Latest / Morning Medical with Dr. Chow / GLP-1 agonists' health benefits and AI blood test for Parkinson's prediction

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GLP-1 agonists' health benefits and AI blood test for Parkinson's prediction · Morning Medical with Dr. Chow

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Good morning, and welcome to another episode of Morning Medical with Doctor Chow.
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I'm your host, Doctor Chiu Ming Chow.
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Today, We have an exciting lineup of topics to discuss, focusing on the latest advancements
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and discoveries in the medical field.
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Our first segment today dives into the potential life extending benefits of weight
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loss drugs such as Wagavi and Zebound.
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These drugs, known as GLP 1 agonists, have been gaining popularity for their remarkable ability
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to help people lose weight, but recent research suggests they may offer even more significant
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health benefits.
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GLP 1 drugs have gained popularity over the last few years for their remarkable ability to
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help people lose weight.
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Doctors are beginning to examine other benefits of this class of drugs, which may help you to
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live longer.
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In addition to treating diabetes and obesity, research suggests these drugs can also help
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reduce the risk of a number of additional health issues, such as cancer, and
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cardiovascular disease.
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You may not be familiar with GLP 1 agonists, but there is a good chance you have heard of
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the brand names attached to this class of drugs.
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Names like Wagavi, Ozempic, Punjaro, and Zepbound.
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GLP 1 agonists are drugs that act like your natural GLP 1 hormone, which is a hormone that
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your body produces when you eat.
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One of its many functions is to give you the feeling of satiation or fullness, which is a
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message to stop eating.
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While they can help manage diabetes, these drugs have skyrocketed in popularity due to
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their ability to help treat obesity and with good reason.
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Obesity is a leading risk factor for many diseases that can lead to early death.
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By treating obesity early, These risks can be reduced and thus increase lifespan.
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However, more recent research suggests that these drugs may also help reduce the risk of a
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number of other health conditions.
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While this research is still in its early days, findings suggest these drugs may help people
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live longer, healthier lives, by reducing their risk of the following health conditions.
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In the realm of cardiovascular health, there is enough evidence of GLP 1 agonist effectiveness
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that the food and drug administration approved WEGVI earlier this year to help prevent
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cardiovascular death, although only for a select population.
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Doctor Janet Way, a cardiologist with the Barbara Strisand Women's Heart Center in Los
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Angeles, California.
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Shared her thoughts saying obesity increases one's risk of all aspects of cardiovascular
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diseases, including developing blockages in the arteries, having heart attacks and strokes,
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heart failure, arrhythmias, hypertension, and even increasing the risk of diabetes, which can
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further contribute to cardiovascular diseases.
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Doctor Sitweh added, I think these drugs are a very big deal We know how difficult it is to
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lose weight.
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Bariatric surgery has a very good track record, but, of course, not everyone wants to get
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surgery.
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Doctor Cheung Han Chen, a board certified interventional cardiologist and medical
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director of the structural heart program, at Memorial Care Saddleback Medical Center in
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Laguna Hills, California also weighed in.
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He stated The current class of GLP 1 receptor agonists has been shown in clinical studies to
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be much more effective for weight loss.
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Than traditional lifestyle modifications such as diet and exercise.
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Doctor Chen went on to say There is no question that GLP 1 receptor agonists as they become
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more popular have the potential to decrease the tremendous burden of many chronic diseases on
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our society.
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Turning to cancer, doctor Wale Harb, a board certified hematologist, and medical oncologist
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at Memorial Care Cancer Institute at Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley,
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California explained obesity is a well established risk factor for several types of
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cancer, including, but not limited to breast cancer, particularly postmenopausal, colorectal
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cancer, endometrial cancer, esophageal adenocarcinoma, kidney cancer, pancreatic
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cancer, liver cancer, and gallbladder cancer.
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Doctor Harb continued treating obesity can potentially reduce the risk of these cancers.
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Weight loss has been associated with a decreased risk of several obesity related
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cancers.
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By reducing excess body fat, individuals can lower chronic inflammation and insulin
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resistance, normalize hormone levels, and improve overall metabolic health.
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All of which contribute to a lower cancer risk.
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Given that GLP 1 drugs like Wegavi, Ozempic, and Moundjaro are effective in promoting weight
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loss, and improving metabolic health, it is plausible to hypothesize that these medications
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could reduce the risk of obesity related cancers.
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Said Doctor Lynn Harb.
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Beyond treating obesity to indirectly reduce the risk of cancer, researchers have found some
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evidence that GLP 1 drugs can help improve the functionality of your body's natural killer
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cells.
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Doctor Harb noted, Natural killer cells play a crucial role in the body's immune response to
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tumors by recognizing and destroying malignant cells.
