine intolerance → 00:22:24 - Best foods for histamine intolerance → 00:24:40 - What causes dysautonomia besides COVID? → 00:26:54 - MCAS: what is mast cell activation syndrome? → 00:31:48 - POTS explained: symptoms, blood pooling and heart rate → 00:35:08 - How to retrain your nervous system and support recovery → 00:37:10 - Why eating enough matters during long COVID recovery → 00:41:40 - Supplements to avoid with histamine intolerance → 00:43:22 - Best exercises for POTS and exercise intolerance → 00:44:50 - Can nicotine patches help with long COVID? → 00:46:18 - How nicotine may affect the autonomic nervous system → 00:49:42 - Where to find Lily and learn more about long COVID Further Listening: → The Best vs. Worst Foods for Stronger Bones | Rebekah Heishman Check Out Lily Spechler: → Instagram → Website Check Out Bethany: → Bethany's Instagram: @lilsipper → YouTube → Bethany's Website → Discounts & My Favorite Products → My Digestive Support Protein Powder → Gut Reset Book  → Get my Newsletters (Friday Finds) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Good morning from Pharma Daily: the podcast that brings you the most important developments in the pharmaceutical and biotech world. Today, we delve into a series of significant advancements and regulatory milestones that underscore the industry's commitment to addressing complex health challenges with innovative therapeutics and strategic investments. Eli Lilly has achieved a major breakthrough with the FDA approval of Mounjaro (tirzepatide), a dual GLP-1/GIP agonist designed to reduce cardiovascular risks in individuals with type 2 diabetes. This marks a pivotal step forward in diabetes management, as it not only improves glycemic control but also offers cardiovascular protection. The approval of tirzepatide highlights the therapeutic potential of dual agonists in metabolic disorders, setting a new standard for diabetes care. This development places Eli Lilly at the forefront of incretin-based therapies, a crucial advancement given the high cardiovascular risk associated with diabetes. Priovant Therapeutics has secured its first FDA approval for Lisraya (brepocitinib), a novel TYK2/JAK1 inhibitor tablet aimed at treating dermatomyositis, an autoimmune condition characterized by muscle inflammation and skin rash. As a first-in-class therapeutic option, brepocitinib underscores the growing focus on targeted therapies that modulate specific pathways involved in autoimmune diseases. Priovant's success, following its acquisition from Pfizer, signals its emergence as a significant player in rare disease treatment. Bristol Myers Squibb is making waves with a $173 million investment to construct a second radiopharmaceutical manufacturing facility in Indiana. This strategic move aligns with the increasing demand for precision oncology treatments that utilize radiolabeled compounds for targeted cancer therapy. BMS's investment demonstrates a strong commitment to advancing personalized medicine and meeting future demands in this rapidly evolving field. Gilead Sciences has received FDA approval for Bixlenvo (bictegravir/lenacapavir), an integrase/capsid inhibitor combination pill for virologically suppressed HIV patients. This small molecule therapy offers a potent antiviral strategy by combining two mechanisms of action—integrase inhibition and capsid disruption—enhancing long-term viral suppression for HIV patients. This represents an evolution in HIV treatment, promising improved adherence and patient outcomes. In China, Hutchmed's Atled (fanregratinib) has been approved by the NMPA for treating FGFR2-fusion intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma after successful Phase 2 trials. Fanregratinib exemplifies precision medicine's approach by targeting specific genetic alterations driving cancer progression, offering new hope for patients with this challenging condition. Cytokinetics has reported promising Phase 3 results for Myqorzo (aficamten) in non-obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Aficamten acts as a cardiac myosin inhibitor, representing a novel therapeutic avenue that directly targets the underlying pathophysiology of this rare heart disorder. The positive outcomes from these trials support its bid for FDA approval and could expand treatment options significantly. In respiratory disease research, Generate Bio's GB-0895 has shown encouraging Phase 1 biomarker reductions in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This monoclonal antibody approach targets TSLP and marks progress in developing new therapies for respiratory diseases with high unmet needs. Teva Pharmaceuticals has positioned itself as the stalking horse bidder for BioXcel Therapeutics' neuroscience portfolio amid bankruptcy proceedings. Teva's bid highlights ongoing consolidation trends within the pharmaceutical industry as companies seek to bolster their portfolios through strategic acquisitions. Roche's Genentech announced a substantial deal with DualityBio worth over $1 billion for antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), focusing on developing treatments for cancers resistant to existing ADC therapies. This partnership showcases Roche's commitment to addressing complex oncology challenges through innovative modalities. Furthermore, AusperBio has secured $120 million in series C funding to advance its oligonucleotide therapy for chronic hepatitis B through Phase 3 trials. Such funding milestones demonstrate robust investor confidence and highlight promising advancements in oligonucleotide therapeutics for chronic infections like hepatitis B. These scientific advancements highlight the dynamic landscape of the biotech and pharmaceutical industries, characterized by innovation-driven solutions across various therapeutic areas. The emphasis on targeted therapies, precision medicine, and strategic investments underscores the sector's dedication to enhancing patient care through cutting-edge science and technology. As these developments unfold, they hold significant potential to impact treatment paradigms, offering hope for improved outcomes across various diseases with high unmet needs. The industry's focus on cutting-edge research and strategic collaborations continues to drive innovations that could redefine therapeutic landscapes globally. Thank you for tuning into Pharma Daily—your source for reliable updates on the evolving world of pharmaceuticals and biotechnology. Join us next time as we continue to explore groundbreaking advancements shaping patient care worldwide.Support the show

In medical school, Aaron Baugh, like most doctors in training, was taught that Black people have smaller lungs than white people. His professors explained that it came down to evolution and body proportions.A spirometer measures lung capacity and helps doctors diagnose and treat most lung diseases, including asthma, COPD, and cystic fibrosis. And for generations, it had a so-called race equation built into it. When a patient breathes into the machine, their lung capacity is compared to what is considered normal for their age, gender, and race. For Black patients, that normal range was 10 to 15 percent lower than for white patients. For years, doctors believed that a race “correction” made the test more accurate.But after becoming a pulmonary and critical care physician, Baugh discovered that historical assumptions embedded in the spirometer were not only wrong, but were based on racist science that can be traced back to American slavery. And they were leading to misdiagnoses in thousands of Black patients, including military veterans. “This is not a small test,” Baugh says. “It is used in diagnosis of lung disease. It is used for job hiring. It is used for disability assignments. It is used for different medical treatments. So it can touch people in a lot of important ways if you're doing this wrong.”This week on Reveal, we team up with The Race Equation podcast series from the New England Journal of Medicine to examine a standard medical test with a brutal history that is harming Black patients and is still being used in hospitals across the country. Support Reveal's journalism at Revealnews.org/donatenow Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get the scoop on new episodes at Revealnews.org/weekly Connect with us on Bluesky, Facebook and Instagram Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

HEALTH NEWS   Move over, lycopene. Tomatoes' secret sauce may be phytoene A Hidden Gut Reaction May Explain Why Vegetables Are So Good for You Artificial sweetener xylitol associated with higher risk of adverse cardiovascular events Can you slow the aging process? Study reveals which interventions might help Overuse of inhalers found to increase heart attack risk in asthma and COPD patients

As part of the August issue, the European Respiratory Journal presents the latest in its series of podcasts. Deputy Chief Editor Don Sin interviews Marlies van Dijk (University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands) about her multicentre randomised crossover trial of fentanyl and morphine for persistent dyspnoea in COPD, published in this issue of the ERJ (https://doi.org/10.1183/13993003.01431-2025). Cite this podcast as: ERJ Podcast August 2026: Fentanyl or morphine for persistent dyspnoea in COPD. Eur Respir J 2026; 68: 26E6802 [https://doi.org/10.1183/13993003.E6802-2026].

What if your pharmacist could help optimize a patient's asthma treatment before their next clinic visit? On this episode of the BackTable ENT & Allergy Podcast, Dr. Basil Kahwash welcomes clinical pharmacist Dr. Joelle Ayoub to discuss how ambulatory care pharmacists can partner with ENT and allergy clinics to optimize asthma management. Dr. Ayoub shares her experience working in a family medicine clinic, collaborating with providers through referrals, reviewing medications, and providing direct patient education on inhaler use and disease management. --- Get the BackTable apphttps://www.backtable.com/app --- Timestamps 00:00 - Introduction02:40 - The Role of the Clinic Pharmacist05:04 - Teaching Patients and Improving Inhaler Technique12:36 - Choosing Inhalers and Applying Guidelines18:51 - Comparing MDI, DPI, and SMI Devices28:15 - Tracking Asthma Control and Monitoring Adherence33:55 - Inhaler Education and Overcoming Barriers40:00 - Using Social Media for Patient and Provider Education44:16 - Pharmacist Collaboration and the Future of Team Care50:58 - Answering Biologics Patient Questions53:15 - SMART Therapy and Digital Inhaler Advances55:19 - Wrap Up --- More about this episode They discuss common gaps in asthma care, with a focus on inhaler technique and medication adherence. Dr. Ayoub explains how device complexity, cost, and a patient's ability to use their inhaler can all affect treatment. She also reviews the major inhaler types, common technique errors, and what to consider when choosing the right device for each patient. With this, Dr. Ayoub shares practical approaches to adherence monitoring, asthma guideline updates, and biologic monitoring. Throughout, Dr. Ayoub emphasizes the benefits of multidisciplinary collaboration and how pharmacists can help bridge gaps in care for patients with asthma. --- Resources Joelle Ayoub, PharmD, BCACP, APh - https://www.westernu.edu/bios/?bio=jayoub --- BackTable ENT & Allergy is the go-to podcast for otolaryngologists, allergists, and head and neck surgeons. Download the free BackTable app to get early access to new episodes, cases, and courses curated by physicians in your specialty. ► https://www.backtable.com/app

Guest Valerie Chang founded the Hawaii COPD Coalition to help others who couldn't find more literature, breathing exercises, and general support for her respiratory diagnosis some 20 years ago. She describes what her life was like before learning what COPD could be for long-term living. Guest Pamela McMillan is a recently retired respiratory therapist with over thirty years in California and Hawaii. Together, they bring their personal insights and talk on the 20th Annual COPD Education Day on September 4, 2026 at the Queen's Medical Center. For more: 20th Annual Hawaii COPD Education DayFriday, September 4, 2026 at Queen's Medical CenterKathy With a K is your host.Recorded on August 6, 2026 at Pacific Media Group Oahu in Honolulu, HI 96813

I'm suddenly or persistently short of breath — what now? Richard Fiero, MD, Pulmonologist and Sleep Specialist at University of Maryland Capital Region Health, explains what dyspnea can mean and how clinicians approach it. He defines different ways people experience breathlessness, reviews possible causes discussed on the show (anxiety, asthma flare, pneumonia, pulmonary embolism, heart problems, even a collapsed lung), and outlines the typical workup: history and lung exam, chest X‑ray or chest CT, pulmonary function testing, and sometimes cardiac evaluation like an echocardiogram. Dr. Fiero also talks about the overlap between anxiety and physical disease, when relaxation may help temporarily, and practical guidance on deciding between calling 911, going to the ER, or seeing your primary care doctor or a pulmonologist. Above all, he emphasizes taking symptoms seriously and not hesitating to seek care.  More information about Dr. FieroMore information about lung health at UM Capital Region Health 

Project Anchor turned out to be yet another failed, click-bait conspiracy prediction. The world did not lose gravity on the 12th of August for enough time for people and things to levitate. However, there was a solar eclipse that occurred on that day. But won't stop the next round of Internet rumors, lies, and scams. The Internet is awash in time traveler stories, futuristic predictions, and conspiracies that are so insane they discredit legitimate conspiracies.  Sure, people have been killed for knowing too much about something they shouldn't, but every death is not a conspiracy. Take Max Spiers, who overdosed on a generic version of Xanax while engaged to a legitimately insane, and seriously overweight, woman named Sarah Adams who claims to be a healer and psychic. Or take David Wilcock, a man suffering from self-made financial issues, self-delusions about his life, and a lifetime of depression that led to him taking his own life. But his fans couldn't let him rest; in a bout of hysteria similar to Wilcock's own delusion, his supporters created every possible scenario to justify an argument that he was still alive and working on secret technology. HIs family and friends begged them to stop. The same thing even happened after legendary radio personality Art Bell died of COPD, and Jim Marrs of kidney issues.  Recently, it's the death of Joe Felz, a van life influencer who made videos of rare books, is the center of attention. Joe was reportedly killed by dark forces that wanted to suppress his book, some of which are free online to read. HIs girlfriend, however, says to leave him and his family alone as they grieve. If dark forces wanted to suppress information though, they would control it on the Internet, perhaps buying up rare books, scanning them, and destroying the original. This is precisely what AI companies are being accused of at the moment. Perhaps the story of Felz is cover for the latter? Or maybe, as is supposed, he was suicidal. *The is the FREE archive, which includes advertisements. If you want an ad-free experience, subscribe below. 

