logo
Startups chosen to drive technology-driven improvements in women s heart and brain health

Startups chosen to drive technology-driven improvements in women s heart and brain health

( NewMediaWire ) - July 22, 2025 - DALLAS — In a collaboration between American Heart Association Ventures(TM) and the Association's Center for Health Technology and Innovation, eight companies have been selected to participate in the American Heart Association Heart and Brain Health Accelerator.
Through the Accelerator, the American Heart Association, a global force changing the future of health for all, aims to drive innovation with the potential to enhance patient outcomes, lower costs and reduce barriers to care. This is one of many ways the Association is exploring cutting-edge technology solutions that are scalable, accessible and effective, ensuring that everyone, everywhere can live longer, healthier lives.
'Innovation is essential to advancing health and improving outcomes for people affected by heart disease and stroke,' said Lisa Suennen, managing partner of American Heart Association Ventures. 'Through the Heart and Brain Health Accelerator, we're proud to support breakthrough technologies with the potential to transform care. By connecting these companies to mentorship, funding and our network of experts, we aim to accelerate their path from promising concept to lifesaving impact.'
The Heart Association's Heart and Brain Health Accelerator is one track within the larger MedTech Innovator Accelerator Program. The track is designed to identify and support companies with novel medical or digital health technologies aligned with the lifesaving mission of the American Heart Association.
These eight finalists have specific solutions and applications identified by experts for their potential to positively impact women's cardiovascular and brain health outcomes:
The selected health tech companies now also become official members of the Medtech Innovator program for this year, which includes access to networking opportunities, funding and increased visibility within the medical technology industry. In addition, they will receive specialized mentorship, coaching and capacity building from American Heart Association Ventures, customized to their focus on cardiovascular and/or brain conditions and diseases.
As participants in the Heart and Brain Health Accelerator, these companies qualify to participate in the MedTech Innovator Competition Finals, held at the MedTech Conference on October 5-8, 2025, in San Diego. Astellas Rx+ sponsors the American Heart Association Heart and Brain Heath Accelerator track.
The companies were selected by expert volunteers on an American Heart Association advisory committee, including:
Additional Resources:
###
About the American Heart Association
The American Heart Association is a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. Dedicated to ensuring equitable health in all communities, the organization has been a leading source of health information for more than one hundred years. Supported by more than 35 million volunteers globally, we fund groundbreaking research, advocate for the public's health, and provide critical resources to save and improve lives affected by cardiovascular disease and stroke. By driving breakthroughs and implementing proven solutions in science, policy, and care, we work tirelessly to advance health and transform lives every day. Connect with us on heart.org, Facebook, X or by calling 1-800-AHA-USA1.
For Media Inquiries: 214-706-1173
Michelle Rosenfeld: [email protected]
For Public Inquiries: 1-800-AHA-USA1 (242-8721)
heart.org and stroke.org
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

SNAP Food Program Linked to Slower Cognitive Decline in Older Adults
SNAP Food Program Linked to Slower Cognitive Decline in Older Adults

New York Times

time4 hours ago

  • New York Times

SNAP Food Program Linked to Slower Cognitive Decline in Older Adults

Adults who participated in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, experienced slightly slower cognitive decline over the course of a decade than those who were eligible for the program but did not enroll in it. That's according to new research presented Wednesday at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference. Diet and brain health are closely connected, and not having enough food is associated with poorer cognitive function and higher incidences of dementia in older adults. The differing rates of cognitive decline seen in the new study may be because using SNAP benefits can enhance the quality of people's diets and ensure they receive enough calories and nutrients, said Suhang Song, an assistant professor of health policy and management at the University of Georgia College of Public Health, who led the study. It's also possible that SNAP freed up financial resources for other health essentials (like medication for a chronic disease) or helped to reduce stress, both of which are good for brain health, Dr. Song said. The research was released just weeks after Congress passed a government spending bill that could cut SNAP funding by an estimated 20 percent. Those cuts could result in millions of people losing access to the benefit. The new findings, which have not yet been peer-reviewed, drew on data from the national Health and Retirement Study, which has tracked more than 20,000 adults over age 50 since 1992. Every two years, participants answer questions about their income, work status, physical health and more, and complete a battery of cognitive tests. Researchers looked just at adults whose household income made them eligible for SNAP in 2010 and who did not have an existing cognitive impairment. Of those 2,347 people, a little less than half were enrolled in SNAP. The two groups had similar cognitive scores to start, but over a 10-year span the adults who weren't on SNAP declined a little faster every year than those who were. The difference was small — just an extra tenth of a point annually on a 27-point scale — but Dr. Song said that can add up to a meaningful difference over time and even potentially delay the onset of mild cognitive impairment. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.

