Latest / Morning Medical with Dr. Chow / Exposomics Insights, Ultra-Processed Foods, and Dementia Risk in Women

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Exposomics Insights, Ultra-Processed Foods, and Dementia Risk in Women · Morning Medical with Dr. Chow

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  Welcome to Morning Medical with Doctor Chi-Ming Chow.
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  I'm Doctor Chi-Ming Chow, a cardiologist based in Toronto, and I'm thrilled to be your host
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  today.
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  On this podcast, we explore the latest medical and health news from around the globe, so you
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  can stay informed and empowered.
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  Today, we'll kick off with a fascinating study from the Harvard T.H.
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  Chan School of Public Health on how pollutants interact inside the body to affect our health.
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  The study was led by Peng Gao, an assistant professor of environmental health and
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  exposomics.
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  Now, you might be wondering, what exactly is exposomics?
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  Well, it's the study of the 'exposome,' which is essentially the totality of environmental
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  exposures a person experiences throughout their life and how these exposures can impact their
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  biology and health.
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  Every day, we're exposed to thousands of chemicals through the air we breathe, the
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  products we use, the water we drink, and the food we eat.
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  Most of these exposures are invisible and unregulated, making it crucial to understand
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  their impact.
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  Professor Gao's lab aims to make the invisible visible by using advanced analytical and
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  computational tools to capture a person's full chemical fingerprint and connect it to what's
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  happening inside their body at a deep biological level.
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  One key finding from Gao's research is how different chemicals interact once inside the
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  body.
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  A single chemical might have little to no measurable effect when studied alone, but when
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  combined with others, the results can be much more harmful.
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  This is known as a synergistic effect, where the combined impact of chemicals is greater
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  than the sum of their individual effects.
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  For instance, alcohol, when metabolized by our enzymes, turns into acetaldehyde, a highly
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  reactive compound that can damage DNA and increase cancer risk.
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  Similarly, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, often produced by fossil fuel combustion, can
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  become more biologically reactive after being processed by the body, leading to potential DNA
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  damage and cancer risk.
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  The challenge, as Gao describes, is to untangle the myriad of environmental exposures and their
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  health impacts.
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  His team uses a multi-omics approach, integrating data from exposomics, metabolomics,
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  and proteomics to understand the complex relationships between external exposures and
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  internal molecular changes.
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  One exciting project from Gao's lab involves studying how environmental exposures affect
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  asthma severity.
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  By equipping participants with wearable samplers, they've discovered that it's not just
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  one pollutant, but combinations of chemicals that influence asthma control.
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  This finding suggests a need for more personalized air quality monitoring, especially
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  indoors.
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  Another intriguing area of research is why some non-smokers develop lung cancer.
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  By analyzing chemicals in blood and tumor tissues, Gao's team has identified potential
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  environmental carcinogens linked to specific mutations in tumors, potentially paving the way
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  for new prevention strategies.
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  The research doesn't stop there.
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  Gao's team is also investigating how gut bacteria might transform certain pesticides
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  into more neurotoxic compounds, possibly linking environmental exposure to brain
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  diseases like Alzheimer's.
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  This highlights the complex pathways these exposures can take in affecting our health.
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  In light of environmental disasters, like the 2023 train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio,
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  Gao's team has demonstrated how a multi-media exposomics approach can quickly assess and
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  monitor exposure risks.
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  This framework could be crucial for future environmental emergency responses.
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  Overall, this research marks a shift in how we study environmental health, moving from
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  measuring one pollutant at a time to capturing a comprehensive picture of real-world
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  exposures.
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  The goal is to identify those most at risk and the specific exposures contributing to that
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  risk, particularly in vulnerable communities.
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  Moving on to our next topic, we have a study from the University of Toronto that examines
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  the potential link between ultra-processed foods and behavioral issues in children.
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  This research is part of the CHILD Cohort Study, which followed over three thousand
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  families from cities like Vancouver, Edmonton, Winnipeg, and Toronto, tracking children from
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  before birth to adolescence.
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  The study analyzed dietary data from two thousand seventy-seven Canadian three-year-olds
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  and assessed their emotional and behavioral well-being two years later, when they were
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  five.
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  The researchers discovered that a higher intake of ultra-processed foods at age three was
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  associated with adverse behavioral and emotional symptoms at age five.
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  This includes increased instances of anxiety, fearfulness, aggression, and hyperactivity.
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  For every ten percent rise in calories from ultra-processed foods, there was a notable
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  increase in what's termed "internalizing" behaviors, like anxiety, and "externalizing"
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  behaviors, such as aggression.
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  Almost half of Canadian preschoolers' daily energy intake comes from ultra-processed foods,
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  yet the specific influence of these foods on their behavioral and emotional development
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  remains poorly understood.
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  Kozeta Miliku, the clinical science officer of the CHILD Cohort Study, expressed concern about
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  these findings, noting that the food environment surrounding us likely contributes
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  to these outcomes.
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  The study highlighted that ultra-processed food subgroups like sweets, desserts, breads,
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  cereals, and ready-to-eat or ready-to-heat mixed dishes were significant contributors to
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  energy intake.
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  Interestingly, the study also found that higher intake of artificially and sugar-sweetened
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  beverages was linked to higher internalizing scores, though not externalizing ones.
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  This suggests a nuanced relationship between different types of ultra-processed foods and
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  specific behavioral outcomes.
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  Theo Moraes, the Toronto site director for the CHILD Cohort Study and head of respiratory
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  medicine at SickKids Toronto, pointed out that these factors are often intertwined.
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  He emphasized the importance of considering the broader environment, not just family dynamics,
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  in understanding children's diets and behaviors.