Dr. Ahmad Virani from WK Lung Specialists discussed lung nodules, lung cancer screening, and common respiratory conditions such as COPD and asthma. The discussion emphasized the importance of early detection, routine screening for at-risk patients, advances in diagnostic technology, and seeking medical evaluation for symptoms like persistent cough, shortness of breath, or unexplained weight loss. The program also highlighted smoking cessation, environmental triggers, and available treatment options that can improve lung health and patient outcomes.

As Diane Meier remarks to start today's podcast, palliative care has come a long way from the days when we were the "brink of death" consult. We're seeing patients earlier and earlier in the course of illness.  In fact, the evidence base for specialist palliative care is arguably stronger in the outpatient setting than the inpatient setting. In some ways, as Eric remarked, we are a victim of our own success. We've pushed on the boundaries of seeing patients earlier in the course of illness, we've demonstrated remarkable value to our colleagues and health systems: now they want us to see more and more patients, with conditions we would not have previously considered core to palliative care practice. Our guests modeled respectful disagreement, and we were somewhat surprised that there was more agreement than we expected.  I'm sure you will all have strong feelings about the opinions expressed, please let us know! In addition to Diane Meier, we welcome back Bob Arnold and Justin Sanders to talk through these issues, including: We agree specialist palliative care is for people with "serious illness" - but what constitutes "serious illness" Is a limited prognosis part of the definition of serious illness?  We discuss the Center to Advance Palliative Care definition of palliative care and Amy Kelley's oft-cited definition of serious illness.   Many patients with conditions that overlap with palliative care would benefit from our help, e.g. chronic pain, opioid use disorder, mental illness. Our health system is not meeting their needs.  Should palliative care see them, in the absence of a clear life-limiting illness? How limited a prognosis should we consider here - months, years…decades? We have a tremendous workforce shortage.  There are not enough specialist palliative care providers to see all patients with advanced cancer, much less the many other conditions whose guidelines now say should include palliative care.  The reality does not match the mission.  Does that change our mission?  Should local workforce issues dictate who should see palliative care? See this article by Pelleg in which clinicians at Mt Sinai agreed that patients with serious illness and high risk of mortality should be prioritized, explicitly excluding patients with chronic pain or psychosocial distress in the absence of serious illness. What is the role for Patient Reported Outcomes (PROs)? e.g. patients regularly reporting pain or other symptoms and an escalation in symptoms triggering a palliative care intervention.  How is the definition of who should see palliative care expanding in Canada, and is there a linkage to who is eligible for medical aid in dying in Canada.  Justin makes a good plug for the McGill National Palliative Care Grand Rounds Programme What is our vision for where palliative care should be 10 years from now? Population health specialists, or healing patients one visit at a time? To be sure, these are not mutually exclusive. How long should palliative care fellowship be - should we expand it to 3 years so palliative care specialists can care for people with a wider range of conditions?   What is Precision Palliative Care? Diane mentions this article by Ramy Sedhom on a couple of occasions.   Should palliative care see patients with sickle cell disease? How about survivorship clinics? How about very elderly patients with multiple mild chronic conditions (e.g. mild heart failure, mild COPD, mild cognitive impairment, arthritis, diabetes, hypertension)? And much more! Please listen to the audio only version of Stand by Me - my son Renn added an upright base, snap, and triangle parts - it's much better than the live version for YouTube that I accidentally started in a much too high key!  

Disclaimer: This episode and article are for educational purposes only and are not a substitute for individualized medical advice. Always consult your physician before making changes to your diet, exercise routine, or medications.TL;DR* The CDC's top 10 causes of death account for roughly 74% of all deaths in the US each year, and up to 80% of chronic disease is estimated to be driven by lifestyle factors — diet, movement, sleep, stress, and toxin exposure. * This episode goes cause by cause (heart disease, cancer, COVID/respiratory disease, accidents, stroke, Alzheimer's, diabetes, kidney disease, flu/pneumonia, and suicide) and lays out what the peer-reviewed research says about preventing, slowing, or reversing each one.* Ready to build your own plan? Book a free Metabolic Blueprint Session →The List, and the Number That Should Keep You Up at NightAccording to the CDC, ten conditions account for about 74% of all deaths in the United States every year:* Heart disease* Cancer* COVID-19 / chronic lower respiratory diseases* Accidents (unintentional injuries)* Stroke* Alzheimer's disease* Diabetes* Kidney disease* Influenza and pneumonia* SuicideHere's the part that doesn't get said enough: research estimates that up to 80% of chronic disease is driven by lifestyle factors — diet, movement, sleep, stress, and toxin exposure. Those aren't destinies. They're decisions, and decisions can change.A landmark paper in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that poor diet alone accounts for more deaths in the US than tobacco use. The fork may be more dangerous than the cigarette. And yet, most patients who end up on four to six medications were never once asked what they eat, how they sleep, or whether they move their bodies before those prescriptions were written. That's the difference between a sick care system and a healthcare system.Heart Disease and Stroke: The Most Reversible Disease We KnowHeart disease kills one American every 34 seconds and has held the #1 spot for over a century. But it's also one of the most reversible conditions in medicine.In 1990, Dr. Dean Ornish's landmark Lifestyle Heart Trial showed that intensive lifestyle changes — diet, exercise, stress management, and social support — could reverse coronary artery disease without drugs or surgery. Arterial plaques reduced. Blood flow improved. Chest pain decreased. A 2019 study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology confirmed it: a plant-predominant diet, regular aerobic exercise, not smoking, and a healthy weight reduced cardiovascular risk by over 80%.What that looks like in practice:* A Mediterranean or whole-food, plant-based diet rich in omega-3s and antioxidants (this isn't the only diet that works — it's the broadest evidence-backed baseline)* Zone 2 cardio (low-intensity aerobic work, three to five times a week — a brisk walk counts)* Managing chronic inflammation, the real driver of arterial plaque formation* Reducing refined sugar and seed oils, which damage the endothelial lining of the arteries* Prioritizing sleep, since poor sleep spikes cortisol and directly harms the heartStroke follows the same playbook: control blood pressure through diet, exercise, and stress reduction. The DASH diet in particular has been shown in multiple studies to lower blood pressure as effectively as medication in many patients.Cancer: 30–50% Preventable, and Possibly More Metabolic Than GeneticTo be clear, this isn't a claim about curing cancer — it's about how much prevention research is available and underused. The World Health Organization estimates that 30–50% of cancers are preventable. The American Institute for Cancer Research has identified lifestyle factors that dramatically reduce risk across multiple cancer types:* Diet. A 2022 meta-analysis in The Lancet linked poor dietary patterns — low fiber, low fruit/vegetable intake, high processed meat — to one in five cancer deaths globally.* Obesity. Excess weight is now the second-leading risk factor for cancer after smoking, because fat tissue is metabolically active and produces hormones like estrogen and inflammatory cytokines that fuel cancer growth.* Exercise. A 2019 study of over 1.4 million people found higher physical activity was associated with lower risk across 13 cancer types, including breast, colon, and endometrial cancer.* Fasting and metabolic health. Emerging research on intermittent fasting and time-restricted eating shows it can lower insulin-like growth factor, a key promoter of cancer cell proliferation.* Toxin reduction. Chronic low-grade exposure to pesticides, plastics (BPA, phthalates), and environmental pollutants has been linked to increased cancer risk. Choosing organic where possible, filtering water and air, and reducing plastic in cookware and storage all matter.There's also a deeper shift happening in how researchers understand cancer itself. It's long been treated primarily as a genetic disease, but the evidence is increasingly pointing toward cancer as a metabolic disease. Dr. Thomas Seyfried at Boston College has done groundbreaking work showing that cancer cells overwhelmingly rely on glucose and glutamine fermentation for energy — which is why a ketogenic or low-glycemic approach may help starve cancer cells while protecting healthy ones. The research is still evolving, but it's compelling.Think of your body like a garden. You can water it, enrich the soil, and pull the weeds — or you can dump sugar and chemicals on it and wonder why nothing grows right. Disease doesn't happen to you. It grows in an environment you create, consciously or not. The good news: you can change that environment starting today.Alzheimer's: “Type 3 Diabetes”Alzheimer's is rising, and it's terrifying to watch someone go through it. But emerging science shows it has a strong lifestyle and metabolic component — researchers now sometimes call it “type 3 diabetes” because of the profound link between insulin resistance and neurodegeneration.Dr. Dale Bredesen's ReCODE Protocol, published in the Journal of Aging, showed that a multimodal lifestyle intervention — diet, exercise, sleep optimization, hormone balancing, and stress reduction — reversed early cognitive decline in the majority of patients treated. In his 2014 case series, 9 of 10 patients with early Alzheimer's or mild cognitive impairment showed measurable improvement, with several returning to work.Key strategies from the research:* Sleep is non-negotiable. The brain's glymphatic (waste clearance) system activates primarily during sleep, flushing out amyloid beta plaque. Poor sleep means plaque buildup.* Exercise. A 2020 study showed aerobic exercise increases BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor) — essentially fertilizer for neurons — and reduces dementia risk by up to 35%.* Mediterranean-MIND diet. Shown to slow cognitive aging by an estimated 7.5 years in adherent individuals.* Blood sugar management. Insulin resistance in the brain disrupts its ability to use glucose for energy, effectively starving neurons.* Social connection. Harvard's 80-year longitudinal study found relationship quality was the single strongest predictor of cognitive health and longevity in old age.Type 2 Diabetes and Kidney Disease: One Disease Driving AnotherOver 37 million Americans have type 2 diabetes, and another 96 million are pre-diabetic. Here's the part that surprises people: type 2 diabetes is reversible in the majority of cases, and this isn't controversial — the science is overwhelming.The 2019 DiRECT trial, published in The Lancet, found that nearly half of type 2 diabetics achieved full remission through an intensive dietary intervention alone, with no medication. Other studies using low-carbohydrate and very-low-calorie diets have replicated these results consistently.Diabetic nephropathy — kidney damage from chronically high blood sugar — is the leading cause of kidney failure in the US. Control the upstream issue (blood sugar and metabolic dysfunction) and you protect the downstream organ.The diabetes reversal framework from the research:* Dramatically reduce refined carbohydrates and added sugars to blunt insulin spikes and reduce fat storage in the liver and pancreas* Practice time-restricted eating or intermittent fasting to improve insulin sensitivity* Add resistance training — muscle is your biggest glucose sink, so more muscle means better blood sugar control* Reduce visceral fat (the fat around and inside your organs), a key driver of insulin resistance and inflammationIf this list feels like a lot, that's fair. But it's not about blame — it's about empowerment. You have more control over your health outcomes than the medical system has typically told you.Respiratory Disease, Flu, and PneumoniaChronic lower respiratory diseases like COPD and emphysema are largely driven by smoking and air quality. Quitting smoking remains the single most impactful intervention here, full stop.For flu and pneumonia risk, immune resilience matters: vitamin D optimization, zinc and elderberry, and gut microbiome health (roughly 70% of your immune system lives in your gut). Even mild sleep deprivation has been shown to quadruple susceptibility to viral infection.Suicide and Mental HealthThis is the cause of death nobody wants to talk about, but it's in the top 10 — and it's the leading cause of death for men under 50, and the second-leading cause of death for people ages 10–34.While this is complex and deeply personal, research points to several lifestyle levers:* Exercise functions as an effective antidepressant, largely through endorphin release* The gut-brain axis matters more than most people realize — over 75% of the body's serotonin is produced in the gut, so gut health directly shapes brain chemistry* Social connection and purpose. Viktor Frankl's Man's Search for Meaning, written while he was in a Nazi concentration camp, captured this: meaning and connection to purpose are essential for survival, and perspective shapes both physiology and outcome* Reducing alcohol, a central nervous system depressant that worsens anxiety and depression despite short-term reliefIf you or someone you love is struggling, crisis hotlines are available 24/7. There's often a reason it's happening, and there's often a way through it.The Common ThreadAcross every single one of these conditions — heart disease, stroke, cancer, Alzheimer's, diabetes, kidney disease, respiratory disease, immune function, mental health — the same five levers keep showing up: diet, exercise, sleep, toxin reduction, and blood sugar balance.Your daily habits are either building disease or building resilience. Every meal, every walk, every night of good sleep compounds — just like interest in a bank account.This Week's Action Plan* Do a food audit. For the next three days, write down everything you eat. No judgment, just awareness — you can't change what you can't see.* Walk 30 minutes a day. It lowers blood pressure, improves insulin sensitivity, boosts BDNF, and reduces cortisol. Simple, not easy — do it anyway.* Optimize your sleep. Consistent bedtime, dark room, cool temperature, no screens.* Get your labs done. Know your fasting glucose, A1C, CRP, vitamin D, triglycerides, and LDL — these are your early warning systems.* Address one stress source this week. A conversation you need to have, a boundary you need to set, or ten minutes of breathwork. Chronic stress is silently killing you — take action on it.Ready for a Real Plan?If you're ready to take your health seriously and want a clear roadmap instead of guesswork, book a Metabolic Blueprint Session. In 30–45 minutes, we'll walk through your top three priority areas and how programs like the Metabolic Momentum Accelerator, the Cellular Reboot Accelerator, and the Total Health Restore Protocols can help.Schedule your complimentary consult →Know someone this could help? Share this episode with them — it might change or even save their life.If this episode was valuable, leaving a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts helps this show reach more people.ReferencesStudies and sources cited in this episode:* CDC — Leading Causes of Death data* Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) — poor diet and US mortality* Ornish, D. et al. (1990) — The Lifestyle Heart Trial* Journal of the American College of Cardiology (2019) — plant-predominant diet, exercise, and cardiovascular risk reduction* DASH diet research on blood pressure control* World Health Organization (WHO) — cancer preventability estimates* American Institute for Cancer Research — lifestyle and cancer risk* The Lancet (2022 meta-analysis) — dietary patterns and cancer deaths* Physical activity and cancer risk study (2019, ~1.4 million participants)* Seyfried, T., Boston College — cancer as a metabolic disease* Bredesen, D., Journal of Aging — the ReCODE Protocol; 2014 case series* BDNF and exercise study (2020) — dementia risk reduction* Mediterranean-MIND diet and cognitive aging research* Harvard Study of Adult Development (80-year longitudinal study) — relationships and longevity* DiRECT Trial, The Lancet (2019) — type 2 diabetes remission through dietary intervention* Frankl, V. — Man's Search for MeaningThis article summarizes claims and studies as presented in the podcast episode. Listeners are encouraged to review primary sources directly and consult their own physician before making health decisions. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tripleplaydoc.substack.com/subscribe