New Alzheimer's Clinical Guidelines Move Towards Replacing More Invasive Tools with Blood Tests; Pressing Need for Further Guidance Remains
New Alzheimer's Clinical Guidelines Move Towards Replacing More Invasive Tools with Blood Tests; Pressing Need for Further Guidance Remains

Yahoo

time8 hours ago

  • Yahoo

New Alzheimer's Clinical Guidelines Move Towards Replacing More Invasive Tools with Blood Tests; Pressing Need for Further Guidance Remains

Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation calls for guidelines for FDA-approved blood tests to continue momentum toward precision medicine NEW YORK, July 30, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Expanding the use of Alzheimer's blood tests is crucial to usher in a new era of precision medicine and bring Alzheimer's disease into mainstream care. The new clinical practice guidelines for blood biomarkers announced today by the Alzheimer's Association represent a first step in this effort, but further direction is needed to address newly FDA-approved tests as the diagnostic landscape continues to evolve. "Replacing more invasive PET scans and CSF tests, when appropriate, with blood tests will be a major step toward the future we envision, where we can detect and diagnose Alzheimer's sooner, allowing for earlier intervention and even prevention," said Dr. Howard Fillit, Co-Founder and Chief Science Officer of the ADDF. "These guidelines signal progress, but with the science moving quickly, it's essential that clinical recommendations keep pace – especially with Fujirebio's blood test approved by the FDA and more to follow." The new guidelines are limited to specialty care, apply only to patients with cognitive impairment, and exclude several blood tests, including Fujirebio's. Still, they reflect critical momentum, recommending blood biomarkers with ≥90% sensitivity and specificity to replace more invasive and costly confirmatory tests like PET imaging or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) testing during Alzheimer's diagnosis. As of now, only C2N's PrecivityAD2 test meets these requirements. Tests with ≥90% sensitivity and ≥75% specificity are recommended to be used for triage, with negative results ruling out Alzheimer's, while positive results should be confirmed with PET or CSF. While amyloid blood tests are a critical first step, the ADDF is focused on advancing next-generation biomarkers through its Diagnostics Accelerator (DxA) – a $100 million global initiative supported by the late Leonard A. Lauder, Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, and other leading philanthropists – that reflect the broader biology of aging and align with today's robust drug pipeline where over 70% of drugs target non-amyloid pathways. "The future of Alzheimer's care lies in precision medicine. To get there, we need a full spectrum of validated biomarkers — and robust clinical guidelines to help providers use them effectively," added Dr. Fillit. "In the future, digital biomarkers and blood tests will be used side-by-side to detect the disease early, track its progression, and guide treatment based on each patient's unique biology." About The Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF)Founded in 1998 by Leonard A. and Ronald S. Lauder, the Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation is dedicated to rapidly accelerating the discovery of drugs to prevent, treat and cure Alzheimer's disease. The ADDF is the only public charity solely focused on funding the development of drugs for Alzheimer's, employing a venture philanthropy model to support research in academia and the biotech industry. The ADDF's leadership and contributions to the field have played a pivotal role in bringing the first Alzheimer's PET scan (Amyvid®) and blood test (PrecivityAD®) to market, as well as fueling the current robust and diverse drug pipeline. Through the generosity of its donors, the ADDF has awarded more than $370 million to fund 765 Alzheimer's drug discovery programs, biomarker programs and clinical trials in 21 countries. To learn more, please visit: About the Diagnostics Accelerator (DxA)The Diagnostics Accelerator, created in July 2018, is a $100 million global research initiative from partners including ADDF Co-Founder Leonard A. Lauder, Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, MacKenzie Scott, the Dolby family, the Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation, The Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration, among others, to develop novel biomarkers for the early detection of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. This research initiative is dedicated to accelerating the development of affordable and accessible biomarkers to diagnose Alzheimer's disease and related dementias and advance the clinical development of more targeted treatments. Through translational research awards and access to consulting support from industry experts, this program will challenge, assist and fund the research community in both academia and industry to develop novel peripheral and digital biomarkers. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data

Food assistance benefits are tied to slower cognitive decline in older adults, new study suggests
Food assistance benefits are tied to slower cognitive decline in older adults, new study suggests

CNN

time11 hours ago

  • CNN

Food assistance benefits are tied to slower cognitive decline in older adults, new study suggests

