Hi hi! Happy Friday! How was the week? Ours was a bit of a blur (the Pilot was flying nights), but I’m so pumped the weekend is here. I’m going to the Sebastian Yatra concert with some friends, we’re having friends over for dinner on Saturday, and then celebrating my dad’s bday on Sunday. I hope you have a fun and wonderful weekend ahead!
We’re into Self-Care September with Fit Team, and it’s been inspiring to to dive into some self-care and nurturing habits, especially since we’re about to head into the busy fall and holiday season. If you’d like to join us, enrollment is technically closed, but email me ([email protected]) and I’ll get you a link!
It’s time for the weekly Friday Faves party! This is where I share some of my favorite finds from the week and around the web. I always love to hear about your faves, too, so please shout out something you’re loving in the comments section below.
I keep thinking about canceling RTR Unlimited, but then we have a vacation or event, and I’m so glad I have it. I realized I haven’t shopped much for myself lately (besides a couple trips to lulu!) because I’ve been enjoying rotating through these 8 pieces each month.
Labor Day weekend is here and there are so many great sales!
Here are some of my top picks:
The BEST Labor Day sale is the one for HigherDOSE – 20% off sitewide! Use this as a chance to get your sauna blanket (so perfect for chilly mornings but I use it all year), or PEMF Go Mat. I also love their red light face mask. The link is here and the code is LDW22.
Free gift with Beautycounter purchase over $125! You’ll receive a full-sized version of the Overnight Peel, which I love using to gently exfoliate my skin a couple of times each week. It’s one of our bestsellers and you can get it for free. If you’re shopping Beautycounter for the first time, use the code CLEANFORALL30 and get 30% off, too.
Tory Burch private sale! Ordering a replacement pair of Millers since Maisey ate my brand-new tan ones… :/
Madewell up to 40% off with code LONGWEEKEND. Going to look at their jeans and sweaters!
Abercrombie is up to 50% off. I like that they’re rebranding as more of a Reformation-type vibe and targeting so many of us who used to shop there (and work there!) in high school and college.
These healthy fall soup recipes, made with real food ingredients, are nutritious and will warm you up on a chilly autumn day.
Hi friends! Happy Monday! I hope you had a wonderful weekend. We caught up on some things around the house, I taught a barre class, we met up with friends for dinner, and got the Fit Team workouts out for September. If you’d like to join us, the link is here!
Since we’re back in the school routine, I’ve been on the hunt for healthy and delicious recipes I can make quickly or in advance. Soups are one of our-go dinner options, because you can pack in a ton of nutrition at once, the kids love soup, and leftovers are amazing for lunch (or breakfast!).
Today I’m sharing a round up of some of our favorite heathy fall soup recipes from the blog + fellow blog friends.
It’s a thousand times better than my beloved black bean soup from Panera. Give it a whirl for a delicious vegetarian lunch or dinner option! It’s a savory black bean fiesta in a bowl!
This Miso Noodle Soup is simple to make and full of flavor! It’s a hearty, comforting and nutrient-dense meal for cooler weather and is also vegan and gluten-free.
Get out your stock pot because we’ve got an amazing healing one pot golden curry chicken soup that is calling your name. This veggie-packed coconut curry chicken soup has a delicious flavorful broth filled with anti-inflammatory spices and includes 2 types of protein.
An easy, everyday recipe for lentil soup with potatoes, carrots, kale, and simple herbs and seasonings. The perfect plant-based main or side that requires just 10 ingredients, 1 pot, and about 30 minutes to make.
This taco soup is a delicious blend of ground beef, vegetables and seasonings, all simmered to perfection and topped with all the taco fixings. An easy dinner option that’s kid-friendly and quick to make! Instant Pot, Slow Cooker and Stovetop instructions included!
This is the best vegetable soup! It’s loaded with fresh veggies and seasoned with plenty of spices and herbs for amazing flavor. Plus, it’s dairy-free and vegetarian.