Experts discuss updated strategies for minimizing steroid exposure in COPD. Credit available for this activity expires: 8/5/27 Earn Credit / Learning Objectives & Disclosures: https://www.medscape.org/viewarticle/when-steroids-signal-risk-rethinking-copd-exacerbation-2026a1000q7m?ecd=bdc_podcast_libsyn_mscpedu

This program is non-promotional and is sponsored by Sanofi and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. The content contained in this program was jointly developed by AMJ, the speakers, and Sanofi and Regeneron, and is not eligible for continuing medical education (CME) credits. The speakers were compensated by Sanofi and Regeneron in connection with this program.   COPD trial outcomes are not all equal, yet conventional endpoints can make it difficult to weigh severe events, exacerbations, lung function, and symptom burden within a single clinical picture.   In this AMJ podcast, Sanjay Ramakrishnan and Simon Couillard discuss how win ratio methodology may help capture a broader, more clinically meaningful view of treatment benefit by comparing outcomes across a prespecified hierarchy.   Listen to the full episode to learn:   Why standard COPD endpoints may not tell the full story How win ratio analysis prioritizes outcomes by clinical importance What the pooled BOREAS and NOTUS analysis showed How this approach could shape future respiratory trial design Speakers: Sanjay Ramakrishnan, Clinical Senior Lecturer, UWA Medical School, Centre for Respiratory Health, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia Simon Couillard, Professor, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Université de Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada

In this episode, Lyell K. Jones Jr, MD, FAAN, speaks with Karin G. Johnson, MD, FAAN, who served as the guest editor of the August 2026 Sleep Neurology issue. They provide a preview of the issue, which publishes on August 3, 2026. Dr. Jones is the editor-in-chief of Continuum: Lifelong Learning in Neurology® and is a professor of neurology at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Dr. Johnson is a Professor in the Department of Neurology at the University of Massachusetts Chan School of Medicine–Baystate and the Sleep Medicine Division Chief at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, Massachusetts Additional Resources Read the issue: continuum.aan.com Subscribe to Continuum®: shop.lww.com/Continuum Continuum® Aloud (verbatim audio-book style recordings of articles available only to Continuum® subscribers): continpub.com/Aloud More about the American Academy of Neurology: aan.com Social Media facebook.com/continuumcme @ContinuumAAN Host: @LyellJ Guest: @drsleepykarin  Full episode transcript available here Dr Jones: This is Dr. Lyell Jones, Editor-in-Chief of Continuum. Thank you for listening to Continuum Audio. Be sure to visit the links in the episode notes for information about subscribing to the journal, listening to verbatim recordings of the articles, and exclusive access to interviews not featured on the podcast.  Dr Albin: All right, welcome all. For the first time ever in the history of Continuum Audio, we are coming to you live from Chicago here at the AAN annual meeting. And now over to your host, the one and only editor-in-chief, Dr. Lyell Jones.  Dr Jones: Welcome, everybody. My name is Lyell Jones, editor-in-chief of Continuum, and I'm here today with Dr. Karin Johnson, and we're interviewing Dr. Johnson for the upcoming and recently published issue of Continuum on Sleep Neurology. We have been doing Continuum Audio for a while, but we're doing something different this time. As our listeners online can tell, we are recording this for the first time ever with a live studio audience at the American Academy of Neurology annual meeting in Chicago, Illinois. So, this is a fun experience for us. I hope it's been fun so far for you, Dr. Johnson.  Dr Johnson: Great to be here.  Dr Jones: It's great to have you. So, before we get into the interview, I do wanna introduce our team here for the live recording of the podcast. You've already heard Dr. Casey Albin's voice. Dr. Casey Albin is an associate professor of neurology at Emory University. Also serves as one of our associate editors at the journal and one of our Continuum Audio interviewers. So, she's going to be working the crowd today. Let's have a round of applause for Dr. Albin. And our guest of honor today is Dr. Karin Johnson. Dr. Johnson is a professor of neurology at UMass Chan Medical School and, Baystate Medical Center in Massachusetts. She is a world-renowned expert in sleep neurology and is the guest editor for the most recent issue of Continuum on Sleep Neurology. Dr. Johnson, welcome. Why don't you introduce yourself to our audience?  Dr Johnson: You did a great introduction, but I'm a clinical sleep medicine specialist. Spend my days seeing patients, taking care of people with narcolepsy, sleep apnea, restless legs, everything that comes my way. And then I have a side interest in doing sleep medicine advocacy, especially for permanent standard time.  Dr Jones: And we may get to that. I mean, that might be part of our conversation today. So, you've now read all of the articles in this issue, and it's a really great issue. There's a lot of new developments in sleep neurology. There are some updates for clinicians, people who see patients with sleep disorders that I think are, are timely and important updates. You have this unique view because you have just read all of these articles, really good articles by expert authors. When you read through these, Dr. Johnson, what was the biggest, what was the biggest thing that surprised you?  Dr Johnson: I think the biggest surprise for me is just so many changes in, in all of these articles. I realized how easy it was for us to make a journal that is so different from a few years ago. Whether it's Dr. Stahl's obstructive sleep apnea and new ways to think about endotyping sleep apnea that is gonna have treatment implications or the new treatments that are out there like tirzepatide, the changes that we're having with restless leg treatment. I particularly wanted to have a chapter on circadian neurology that Dr. Abbott did a great job really highlighting how if we think about the timing of when we give meds, the timing of when we eat, how that really can help neurological health, brain health, overall health, as well as mental health and cognition, especially as the AAN thinks about brain health as a whole, not just treating our patients, but how we can treat the population of people by improving sleep. I like how we hit on all these different areas in this issue.  Dr Jones: And I don't know how you managed to do it. They're just a small number of articles. We cover a lot of existing territory with well-characterized diseases, with new advances. But there's a lot of new stuff in sleep, and so somehow, it's all packed in there. It's really impressive. One of the things I was gonna ask you about was an evolution, and this has been a number of years now in how we manage restless leg syndrome. When I was training, it was all about dopamine agonists, and that was your first line. And over time, the evidence has supported moving away from that, and now we have more recent guidelines that have come out, and it's really the alpha-two delta-one calcium channel antagonists. How is that transition going? Do you still see people in practice who come in on dopamine agonists? How is that going? How's the field responding to that?  Dr Johnson: That's one of my most frequent restless leg consults. So even though it's been years since I have really initiated dopamine agonists in my patient, every day we get in people often on very high doses of dopamine agonists, and their doctors have just been escalating and escalating these meds over the years, and they come in with horrible augmentation. Their symptoms are much worse than they used to be, happening earlier in the day. And so, trying to get these patients off of these meds that are addictive, the way I like to teach about it is these dopamine agonists are the Fioricets of the sleep world. We know they work great, but in the long run, the patients are gonna be worse overall. And so, it's so hard to get people off these dopamine agonists, just like it's so hard to convince a headache patient that they don't need their Fioricet and that they're gonna be better off if we can get them off of it. What I think has really changed is we have more options to use. So, the alpha-delta-like agonists like gabapentin are now considered first line, but there's a lot of patients who they just don't work well enough with or they don't tolerate. And so, what do you do in that case? It's easy when that works, but and, when that doesn't work, we are being much more aggressive these days with iron replacement, potentially even trying to push ferritin levels in refractory patients up to three hundred, and using IV iron rather than just oral iron to get over the absorption issues to get the brain levels high enough. Motor stimulators, little cuffs that kind of go around the leg and stimulate the peroneal nerve in a certain way that not only can give people immediate relief, but also some data that suggests that over time it actually lessens their restless legs. We have agents like dipyridamole that work on the adenosine system in a sort of new novel pathway at addressing restless legs. And then the opiates, often meds like methadone or Suboxone can be used in some patients. But as we're getting more of these other options, often we don't need to go to those levels because we do have more to work with.  Dr Jones: So, the key point is lots of options. We're not starting with dopamine agonists anymore. And I think the fact that you're still seeing a lot of patients who have been initiated on that probably tells us there's an education gap field that we need to work on. So, another thing that I noticed reading through the issue was, and this feels like a change over the last few years, is the availability and the tendency to use in-home sleep apnea testing as opposed to formal, traditional in-lab. And that feels like a great new option, and maybe that increases and improves availability for patients who need access to the test. But how do you work through that?  Dr Johnson: So, I love in-home testing. We've been using it for over a decade. Other parts of the country where insurances didn't sort of mandate it are now being more mandated. I think the real change happened for a lot of places over the pandemic when labs closed down. But I think it's good because it brings a lot more patients to us. They get tested, they get tested quicker. People who would say, "I would never go into a lab. Oh, I'll do a home study." So, it just does bring more people in, and it gets them to treatment that they need that can really be life-changing. But it's not for everybody. The biggest people are people that have other bad pulmonary issues. If you're on oxygen therapy, you should not be getting a home study. That really should be a group of people that come in the lab. Similarly, if you have bad COPD, you probably should be getting a full in-lab study, so we can get more monitoring. Central sleep apnea is an interesting one. It can be very hard in some cases to differentiate the centrals and obstructive nature as well on a home study. Doesn't mean you can't do a home. So, if it's a person that just can't get an in-lab study easily, maybe you start with the home. If it looks purely obstructive, and you're all set, then you got an answer, and you can move on. But if you get back a home study that looks questionably central, they're gonna need to come into that lab. So, if you already know they're high risk because they're on narcotics, cause they have congestive heart failure, it's usually worth going straight to the lab. But again, you may consider a home study based on the patient. Patients that really cannot use the equipment can also be an issue. So, if they've had a debilitating stroke and have no one to help them put on that device, or cognitively they just can't handle the device, they're gonna be someone who's gonna benefit from coming into the lab and getting the help from the techs. So, those are the big populations that you might go starting for a home. And then the other thing that confuses a lot of people, the home is only for diagnostics. It really isn't for treatment. So, I have patients that say, "Oh, like, you can just titrate my CPAP with a home study." No. So if it's a treatment decision where they're not doing well on treatment, or I need to figure out do they need CPAP or BiPAP or IVAPS or one of these more complicated treatments, those are people that are gonna need to come into the lab to get that treatment portion of the evaluation.  Dr Jones: What a great summary. That's like everything I needed to know about who do I need to bring into the lab and who do I think maybe could do an at-home study. Really great. And speaking of devices, I think all of us who see patients in the room here and our listeners out there online have experienced patients, and this feels like a very recent phenomenon to me, are coming in with their commercial at-home wearable device. And they have printouts sometimes, and they show me their phone, and they give me some numbers that I don't really know how to interpret. Reading through this issue, I learned a couple of great new words. I learned about orthosomnia, right? So, people who become so preoccupied with their sleep, it keeps them awake at night, literally, right? I mean, it's a complete paradox. I learned about nearables, so things that aren't necessarily wearables that are just in the room while the patient is sleeping that monitor proxies for sleep quality, sleep stage, and other things. And I frankly, I'm not really sure what to tell patients. So, what do you tell patients who come in with all the data? Like, or how do you tell patients to use these?  Dr Johnson: I think these devices can go both ways. So, I do kind of say the pros and cons of these devices. I think for a lot of patients, they're empowering. It's getting them to think about sleep, to wanna know how good their sleep is. Are they getting enough sleep? So, if it's used in those ways, it's gonna be very helpful. I actually had a patient last week, and they noted that they're having big desats all night and could show me essentially an overnight oximetry data rather than me having to order it, and I had days of data, which sometimes can be too much. But in this case, it's like, oh, when he was on his side that night, he looked a lot better, so I can use that to give advice to the patient about particular treatments. He actually went down to Mexico, and a doctor friend gave him oxygen therapy while he was there randomly. And we could see on the nights that he had the oxygen therapy, it did really help his central sleep apnea pattern. And so that pushed us towards saying, "Let's qualify you for that up here in the States." So, I think in some cases it can give really important data. Now, I saw a posting on social media the other day of someone saying, "Can I get advice on how to improve my REM sleep? My tracker says I have no REM sleep, and I need to do something about it." There's really not data to support needing to do something about it. And so, I do think it can get some people on these wild goose chases, trying to get to a certain percentage of sleep. And these trackers, they're good in a lot of ways, but they're not perfect. He could be getting REM sleep that the tracker on him does not show. You want to relate it to what symptoms are they having. I think they can be very good for trying something out. So, let's say someone, has their tracker telling them they get five hours of sleep, and they try this intervention, and that helps them show that they got the seven hours of sleep, or they went from no REM to REM and it goes in the right direction. It can help give them that positive feedback that something they're trying, is working. But the absolutes for any given patient, it's hard to over-- What does it mean if it says you've got a 50% score versus a 70% score? That may or may not be meaningful in any given person, but again, they can compare themselves to themselves. If they were a lower score and now they're a higher sleep score because they did something that was meaningful, and that goes along with them feeling better, that can help give them that positive feedback to do something good.  Dr Jones: So, a little bit of a mixed picture.  Dr Johnson: Yeah.  Dr Jones: Sometimes they help. Sometimes they distract. Hopefully- Dr Johnson: And as a provider, sometimes it can be overwhelming because they're like, "Come look at my year's worth of data." And you're like, "No."  Dr Jones: Yeah.  Dr Johnson: You know, let me see one page or two pages of data and be like, "Yep, okay, I get it." Dr Jones: Just show of hands in the audience, who in the room wears a sleep device at night, like a ring or a, some kind of sleep monitoring app? That's about half the audience.  Dr Johnson: This is why they're here.  Dr Jones: So that's really helpful, and I think it is. You want to be supported by the data. You want to be supported by evidence and high-quality biometric evidence. Another big trend, and this has been a number of years in the making, is the understanding, Dr. Johnson, of the relationship between sleep physiology and neurodegenerative disease. One of the things I love about neurology is there's still so much left to learn about the normal physiologic functioning of the brain. So glymphatics and other aspects of sleep physiology that we didn't know about a decade or two ago. When you think about how that relationship has developed, sleep physiology, maybe sleep disorders and neurodegenerative disease, how has that changed your approach to talking to patients? Do you counsel patients differently now because of what we understand better about that?  Dr Johnson: Yeah, I mean, we are still limited with our data. We have so many studies that show the associations between whether it's not enough sleep, too much sleep, or having a sleep disorder like obstructive sleep apnea, and that being a risk factor for stroke or Alzheimer's or Parkinson's. But we still sort of lack the treatment trials that necessarily say, "If you treat obstructive sleep apnea, you're gonna have less dementia," or, "You're gonna be less likely to have that stroke." So, we have a lot of physiological studies, a lot of reasons why it makes sense, but we don't have that final, nail in the coffin to say, "If you do this, you'll definitely be better." So, we know certain groups are more at risk. If you have obstructive sleep apnea and you are symptomatic, you seem to have higher cardiovascular risk. If you have a person who's had a stroke and we find a milder case of sleep apnea, and they're someone that's totally asymptomatic. They say, "I sleep fine. I feel fine." There's not great data to say, "If you treat your sleep apnea, you're gonna be less likely to have a stroke." Now, if they come in and they're sleepy and their sleep apnea is really severe, and they have more hypoxic burden, which is also more connected with a lot of these risks, I'm going to say, "I think you are in the higher risk group of sleep apnea people who it's probably gonna be more likely to help your cardiovascular risk, your dementia risk." We can counsel them, and then it's really a personal decision. Some people are like, "No way. I'm never gonna use a CPAP machine, ever." And other people are like, "You know, my mom had a stroke. My dad had Alzheimer's. I want to do every possible thing I can to make it less likely that I have this outcome that I want to avoid." And so, you're going to take that in to, you know, do you want to try this treatment or not? It's a lot easier when you have outcomes that you can follow, like, "If I try CPAP, does my blood pressure get better? Do I stop having AFib attacks?" It's a lot harder when, will I or not get Alzheimer's ten years down the road or have that stroke?  Dr Jones: It's hard to get people to do things for kind of an abstract prevention down the road, but could be important. Are there trials going on that are going to assess this data?  Dr Johnson: Yeah. We currently have a big trial getting people right away, right after their stroke, on CPAP, and not only looking at prevention, but also looking at recovery outcome. It's been running for several years. Hopefully, we'll get enough data to close out the study coming up.  Dr Jones: We'll look forward to that.  Dr Johnson: Yeah.  Dr Jones: So, I'm really excited to get to our audience here, but before we do that, I do want to ask Dr. Johnson one more question. Dr. Johnson is famous for her advocacy for sleep in general, but specifically related to Standard Time. So, let's do a little experiment here. I didn't warn Dr. Johnson about this, so we'll see how she does. She does a ton of advocacy. She's a pro. So, pretend like we're in DC, and I'm a senator, and we just got in an elevator. You're going to give me your elevator pitch on what we should do.  Dr Johnson: So, you know, sleep is one of the few essential things in life. We need to eat, we need to drink, we need to have clean air, and we need to sleep and when we improve sleep, we can improve basically every outcome, whether it's academics, whether it's productivity, whether it's our physical health, our mental health. And the problem is we structure our lives in a way that really keep people, and especially our teenagers, from getting the sleep they need. And one of these structural things we do is permanent daylight savings time. Essentially, what you're doing is you're putting the sun out later, makes it harder to go to bed. I was just talking to someone, the sun's going down at 9:00, and you need to get your kid to sleep at 7:30, 8:00 so they can get the amount of sleep they need. That is almost an impossible task because their circadian rhythms are being pushed later, they can't fall asleep on time. Then you're setting their clocks an hour earlier, so when that alarm clock is going off at 6:00 AM in the morning, it's actually 5:00 AM in the morning. You're squeezing sleep from both sides, and it's basically impossible to get enough sleep. A lot of people think the only problem with daylight savings time is twice a year with the changes, and there are certainly harms related to that. So, a lot of people think if we went to permanent daylight savings time it would be better, and we got rid of those changes. What they don't realize is that permanent circadian misalignment by setting the sun more ahead, at 1:00 to 2:00 instead of at noon causes the sleep and circadian disruption all year round that leads to increased incidents of strokes, of heart attacks, of obesity, of cancer, of suicides, of depression, of worse academic grades. Again, pretty much every outcome you have there that relates to brain health, we have now data that shows that it's worse. And so, we can improve our lives if we can go to permanent Standard Time.  Dr Jones: You convinced me. How about that? If there were any skeptics in the room, I doubt there are any left. We only went to like the fifth floor there, and she... I'm like, "I'm voting for this. Whatever, whatever this bill is, I'm gonna vote for it." So, I'm excited to get to the audience here. Before we get to questions and answers, and we want you to get your questions ready for Dr. Johnson. I do have a couple of trivia questions. And we've been doing this for a little while now on the podcast. The first trivia question actually relates to arts and culture.  Dr Jones: What famous artist used transitions between sleep and wake states to inspire his art? Anybody know?  Guest Speaker 1: Is it Van Gogh?  Dr Jones: Not Van Gogh that I know of. There in the back.  Guest Speaker 2: Picasso.  Dr Jones: Picasso, not that I know of. Right here.  Guest Speaker 3: Salvador Dali.  Dr Jones: Salvador Dali. We have a winner. Thank you for your answer. So apparently, I read this. Salvador Dali would sit in a chair holding onto a metal key and wait until he fell asleep, and it would fall out of his hands and drop into a bowl, and it would wake him up. So, then he would pick it back up, and he would go in and out of sleep trying to generate hypnagogic hallucinations, basically, and he would use that to inspire his art. And you think about his art, maybe that kind of makes sense. All right, now I've got a neurology trivia question. Okay, so maybe we're a little more comfortable with the neurology trivia in here. What is the center in the brain that is responsible for REM sleep atonia?  Guest Speaker 4: The receptor is for erection in the lateral hypothalamus.  Dr Jones: That is not correct. REM sleep atonia. Right here.  Guest Speaker 4: Emilio Malgona, Hyannis, Massachusetts. Dorsal raphe nucleus.  Dr Jones: We'll give you credit for that. Very good. Excellent. So, the-  Dr Johnson: Well, no. That's actually the serotonin. He's talking about another one.  Dr Jones: Oh, I thought I heard, I thought I heard-  Dr Johnson: You heard dorsal  Dr Jones: ... I heard dorsolateral tegmental nucleus of the pod.  Dr Johnson: Not quite.  Dr Jones: You get a prize anyway, sir, just for, just for answering. Thank you very much. All right. So, we're all warmed up here. So, Dr. Albin, what do you think? Should we get some questions from the audience?  Dr Johnson: All right, we've got some questions.  Guest Speaker 5: I have a statement and a question.  Dr Jones: Please tell the podcast your name again, sir.  Guest Speaker 5: Steve Spar, New York City. The tyranny of the morning people. You don't want people, you don't want the sun to go down too late because it'll keep people up longer. I spent my whole life fighting people like you. I am a nighttime person. Why do I have to go to sleep earlier? I want to go to sleep later. I want to wake up later. I don't want to wake up at 7:00 in the morning. I want to wake up at 10:00. There's a certain tyranny that we must use circadian rhythms of the majority, and it persecutes people like me who are night people.  Dr Johnson: So that is a great question.  Guest Speaker 5: What say you?  Dr Johnson: What say me is actually the harms of daylight savings time are actually to the night owls, and don't really affect the morning people. I can still go to sleep on time and get up on time without that pressure of needing to go to work. The night owl people, they can't fall asleep until later. They want to sleep in earlier, but we're forcing them to get up an hour earlier for work and school. And because we're doing daylight savings time, you're not getting the morning light you need, you're getting too much light at night, and you are more sensitive to a delay in your circadian rhythm, which makes you even more of a night owl and increase the degree of social jet lag. So, we actually see that the harms and risks of things like depression, cardiovascular risks are much greater in night owls than they are in normal people or morning larks. And this is again why the risks are the highest for our teenagers, who are essentially all night owls. You're making it harder for them to fall asleep on time. You're making them more and more of a night owl that it becomes more out of line with our standard social schedule. So, what we can do for a night owl is say to our schools, say to life that we want to change our society norms of getting up early. But that has nothing to do with daylight savings time. That has to do with how we make our schedule Dr Jones: All right, next question. And introduce yourself to the audience.  Guest Speaker 6: Sure. I'm Sanjay Rathi from New Haven area, Neurology. Movement disorders, Parkinson's disease, sleep disruptions, sleep-regulating REM, RBD issues, what are your recommendations? And as things get worse, what additional intervention should we do?  Dr Johnson: Yeah, I think it's hard with a lot of our neurodegenerative disorders, it's a two-way sleep. The disorders themselves often worsen sleep quality, have decrease in their sort of circadian amplitudes, and so that can affect sleep ability. And so, trying to do the things that promote sleep, like getting lights down in the evening, keeping things dark and quiet, doing cognitive behavioral sort of therapies if that's needed can all be helpful. Very high incidence of obstructive sleep apnea or other sleep-disordered breathing, whether it's Parkinson's or other neurodegenerative disorders, so evaluating and treating that if need be. And some of these people, especially as they get later on, you may end up considering medication for insomnia because their underlying disorders was causing it and there's, and you're not going to CBTI your way out of it. We do have the new orexin antagonist sleep agents, which are more recommended for older people and probably safer agents than your Z drugs and some of the other sleep meds out there. So, some people should be on some of those meds if their sleep is so disrupted. I've seen some sleep studies where it's basically like wake, sleep, wake, sleep, wake, sleep all night long. And it's like, wow, you really cannot sustain sleep, and we think it's not just a behavioral thing. I think it is part of their underlying Parkinson's and underlying disorders that can really cause major sleep disruption.  Dr Jones: It's a great question. Before we get more from the audience here, Dr. Albin, I'm just curious, you know, you got some questions from online. Don't know if any of those stood out to you. And the other thing is, I think about your practice, Dr. Albin, as a neurointensivist, there's some great content in this issue on how to maintain an adequate sleep environment in the hospital and the importance of that for the acute episode, maybe for some long-term outcomes. When I was reading the article, I didn't really didn't think about the ICU setting. That must be-- what do you do in the ICU?  Dr Albin: Well, we happen to have a question about just that. Dr Jones: Well, there you go  Dr Albin: From Dr. Manners of Baltimore, Maryland. "What meds should I be giving patients in the ICU or the inpatient setting to preserve or recalibrate their sleep-wake cycles? Is there anything that we can do besides just getting them out of bed during the day?"  Dr Johnson: Meds are always hard cause as sleep doctors, we're usually the last one to recommend meds. But there are situations and scenarios where meds may be appropriate. I can't say what's one better than the other, and some of the meds we have probably aren't even available as options in the hospital. So, the, you know, again, the orexin antagonist may be a good class to try to use, but they may not be an option. There was a good study that looked at empowering the patient and whether or not the ICU patients are empowerable. But they give a card to the patients in the hospital and say, "Tell your nurse to turn off my TV and my lights. Do I need all the blood draws all throughout the night, or can it be put off to the morning?" And trying to empower the patient to ask for these things and do some of the behavioral things. And they found that doing that did improve the duration of sleep, did reduce some of the number of awakenings that people ended up having at night. So, I think the ICU is a very particular population where there's a lot of things you can't get rid of. But certainly, turning on the lights, turning off the lights, and trying to limit noises as much as you can, in those night hours, trying to give some sense of a 24-hour day. The other thing is feeding is really important to circadian rhythms. I had a patient that had a brain bleed and, after it, she just her circadian rhythms were just off, and part of it was she was getting tube feeds through the night. So, one of the very first interventions we did was to move her timing of her feeding so that it wasn't in sleep, and that really did help make a difference in getting her back on a pattern, along with light therapy and other behavioral techniques as well.  Dr Jones: It's a great question.  Dr Albin: Absolutely. I mean, I think that validates just that we spend a lot of time actually asking like, "Can we feed people during the day?" Or, "Can we, can we limit the amount of baths that are happening at 3:00 in the morning?" We also had another one from the audience that came from Dr. Lavina Singla of Mississippi, and I think a lot of our patients are asking this question. Is melatonin addictive?  Dr Johnson: Is melatonin safe? Is melatonin addictive? I think with any sleeping aid, people become addictive to what they perceive is the outcome. So, if they said, "This got me to sleep, and now I'm sleeping great, I don't want to come off of it." And so, you get this to meds that are truly addictive, but even meds that aren't felt to have that addiction, there is certainly a behavioral change. And that's a lot of what cognitive behavioral therapy is working with these patients on, is challenging that belief of maybe it isn't the med, maybe it's your internal belief and your worry about doing this. One thing about sleep is sleep happens when you are relaxed and calm and not worried. When you're worried about thinking that thing you're worried about is whether or not you're getting sleep, then you don't sleep. In terms of melatonin, if you don't need to use it, I wouldn't use it. If you are gonna use it, I'd try to use as low doses as possible. Do we know all the risks? We don't know. And especially I think there are potentially more risks in a growing child than, maybe someone who isn't having the same sort of hormonal, needs and growth needs. But then again, if you have, let's say, a kid with autism and melatonin helps him sleep, I'd much rather use melatonin than a lot of other agents, and if that really changes their functionality, that probably is very good for them and better than having them not get sleep. So, I think you have to weigh each individual situation and combine it, especially with the behavioral approaches so that hopefully this is not a long-term addictive thing you're on.  Dr Jones: So, it's complicated. Sounds like it.  Dr Albin: Not a straightforward answer.   Dr Jones: I thought that was gonna be just this hard no, but I guess it is something you have to think about. So, I want to really take a minute here to thank Dr. Karin Johnson, who has been our interviewee for this episode of the Continuum Audio Podcast sleep issue just came out. Really want to encourage our subscribers, our listeners, and our studio audience here to enjoy it. Thank you, Dr. Johnson, for joining us today. I want to give a big round of applause to Dr. Casey Albin for managing this crowd. Thank you to our listeners. Thank you to our subscribers. Thank you to you all for coming today.  Dr Monteith: This is Dr. Teshamae Monteith, Associate Editor of Continuum Audio. If you've enjoyed this episode, you'll love the journal, which is full of in-depth and clinically relevant information important for neurology practitioners. Use the link in the episode notes to learn more and subscribe. Thank you for listening to Continuum Audio.   

