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Emirates 24/7
15-07-2025
- Health
- Emirates 24/7
UAEU researcher granted four patents advancing drug design, medical devices
The United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) announced that Dr. Alya A. Arabi, a computational scientist at the university, has been granted four patents for ground-breaking innovations that span drug design and medical device development. The patents reflect Dr. Arabi's interdisciplinary expertise, combining computational science, quantum principles, engineering, and an emerging application of artificial intelligence. Two of the patents address critical needs in pharmaceutical development. The first patent introduces a method for classifying molecular conformers based on how they interact with proteins in the human body. The second patent complements this by providing a technique for matching conformers of different molecules, enabling them to interact in similar ways with biological proteins. 'These methods are innovative advancements in in-silico drug design,' said Dr. Arabi. 'They facilitate drug discovery processes while reducing the reliance on resource-heavy laboratory experiments, making research more efficient.' Dr. Arabi's third patent marks a major advancement in orthopedic medical technology. Developed in collaboration with Prof. Bassem T. ElHassan of Massachusetts General Hospital (Harvard Medical School) and Eng. Ali O. Arabi, the patented device and method enable patients with complete shoulder paralysis to regain a full range of motion. This outcome was previously unattainable in extreme cases. The fourth patented invention, co-invented with Eng. Ali O. Arabi, presents a novel biomedical solution addressing two widespread health challenges: male infertility caused by retrograde ejaculation and urinary incontinence. The dual-functionality device provides a significant step forward in both reproductive and urological healthcare. 'These inventions show what happens when curiosity, advanced technology, and practical problem-solving intersect,' said Dr. Arabi. Supported by UAEU throughout the patenting process, Dr. Arabi sees this advancement as milestones for further innovation. 'My next challenge is to translate these prototypes into market-ready products, maximising their real-world impact.' Zaki Anwar Nusseibeh, Chancellor of UAEU, commended Dr. Arabi's achievement, statin, "These patents are a remarkable testament to the spirit of scientific innovation and excellence we foster at UAEU. Dr Arabi's ability to bridge disciplines, bringing together computational science, medicine, and engineering, demonstrates the university's strength as a center for transformative research. These achievements not only enhance UAEU's global standing but also contribute meaningfully to the health and well-being of communities around the world. I extend my heartfelt congratulations to Dr. Arabi and her colleagues for her pioneering contributions and for embodying the university's mission to improve lives through knowledge."
Health Line
14-07-2025
- Health
- Health Line
Weight Loss: Eating More Protein May Prevent Muscle Loss From GLP-1 Drugs
Increasing protein intake while taking GLP-1 drugs for weight loss could help prevent muscle loss, according to a new study. As a common side effect of weight loss, muscle loss could also lead to decreased bone density due to the effects on blood sugar management. Experts recommend asking your doctor about increasing protein intake and incorporating strength training into your weight loss plan. Higher protein intake may be the key to avoiding muscle loss, which often occurs in people who lose weight with GLP-1 medications. Researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School of Boston offered this advice in a new study presented on July 12 at ENDO 2025, the Endocrine Society's annual meeting in San Francisco. The report described a small study of 40 people who lost weight with semaglutide compared to those who lost weight through a conventional diet and exercise program. After three months, the semaglutide group lost more weight than the conventional group. The percentage of weight loss that was lean muscle mass was similar between the two groups. Participants receiving semaglutide who lost more muscle mass than others were either older adults, females, or those who ate less protein while following a weight loss protocol. 'Older adults and women may be more likely to lose muscle on semaglutide, but eating more protein may help protect against this,' lead researcher Melanie Haines, MD, a neuroendocrinologist with Massachusetts General Hospital, said in a news release. Haines noted that muscle loss undermines blood sugar management, a critical mechanism in maintaining bone density and strength. While promising, these results have not yet been published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal and may warrant further investigation. Muscle loss is common during weight loss Prior research has suggested that using GLP-1 drugs for weight loss can reduce muscle mass and bone density, and lower resting metabolic rate. This may lead to sarcopenia, a loss of muscle mass, strength, and function. Kais Rona, MD, a bariatric surgeon at MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center at Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, CA, explained that muscle is more easily lost during weight loss than fat. Rona wasn't involved in the study. 'The amount of energy required from the body to maintain muscle is higher than the amount of energy required to maintain fat. This means that muscle tissue is more susceptible to breakdown,' Rona told Healthline. 