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Want To Prevent Dementia? This Body Part Might Have An Outsized Role

Want To Prevent Dementia? This Body Part Might Have An Outsized Role

Yahoo2 days ago
Around 850,000 people in the UK are living with dementia, according to the NHS.
The condition is linked to damage in the brain, which affects people's memory.
Yet up to 45% of our risk could be determined by lifestyle factors like not smoking and drinking less, according to The Lancet's commission on dementia prevention, intervention and care.
That's because the brain doesn't work in isolation. Some researchers have associated worse organ health with higher incidences of depression, for instance.
And a paper published in 2023 is one of many to suggest a link between taking care of one organ in particular and decreased dementia risk, especially at a younger age.
Heart health could be key to dementia prevention
The paper, published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, looked at data from over 430,000 people in the UK Biobank.
It found coronary heart disease was linked to a 13% increased risk of Alzheimer's disease and a 78% risk of developing vascular dementia (after Alzheimer's, this is the most common form of the condition in the UK, which is linked to blood flow).
But when people were diagnosed with heart disease before the age of 45, they were even more likely to get dementia, the researchers found.
Dr Fanfan Zheng, the study's lead author, shared: 'What surprised us most was the linear relationship between age of coronary heart disease onset and dementia.
'This shows the huge detrimental influence of premature coronary heart disease on brain health.'
It's far from the only link between heart health and dementia
Multiple studies have linked untreated high blood pressure to dementia.
Having too much 'bad' cholesterol has also been linked to stroke and deposits of amyloid and tau proteins, both linked to dementia.
Men with a high cardiovascular risk may be especially at risk and researchers have highlighted 'the importance of aggressively targeting cardiovascular risk factors before the age of 55 years to prevent neurodegeneration and Alzheimer's disease'.
In a press release, the American Heart Association's former president, neurologist Dr Mitchell Elkind, said: 'We now know that many of the same health risk factors that cause heart disease and stroke also contribute to a decline in overall brain health.'
The expert recommended following the American Heart Association's Life Essential 8 rules for both brain and heart benefits. These are:
Staying active
Giving up smoking
Getting enough sleep
Staying at a healthy weight
Controlling your cholesterol
Managing your blood sugar
Managing your blood pressure.
Related...
5 Dementia Prevention Rules A Neurologist Lives By
Neurologist Shares The 1 Sleep Change That Could Reduce Dementia Risk
Is Forgetting The Odd Word Normal Ageing Or A Sign Of Dementia?
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Waldencast Acquires Novaestiq Corp. and U.S. Rights to Leading Injectable Hyaluronic Acid Gel Line, Saypha®, Under the Obagi Medical Brand
Waldencast Acquires Novaestiq Corp. and U.S. Rights to Leading Injectable Hyaluronic Acid Gel Line, Saypha®, Under the Obagi Medical Brand

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time6 minutes ago

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Waldencast Acquires Novaestiq Corp. and U.S. Rights to Leading Injectable Hyaluronic Acid Gel Line, Saypha®, Under the Obagi Medical Brand