For older adults who may otherwise be food-insecure, participating in food assistance benefits may be associated with a slower cognitive decline as they age, according to new research. Compared with eligible people who were not participating in the US Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program, SNAP participants showed a slower decline in cognitive function during a 10-year period, essentially maintaining up to three additional years of cognitive health, according to the study presented Wednesday at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference in Toronto. 'We expected that SNAP might be protective for cognitive health based on prior research linking food insecurity to faster cognitive decline. But what did surprise us was the persistence of the effect over a decade — and the fact that the benefit was equivalent to preserving two to three extra years of cognitive health,' Linlin Da, lead author of the study and a Ph.D. candidate in health services research at the University of Georgia, said in an email. 'This study is important because it shows that supporting basic needs like food access can have long-term benefits for brain health, something not widely recognized,' Da said. 'In a time when we're seeking ways to delay or prevent Alzheimer's disease and related dementia, this suggests that public health and social policy can play a role alongside medical approaches.' It's estimated that nearly 37% of SNAP participants are in households with older adults or people with disabilities, and on average, SNAP participants may receive an estimated $6.16 per day per person in benefits. SNAP, known previously as the Food Stamp Program, helped an average of more than 41 million low-income people in the United States in a typical month last year, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Now, President Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act makes the largest cuts to food stamps in the program's 86-year history, jeopardizing assistance for millions of people. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates that the law will reduce federal spending on SNAP by almost $187 billion over the next decade. Some public health experts worry that while cuts to SNAP would lead to budgetary savings, it also could produce higher rates of food insecurity and poorer health outcomes in the long run, according to the nonprofit KFF, formerly known as the Kaiser Family Foundation. And some Democratic state leaders are warning about potential consequences. 'During a time when many American families are already struggling, food assistance programs such as SNAP are more essential than ever,' Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker said in a news release Tuesday. 'Under the veneer of 'cost savings,' the Trump Administration is slashing benefits and threatening the well-being of hundreds of thousands of Illinoisans, putting their health and welfare at risk. Our state deserves better.' The researchers on the new study, from the University of Georgia, analyzed data on more than 2,000 adults 50 and older across the United States. About half of them were enrolled in SNAP in 2010, and the other half were eligible for SNAP but did not participate in the program. Every two years between 2010 and 2020, the researchers interviewed the study participants to assess their cognition, memory and executive function, including their ability to carry out tasks or to plan. Each person was given a cognitive score based on the assessments. The assessments, which have not yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal, showed that those enrolled in SNAP had a slower rate of cognitive decline in cognition, memory and executive function during the 10-year period. 'The decline in global cognitive function was 0.10 points slower per year for SNAP participants compared to nonparticipants,' Da said. 'While that may sound small, over a 10-year period, this adds up to about one full point of preserved cognition. To put it in clinical terms, this slower decline could delay the onset of mild cognitive impairment by nearly a decade for someone starting at a healthy cognitive baseline.' When the researchers analyzed their data by race and ethnicity, they found that there was a slightly faster decline in cognition and memory among Black and Hispanic adults compared with White adults, but no significant racial differences were observed for executive function. However, SNAP participation was linked with much stronger cognitive benefits and slower decline among the White adults. As a 10-year study, the new research covers 'a good length of time' to determine the benefits of diet and SNAP as associated with cognitive health, Dr. Shae Datta, a neurologist at NYU Langone Health and brand partner for the supplement company Qunol, said in an email. 'Having the means to buy nutritious food is important for preventing cognitive decline,' said Datta, who was not involved in the new study. 'This study suggested that SNAP participation, or any nutritional support program can delay the onset of cognitive impairment or dementia. Translating in a greater ability to manage their activities of daily living and remain independent longer.' While the new study suggests only an association between SNAP participation and cognitive decline, rather than a causal relationship, the researchers emphasized that not having adequate access to food can negatively affect cognitive function. SNAP participation may help improve someone's nutritional intake, thus potentially slowing cognitive decline. 'When people don't have access to healthy nutrition programs, they may have inadequate intake of, for example, brain healthy fats, omega-3 fatty acids, which are found in fish, fish like lake trout, mackerel, herring, albacore tuna, sardines and wild salmon,' said preventive neurologist Dr. Richard Isaacson, director of research at the Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases in Florida, who was not involved in the new study. 'Having a balanced diet can neutralize a lot of the risk elements related to developing cognitive decline. The way that I would think about this is, the Mediterranean-style diet is by far the most evidence-based when it comes to reducing the risk of cognitive decline,' Isaacson said. 'But a Mediterranean-style diet is rich in green, leafy vegetables. Vegetables are expensive. Fatty fish are expensive. So nutrition assistance programs can really fill the gap.' A Mediterranean-style diet includes mostly vegetables, fruits, beans, nuts, lentils, whole grains and healthy fats, such as extra virgin olive oil and avocados. The diet may include a moderate amount of natural cheese and yogurt, but it is low in red meat and sugar. Overall, the potential health benefits of participating in a food assistance program for an older adult who otherwise would be food-insecure are based on whether that adult uses the program to access brain healthy foods while taking other steps to maintain cognitive health, said Isaacson, who established one of the first Alzheimer's prevention clinics in the United States. 'You can't eat a magic blueberry and think you're going to prevent Alzheimer's disease,' he said. 'Healthy nutrition, exercising on a regular basis, seeing a doctor regularly to control blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, vascular risk factors – you need to do all of these different things to have the most benefit.' CNN's Nathaniel Meyersohn contributed to this report.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store