'The disproportionately high percentage of muscle loss is a direct consequence of the higher metabolic requirements of muscle in comparison to fat,' he added. Appetite suppression may impact protein intake Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1s) were originally developed for people with diabetes, but have skyrocketed in popularity for their weight loss effects. Ozempic (semaglutide) is often prescribed off-label for weight loss, while Wegovy, which also contains semaglutide, is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for weight loss. Zepbound and Mounjaro (tirzepatide) have also emerged as highly effective medications for weight loss. Mounjaro is prescribed off-label for weight loss, while Zepbound is approved by the FDA for chronic weight management. 'These medications are very effective appetite suppressants in addition to reducing food intake by slowing down gut function,' Rona explained. Therefore, when you eat less due to these medications, he noted, you may consume less protein as a result. 'Proteins are the building blocks of muscle tissue, and inadequate protein intake results in the breakdown of muscle, leading to a decrease in muscle mass,' Rona said. Supporting muscle mass while on GLP-1 drugs Rona said a strength and resistance training program is 'critical in maintaining muscle,' while taking GLP-1 drugs. He also recommended a robust intake of protein. 'I often recommend patients to have 1.2 to 1.5 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight daily.' Michelle Routhenstein, a registered dietitian specializing in heart health, agreed that strength training and higher protein intake can help preserve muscle mass. 'These two strategies work together to stimulate muscle-protein synthesis and reduce the risk of muscle loss during weight reduction,' Routhenstein told Healthline. 'Lean protein 'supports both weight management and muscle maintenance by promoting fullness, helping control appetite, and preserving muscle during weight loss, especially when combined with resistance training,' she explained. Rona noted that protein is a macronutrient that helps produce 'physiologic changes that help promote a healthy weight as well as maintain muscle.' He added that high protein diets have been shown to reduce hunger, promote satiety, and improve metabolism. Healthy sources of protein Routhenstein recommended choosing lean sources of animal protein such as: skinless poultry fatty fish (salmon, sardines, tuna) dairy (Greek yogurt) She said plant-based options include legumes (e.g., lentils or black beans) and soy products (e.g., tempeh or tofu). Routhenstein emphasized the value of a balanced diet for people trying to lose weight. 'The body also needs healthy fats and carbohydrates to fuel workouts, support hormone function, and promote overall health,' she said. 'Relying solely on protein at the expense of other macronutrients can lead to nutrient imbalances and may not support long-term muscle health or disease prevention.' Rona added that dietary supplements like daily multivitamins could be helpful for some people while taking GLP-1 drugs. 'This is something important to discuss with one's clinician,' he said. Anyone with chronic health conditions, such as kidney or heart disease, should consult with their healthcare team before making significant changes to their diet.
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Diagonal Therapeutics Announces Publication of Data Characterizing the Healthcare System Cost and Impact of Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia (HHT) in the American Journal of Hematology
WATERTOWN, Mass., July 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Diagonal Therapeutics, a biotechnology company focused on correcting dysregulated signaling with clustering antibodies that address the underlying cause of intractable genetic diseases, today announced the publication of study results detailing new health economics and outcomes research (HEOR) that characterizes the significant healthcare utilization and costs associated with hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) in the American Journal of Hematology. "This study provides the first detailed analysis of the healthcare resource demands and costs associated with HHT, highlighting the substantial economic impact this disease places on patients and the health system," said Hanny Al-Samkari, M.D., the Peggy S. Blitz Endowed Chair in Hematology/Oncology at the Massachusetts General Hospital, Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, and lead author of the study. "The findings underscore the urgent need for treatments that can effectively address the underlying cause of HHT and reduce the complications related to chronic bleeding and anemia, which are major cost drivers requiring hematologic support, hospital admissions, and emergency care." HHT is the second most common inherited bleeding disorder globally, affecting approximately 1 in 4,000 to 5,000 people and an estimated 80,000 in the U.S. The disorder leads to recurrent severe epistaxis (nosebleeds), chronic gastrointestinal bleeding, heavy menstrual bleeding, and arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) in organs such as the lungs, liver, and brain. These AVMs can cause serious or fatal bleeding events and comorbidities, including chronic and recurrent iron deficiency anemia—which occurs in nearly 60% of HHT patients. Chronic anemia is well known to increase risk for hospitalizations, heart failure, and death. Currently, there are no FDA- or EMA-approved therapeutics for HHT worldwide, and treatments are largely limited to off-label use of costly immunomodulatory and antiangiogenic drugs. The study leveraged Komodo Health's Healthcare Map® claims database* to analyze real-world healthcare costs for HHT patients in 2022 and 2023. Key findings from the publication include: Per patient per year (PPPY) costs for people living with HHT are comparable to or surpass those of other rare and