Wildfire smoke is affecting communities across southwest Washington, with risks especially high for those with asthma, COPD, heart conditions, and allergies. PeaceHealth outlines steps residents can take now, from limiting outdoor exposure to keeping rescue medications on hand. All PeaceHealth facilities are open and operating with enhanced air filtration systems. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/news/southwest-washington-residents-should-exercise-care-as-wildfire-smoke-builds-in-region/ #WildfireSmoke #SouthwestWashington #ClarkCounty #AirQuality #PeaceHealth #PublicHealth #WashingtonState #PacificNorthwest

Many people assume becoming breathless is simply part of getting older - but it could be a sign of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), a progressive lung condition that is often diagnosed too late. Michelle Martin speaks with Dr Jim Teo, Respiratory Physician at O2 Healthcare Group, about why COPD is frequently mistaken for normal ageing, the warning signs people shouldn't ignore, and how delayed diagnosis can dramatically reduce lung function. Dr Teo shares the story of a 75-year-old patient whose lung capacity fell to just 30%, explains how pulmonary rehabilitation can improve quality of life. Listeners share their pressing questions.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wildfire smoke used to feel like someone else's problem. Now it can show up on air quality alerts hundreds of miles from any actual fire, and for anyone with asthma, that hazy sky can mean real trouble breathing. In this episode, Kortney and Dr. Gupta are joined by Dr. Neelu Tummala, an ENT physician and climate health expert, to talk about why wildfires are getting more frequent and intense, what is actually in wildfire smoke, and the everyday steps that can protect your lungs, your family, and even your pets. What we cover in this episode about wildfire smoke and asthma Why wildfires are intensifying. Warmer, drier conditions have extended the wildfire season by about a month compared with 35 years ago. What's actually in the smoke. PM2.5 particles make up most of wildfire smoke's mass and are small enough to slip past your body's natural filters. How it affects your body. Smoke can irritate the nose, throat, and ears before it ever reaches your lungs, and it can also affect heart and brain health. Who's most at risk. Babies, kids, older adults, pregnant women, and anyone with asthma, COPD, or heart disease need extra caution. How to protect yourself. Check the AQI, wear a well-fitted N95, run air purifiers, and keep pets indoors during smoky days. More resources How Wildfire Smoke Can Worsen Your Asthma How Climate Change Impacts Allergies and Asthma Find out about your local air quality: Asthma and Allergy Forecast American Lung Association: State of the Air report, PDF version Wildfires and asthma from the American Lung Association NYC Resources: Cooling options and Cooling centers This podcast is made in partnership with Allergy & Asthma Network