Tell me, friends: what’s your favorite soup or chili recipe? Please share the love in the comments section below! xoxo
Hi friends! I hope you’re having a wonderful morning so far. I’m meeting with a friend for coffee and then working on a Fit Team document for Self-care September to send out tomorrow. It’s not too late to join us here!
For today’s post, I wanted to talk a bit about mom burnout. While I’m in a positive space with motherhood, there have absolutely been times when I’ve felt overwhelmed and burned out. I wanted to share a bit about it in this post, along with some of the things I’ve learned, and always love hearing about your thoughts and perspectives, too. I also recognize that as a mom, I know I’m fortunate and privileged in many aspects of life and am grateful for all of them. There will always be those who have it better or worse than yourself; the best you can do is have gratitude for the blessings in your life, and compassion for those who are having a difficult time.
What is mom burnout exactly?
I think of it as a state of mental, physical, and emotional exhaustion that most moms are likely to experience at one point in their lives. I’ve learned over time that various factors can contribute to mom burnout. It can happen when you have maxed out your capacity to care for others, and it can also come from the invisible emotional and mental load mothers need to carry. Peer pressure, unrealistic expectations, and social media can play a part in causing mom burnout, and I think it’s SO important for moms to fill their own cups first.
Mom burnout should not be taken lightly, and if you feel like you are suffering, please reach out and get the help you deserve. Please keep in mind that I’m NOT a professional on this matter, just a mom sharing my story and things I’ve learned. You can absolutely love your kids like crazy and still experience mom burnout. It doesn’t mean you’re not a good mom; you just need a little extra TLC.
How to recover from mom burnout
Taking breaks and taking time to recharge
This can be so hard to do, especially if you have a tiny newborn. Take any opportunity you need to take a break and recharge, even if it’s for a short nap, a hot shower, or 10 minutes to blankly stare at the wall.
Talk it out
When you feel overwhelmed, whether you’re dealing with parenting exhaustion or life stuff, it can be so helpful to talk it out. It can be with a trusted friend, partner, or a professional, but often it can feel like a load has been lifted when you can speak your frustrations. Also, when you say things out loud, it’s easier to develop an action plan or objectively see the situation without so many emotions attached to it.
Prioritizing self care
This can be a tricky one, especially when you’re so devoted to caring for others, but I’m a big believer that you can’t pour from an empty cup. Take some time to do the self-care practices that you love in your routine, like your favorite weekly yoga class, a phone call with a friend, a hike or walk outside, time to read a book, whatever self care looks like for you. It also doesn’t have to be *all the things*; it could be one thing that you look forward to each week or each day.
Focus on the bare essentials
When you feel burned out, try to delete the unnecessary tasks from your routine. This might be something like having an impeccably clean house and crossing off all of the items on your to-do list. Keeping other humans alive, happy, and fed is a huge task, and if you accomplished this (along with feeding yourself), feel proud of yourself. <3
Do something that makes you feel like YOU
This can be something like dusting off your ukulele, reading a book, a dinner date with your partner, meeting up with a friend for a coffee, or a solo shopping trip. It can be as short as 15 minutes during naptime, but try to do something that brings you joy and that was a part of your pre-kids life that you’ve been missing.
Delegate anything you can and don’t be afraid to ask for help
Wherever it makes sense for your family and budget, outsource as many items as possible, especially the tasks that you despise. For example, if you love cooking but hate grocery shopping, try grocery delivery. If you hate cooking, try some pre-made meals each week from a service you like. (Some of my clients have found out that their husbands love to cook, so they’ve taken over the meal prep and dinner duties.) Hire someone to clean the house if that works for you (it is a lifesaver for me, and I sacrifice other things to carve this into our budget), or any other tasks that are adding additional stress. See what can be deleted, and delegate as much as you can.