resource-intensive diseases. Bleeding and its consequences were identified as the primary drivers of healthcare costs. Mean PPPY costs for all HHT patients were >$19,000 across 2022 and 2023, about 20% higher than those for sickle cell disease. For HHT patients with anemia, the mean PPPY costs were approximately $27,000, comparable to those associated with muscular dystrophy. Patients with HHT receiving hematologic support (iron infusions and/or red blood cell transfusions) had mean PPPY costs of approximately $40,000, comparable to those associated with cystic fibrosis. HHT patients with anemia, while accounting for nearly 60% of the HHT patient population, were responsible for approximately 80% of the direct medical costs. Notably, the prevalence of liver transplantation among HHT patients, arising from complications of liver AVMs, was 40 times greater than in the general U.S. population. 'We are extremely grateful to partner with Dr. Al-Samkari and Cure HHT on this important study, as it puts into stark focus the impact of HHT and its associated complications on individuals and families living with this complex disease,' said Eric Duhaime, Senior Vice President of Corporate Development at Diagonal and co-author of the study. "We are committed to advancing a differentiated treatment that directly addresses the root cause of HHT and are encouraged by the compelling preclinical profile of our first-in-class, bispecific ALK1 agonist antibody. We look forward to advancing development of DIAG723 as a novel, potentially disease-modifying treatment option for people living with HHT." *The Komodo Health's Healthcare Map® claims database includes de-identified data from over 330 million patients across commercial, Medicare, and Medicaid plans in the United States. About Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia (HHT) HHT is a rare disease that affects more than 150,000 people in the U.S. and EU, and for which there are currently no approved therapies. In HHT, loss of function point mutations in members of the TGF-ß receptor superfamily complex create abnormal blood vessels that are fragile and susceptible to rupture and bleeding. These bleeding events drastically reduce quality of life, result in emergency visits and hospitalizations, and lead to chronic anemia, necessitating frequent iron infusions or red blood cell transfusions in many patients. Solid organ arteriovenous malformations, if left untreated, are at risk of rupturing, resulting in lung and brain hemorrhage, stroke, heart failure, and death. About Diagonal Therapeutics Diagonal Therapeutics is a biotechnology company advancing novel disease-modifying clustering antibodies that repair dysregulated signaling implicated in a range of illnesses. The Company's DIAGONAL Product Engine combines proprietary computational and experimental techniques to overcome historical challenges associated with antibody drug discovery and efficiently deliver optimized therapeutic assets. Diagonal's pipeline comprises clustering antibodies designed to selectively address the underlying cause of disease across hematology, hepatology, and nephrology, offering the potential to deliver life-changing therapies for patients. DIAG723, Diagonal's first-in-class clustering antibody, recently received orphan drug designation from the U.S. FDA and a positive opinion from the EMA for treating HHT. For more information, please visit Media ContactMarites in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
05-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
His headache felt like a hangover. Paramedics made a scary diagnosis
When Nestor Montalvo woke up last September, he knew something was wrong. He had a headache, and his vision was blurred. The symptoms felt like a "really bad hangover," but he hadn't been drinking the day before. When he tried to stand, the right side of his body was numb. "Everything started spinning. I went to stand up, and I fell," Montalvo, 61, recalled. "I just didn't understand what was going on. I couldn't understand it. I didn't know why I was feeling that way." His wife helped him up and immediately called 911. Paramedics gave him alarming news: He was having a stroke. They rushed him to the emergency room at Catholic Health's Mercy Hospital in Nassau, Long Island. The situation was dire: Montalves said he overheard a doctor telling his daughter, a registered nurse, that he only had a 15% chance of survival. "I was like 'Oh my God, I'm going to die. I don't even have a chance to say goodbye to anybody,'" Montalvo, a retired New York City police officer, recalled. "Time is brain" Doctors who treat strokes have a saying: "Time is brain," said Dr. Taylor Kimberly, the chief of neurocritical care at Massachusetts General Hospital. Kimberly was not involved in Montalvo's treatment. Strokes are caused when blood flow to the brain is interrupted by either a blocked or ruptured blood vessel, Kimberly explained. Montalvo had a blockage, or an ischemic stroke. In these types of strokes, cells in the brain lose access to nutrients and oxygen, causing damage. The longer a stroke goes untreated, the worse the damage can be, Kimberly said. No one knew how long Montalvo had been having a stroke, since the symptoms had been present when he woke up. Dr. Cini Thayil, an emergency medicine attending at Mercy Hospital, was the first doctor to see Montalvo. He was having "very prominent" neurological deficits, she said. "You could see that something was awry," Thayil said. The symptoms triggered Mercy Hospital's stroke protocol. Within 10 minutes of arriving at the ER, Montalvo had been assessed as a potential stroke patient. Fifteen minutes later, he was undergoing a CAT scan. Shortly after doctors reviewed the scans and conferred, Montalvo received a clot-busting medication called TNK, Thayil said. Later, he underwent