Nate Stasko, CEO of Vast Therapeutics, is developing a novel nitric oxide-releasing therapy to treat chronic respiratory diseases, particularly fibrosis bronchiectasis, which is frequently misdiagnosed as asthma or COPD. Their lead drug candidate is a dual-mechanism therapy that is delivered to the lungs via a nebulizer to target both infection and inflammation with the potential to eradicate pathogens rather than just suppressing them. This approach, in early trials, is showing excellent tolerability and eliminates the need for chronic antibiotic use, which carries the risks of toxicity and contributes to antibiotic resistance.  Nate explains, "At Vast Therapeutics, our main idea and goal as a company is to come up with better solutions for the 500 million people worldwide who suffer from chronic respiratory disease. And there is a new disease getting a lot of attention that we're targeting with our lead program called bronchiectasis, and it's often been misdiagnosed as asthma or COPD. And now over a million patients in the US are being diagnosed with bronchiectasis. And the whole campaign is to teach physicians and the whole medical community to suspect this disease over some of these other misdiagnosed diseases."  "Traditionally, patients have been managed with either antibiotics to calm down the infection, but you know the problems of chronic antibiotic use- the liver toxicity, kidney toxicity, and hearing loss associated with long-term antibiotic use are just bad for these patients. Not to mention we have the global problem of antibiotic resistance. And so giving a 52-week course of therapy of antibiotics is less than ideal. And then recently, just last year, there's some hope for these patients where there was a new drug approved called brensocatib, which was the first drug ever approved for bronchiectasis by the FDA. And so now it targets the inflammation." "Having the ability to target two mechanisms of action would be the best therapy. And that's actually what Vast is developing. We're using the body's own ability to make and produce nitric oxide, which is a miracle molecule. And we're delivering nitric oxide back to these patients to target both the infection and inflammation at the same time and improve the overall standard of care for these patients."  #VastTherapeutics #Bronchiectasis #Pulmonology #NitricOxide #RespiratoryMedicine #AntimicrobialResistance #ALX1#ChronicLungDisease #HealthcareInnovation #ClinicalTrials vasttherapeutics.com Listen to the podcast here

Nate Stasko, CEO of Vast Therapeutics, is developing a novel nitric oxide-releasing therapy to treat chronic respiratory diseases, particularly fibrosis bronchiectasis, which is frequently misdiagnosed as asthma or COPD. Their lead drug candidate is a dual-mechanism therapy that is delivered to the lungs via a nebulizer to target both infection and inflammation with the potential to eradicate pathogens rather than just suppressing them. This approach, in early trials, is showing excellent tolerability and eliminates the need for chronic antibiotic use, which carries the risks of toxicity and contributes to antibiotic resistance.  Nate explains, "At Vast Therapeutics, our main idea and goal as a company is to come up with better solutions for the 500 million people worldwide who suffer from chronic respiratory disease. And there is a new disease getting a lot of attention that we're targeting with our lead program called bronchiectasis, and it's often been misdiagnosed as asthma or COPD. And now over a million patients in the US are being diagnosed with bronchiectasis. And the whole campaign is to teach physicians and the whole medical community to suspect this disease over some of these other misdiagnosed diseases."  "Traditionally, patients have been managed with either antibiotics to calm down the infection, but you know the problems of chronic antibiotic use- the liver toxicity, kidney toxicity, and hearing loss associated with long-term antibiotic use are just bad for these patients. Not to mention we have the global problem of antibiotic resistance. And so giving a 52-week course of therapy of antibiotics is less than ideal. And then recently, just last year, there's some hope for these patients where there was a new drug approved called brensocatib, which was the first drug ever approved for bronchiectasis by the FDA. And so now it targets the inflammation." "Having the ability to target two mechanisms of action would be the best therapy. And that's actually what Vast is developing. We're using the body's own ability to make and produce nitric oxide, which is a miracle molecule. And we're delivering nitric oxide back to these patients to target both the infection and inflammation at the same time and improve the overall standard of care for these patients."  #VastTherapeutics #Bronchiectasis #Pulmonology #NitricOxide #RespiratoryMedicine #AntimicrobialResistance #ALX1#ChronicLungDisease #HealthcareInnovation #ClinicalTrials vasttherapeutics.com Download the transcript here

Please join us for this new moon Arcturian Healing Method healing session where we address the physiological and energetic functioning of the lungs.  We will be applying advanced Arcturian Healing Method frequencies to healing the lungs, the trachea (air tube), the mouth, and the teeth.  The energies will also work down to the cellular levels of the gas exchange occurring in the lungs in the small air sacs called the alveoli.  This session is good for full functioning of the lungs and also to support healing for illnesses such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, lung infections (pneumonia and tuberculosis), lung cancer, and smoking cessation.  There will also be a unique 10 minute download from the Arcturians for lung health that will occur towards the end of the healing session. The healing session will last 45 minutes.After a short integration break, we will be working with an advanced form of the Arcturians known as the Arcturian Guard.  These are the Arcturian Beings that have the quality of strength, protection, and might.  We will be doing a group as well as individual pillar of light meditation with these qualities and energies of the Arcturians to bring world peace for the events on the earth and to avoid or curtail in particular violence and war on the planet.  The new moon energies will also be utilized to help set new intentions for the month and year.Please join to reinvigorate your physical, energetic, emotional, mental, causal, spiritual, and divine bodies with the breath of life and also to continue to assist the planet to have its best soul timeline for all.

What is your sleep really telling you about your long-term health? In this episode, Peggy Smedley sits down with Dr. Pierre Escourrou, Senior Medical Advisor at Withings and practicing cardiologist, to unpack groundbreaking research linking nighttime breathing patterns to arterial aging — and what that means for your cardiovascular health. They explore: How sleep apnea and snoring accelerate arterial stiffness Why a single night of sleep data leads to 20% misdiagnosis rates — and how continuous monitoring changes that The power of connected device ecosystems (IoT) over standalone wearables How AI + IoT data is shifting medicine from treatment to prevention What conditions — including hypertension, heart failure, COPD, and menopause — may be detectable years earlier using devices like the Withings Sleep Analyzer and smart scale The regulatory and insurance hurdles still standing in the way Whether you're a health tech enthusiast, a clinician, or someone who just wants to understand their sleep data better, this episode is packed with insights you won't want to miss. Learn more at withings.com 

The smoke that's been inundating Wisconsin is impacting everything that takes a breath - including plants. Kiley Allan talks with Brent Elliot, Director at Stratford Area Fire Department EMS. He says the area is experiencing thick, poor air quality due to Canadian wildfire smoke, which was forecasted by the National Weather Service alongside high heat and humidity. Individuals with respiratory illnesses (asthma, COPD, emphysema) and cardiovascular conditions are at high risk, as poor lung oxygenation directly strains the heart and body tissues. Individuals should immediately rest if they experience "the dangerous triad": feeling winded/struggling to breathe, feeling dizzy or lightheaded (signs of low oxygenation), or experiencing heavy chest tightness. Those at risk should stay in air-conditioned indoor spaces. If outdoors, it is advised to stay hydrated, spend 15–20 minutes of every hour in shaded shelter (such as a tent or an air-conditioned vehicle), and monitor companions. Event medical staff are equipped to handle respiratory distress early with roaming teams, air-conditioned facilities, and oxygen therapy, preventing minor symptoms from escalating into emergencies. Not much smoke in our forecast today! Stu Muck says the cooler temperatures we're enjoying today also give us an air advisory break. Muck says this pattern will stick around for about 36 hours, and then it's back to more heat and potentially more smoke. Ice cream provides a nice, cool treat to break the heat of July. Teri Barr reports that it's also acting as a conversation starter for the 79th Alice in Dairyland, Anastasia Poull. Poull is using ice cream as the platform to educate consumes about Wisconsin's roll in delivering the tasty treat. Beef cattle supplies will continue to be tight into 2027. That's driving live animal prices even higher. Pam Jahnke reports that the chair of the World Ag Outlook board is expecting those prices to keep ratcheting up into 2027. One of the elements that attracts people to Wisconsin is our green space, including our forests. What you may not realize is that more than 56% of all our forests in the state are owned by private land owners. That's between 9-11 million acres. If those land owners don't have a plan on how to maintain and manage those lands, there's a problem. Kiley Allan introduces us to Tony Johnson, Forestry Outreach Specialist with UW-Madison. He says only 25% of Wisconsin woodland owners have a written forest management plan. His goal is to help others create a blueprint for getting what they want out of their woods.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, I started off mentioning the smoky skies due to the Canadian wildfires, and that it’s not the best idea in the world to spend a lot of time outdoors while it’s here. It can definitely affect people already compromised by allergies, asthma, COPD, and other lung conditions. Then we got into what’s going […]

Department Chair of Emergency Medicine at Cook County Health Dr. Trevor Lewis joins the Lisa Dent Show to discuss how the poor air quality will affect people’s health and who’s most at risk of falling ill given the current conditions. He advises asthmatics and COPD patients to either use their inhaler or seek immediate medical […]

Curious how AI can query your enterprise data without moving it or making things up? AWS and Teradata break down a trustworthy analyst agent built for real production use.Topics Include:Neha Wadhera (AWS) introduces Trinath Yarlagadda and the Teradata Analyst AgentEnterprise AI data prep is costly, stalling most orgs at experimentationAgent answers plain-English questions via traceable SQL, zero data movementBarrier removal drives 3.7x ROI and 40% productivity gainsHealthcare demo setup: hospital COPD readmissions, ~$10K cost per incidentFour design principles: traceability, no data movement, deterministic-first, governance as codeMain orchestrator agent plans, writes SQL, calls Teradata MCP serverComplex questions escalate to a context-isolated data scientist agentBuilt on Claude Agent SDK, running Bedrock Claude Sonnet/Haiku/OpusLive demo: COPD readmission rates explored through iterative agent reasoningDelegation demo: data scientist agent runs in-database analysis, surfaces factorsPre/post tool hooks log every step and cost to CloudWatchAgent hosted on Amazon Bedrock AgentCore, fully serverless and scalableAgentCore delivers runtime, memory, identity, and observability out of the boxLessons learned: guardrails first, deterministic ops, multi-agent registry, ongoing evaluationParticipants:Trinath Yarlagadda – Principal Solution Architect – Agentic AI, TeradataNeha Wadhera – Sr Solutions Architect, Amazon Web Services See how Amazon Web Services gives you the freedom to migrate, innovate, and scale your software company at https://aws.amazon.com/isv/

New research reveals why lowering the weight — not just lifting it — may be the most valuable, most overlooked element of resistance training. A new systematic review and meta-analysis published in Sports examines the comparative benefits of eccentric versus concentric training across healthy adults, older adults and clinical populations. For operators, the findings challenge a widespread blind spot in how strength training is coached and programmed on the gym floor. This Episode Covers: - Eccentric vs. concentric training: what the latest meta-analysis reveals - Why lowering the weight may matter more than lifting it - The link between power, rate of force development, and longevity - How eccentric training benefits clinical populations, including COPD patients - What this means for how trainers should be coaching strength work