Drop the mom guilt
I feel like it’s SO easy to feel guilty about so many different things, especially when there’s so much…passionate… messaging online. Whether you work from home or in the office, are a stay-at-home-mom, have a vaginal birth or c-section, breastfeed your baby, do attachment parenting, sleep routines, medical decisions, etc. People have a lot of opinions about how you choose to raise your kids. At the end of the day, you have to trust that you’re making the best decision for your family and drop as much mom guilt as you can. (This is something I’m working on myself, and often feel guilty whenever I have to work or film videos and the kids are home.)
Meet with a professional to get hormones and nutrient deficiencies addressed
When I was going through postpartum anxiety and depression, there was a lot going on (a cancer diagnosis in the family and a baby with severe reflux), but I was also facing nutrient deficiencies, sleep deprivation (this makes everything worse), and significant hormone imbalances. Once these things were addressed, the dark cloud lifted, and I finally started to feel more like myself.
If you feel off, I think it’s absolutely worth speaking with your doctor or functional medicine practitioner about developing a plan to help you feel better! Also I can’t say enough good things about therapy. It’s helped me through many situations in my life, and I’m grateful for the kind and experienced therapists out there.
Invest in relationships
Take the time to invest in the relationships that are meaningful for you. This is huge for overall health and mental wellbeing, especially when you’re feeling overwhelmed or exhausted. Connect with your tribe and reach out to those you love, even if it’s just a quick text to say hi.
Surround yourself with positive and inspiring examples of motherhood
I’m so so thankful to be surrounded by a group of moms who also love being moms. We can share our challenging moments with each other, but we also cheer each other on, and their positivity and perspective always brings me a dose of positive energy. They inspire me to be a better mom and experience true joy in motherhood.
On the same note:
Watch out for social media. Don’t be afraid to do a social media cleanup or detox.
It took me a while to realize that social media can be triggering for me on the motherhood front. When I first had Liv, it’s like you weren’t allowed to say that anything was difficult or challenging, or you were a *bad mom.* (And I’ve totally been called this, multiple times, by strangers on the internet.) Now, on the other hand, if you exude too much happiness, you can be accused of “toxic positivity.”
I feel like a lot of the messaging around motherhood, in an effort to be *real* has ended up being extremely negative in various accounts. There was a video of a mom, giving her child a plate of alphabet chicken nuggets that spelled out “f you” to her child. The child clapped and joyfully ate the nuggets while the mom snickered behind the screen. It wasn’t *real* to me. It was cruel, and I cried after I watched the video.
I realized I like accounts of moms who share their fun adventures with their kids, and while they absolutely share snippets of more difficult experiences, on the whole, they enjoy the members of their family.
You have to assess what type of messaging you like seeing online, and act accordingly by deleting the accounts that make you feel sad, negative, encourage comparison, or that are harmful for your mental health. It also feels good to put the phone on airplane mode for a day or so every now and again. 😉
Remember that all stages of motherhood are fleeting
I used to get used to routine or habits and then within a couple of weeks, everything would change. Now that the kids are older and way more independent, I’m constantly aware of how quickly time passes. You don’t have to enjoy every single moment (especially when you’re sleep-deprived, covered in milk stains, and recovering from birth), but I think it can be helpful to remember that time really does go quickly. Before you know it, you can ask them to do their homework.. and they’ll do it… by themselves. It’s wild, I tell ya.
So tell me, friends: what motherhood accounts do you like to follow online?
Hi friends! So excited that the podcast is BACK 🙂 I anticipate summers being more low-key on the podcast front, but now that we’re back in a routine, I have interviews stacked up and so much content to share with you guys. Please subscribe to the show if you’d like to be notified of new episodes as they go live!
For today’s episode, I’m chatting with Laura Varney about prenatal fitness, birth experiences, and how fitness perspectives can shift over time.
108: Prenatal fitness + shifting fitness perspectives with Laura Varney
We talk about:
– Her background and how she started working in the fitness industry
– Prenatal fitness tips
– Her experience in the bikini competition world
– How fitness perspectives and messaging have changed over time
– Her tips for being Healthy in Real Life
and so much more.