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If GLP 1 drugs can indeed restore or enhance natural killer cell functioning, this could
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theoretically enhance the body's ability to detect and eliminate cancer cells thereby
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reducing cancer risk, though he emphasized that more comprehensive research is still needed.
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In the realm of neurology, Research has been conducted to study whether GLP 1 drugs might
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provide benefits for people with Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease.
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However, Doctor Mike Clifford Siegel, a neurologist at Providence Saint John's Health
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Center in Santa Monica, California advised caution.
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He stated, neuroprotection remains an elusive statement, and multiple different types of
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medications have made claims of being neuroprotective.
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In the year 2024, there does not remain any pharmaceutical drug, vitamin, mineral, or
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technique that has been proven to slow down neurodegeneration and prevent neurology
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diseases common in aging.
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Doctor Siegel added, I would be extremely concerned decreased food intake would worsen
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the over health of Alzheimer's dementia patients who often have weight maintenance as
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an issue because they forget to eat.
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But that does not mean GLP 1 agonists do not have any potential to help in the realm of
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neurology.
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Other research has shown that these drugs might be useful for treating alcohol use disorder.
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Excessive alcohol use causes a 178,000 annual deaths in the United States each year according
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to the Centers for Disease Control And Prevention.
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Doctor Siegel shared, the use of GLP 1 medication as a treatment for alcohol use is
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extremely promising.
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And in clinical practice, I have found it has helped an immense number of patients.
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The early satiety with food decreased eating, and the early satiety to drinking has also been
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noted.
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To sum up, GLP 1 medications may help reduce the risk of several major causes of death, but
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it is also important to remain appropriately cautious at this early stage.
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Doctor Renwei emphasized we need longer monitoring to ensure this is a safe medication
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for a more general population to take.
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But what we know so far certainly appears game changing for a high risk cardiovascular group.
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Doctors Wei also added I hope that future trials looking at GLP 1 agonists do a better
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job of recruiting a diverse population and certainly more women.
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Doctor is Siegel concluded.
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Other medications have had unexpected adverse effects, which post marketing surveillance has
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noted.
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As the use of GLP 1 GIP medication surge in the United States, post marketing surveillance will
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hopefully identify unexpected adverse effects as it is designed to.
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Switching gears, we now turn to an exciting development in the field of neurology.
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A simple blood test using artificial intelligence to predict Parkinson's disease
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years before symptoms begin.
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Researchers from University College London And University Medical Center, Goodingen, in
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Germany, have developed this test.
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Which they hope can lead to a cheap finger prick test providing early diagnosis and
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helping find treatments to slow down the disease.
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Charity Parkinson's UK has hailed this as a major step forward in the search for a non
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invasive patient friendly test.
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However, larger trials are still needed to prove its accuracy.
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Parkinson's affects nearly 10,000,000 people worldwide including more than a 150,000 in the
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United Kingdom.
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Many patients are diagnosed only after developing symptoms such as tremors, movement,
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and memory problems, which are caused by nerve cells dying in the part of the brain that
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controls movement.
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Currently, There is no cure and no treatment to slow or stop the disease, although therapies
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exist to help manage symptoms.
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The research team took blood samples from individuals with Parkinson's and those without
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identifying 8 major proteins most likely to predict who would develop the condition.
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These markers are directly linked to inflammation and degradation of proteins and
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could pave the way for new drug treatments for Parkinson's.
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They then tested blood from 72 patients at risk of brain disorders such as Parkinson's for
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these 8 protein markers and followed them up over 10 years.
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Using the artificial intelligence tool, the researchers correctly predicted that 16
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individuals would develop Parkinson's disease.
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Sometimes up to 7 years before symptoms began.
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Overall, the test predicted that 79% of the patients would develop the disease and
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researchers are still following up with other patients to confirm the test's accuracy.
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Professor's Kevin Mills senior author from University College London's Great Ormond Street
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Institute of Child Health emphasized the importance of early intervention by stating, at
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present, We are shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted.
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We need to start experimental treatments before patients develop symptoms.
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Co author, Doctor Jenny Elkfist, added, people are diagnosed when neurons are already lost.
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We need to protect those neurons, not wait till they are gone.
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Parkinson's symptoms usually start mild and develop gradually.
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The main symptoms which affect movement includes shaking, usually starting in the hand
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or arm, slow movement, such as walking with very small steps, and stiffness and tension in
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the muscles, making it difficult to move around or make facial expressions.
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In the brain, nerve cells lose the ability to produce an important chemical called dopamine,
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which is linked to movement due to the buildup of a protein called alpha synuclein.
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The researchers now aim to create a simpler test where a drop of blood on a card can be
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posted to the lab to see if it can predict Parkinson's even earlier.