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  Miliku also stressed the significance of implementing healthy eating habits early, as
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  early childhood is a sensitive period for brain development.
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  This is when children establish both dietary habits and behavioral patterns, which can have
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  long-term implications on their mental health.
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  Importantly, the researchers emphasized that these findings should not lead to parental
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  guilt but rather encourage a holistic approach to addressing dietary influences.
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  It's about understanding the complex factors that push towards ultra-processed food
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  consumption, from family circumstances to societal and environmental aspects.
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  A groundbreaking study from the University of California San Diego has unveiled a blood test
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  that could predict a woman's risk of developing dementia as early as 25 years before any
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  symptoms appear.
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  This study, which has been published in JAMA Network Open, focuses on a specific biomarker
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  protein known as phosphorylated tau 217, or p-tau217.
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  This protein is associated with the early pathological processes of Alzheimer’s disease
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  and has been found to be strongly linked to future dementia risk.
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  The researchers analyzed blood samples from 2,766 participants in the Women’s Health
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  Initiative Memory Study, which began in the late 1990s.
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  These women, aged between 65 and 79, showed no signs of cognitive decline at the study's
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  outset.
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  Over a follow-up period of up to 25 years, the researchers discovered that women with higher
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  levels of p-tau217 at the study's start were significantly more likely to develop mild
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  cognitive impairment and dementia later on.
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  Aladdin H.
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  Shadyab, the study's first author and an associate professor of public health and
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  medicine at UC San Diego, highlighted the potential of this blood test to detect dementia
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  risk two decades in advance.
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  He noted that identifying individuals at higher risk could lead to the development of
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  strategies to delay or even prevent the onset of dementia.
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  This long lead time could also facilitate earlier prevention strategies and more targeted
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  monitoring, rather than waiting until memory issues begin to disrupt daily life.
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  The study also observed that the risk relationship varied across different groups.
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  For instance, women over the age of 70 with higher levels of p-tau217 had poorer cognitive
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  outcomes compared to those under 70.
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  Additionally, those carrying the APOE ε4 gene, a known genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s,
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  also showed worsened cognitive outcomes.
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  Interestingly, p-tau217 was a stronger predictor of dementia in women who were
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  randomly assigned to receive estrogen and progestin hormone therapy compared to those who
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  received a placebo.
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  This suggests a potential interaction between hormone therapy and dementia risk, warranting
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  further investigation.
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  Linda K.
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  McEvoy, the senior author of the study and a senior investigator at Kaiser Permanente
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  Washington Health Research Institute, emphasized the promise of blood-based
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  biomarkers like p-tau217.
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  She pointed out that these biomarkers are less invasive and potentially more accessible than
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  traditional brain imaging or spinal fluid tests, which could accelerate research into
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  dementia risk factors and evaluation of risk-reduction strategies.
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  However, the researchers caution that blood tests for Alzheimer’s are still under study and
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  are not yet recommended for routine screening in asymptomatic individuals.
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  More research is needed to understand how various factors, such as genetics, hormone
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  therapy, and age-related medical conditions, might interact with plasma p-tau217.
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  Additionally, since the study focused only on older women, it's unclear if these findings
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  would apply to men or younger populations.
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  Overall, this research opens the door to potentially transformative approaches in
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  dementia prevention and early detection, highlighting the importance of continued
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  investigation in this promising field.
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  In exciting news from the tech world, Amazon.com has announced the expansion of its
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  free healthcare artificial intelligence assistant to all users of its website and
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  mobile application.
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  This move aims to streamline healthcare for over thirty conditions, helping users manage
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  their health more efficiently.
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  Previously, this artificial intelligence assistant was exclusively available to members
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  of One Medical, Amazon's clinical services provider.
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  This healthcare artificial intelligence assistant is designed to handle logistical and
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  informational tasks that often create friction in healthcare.
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  By doing so, it allows patients and healthcare providers to focus more on what truly matters –
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  the patient's health and well-being.
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  According to Andrew Diamond, the chief medical officer at Amazon One Medical, the assistant
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  can explain medical results, connect patients with healthcare providers, and answer questions
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  about medications and symptoms.
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  It's important to note that customers do not need to be members of Amazon Prime or One
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  Medical to access this free assistant.
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  It is available to all users, making it a valuable tool for anyone seeking to manage
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  non-emergency conditions such as acne, head lice, diabetes, and sleep apnea.
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  The assistant can help manage symptoms, conduct virtual assessments, and provide treatment
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  advice.
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  While the assistant does not create treatment plans, it ensures that patients requiring
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  treatment or those with complex conditions are connected with a healthcare provider.
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  For non-members of One Medical or those not utilizing an introductory offer through Amazon
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  Prime, visits requiring a provider will cost twenty-nine dollars each.
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  Users can grant the healthcare assistant permission to access their medical data,
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  including lab results, medical records, and clinical notes.
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  Additionally, the assistant can analyze healthcare-related purchases made on Amazon,
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  such as vitamins or blood pressure monitors, to prompt relevant follow-up questions and offer
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  personalized advice.
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  This expansion of Amazon's healthcare artificial intelligence services signifies a
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  significant step towards more accessible and integrated healthcare solutions.
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  By leveraging technology, Amazon aims to simplify healthcare access and provide users
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  with the tools they need to manage their health effectively.
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  That wraps up today's episode of Morning Medical with Doctor Chi-Ming Chow.
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  Thank you for joining me as we explored these fascinating developments in the world of health
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  and medicine.
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  Remember to stay informed and take charge of your health.
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  Until next time, take care and be well.