Here’s a bit more about Laura and her background:
Laura’s mission is to create a more empathetic approach to wellness – especially for those entering motherhood. Laura is a National Academy of Sports Medicine certified personal trainer, nutrition coach, and registered yoga teacher in Los Angeles. Her vigorous resume includes the specialization of strength and functional training, pre/postnatal training, HIIT (high-intensity interval training), and power vinyasa yoga.
She is the founder of The Baby Body: a 35-week prenatal exercise designed to keep women strong throughout all stages of pregnancy, during labor, and while being a parent. Laura’s passion for seeking an “unrestricted” life has catapulted her into the pursuit of empowering, supporting, and inspiring the women around her.
If you’re listening to this episode when it first launches, it’s Labor Day Sale sitewide at HigherDOSE, the makers of my favorite portable sauna blanket. Use this link and the code LDW22 for 20% sitewide! If you’re catching up on this episode later, you can use FITNESSISTA15 for 15% off! I LOVE the sauna blanket, PEMF Go Mat and red light face mask.
I love love love the meals from Sakara Life! Use this link and the code XOGINAH for 20% off their meal delivery and clean boutique items. This is something I do once a month as a lil treat to myself and the meals are always showstoppers.
Get 15% off Organifi with the code FITNESSISTA. I drink the green juice, red juice, gold, and Harmony! (Each day I might have something different, or have two different things. Everything I’ve tried is amazing.)
If any of my fellow health professional friends are looking for another way to help their clients, I highly recommend IHP. You can also use this information to heal yourself and then go one to heal others, which I think is a beautiful mission.
Thank you so much for listening and for all of your support with the podcast! Please be sure to subscribe, and leave a rating or review if you enjoyed this episode. If you leave a rating, head to this page and you’ll get a little “thank you” gift from me to you.
In recent years, research has suggested trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO) might be a therapeutic target for insulin resistance and gastrointestinal (GI) cancers. As noted in one 2017 scientific review:1
“Through the digestion of animal protein and other constituents of animal products, the commensal bacteria in the gut (the gut microbiota) forms metabolites that can contribute to the development of both insulin resistance and cancer.
Trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO) is such a molecule and has recently drawn a lot of attention as it may be a risk factor for — and a link between — the gut microbiota and cardiovascular and renal disease.
Further, TMAO is anticipated to have significance as a biomarker of — or even an independent risk factor for — other undesirable conditions, including insulin resistance … TMAO originates from a precursor, trimethylamine (TMA) that is a metabolite of various precursors; mainly choline and carnitine from ingested foods.”
In a paper2 led by James DiNicolantonio, Pharm.D., who is also the coauthor of my book, “Superfuel: Ketogenic Keys to Unlock the Secrets of Good Fats, Bad Fats, and Great Health,” we show how the likely true cause of elevated TMAO levels — which is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) — is hepatic insulin resistance.
Moreover, the paper shows that krill oil, astaxanthin, fish oil and berberine may be among some of the best supplemental strategies for those with high TMAO levels after diet optimization, as it is simply a reflection of insulin resistance in the liver.
DiNicolantonio has a book called “The Longevity Solution,” with Dr. Jason Fung, which takes a deep dive into the benefits of omega-3s, including fish and krill oil.
As noted earlier, TMAO is created when gastrointestinal bacteria metabolize dietary choline and carnitine found in eggs, liver, meat and fish, just to name a few. The bacteria turn choline and carnitine into trimethylamine, which is subsequently absorbed and oxidized to TMAO with the aid of flavin monooxygenases in your liver, primarily FMO3.
Flavin monooxygenases are a family of enzymes that oxidize xenosubstrates, thereby allowing the compounds to be excreted. Because choline and carnitine raises TMAO, which is thought to be a risk factor for CVD and Type 2 diabetes, some recommend limiting dietary and supplementary intake of these nutrients. However, DiNicolantonio and his coauthors point out there’s a significant flaw in this theory, stating:3
“[N]utritional epidemiology fails to incriminate dietary choline as a CV risk factor; supplemental carnitine is known to be highly protective in patients with vascular disease; and fish, the richest dietary source of preformed TMAO, is also protective.