Acquisition strengthens Obagi Medical's product portfolio with proven, scientifically backed, injectable portfolio New products position Obagi Medical at the forefront of health, beauty and aesthetics convergence LONDON, July 23, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Waldencast plc (NASDAQ: WALD) ('Waldencast'), a global multi-brand beauty and wellness platform, today announced that it has acquired Novaestiq Corp. (Novaestiq), a growth-oriented aesthetic and medical dermatological innovations company, as well as the U.S. rights to the Saypha® line of hyaluronic acid (HA) injectable gels. The strategic acquisition expands Obagi Medical's offerings beyond U.S. medical-grade skincare, a market projected to be $2.2 billion by 2029, into the growing U.S. dermal filler market, projected to reach $2 billion in market size by 2029, effectively doubling its addressable market.1 The move marks a pivotal step in positioning Obagi Medical as an industry leader in integrated skincare and aesthetic solutions. 'We are excited to further diversify Obagi Medical's portfolio of medical-grade skincare with consumer centric, in-office injectable procedures through the introduction of the Obagi Medical Saypha® ChIQ™ and MagIQ™ lines of injectable HA gels,' said Michel Brousset, Co-Founder and CEO of Waldencast. 'Adding proven products into our portfolio increases our addressable market and allows us to deliver solutions for professionals and patients seeking both skincare and aesthetic treatments, all under the trusted Obagi Medical brand.' Obagi Medical's philosophy advocates for a holistic, science-driven approach where potent skincare and professional procedures work in tandem to achieve and maintain optimal skin health and a youthful appearance. These injectable products will play a pivotal role in the evolution of Obagi Medical into an end-to-end, synergistic solution that integrates medical-grade skincare with aesthetic treatments to deliver enhanced outcomes, prolonged results, and greater patient satisfaction. Beyond the two current offerings, the Novaestiq transaction provides access to a future pipeline of novel injectables in North America. Saypha®,2 currently undergoing U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval, is recognized globally as a proven, safe and efficacious HA injectable with high levels of patient satisfaction. The new Obagi Medical injectable portfolio is supported by an industry-leading clinical program that reflects the brand's commitment to science-backed innovation. Core pivotal studies are more than twice the size of typical nasolabial fold (NLF) and midface trials and include the highest representation of Fitzpatrick Skin Types I, V, and VI – underscoring Obagi Medical's mission to provide effective solutions for all skin types and tones. Saypha® is distinguished by its proprietary technology delivering advanced HA treatments through a stable 3D matrix designed to provide natural-looking results with optimally balanced gel characteristics. This technology powers a portfolio of clinically proven products that lead in multiple performance categories including high HA content at injection, ideal gel distribution, and consistent injection force and swelling behavior. Saypha®, a product of Croma-Pharma GmbH, is developed and manufactured in Austria and marketed in over 80 countries, leveraging 40 years of expertise in HA-based treatments with more than 110 million syringes produced. This global reach and deep market insight allow for the delivery of trusted, personalized care to patients and professionals worldwide. 'We believe that great results start with great skincare and are perfected with great after care,' said Dr. Suzan Obagi, Chief Medical Director at Obagi Medical. 'By combining Obagi Medical skincare with injectable procedures under the guidance of a qualified professional, patients can achieve more significant, longer-lasting, and natural-looking results. This acquisition also allows our professionals to offer patients more personalized, higher quality and safer products that their customers are looking for.' Obagi Medical's vision is to become the #1 Dermatological Mega Brand uniquely serving all the needs of physicians, patients and consumers globally. It is already the fastest-growing U.S. professional-skincare brand among the top ten in its category.3 This momentum is powered by a three-pronged strategy: anchoring products in dermatological science, introducing breakthrough innovations, and expanding its global reach. Brousset added, 'We are thrilled to introduce this new offering that will strengthen Obagi Medical's market position, drive innovation, and create new growth opportunities in our fast-evolving industry. We see an accelerating global convergence of health, beauty, and aesthetics – an intersection where Obagi Medical is uniquely positioned to lead. We also plan to leverage this acquisition to expand Obagi Medical's footprint.' Transaction DetailsUnder the terms of the definitive agreement relating to the transaction, Waldencast has agreed to acquire Novaestiq in exchange for (1) certain amount of cash payable at closing, (2) certain additional ongoing royalties based on net sales of Saypha® products, and (3) the contingent issuance of Waldencast class A shares (equal to approximately 7% of Waldencast's fully diluted class A shares), based on the receipt of FDA approval relating to the Saypha® products (triggering the issuance of 3,273,000 Waldencast class A shares) and the achievement of cumulative net revenue thresholds of (a) $100 million (triggering the issuance of an additional 3,273,000 Waldencast class A shares) and (b) $200 million (triggering the further issuance of 3,273,000 Waldencast class A shares), respectively, reflecting meaningful long-term commercial targets, with (a) and (b) being earnable until June 20, 2031. The details of the transaction will be summarized in more detail in a Form 6-K that Waldencast will file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the 'SEC') following this press release. About WaldencastFounded by Michel Brousset and Hind Sebti, Waldencast's ambition is to build a global best-in-class beauty and wellness operating platform by developing, acquiring, accelerating, and scaling conscious, high-growth purpose-driven brands. Waldencast's vision is fundamentally underpinned by its brand-led business model that ensures proximity to its customers, business agility, and market responsiveness, while maintaining each brand's distinct DNA. The first step in realizing its vision was the business combination with Obagi Medical and Milk Makeup. As part of the Waldencast platform, its brands will benefit from the operational scale of a multi-brand platform; the expertise in managing global beauty brands at scale; a balanced portfolio to mitigate category fluctuations; asset light efficiency; and the market responsiveness and speed of entrepreneurial indie brands. For more information please visit: . About Obagi MedicalObagi Medical is an industry-leading, advanced skincare line rooted in research and skin biology, with a legacy of 35+ years of experience. Initially known for its leadership in the treatment of hyperpigmentation with the Obagi Nu-Derm® System, Obagi Medical products are designed to address a variety of skin concerns, including premature aging, photodamage, skin discoloration, acne, and sun damage. As the fastest-growing professional skincare brand in the U.S. in 2024,3 Obagi Medical empowers individuals to achieve healthy, beautiful skin. More information about Obagi is available on the brand's website, 1In preparing for this transaction, Waldencast engaged management consulting services from a reputed global consulting firm. 2Saypha® products are not approved medical devices, and each product has a premarket approval (PMA) application under review by the FDA. 3Among the Top 10 Professional Skin Care Brands in the U.S., according to Kline's 2024 Global Professional Skin Care Series (China, Europe and the U.S.). AdvisorsHolland & Knight LLP is serving as Waldencast's legal advisor, with support from Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP. Experium Capital Advisers is serving as Waldencast's financial advisor. Forward-Looking StatementsThis press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including statements regarding the intended benefits of the transaction with Novaestiq, the ability to obtain FDA approval for Saypha®, the contingent issuance of Waldencast class A shares, and the growth strategies of Waldencast, including Obagi Medical and Novaestiq. These forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words 'estimates,' 'projects,' 'expects,' 'anticipates,' 'forecasts,' 'plans,' 'intends,' 'believes,' 'seeks,' 'may,' 'will,' 'would,' 'should,' 'future,' 'propose,' 'target,' 'goal,' 'objective,' 'outlook' and variations of these words or similar expressions (or the negative versions of such words or expressions) are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, conditions or results, and involve a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other important factors, many of which are outside the control of Waldencast, Obagi Medical and Novaestiq that could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. Important factors, among others, that may affect actual results or outcomes include, but are not limited to: (i) the inability to recognize the anticipated benefits of the transaction; (ii) the inability to obtain FDA approval for one or both of the Saypha® products; (iii) the general impact of geopolitical events, including the impact of current wars, conflicts and other hostilities; (iv) the overall economic and market conditions, sales forecasts and other information about Waldencast's possible or assumed future results of operations or our performance; (v) changes in general economic conditions; (vi) the impact of any international trade or foreign exchange restrictions, the imposition of new or increased tariffs, foreign currency exchange fluctuations; (vii) that the price of Waldencast's securities may be volatile due to a variety of factors, including Waldencast's, Obagi Medical's or Novaestiq's inability to implement their business plans; and (viii) the ability to implement Waldencast's strategic initiatives and continue to innovate Obagi Medical's existing products and anticipate and respond to market trends and changes in consumer preferences. The foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. You should carefully consider the foregoing factors and the other risks and uncertainties described in the 'Risk Factors' section of Waldencast's Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2024, filed with the SEC on March 20, 2025, or in other documents that may be filed or furnished by Waldencast from time to time with the SEC. These filings identify and address other important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events and results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and Waldencast assumes no obligation and do not intend to update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Contacts InvestorsICRinvestors@ MediaICRwaldencast@ 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