In this episode, we sit down with Professor Jay Horvat from the University of Newcastle and the Hunter Medical Research Institute (HMRI) to discuss why lung health is fundamental to overall wellbeing and how emerging research is uncovering surprising new influences on respiratory disease. Professor Horvat explains the challenges faced by Australians living with asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and particularly those managing both conditions at the same time. We explore groundbreaking research investigating how the body's metabolism - including factors such as blood sugar levels, cholesterol and excess abdominal fat - may contribute to lung inflammation and breathing difficulties. Professor Horvat discusses how a better understanding of these connections could lead to new treatments, lifestyle interventions and improved outcomes for people with chronic respiratory disease.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Good morning from Pharma Daily: the podcast that brings you the most important developments in the pharmaceutical and biotech world. Today, we delve into a series of transformative events shaping our industry, starting with a significant regulatory milestone. Vera Therapeutics recently achieved FDA accelerated approval for Trutakna, a groundbreaking treatment for IgA nephropathy. This approval not only provides new hope for patients suffering from this chronic kidney disease but also highlights the innovative approach targeting APRIL and BAFF pathways, crucial in immune system regulation. The drug's accelerated approval is particularly noteworthy as it offers earlier access to promising therapies while further trials solidify its benefits. This positions Vera Therapeutics against industry giants like Novartis and Otsuka in nephrology therapeutics, highlighting the competitive landscape within this sector. The FDA's expedited pathways are increasingly facilitating quicker access to life-saving drugs, aligning regulatory processes with scientific advancements to address unmet medical needs. The spotlight on fusion proteins in tackling autoimmune and renal disorders could signal a broader trend in therapeutic development. In parallel, AstraZeneca has made waves by entering into a major licensing agreement with Sino Biopharmaceutical for their COPD candidate TQC3721. This $1.9 billion deal, with a $200 million upfront payment, exemplifies how global collaborations are becoming pivotal in expanding market reach. By focusing on respiratory diseases, AstraZeneca is strategically positioning itself to enhance treatment options for COPD patients worldwide, reflecting an industry-wide movement towards leveraging regional expertise in drug commercialization. Meanwhile, Evonik's $100 million investment in an Indiana API manufacturing plant marks a strategic effort to bolster domestic production capacities post-pandemic. This investment underscores the rising demand for Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) services, emphasizing supply chain resilience—an increasingly critical factor as biotech firms seek reliable production partners. On the clinical trial front, Satellos Bioscience has reported promising Phase 1 data for SAT-3247, its Duchenne muscular dystrophy candidate. This AAK1 inhibitor demonstrates potential in promoting muscle regeneration, a development that could significantly alter treatment paradigms for this progressive neuromuscular disorder. If further trials confirm these findings, it could revolutionize therapeutic approaches for rare diseases. Financially, Leo Cancer Care's recent $65 million Series D funding is set to advance its upright radiotherapy treatment system. Such innovations aim to improve precision and outcomes in cancer therapy, at the intersection of technology and patient care. Similarly, MeiraGTx's securing of up to $400 million from Oberland Capital underlines ongoing confidence in gene therapies targeting rare ophthalmological conditions. Strategic maneuvers continue to reshape industry landscapes with mergers like that of Caidya and Simbec-Orion forming a global CRO platform aimed at enhancing research capabilities across oncology and rare diseases. Such consolidations reflect broader trends towards operational efficiencies and scaling research capabilities globally. Amidst these developments, quality control remains paramount as evidenced by Amgen's recall of its heart failure drug due to quality concerns. Such challenges reiterate the importance of stringent quality assurance throughout production processes in safeguarding patient safety. Vertex's acquisition of Crinetics for $10 billion marks another strategic expansion into "white space blockbuster opportunities," illustrating how M&A activity is driving companies to bolster pipelines and capitalize on emerging scientific advancements. These developments collectively underscore the dynamic nature of the pharmaceutical and biotech industries as they navigate complex regulatory landscapes, financial recalibrations, and scientific breakthroughs. As companies strive towards more effective and accessible treatments across various therapeutic areas, their ability to adapt to these challenges remains crucial in shaping the future of healthcare delivery. Thank you for tuning into Pharma Daily. Stay informed with us as we continue to bring you the latest insights from the world of pharmaceuticals and biotechnology.Support the show

Broadcast from KSQD, Santa Cruz on 7-02-2026: Dr. Dawn devotes the first half of the show to a nuanced defense of GLP-1 receptor agonists, arguing the polarized debate treats obesity as a moral failure rather than a physiological one. She recounts the "Marilyn Monroe dress" moment that transformed semaglutide from diabetes drug into elite cosmetic tool, and pushes back on the puritanical framing that behavior change must be earned rather than pharmacologically enabled—noting we don't apply this logic to antihypertensives or statins. Dr. Dawn catalogs visceral fat as a genuine endocrine organ producing over 17 hormones, most of which drive self-perpetuating growth: leptin (this satiety hormone at high levels disables it's own brain receptor), IL-6, TNF-alpha (blocks insulin), resistin (increases insulin resistance and inflammation), PAI-2 (blocks clot breakdown, raising cardiovascular risk), retinol-binding protein 4 (impairs muscle glucose uptake), chemerin (recruits macrophages and directs fat to the belly), and visfatin. Only adiponectin declines with rising visceral fat. It improves insulin sensitivity, suppresses hepatic gluconeogenesis, and blocks IL-6 . Dr. Dawn describes GLP-1's neurobiological action: receptors in the hypothalamus, brainstem, hippocampus, and mesolimbic reward system, with the drugs quieting the brain's salience network so food loses its intrusive pull. Taste buds shift, sweet and salty become muted, and reward circuits stop firing on cheat foods—creating a window during which behavioral change becomes possible. Dr. Dawn frames group support through self-determination theory (autonomy, competence, relatedness), arguing GLP-1s create the cognitive bandwidth for behavioral programs to succeed. A Tufts study of patients discontinuing after 10% weight loss found those enrolled in behavioral support programs regained about three times less weight than usual-care controls, outperforming even medically-tailored meal plans. Group engagement doubled the time patients stayed on the medication. A November 2025 Nature study piggybacked on deep brain stimulation research at Penn. Electrodes implanted in the nucleus accumbens of post-bariatric patients recorded low-frequency brain activity surges during food-noise episodes on drug free patients. A third participant who started tirzepatide showed complete silencing of that signature—the first direct electrical confirmation that GLP-1s suppresses compulsive food thoughts in the reward center. RNA sequencing of adipose tissue from 25 obese patients before and after bariatric surgery, compared to 24 lean controls, revealed persistent epigenetic changes even after weight loss. Lipid-associated inflammatory macrophages drop but retain some of their pro-inflammatory epigenetics, explaining the well-known slippery slope back to obesity—and why Dr. Dawn suggests GLP-1s may work best as intermittent tools when behavioral maintenance starts slipping. An emailer asks about long-term smoking versus vaping data. Dr. Dawn notes there is no long-term data yet, but short-term evidence shows e-cigarettes contain nicotine, propylene glycol, reactive oxygen species, and nitrosamines, producing spirometry readings similar to mild COPD in otherwise-healthy vapers. Vaping over a year raises stroke relative risk by 1.62 and nearly doubles MI risk, and combining smoking and vaping produces a multiplicative rather than additive harm. Data on cancer will take decades to emerge. Researchers built a functioning underwater breathing apparatus for cockroaches with electrodes attached to brain and sensory organs allowing remote-controlled direction while preserving natural obstacle-navigation autonomy. The 10mm × 10mm sponge-based oxygen tank uses magnesium dioxide catalyzing hydrogen peroxide breakdown, delivering oxygen through silicone tubes to the roach's spiracles for up to three hours underwater. Deployemenet will improve search-and-rescue in flooded and collapsed structures where dogs cannot reach. A Science Advances paper from Yong Lin Kong's lab at Rice University describes 3D-printing electronic circuits directly onto living tissue. Researchers achieved microwave-focused annealing at sub-200-micrometer resolution. By selectively heating only conductive ink particles (copper, silver, gold) without damaging surrounding tissue, the technique enables printing circuits onto 3D-printed heart valves, tracheas, and ear scaffolds, potentially creating combined graft-and-sensor implants, ingestible diagnostic devices, and perhaps even decorative electronic tattoos. A single-shot reformulation of zanamivir (originally the inhaled flu drug Relenza) provided 76.1% flu protection in a 5,000-participant trial—far exceeding the roughly 40-45% offered by annual flu vaccines. Because zanamivir targets neuraminidase in a way that inactivates it if the virus tries to mutate around the drug, trapping newly-made viral copies inside their host cells, this approach works across all flu strains and could bypass the annual guessing game of trivalent vaccine formulation.

Are your blood markers telling you and your doctor the whole story? Chronic inflammation is the silent driver behind nearly every major disease, and the good news is that your lifestyle choices decide the outcome. Don't wait for a life altering diagnosis to take action.In this episode of Salad With a Side of Fries, host Jenn Trepeck breaks down how blood markers move, how preventable diseases develop, and why epigenetics means your genes are not your fate. If you have ever felt like your health was out of your hands, this episode will change the way you think about your daily choices.What You Will Learn in This Episode:✅ Why chronic inflammation is considered the root cause of virtually every major illness and how oxidative stress accelerates disease progression in the body.✅ How epigenetics reveals that your lifestyle choices, not just your genetics, impact disease-related genes.✅ What specific blood markers to track for heart disease, type 2 diabetes, liver disease, and kidney disease, and realistic timelines for improving them.✅ How to advocate for yourself in a medical system still rooted in a prescription-first approach, and how to ask your doctor for the time and space to make disease prevention changes first.The Salad With a Side of Fries podcast, hosted by Jenn Trepeck, explores real-life wellness and weight-loss topics, debunking myths, misinformation, and flawed science surrounding nutrition and the food industry. Let's dive into real-life wellness and weight loss, including drinking, eating out, and skipping the grocery store.TIMESTAMPS:00:00 Preventable diseases don't have to be your story and what blood markers can and cannot tell you05:55 The most common diseases: heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and cancer and how they are linked to lifestyle choices06:46 Epigenetics explained: how your daily habits turn disease risk genes up or down17:21 Lifestyle choices, from gut health to the brain to the endocrine system, impact every organ system20:10 Oxidative stress and free radicals explained: the science behind chronic disease25:01 Lifestyle choices that support overall health rather than disease and healthcare 3.0, being your own advocate32:12 Discussion of food with no labels; vegetables, fruit and lean meat36:19 Movement as disease prevention: why sitting all day quietly drives chronic illness more than we realize41:06 Longevity, community, connection, sleep, and stress management as overlooked pillars of health42:05 Blood marker timelines: how fast insulin, A1C, cholesterol, and blood pressure respond to lifestyle changesKEY TAKEAWAYS:

CHEST July 2026, Volume 170, Issue 1 CHEST® journal's Editor in Chief Peter Mazzone, MD, MPH, FCCP, highlights key research published in the journal CHEST July 2026 issue, including an analysis of the association between inhaling marijuana and asthma attacks, an exploration of the efficacy and safety of ensifentrine in Chinese patients with COPD, and more.  Moderator:    Peter Mazzone, MD, MPH, FCCP

In this episode of the Industry Matters Respiratory Edition, recorded live at VGM Heartland 2026, host Boone Lockard, VP of HME, Respiratory, and Wellness at VGM, sits down with Dr. Colleen Lance, Chief Medical Officer at React Health, and Bill Shoop, CEO of React Health, to unpack the seismic shifts in the NIV and ventilation market following the release of the new National Coverage Determination (NCD) for COPD. They discuss what changed in policy, how providers have adapted (or struggled), the role of CO2 requirements and adherence monitoring, best practices for patient care, and what the future of NIV looks like across the full spectrum of chronic respiratory disease. Whether you're an HME provider, prescriber, or manufacturer, this conversation offers practical insights on partnership, education, and navigating change in a rapidly evolving regulatory landscape.Watch the video version on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1sKodXo-J5k

SUMMARY Arundhati Parmar speaks with Jill Schwartz-Chevlin, Chief Medical Officer at Vinca, about the evolution of palliative care from a hospital-based, end-of-life service to a community and home-based model for patients living with serious illness. Jill explains how Vinca grew from an advanced care planning platform into a value-based palliative care company serving patients across five states, primarily through Medicaid and Medicare Advantage plans. The conversation covers the critical distinction between palliative care and hospice, the cost savings data that health plans are paying attention to, and what it will take for Medicare to finally build a sustainable reimbursement model for the specialty. KEY TAKEAWAYS Palliative care is not hospice. It is symptom management and whole-person support for patients still pursuing active treatment for serious illness, including cancer, COPD, and advanced heart failure. More than 75% of hospitals now have palliative care teams, but their positioning around end-of-life discussions has created a widespread misconception that palliative care equals dying. Home-based palliative care through Vinca produces a 42% reduction in ER admissions and a 53% reduction in hospitalizations. Only three states (California, Hawaii, and New Jersey) have established a Medicaid benefit specifically for palliative care. Traditional Medicare offers no such benefit. The current fee-for-service model for palliative care is not sustainable. Most palliative care programs linked to hospices survive only because the hospice subsidizes them. KEYWORDS palliative care at home, home-based palliative care, serious illness management, palliative care vs hospice, Vinca health, value-based palliative care, Medicaid palliative care benefit, Medicare Advantage palliative care, community palliative care, advanced care planning, hospice length of stay, ER reduction palliative care, whole-person care, serious illness, home health palliative care, CMO interview healthcare, palliative care reimbursement, MedCity Pivot podcast Links and resources  Connect with Arundhati Parmar  aparmar@medcitynews.com  Arundhati Parmar (@aparmarbb) on X MedCity News EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS [00:02:04 – 00:02:36]  Jill defines palliative care: symptom relief, patient wishes, team-based approach [00:03:11 – 00:03:46]  Why hospital palliative care teams created the end-of-life association [00:06:13 – 00:07:06]  Vinca's 15-year journey from advanced care planning to full palliative care services [00:11:43 – 00:12:07]  The data: 42% ER reduction, 53% hospitalization reduction [00:12:52 – 00:13:31]  Patient story: metastatic pancreatic cancer, golf one month ago, ER the next [00:18:47 – 00:19:29]  Jill clarifies the hospice misconception: 90% of hospice care happens at home [00:22:50 – 00:24:10]  Why Medicare's fee-for-service model for palliative care is failing and what should replace it