Hence, TMAO, at least in the moderate concentrations seen in those without severe renal dysfunction, is not a mediating risk factor for vascular disease, but rather serves as a marker for factors that promote vascular disease and diabetes.
Impaired renal function is one of these factors, but not the sole one. The possibility that certain GI bacteria that are adept at generating trimethylamine are also harmful to vascular and metabolic health, remains undocumented. Factors that increase hepatic FMO3 therefore fall under suspicion.
Indeed, subnormal hepatic insulin activity associated with hepatic insulin resistance boosts hepatic FMO3 expression. Hepatic insulin resistance can result from metabolic syndrome and visceral obesity, and may reflect suboptimal activity of adiponectin or glucagon-like peptide-1 — all of which can play mediating roles in CV disease and diabetes.
Diets, nutraceuticals and medications which combat hepatic insulin resistance may therefore be useful for alleviating the health risks associated with elevated TMAO.”
Elevated TMAO — A Risk Factor for CVD and Metabolic Disease?
As noted in the featured paper, the evidence linking elevated TMAO with CVD risk is mixed. Several studies4,5,6,7 have concluded that elevated blood levels of TMAO is predictive of major adverse cardiovascular events in people preexisting heart disease, while others have failed to find support for this connection.8,9
Still, a meta-analysis10 of 11 studies published in 2018 found higher TMAO levels were associated with a 23% increased risk for cardiovascular events and a 55% increase in all-cause mortality. Animal studies cited in DiNicolantonio’s paper also suggest that very high oral doses of TMAO or its precursors, phosphatidylcholine and carnitine, can have a pro-atherogenic effect.
Case-controlled epidemiological studies have also linked high TMAO to a significantly increased risk for Type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome. “Indeed, the correlations between TMAO and diabetes risk appear to be stronger than those for cardiovascular risk,” DiNicolantonio writes.
That said, there’s little evidence to suggest that dietary intake of TMAO or its precursors actually promotes CVD, provided your renal function is normal. On the contrary, choline is crucial not only for your brain, nervous system and cardiovascular function but also for healthy liver function and detoxification.
In fact, it appears to be essential for the prevention of fatty liver disease and is found in high amounts in foods such as fish, which are known for their beneficial influence on CVD — in part due to the benefits of long-chain omega-3 fats. DiNicolantonio writes:11
“With respect to carnitine and CV risk, a meta-analysis12 of prospective clinical trials in patients who had recently experienced a myocardial infarction concluded that carnitine supplementation is markedly protective with respect to total mortality, ventricular arrhythmias and new-onset angina …
Clinical trials13,14 have also reported favorable effects of supplemental carnitine or carnitine esters on angina, intermittent claudication and heart failure.
Moreover, rodent atherogenesis studies, in which carnitine has been administered in doses reasonably proportional to the supplementation doses used clinically, have found that carnitine is anti-atherogenic, despite its propensity to raise TMAO …
It is therefore reasonable to suspect that moderately elevated TMAO, rather than being a mediator of the associated CV risk, is a marker for factors which both promote CV events and increase plasma TMAO.”
Poor Liver Function Significantly Raises TMAO
According to DiNicolantonio, a key factor appears to be insulin resistance in the liver, which has been shown to significantly elevate TMAO. He writes:15
“TMAO arises when dietary choline and carnitine is metabolized by gastrointestinal bacteria to yield trimethylamine, which is then absorbed and oxidized to TMAO by hepatic flavin monooxygenases (FMO), primarily FMO3 … subnormal hepatic insulin activity, as found in those with hepatic [liver] insulin resistance, boosts hepatic FMO3 expression and hence TMAO levels.”