dacadoo Forges Collaboration with Microsoft to Transform Digital Health Engagement in the Era of AI
dacadoo Forges Collaboration with Microsoft to Transform Digital Health Engagement in the Era of AI

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time36 minutes ago

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dacadoo Forges Collaboration with Microsoft to Transform Digital Health Engagement in the Era of AI

Zurich, CH, July 23, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- dacadoo, a global leader in digital health engagement & health scoring announced today a collaboration with Microsoft to deliver next-generation digital health engagement solutions powered by generative and agentic AI. This collaboration will bring together dacadoo's award-winning Digital Health Engagement Platform (DHEP) and Microsoft's trusted cloud and AI infrastructure – including Azure AI Foundry - to accelerate innovation across health & life insurance, bancassurance, retail, and healthcare. This collaboration reflects both companies' shared commitment to improving health outcomes through secure, scalable, and intelligent health solutions. The key goals of the collaboration include: Delivering agentic, AI-powered health journeys that adapt to each individual in real time. Developing value-driven solutions for clients in insurance, retail health, and adjacent sectors. Using Microsoft Azure to ensure enterprise-grade security, scalability, and regulatory compliance. 'Collaborating deeper with Microsoft allows dacadoo to further expand the impact of our patented Health Score and AI-driven lifestyle navigation by integrating with one of the leading technology companies in the world,' said Peter Ohnemus, President & CEO of dacadoo. 'Having worked with Microsoft over the last three decades around database technology, business process, and reengineering, we are now working together to drive the next growth and technology platform for helping organizations to engage their customers more effectively and overall supporting healthier populations via our dacadoo Predict & Prevent strategy.' 'At Microsoft, we're committed to empowering organizations across industries with trusted, innovative solutions that drive meaningful impact,' said Elena Bonfiglioli, General Manager, Healthcare & Life Sciences, Microsoft. 'Our collaboration with dacadoo reflects our belief that AI can play a transformative role in improving people's lives through more personalized experiences, stronger community connections, and better health outcomes. We're pleased to collaborate with dacadoo to integrate their Digital Health Engagement Platform with Microsoft Azure OpenAI in Foundry Models to deliver the next generation of digital health engagement solutions.' Early conversations with top insurance firms are well on their way as they explore Microsoft AI integration in the Digital Health Engagement Platform. With aligned global footprints and complementary expertise, dacadoo and Microsoft are leading the next wave of digital health transformation — one that blends prevention, real-time care, hyper-personalized Lifestyle Navigation and responsible AI into a unified consumer experience around the patented Health Score, Wheel of Life and Risk Engine, which can score mortality and morbidity in real-time (what you can understand, you can improve). About dacadoo dacadoo is a Swiss-based technology company that develops technology solutions for digital health engagement and health risk quantification. Our Enterprise SaaS based digital health engagement platform (DHEP) is a mobile-first solution that leverages behavioral science, AI, and gamification to help end-users improve their health outcomes while helping clients to improve customer engagement and loyalty through personalization. This platform is available in over 18 languages and can be licensed as a white label offering or through APIs to develop/enhance custom solutions. Our award-winning Risk Engine, which calculates relative risk on mortality and morbidity in real-time, is also available for license through APIs. dacadoo's global employees are committed to making the world a healthier place. We strongly value security and privacy, with an Information Security and Privacy Management System certified to ISO 27001 and ISO 27701 standards. Press inquiries dacadoo Masako Boskovski marketing@ Othmarstrasse 8. CH-8008 Zurich Switzerland 擷取數據時發生錯誤 登入存取你的投資組合 擷取數據時發生錯誤 擷取數據時發生錯誤 擷取數據時發生錯誤 擷取數據時發生錯誤