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Professor David Dexter, research director at Parkinson's UK, which helped fund the study
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said the findings add to an exciting flurry of recent activity towards finding a simple way to
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test for and measure Parkinson's.
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The test may even be able to differentiate between Parkinson's and other similar
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conditions.
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Professor Ray Chaudhry, professor of Movement Disorders And Neurology at King's College
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Hospital And King's College London highlighted the critical need for blood tests for
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Parkinson's diagnosis and prediction, though he questioned the ethics given that there is no
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cure.
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Professor Michelle Vendrucalo, professor of biophysics, at the University of Cambridge
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added that the test could be performed with equipment already available in major hospitals
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and could help recruit people at risk for clinical trials.
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They could be used to monitor the efficacy of experimental therapeutics.
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He said.
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The research has been published in the journal Nature This development marks a significant
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milestone in the ongoing effort to better understand and combat Parkinson's disease.
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Now let us move on to our next topic, the long term benefits of resistance training for older
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adults.
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A new study published in the journal BMJ Open Sport And Exercise Medicine has revealed that
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just 1 year of resistance training can yield significant benefits that last up to 4 years
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later.
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As people age, their skeletal muscle function tends to decline, which can impact their
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overall mobility and quality of life.
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However, This study suggests that engaging in resistance training can help mitigate some of
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these effects.
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The lead author of the study, Mads Bloch Even felt, A doctoral student at the Institute of
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Sports Medicine at Bismberg Hospital in Copenhagen, Denmark stated, if you do
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resistance training at this age, benefits in some parameters may last several years.
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The researchers conducted a randomized control trial with 369 recently retired and healthy
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adults age between 60 4 75 years.
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The participants were assigned to 1 of 3 exercise programs for a year, lifting weights
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three times a week, doing moderate intensity training using body weight and resistance bands
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three times a week, or not changing their usual exercise routines.
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The researchers measured their bone and muscle strength as well as body fat levels at the
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start of the trial.
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At the end of the 1 year program, and then 2 4 years later.
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1 of the key findings of the study was that resistance training with heavy loads yielded
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the greatest long lasting benefit in leg strength.
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Even 4 years after the training, the leg strength of those in the heavy load group
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remained unaltered.
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In contrast, the moderate intensity group did see a decrease in strength, although it was not
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significant.
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Doctor John Batsas, a geriatrician, and an associate professor at the University of North
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Carolina at Chapel Hill, in the school of medicine and in the Gilling School of Global
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Public Health emphasize the importance of exercise across the lifespan.
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He said exercise is critically important across the lifespan.
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This study does show that even those engaging in activity later in life around retirement,
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can lead to marked benefits to one's health.
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So what exactly counts as resistance training?
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According to doctor John Batsas, The umbrella of exercise includes aerobic, resistance,
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flexibility, and balance activities.
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Each of these have important consequences if one regularly performs them or does not on
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overall health, including cognition and physical function, he said.
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CNN fitness contributor, Dana Santas, a mind body coach for professional athletes,
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explained, you can think of resistance training as exercises that improves strength by making
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muscles work against a force.
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This force can include weights, resistance bands, or your own body weight.
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Like with push ups or squats.
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For older adults, resistance training is crucial for maintaining muscle mass bone
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density, and mobility, she added.
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The study highlighted the importance of adding heavier weights to resistance training
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routines.
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However, one limitation is that weighted exercises were performed at a gym, which may
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not be accessible to everyone.
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Doctor Yi John Batsas noted While you should consult a certified trainer or physical
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therapist to ensure you are exercising safely, there are things you can do from home.
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For older adults, it is important to strengthen in ways that are important to functional
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movements of everyday living.
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Dana Santos recommended box squats where you sit lightly on a chair seat and stand back up.
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If you do not need to hold the arms of the chair for support, add some dumbbells, she
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said.
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The added weight provides additional resistance while also improving grip strength, which is
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essential for functional independence and serves as a marker for heart health.
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Other exercises that can be done at home include placing a resistance band around both
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legs and doing side steps, side lunges, or reverse lunges.
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These exercises can increase strength in functional movements, protect knee joints, and
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prevent injury.
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Dana Santa suggested doing 2 or 3 sets of 8 to 12 repetitions of each activity at least a
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couple of times a week.
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Doctor Taz, John Batsas, also emphasized the importance of regular maintenance of exercise
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and other health factors for independence later in life.
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The basics of lifestyle changes, including nutrition and exercise, are a major key to
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healthy aging.
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He added That wraps up today's episode of Morning Medical with Doctor Chow.
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We have explored the potential life extending benefit of GLP-one agonists, the promising
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early diagnosis blood test for Parkinson's disease, and the long lasting benefits of
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resistance training for older adults.
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I hope you found this information valuable and inspiring until next time.
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Stay healthy and stay informed.