DiNicolantonio goes on to propose that elevated FMO3 activity in the liver can be a reflection of insulin resistance in the organ, which in turn influences cardiovascular health risk. This, he believes, “can rationalize the epidemiology of TMAO.” He explains:16
“Hepatic insulin resistance, and its common concomitant hepatic steatosis, are associated with increased cardiovascular risk, as well as elevated risk for Type 2 diabetes — risks likewise associated with elevated TMAO.
It is therefore straightforward to postulate that TMAO can serve as a marker for hepatic insulin resistance, and that this explains at least a portion of the risk for cardiovascular events and diabetes linked to TMAO.”
How to Reverse Insulin Resistance in Your Liver
If elevated TMAO is indeed a reflection of hepatic insulin resistance that raises your CVD risk, what can you do to correct it and lower your risk? For starters, you’d want to normalize your weight.
Two strategies that are most helpful in this regard are a cyclical ketogenic diet and intermittent fasting. For best results, they should be done together. You can learn more about these strategies in the hyperlinked articles provided. Certain supplements can also be very beneficial in the treatment of hepatic insulin resistance, including:17
• Berberine, which functions much like metformin, a commonly used medication for the treatment of diabetes. Both work, at least in part, by activating adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK). Known as the “metabolic master switch,” AMPK is an enzyme that controls how energy is produced in your body and how it’s used by the cells.
By activating this enzyme, berberine and metformin helps regulate the biological activities that normalize lipid, glucose and energy imbalances. Berberine, used in Chinese medicine to treat diabetes, has also been shown to counteract hepatic insulin resistance in diabetic rodents.18,19
• Astaxanthin, a powerful carotenoid antioxidant, is a PPARalpha agonist with activity similar to that of the cholesterol-lowering drug fenofibrate. PPARalpha agonists indirectly stimulate AMPK in your liver and have been shown to alleviate hepatic insulin resistance in animals fed diets high in fat or fructose, and lower the risk of cardiovascular events in patients with metabolic syndrome.
• Krill oil is another alternative, as it contains the esterified form of astaxanthin, which increases its bioavailability, along with long-chain omega-3 fats essential for good health, including heart health. As noted in DiNicolantonio’s paper:
“Krill oil, even when compared to fish oil, suppresses hepatic steatosis in rodents. This may be due to its astaxanthin content, which is not found in fish oil.
Moreover, krill oil, but not fish oil, reduces diacylglycerol and ceramide content in the liver. The phospholipid fraction of krill oil has also been noted to reduce hepatic glucose production, unlike fish oil.
Thus, krill oil, being a source of highly bioavailable form of astaxanthin, appears to have additional advantages for reducing hepatic steatosis and hepatic insulin resistance compared to fish oil.”
Summary Overview of Findings
In summary, while there’s some evidence to suggest elevated TMAO levels may be a risk factor for Type 2 diabetes, atherosclerosis and an increased risk for cardiovascular events, nutritional epidemiology studies have not been able to demonstrate a detrimental impact of dietary choline and carnitine, from which TMAO is synthesized.
Nor do studies support the notion that dietary sources of TMAO, such as fish, have a detrimental impact on cardiovascular health. Quite the contrary. DiNicolantonio’s paper proposes that the only time elevated TMAO may in fact be a risk factor for CVD is when it’s accompanied by poor liver function, and elevated TMAO may itself be a sign of poor liver function.
The good news is you can improve liver function and lower your TMAO level with the help of nutritional supplements; berberine, astaxanthin and krill oil being three of the primary ones. DiNicolantonio writes:
“In conclusion, there is reason to suspect that the elevated risk for vascular events and Type 2 diabetes associated with elevated TMAO, after correction for recognized risk factors, is mediated largely by hepatic insulin resistance and the metabolic factors which induce it …
[I]f this analysis is accurate, various measures which alleviate hepatic insulin resistance — correction of visceral obesity, activation of AMPK with metformin or berberine, activation of PPARalpha with fenofibrate or astaxanthin, amplification of adiponectin production with pioglitazone or plant-based diets, and clinical strategies which boost the production or bioactivity of GLP-1 — could be expected to decrease elevated TMAO while also decreasing the risk for vascular events and diabetes associated with this risk factor. Figure 1 summarizes these relationships …
Importantly, this analysis does not exclude the possibility that TMAO might be directly pathogenic at the very elevated levels typically seen in severe kidney dysfunction. Indeed, cell culture studies suggest that TMAO can be pro-inflammatory in the plasma concentrations achieved during kidney failure. It generally is wise to minimize the consumption of nitrogenous compounds in this context.”