EU pharma chief calls for European Nasdaq to boost biotech innovation
EU pharma chief calls for European Nasdaq to boost biotech innovation

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EU pharma chief calls for European Nasdaq to boost biotech innovation

Stefan Oelrich, president of Bayer's pharmaceutical division and newly appointed head of the EU's pharmaceutical lobby EFPIA, pointed out the urgent need for capital market reform to support biotech development in Europe. 'We need the equivalent of a Nasdaq in Europe where we can raise capital for biotech. Because biotech is not just about government finance,' Oelrich said during a press conference last week. Launched in 1971, the Nasdaq (originally the National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations) was the world's first electronic stock market. Known for its fully electronic trading model, the exchange has historically been attractive to fast-growing sectors, including life science, listing some of the world's largest tech companies, including Apple, Microsoft, and Google. Oelrich argued that Europe must urgently develop a similar equity-driven financing ecosystem. 'Today, there is very limited venture capital available, which is largely due to the way we manage equities. We invest our equities not in venture, but elsewhere,' he said. According to him, the lack of early-stage capital means European biotech innovations often migrate elsewhere — especially to the US, where funding and commercialisation opportunities are more robust. 'The transition from basic research to patented applications tends to follow where the capital is. We must ensure that innovation generated in European universities and research institutions stays in Europe,' he warned. 'Why don't we do it?' His remarks came just ahead of the unveiling of the EU's long-awaited Life Sciences Strategy, which aims to revive Europe's position as a hub for biotech research and development. The strategy acknowledges that the gap in venture capital investment is widening in Europe. It points to the continent's fragmented capital markets and heavy reliance on bank loans, which are often limited in volume and duration, as major structural issues. The strategy also recommends strengthening innovation hubs and integrating them into value chains to better attract private investment. However, it does not place significant emphasis on completing the EU's Capital Markets Union (CMU), a key demand from Oelrich. 'This may sound ambitious, but it's absolutely doable. Interestingly, everyone I talk to recognises the need: So why aren't we acting on it?' Oelrich asked. He also suggested that part of Europe's pension and life insurance capital could be redirected toward venture investment if appropriate political frameworks were put in place. 'Inventions can find a market here as it's not only about a lack of capital in Europe: It's about how we allocate it. We need to do a better job,' he concluded. The broader context The EU's Capital Markets Union remains incomplete, with progress hindered by regulatory divergence, inconsistent enforcement, and political resistance to deeper integration. While the CMU does not directly aim to create new stock exchanges, it does support efforts to expand access to capital, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This improved access could encourage the development of specialised or regional exchanges, though the broader goal remains integration rather than fragmentation. Currently, Europe lacks sector-specific stock exchanges. Major platforms like Euronext, the London Stock Exchange, Deutsche Börse, Nasdaq Nordic, and SIX Swiss Exchange list companies across a wide range of industries. Instead of dedicated exchanges, sector-focused investment is facilitated through indices such as the STOXX Europe 600 family, which tracks sectors like banking, automotive, and leisure. Still, for many in the biotech sector, the absence of a specialised capital-raising platform remains a barrier. Whether the EU will — and can — move to address this remains to be seen. Sign in to access your portfolio

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