another minor procedure to ensure the clot was gone. "I could have been a vegetable, I could have died," said Montalves. "But they saved my life." A complicated road to recovery Even though the stroke had been treated, Montalvo's situation remained critical. His vocal cords collapsed, and he needed a tracheotomy to allow him to breathe. He couldn't talk or swallow because of the tubes, and aftereffects from the stroke itself made it difficult for him to speak and eat. When he met Aileen Fairchild, an acute care speech pathologist at Mercy Hospital, he couldn't even swallow a quarter-teaspoon of applesauce unaided. "It was a mess. I couldn't swallow, I couldn't talk, I couldn't eat," Montalvo recalled. For six weeks, Fairchild worked with Montalvo. He received about an hour of speech therapy a day, as well as exercises that targeted the muscles in his throat that contribute to eating and swallowing. He underwent regular scans to make sure the treatments were working. After that month and a half, the tracheotomy tube was removed, allowing Fairchild and Montalvo to work more on his ability to eat and speak. He underwent three procedures to help the muscles in his throat. By Thanksgiving, he was able to eat a regular meal with his family. Now, about a year after his stroke, Montalvo is doing better. He can speak and eat like before, and is enjoying retirement by spending time with his wife, their children, grandchildren, and their dog, Paris. He still uses a cane to walk and is continuing to receive outpatient physical therapy. Montalvo said that he hopes to continue his recovery, which he said has been even tougher than surviving the stroke itself. "You take life for granted, and then when something like this happens, it wakes you up," Montalvo said. "You hear people talk about it, and it just sounds like it's not going to happen to you. All of a sudden, it happens to you." Several people missing from Texas summer camp amid deadly flooding, officials say What a new DOJ memo could mean for naturalized U.S. citizens July 4 holiday week expected to set record for travelers
Economic Times
03-07-2025
- Health
- Economic Times
Napping too much after 60? New study links long afternoon snoozes to higher death risk
A recent study suggests excessive daytime naps could be risky for older adults. Researchers presented the findings at SLEEP 2025 in Seattle. Longer, irregular naps between 11 AM and 3 PM are linked to higher mortality. Experts advise short 'power naps' of 20-30 minutes. They also suggest that frequent napping may indicate underlying health issues. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Naps between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. were most risky Long naps might mean you're not sleeping well at night Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads FAQs A new study says that older adults who nap too much during the day may have a higher risk of death. This study was presented at SLEEP 2025, a big sleep science event in Seattle, Washington. The research looked at daytime naps , especially longer and irregular naps in the early afternoon, and found these were linked to a higher death risk over 8 years, as per the report by Fox News Gao, the study's lead author and a postdoc at Massachusetts General Hospital, said they wanted to understand more than just if people nap — but also how long, when, and how often. The study had 86,565 participants with an average age of 63. All had regular daytime jobs, as per people wore devices that tracked their movement during sleep. It didn't check brain activity though. Scientists defined daytime napping as sleep between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. Over the next 8 years, 5,189 people (6%) from the study died, as stated in the report by Fox News who napped between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. or took longer naps had higher chances of dying during those 8 years. The study also adjusted for other death risk factors like age, weight, smoking, alcohol, and night sleep time. Dr. Chelsie Rohrscheib, a sleep expert from Wesper, New York, who wasn't part of the study, said naps are okay unless they're used to make up for bad night sleep, according to the report by Fox News also said adults need 7 to 9 hours of good sleep at night to stay healthy and avoid diseases like heart problems and diabetes. One issue with the study: it might have confused "quiet rest" with actual sleep, because the tracker only checks movement, not brain activity, as mentioned in the defining naps as between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. may have accidentally included some people's real sleep, not just naps. Too much daytime sleeping could be a sign of other health problems like chronic illness, body inflammation, or issues with the body's internal clock, as mentioned by Fox News Rohrscheib said if someone needs a nap every day, they probably have bad night sleep or an underlying health issue. Chenlu Gao said more studies are needed to find out whether naps directly cause health issues, or if they're just a sign of something Gao also said watching people's napping patterns could help spot health problems early and let doctors step in faster. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine says healthy naps should be under 20 to 30 minutes, and taken early in the afternoon, according to the "power naps" can help you feel more awake and full of energy. But if you nap for more than 30 minutes, you might feel tired or dizzy after waking short, sleeping too much during the day after age 60 can be risky. The time, length, and how often you nap may show signs about your health, according to Fox News DigitalYes, a new study says too much daytime napping after age 60 may raise the risk of say naps should be 20–30 minutes and taken early in the afternoon.