Figure 1: Measures that increase adiponectin and GLP-1 activity, control metabolic syndrome, and activate hepatic AMPK or PPARalpha, may decrease elevated TMAO and associated vascular/metabolic risk.
AI startup FathomX from Singapore has raised SG$2.24 million ($1.6 million) from an undisclosed investor in the lead-up to its Series A funding round.
This follows its seed funding round in April last year where it raised SG$500,000 (over $350,000).
WHAT IT DOES
A spin-off from the National University of Singapore and the National University Health System, FathomX offers an AI-powered mammography support tool called FxMammo.
The screening solution has been found to be highly accurate in detecting cancer in dense breasts among Asian women. It is also able to reduce false positives for interval cancers, or cancers that are diagnosed in between routine screening episodes. Additionally, it enhances clinical workflow by reducing screening time and workforce.
The startup is closely working with the Diagnostics Development Hub of Singapore’s Agency for Science, Technology and Research and Hewlett Packard Enterprise to develop FxMammo into software as a medical device.
WHAT IT’S FOR
Its fresh funding will help accelerate the pace of its product development and its acquisition of regulatory approvals. Moreover, the funding will support its ongoing multi-site validation study for FxMammo across eight markets in Asia-Pacific, as well as facilitate more research and commercial collaborations.
MARKET SNAPSHOT
South Korean startup Lunit is currently leading the AI diagnostic space in APAC. It also offers an AI mammography support tool, Lunit INSIGHT MMG, which analyses mammograms with 96% accuracy. It recently unveiled a new digital breast tomosynthesis tool which accelerates the reading process by choosing a 3D slice image with suspicious lesions among multiple images.
Another startup, Whiterabbit, has also recently introduced its own AI breast cancer screening solution called WRDensity, which was given an FDA 510(k) clearance in 2020. It uses AI to deliver data on breast density, which is a risk factor for breast cancer. New Zealand-based Volpara Health is another company that has received the same US FDA approval for its breast cancer detecting platform, Volpara Imaging Software.
Korean researchers develop biosensor to measure serotonin levels in real-time
A research team from the Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology has developed a biosensor that can track serotonin levels in real time for the diagnosis of depression.
Depression, which affects over a million South Koreans, is believed to be partly caused by imbalances in the level of neurotransmitters in the human body, such as serotonin, which helps stabilise mood. Commonly, serotonin levels are analysed through mass spectrometry of blood samples which can be time-consuming.
To expedite this process, the KRIBB researchers developed a bio-probe that reacts selectively to serotonin and a nano biosensor that can detect even trace amounts of serotonin by combining it with highly conductive nanofibers.
The sensor reacts with serotonin and generates an electrical signal that is used to measure the concentration of serotonin.
In an evaluation of its efficacy, the biosensor has shown a high level of reliability in detecting serotonin in artificial body fluids. Findings of the evaluation have been published in the journal Nano Convergence.
“Real-time monitoring of serotonin makes it possible for us to observe the effect of serotonin on the function of the body, as well as the change in secretion in response to harmful external stimuli,” said research lead Dr Oh-seok Kwon.
Lunit gets Taiwan’s nod for AI mammography solution
South Korean medical AI startup Lunit has received the approval of Taiwan’s Food and Drug Administration for its AI mammography solution.
Its Lunit INSIGHT MMG has been cleared for commercial release in Taiwan as a class 2 medical device.