Hot, humid summer weather can make breathing more difficult—especially for people living with asthma or COPD. In this episode, Dr. Aliaksandr Ramaniuk,Summa Health pulmonologist explains what happens in your lungs during extreme heat and shares practical tips to help you stay safe, recognize early warning signs, and prevent flare-ups. Learn how simple steps—like checking air quality, staying hydrated, and planning ahead—can help you enjoy summer with confidence.  Schedule an Appointment with Dr. Ramaniuk 

In this episode of the UConn Internal Medicine Podcast Series, we discuss the evolving role of biologic therapies in asthma and COPD. We review how biologics target Type 2 inflammation, how to identify patients with severe asthma who may benefit from therapy, and how biomarkers such as blood eosinophils, FeNO, IgE, and allergic sensitization guide treatment selection.We also explore newly approved biologics for COPD, practical differences between available agents, expected benefits, steroid-sparing effects, safety considerations, pregnancy counseling, helminth screening, and real-world barriers such as cost and insurance approval.This episode is designed for internal medicine trainees and clinicians looking for a practical framework to understand when to consider biologics, how to choose the right agent, and what to monitor after starting therapy.Hosts:Dr. Hossam Albeyoumi Mohammed, and Dr. Simran Umra, Chief Medicine Residents, UConn.Dr. Alisa Pasichnik, and Dr. Caroline McCauley, 3rd year medicine residents, UConn.Guests:Dr. Ethan Bernstein, Associate Program Director of the Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, UConn.Dr. Angela Quental, incoming Assistant Professor in the Department of Pulmonary and Critical care medicine, UConn.Edited by:Dr. Hossam Albeyoumi Mohammed, Chief Medicine Resident, UConn.Music:LoFi Girl by Snoozy Beats | Free Music Archive | Livense: CC BY.

TR is an 88-year-old man who is disabled and in chronic pain from spinal stenosis and knee osteoarthritis. He has multiple other medical issues, including coronary artery disease and COPD.He has been through years of treatment for his knees and back, including physical therapy, multiple joint injections, and an in-office procedure for spinal stenosis. He has been on multiple regimens of oral pain medications. He is not interested in surgery (and probably would not be considered a reasonable candidate if he were).He comes to a visit and asks what can be done.Sensible Medicine is a reader-supported Substack. If you appreciate our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.We are taught never to say, “There is nothing I can do for you.” We may be out of surgical or medical options, but we can always continue to care for and support our patients. This is not part of the Hippocratic Oath, but it is so integral to our training that one might think it belongs there.There are good reasons to caution doctors from saying some version of, “I am sorry, I don't think there is anything more I can do for you.” It is true that in 21st-century medicine, the act of caring for patients has been so trivialized that we need to remind ourselves that caring is not just a last resort but our first responsibility.Hope in the face of illness is exceedingly valuable. Robbing this hope is not only cruel, but probably bad for the health of patients.Then there is the truth that when one doctor has nothing left to offer, medicine often still has more to offer. I am still haunted by at least one case when I mistook my lack of knowledge for a shortcoming in the field.A doctor saying he has nothing left to offer may be taking the easy way out. Further research or a considered referral often suggests effective treatments, if not cures. There is always a risk that when we say, “We can't help,” we are wrong.All this being true, I don't think we admit that there is nothing left to be done often enough. The Modern Hippocratic Oath does include the line:I will not be ashamed to say “I know not”, nor will I fail to call in my colleagues when the skills of another are needed for a patient's recovery.Is it that much of a stretch to imagine the oath saying:I will not be ashamed to say “I have nothing left to offer beyond my ongoing care and commitment”, nor will I call in my colleagues, knowing they have nothing to offer beyond protecting me from admitting medicine's limitations.We no longer conceal bad diagnoses from patients; we consider this unethical. It is time that we consider it unethical to conceal that we have nothing to offer beyond palliation.It is hard to tell patients that the best we can do is control pain, especially when we have been trained not to. It takes work to be sure that neither you nor your colleagues have something to offer beyond a hamster wheel of care to provide hope but nothing more. It also takes some guts; we can never be 100% sure that nobody has anything to offer.Yet there are downsides to never saying we are done. Many patients accept that further care is futile, not after an honest conversation, but after being worn down by my endless visits, treatments, and promises that lead nowhere. All the while, time and money are wasted; time and money that could be better spent on life. The useless medical care leaves patients and their families increasingly frustrated by a medical system that refuses to be honest and caring.There are patients who welcome an honest assessment of their options and shift their focus to living with their disease and disability. There are also patients who do not. I've had patients fire me for saying there was nothing to do. They left me to get on that hamster wheel of care. This decision did not make them better, but maybe it made them happier and more ready to accept the inevitable. Eventually.TR calls now and then and comes to see me every three or four months. He tells me about his symptoms and the things he wishes he could do. I tell him there are things he could try and people he could see, but I let him know I don't think any of these options would be productive. He tells me he's not interested. I advise him to push up on his pain medications and to pretreat his symptoms; I know he will not take this advice. I know we will repeat this visit in the future; I actually hope we will, for years. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.sensible-med.com/subscribe

On today's episode of Beating Cancer Daily, Saranne welcomes Jacqui Bryan, a functional medicine expert, to explore the often-overlooked challenge of muscle loss and its impact on individuals facing cancer, aging, and chronic illness. The conversation centers on sarcopenia, or age-related muscle decline, highlighting not only its insidious onset but also practical strategies for prevention and reversal at any age. As a 33-year Stage IV cancer survivor, Saranne discusses her personal experiences with muscle and bone loss during treatment, while Jacqui shares actionable advice for maintaining muscle health, even for those who are bedridden or recovering from cancer therapy. Jacqui Bryan is a certified nutrition specialist, whole health educator, health coach, and registered nurse. Having survived cancer herself, Jacqui brings firsthand experience and clinical expertise to her holistic approach. Her deep understanding of nutrition, movement, and the specific needs of cancer patients has helped countless individuals regain strength and reclaim their vitality."Sarcopenia is the slow erosion of your body's engine... It's almost entirely preventable and partially reversible at any age." ~Jacqui Bryan Today on Beating Cancer Daily:·     Sarcopenia, or age-related muscle loss, is a serious yet often underdiagnosed condition that can be both prevented and partially reversed at any age.·     Cancer patients, survivors, and anyone age 30 or older, especially those who are sedentary, are at increased risk of significant muscle loss.·     Muscle tissue is a metabolic organ crucial for blood sugar regulation, immune function, and maintaining independence as we age.·     Resistance training two to four times per week is the most effective strategy for preserving and building muscle, even well into your 80s and 90s.·     Adequate, high-quality protein (around 25-30 grams per meal) and nutrients such as vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids are essential for maintaining muscle mass.·     Postmenopausal women and individuals with chronic conditions such as diabetes, heart failure, COPD, and chronic kidney disease face accelerated risks and should be especially vigilant.·     Chronic stress, poor sleep, and restrictive diets can all accelerate muscle loss; stress management and sleep hygiene are critical components of muscle preservation.·     For those struggling with muscle loss after treatments, especially Stage IV cancer survivors and the bedridden, asking healthcare providers about physical therapy and working with dietitians can make a significant difference. Contact Jacqui:jacquibryan.com 2025 People's Choice Podcast Awards Best Health Series FinalistRanked the Top 5 Best Cancer Podcasts by CancerCare News in 2024 & 2025,and #1 Rated Cancer Survivor Podcast by FeedSpot in 2024 to 2025. Beating Cancer Daily is listened to in 148 countries across 7 continents and features over 420+ original daily episodes hosted by Stage IV survivor Saranne Rothberg. To learn more about Host Saranne Rothberg and The ComedyCures Foundation:https://www.comedycures.org/ To write to Saranne or a guest:https://www.comedycures.org/contact-8 To record a message to Saranne or a guest:https://www.speakpipe.com/BCD_Comments_SuggestionsTo sign up for the free Health Builder Series live on Zoom with Saranne and Jacqui, go to The ComedyCures Foundation's homepage:https://www.comedycures.org/Please support the creation of more original episodes of Beating Cancer Daily and other free ComedyCures Foundation programs with a tax-deductible contribution:http://bit.ly/ComedyCuresDonate THANK YOU! Please tell a friend whom we may help, and please support us with a beautiful review. Have a blessed day! Saranne

In this week's Real Take, Tara Rafter reflects on her mother's final days living with COPD​ and the heartbreak of saying goodbye to the woman who had been her anchor throughout life.​If this excerpt resonates with you, I highly recommend listening to the full episode:Tara Rafter: Hypervigilance to Healing​Growing up in a home impacted by alcoholism and domestic violence, she learned from a young age how to navigate uncertainty. Despite the difficulties her family faced, she speaks with remarkable compassion about both of her parents, who died far too young.A​nd alongside her personal story, Tara brings the perspective of a Master Neuro Linguistic Programming Practitioner and Executive Coach.Listen to the full episode wherever you get your podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

​Topics covered include:​ Alcoholism​, domestic violence​, hypervigilance​, compassion​, motherhood​, self-abandonment​, being a carer​, death and loss​, grief​, faith​, spirituality​, forgiveness​, love​, safety​, self-worth​, self-sabotage​, overwhelm​, healing​.This week I'm joined by Master Neuro Linguistic Programming Practitioner, Executive Coach and founder of The Navigation Coach, Tara Rafter.Tara lives in Mayo with her husband Kevin and their son Kai.In this deeply honest conversation, Tara shares the story of her childhood growing up in a home impacted by alcoholism and domestic violence. She speaks candidly about the hypervigilance she developed from a young age, the lasting impact those experiences had on her life, and the remarkable compassion she holds for her father despite the challenges her family faced.Tara's story is one of resilience, but also of love, forgiveness and understanding. She reflects on her relationship with both of her parents, who died far too young. Her father passed away at the age of 58, while her beloved mother​, who was her anchor throughout life​, lived with COPD for several years before she died.We also explore motherhood, self-abandonment, self-worth, self-sabotage, overwhelm​ and what it means to truly feel safe in yourself.Alongside the more difficult chapters, this conversation is full of warmth and humour. Tara talks about her love of music​ and heading off to gigs on her own, her deep faith and the practices that have helped her navigate life's challenges.You can connect with Tara here:Website: thenavigationcoach.comEmail: tara@thenavigationcoach.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Christina Prevett shares a detailed case study of a COPD patient named Bob, demonstrating how HIIT training can improve functional capacity and oxygen efficiency in pulmonary rehabilitation. The discussion covers personalized exercise protocols, monitoring strategies, and the importance of adaptable training for chronic conditions.  

Before watching the video, can you guess which conditions vitamin D has actually been proven to work for in randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials?