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Welcome back to the Daily Dumbbell, where we preach consistency while sending out newsletters in what can only be described as a completely haphazard way.
My ability to give advice: A+
My ability to take my advice: D+— Alex Lieberman (@businessbarista)
1:44 PM • Aug 21, 2023
Relatable Alex, very relatable.
We have a truly excellent newsletter for you on this glorious holiday, full of memes, science, and some strong words for the charlatans.
Let’s dive in!
Scientists at CU have developed a headband that tracks “memory reactivation” during sleep. A process that is closely associated with dementia risk. They believe it can be used to diagnose Alzheimer’s risk years before symptoms usually appear. |  |
"Demonstrating how we can assess digital biomarkers for early indications of disease using accessible and scalable headband devices in a home setting is a huge advancement in catching and mitigating Alzheimer's disease at the earliest stages."
 Coming soon to a supplement shop near you… | Did you know Naked Mole Rats have the longest lifespan of any rodent? At 41 years they live 10x longer than other rats. They’re also remarkably resistant to age related diseases like cancer & dementia. Possibly due to their increased production of HMW-HA. When scientists genetically modified mice with genes that increased HMW-HA production the mice lived nearly 5% longer. |
When Chat GPT burst onto the scene early this year it received a frenzied reception from the tech world that has mostly given way to hand wavy dismissal. If you’ve played with the tools you likely believe it’s pretty cool, but far from taking over the world.
While it’s true that an Alexa like writing assistant is one of the least interesting use cases, the applications in medicine are much more exciting.
For example, researchers at the University of Michigan have developed a tool that can accurately predict those at risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma, or EAC, and gastric cardia adenocarcinoma. Those who have suffered from long term GERD (Acid Reflux) are at a heightened risk of these types of cancers. However, as Joel Rebenstein explains below, it isn’t that simple:
"Most people with GERD symptoms will never develop esophageal adenocarcinoma and gastric cardia adenocarcinoma. In addition, roughly half of the patients with this form of cancer never experienced prior GERD symptoms at all. This makes K-ECAN particularly useful because it can identify people who are at elevated risk, regardless of whether they have GERD symptoms or not."
Like many of the most deadly forms of cancer, the danger stems from how symptoms rarely present before the cancer reaches later stages. For this reason, early detection is the most essential part of treatment.
This is where K-ECAN shines. By harnessing artificial intelligence to analyze a treasure trove of patient data, Rubenstein and his team have developed a tool that can predict an individual's risk of developing esophageal adenocarcinoma and gastric cardia adenocarcinoma with unprecedented accuracy. Leveraging existing electronic health records (EHR), K-ECAN becomes a beacon of hope, alerting healthcare providers to those at heightened risk, facilitating early interventions, and potentially saving countless lives.
At the core of K-ECAN's innovation is its ability to synthesize basic patient data – demographics, weight, previous diagnoses, and routine laboratory results – into a comprehensive risk assessment. By automating this process within the EHR, the tool offers real-time risk predictions at opportune moments, such as when patients are due for health screenings or medication refills. The culmination of extensive research, data analysis, and machine learning, K-ECAN represents a turning point in the battle against these elusive cancers.
Rubenstein envisions a future where this tool becomes a staple in healthcare systems beyond the VA, the horizon of early detection shines brighter than ever.
Imagine…
 | Homes equipped with smart toilets that provide immediate feedback on your hydration levels, whether you need more fiber in your diet, etc. It can instantly diagnose any bacteria or infection in your urine/stool. This information is easily accessed on your fitness tracker app along with all your other biometric data. Your AI healthcare app will flag anything worrisome and schedule a follow up with your Doctor… |
MISINFORMATION MONDAY
Speaking of cherry picking studies…
A Harvard study looking at 2000+ people on a carnivore diet
— Dr Shawn Baker 🥩 (@SBakerMD)
3:14 AM • Aug 23, 2023
This is a truly incredible example of absolute nonsense from a “Doctor” who should have lost his medical license years ago. Wait, you’re saying he was stripped of his license in 2017? Sorry, must have slipped our mind…
“A Harvard Study” honestly unbelievable that someone can be this much of a grifter online in 2023.
This was a survey that he helped write (no disclosure of that anywhere to be found on his social media).
That was distributed ON SOCIAL MEDIA. But wait, there’s more.
The majority of participants who answered the questionnaire were members of HIS Facebook Group: “The World Carnivore Tribe”
We tend to give the benefit of the doubt and assume positive intent too often in situations like this. “Oh he’s a doctor”. “Well it was a Harvard study…” we think they’re probably biased and maybe exaggerating claims, but way too often it is complete and utter BS.
The Carnivore diet is an effective, if unnecessarily strict, elimination diet. That’s it. The movement around the diet however, is 100% a scam. These people; Shawn Baker, Paul Saladino, The Liver King, and their ilk are truly bad people with bad intentions who are in the grift for the money. Don’t fall for it.
Hope you have an amazing Monday! We’re planning on hitting you with daily newsletters again soon. The format will be slightly different and we’re really going to focus on the “bite sized” aspect this time.