The solution uses AI to detect suspicious lesions in mammography images with 96% accuracy.
The company also receive similar regulatory approvals for INSIGHT MMG in the United States last year and in Canada in June this year.
Singapore’s National University Cancer Institute unveils cancer treatment cost calculator
The National University Cancer Institute in Singapore has teamed up with health technology startup Bot MD to create a chemotherapy and cancer treatment cost calculator.
The NCIS Chemotherapy Cost Calculator or ChemoCalc provides an instant estimate of a patient’s monthly out-of-pocket expenses based on their prescribed cancer treatment, residency status, means-testing tier and eligibility for various government subsidy schemes.
The launch of this app comes ahead of the upcoming changes to the MediShield Life reimbursement model, which will only cover a positive list of clinically proven and cost-effective cancer drug treatments.
“In light of the upcoming MOH policy changes, we wanted to create a simple and effective tool that would help our patients understand the cost of their treatment, so that they can be empowered to make decisions on their care, factor these costs into their budgets, and seek help early if costs are prohibitive for them,” explained Dr Jen Wei Ying, an associate consultant at the NCIS Department of Haematology-Oncology.
Chinese insurtech firm Waterdrop launches AI virtual assistant for insurance providers
Beijing-based insurance tech company Waterdrop has recently unveiled an AI-powered virtual assistant for insurance providers.
According to a press release, the Waterdrop Assistant is a human-like digital assistant that helps online insurance service teams with tasks, including data processing and analysis, online user management, and customer services.
It is able to conduct simple conversations with customers, and record and collate their protection needs and intention to purchase insurance. According to the company, the digital assistant is well-versed with over 100 insurance products on Waterdrop’s data library.
Since its launch, Waterdrop Assistant has processed 86% of user sessions with 97% accuracy for intention recognition, helping free up around 37% of customer service manpower and increase policy renewal rate.
Medical imaging company United Imaging Healthcare debuts in Shanghai
Chinese medical imaging devices and equipment provider United Imaging Healthcare has gone public in China through a listing on the Science and Technology Innovation Board of the Shanghai Stock Exchange.
Net proceeds from its $1.6 billion initial public offering will go to its research and development of next-generation products, industrialisation projects, and marketing service network projects.
United Imaging’s products have been adopted by medical and research institutions in more than 40 countries worldwide, including the United States, Japan, Italy, and New Zealand.
Western Australia’s Disability Services has gone live with a new website that offers information about the health considerations of people with Down syndrome.
The My Voice My Health website was designed by Down Syndrome Western Australia through the funding provided by the state’s Department of Communities.
The online resource hub has information on health topics relevant to people with DS; lists of public health providers, peak bodies and non-profit organisations across WA that provides support for health conditions affecting persons with DS; and resources for health professionals, including checklists and communication tips for working with people with DS and other developmental disabilities.
WHY IT MATTERS
It is estimated that about one in every 1,100 babies born in Australia will develop Down syndrome, which is one of the most common chromosome disorders in the world.
In a media release, Disability Services Minister Don Punch said the My Voice My Health website will empower families, carers and people living with DS with important information and be a “useful tool when visiting health professionals”.
“People with Down syndrome are living long and fulfilling lives, with plenty of opportunities to make their own choices and live independently. My Voice My Health is an excellent example of how we can use information technology to enable people with disability to live their best life,” he said.
MARKET SNAPSHOT
Other countries have also launched similar digital resources to support the well-being of people with DS. In the United Kingdom, the Down’s Syndrome Association has developed the Health Swap app to empower people with DS to make positive lifestyle choices while improving their digital skills.
In the United States, a platform called Down Syndrome Clinic to You provides up-to-date, personalised health and wellness information to persons with DS. It also assists caregivers and primary care providers in giving evidence-based care in the absence of a specialist. It was developed by research and clinical teams from the Down Syndrome Program and Lab of Computer Science at Massachusetts General Hospital, a Harvard Medical School-affiliated academic hospital.
