Exceptional Health.

28/06/2025

18/06/2025

Researchers at Johns Hopkins University have made a potentially game-changing discovery in cancer diagnostics.

They found that fragments of tumor DNA, known as circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), can be detected in the bloodstream as early as three years before a clinical cancer diagnosis.

This breakthrough opens up an extended window of opportunity for early cancer detection, which is critical for improving survival rates and enabling less invasive treatment options.

The discovery was part of ongoing research into liquid biopsy techniques, which aim to identify cancer through simple blood tests instead of traditional imaging or tissue biopsies.

These ctDNA fragments are shed by tumors into the bloodstream and can carry mutations specific to different types of cancers. Detecting them early may lead to personalized screening strategies, especially for individuals at higher risk.

A study published in Nature Communications (2020) supports this claim.

It discussed how early traces of cancer-related genetic alterations can be detected years before conventional methods would identify the disease.

Such research is the backbone of companies like GRAIL, which are developing multi-cancer early detection tests based on similar principles.

While the detection of tumor DNA years in advance is promising, it's important to note that:

Not all cancers shed enough ctDNA to be detected early.

Further validation across larger and more diverse populations is needed.

There's a risk of false positives or overdiagnosis that must be managed.

Nevertheless, this innovation represents a revolutionary leap forward in the field of oncology, offering hope for earlier intervention and better patient outcomes

10/03/2025

05/03/2025

09/02/2025

09/02/2025

15/12/2024

The risk of cardiovascular disease is increased with type 2 diabetes mellitus, but it is uncertain how long an elevated risk precedes diagnosis.

15/12/2024

Higher NO2 exposure was associated with increased risk of ovarian cancer. Results hinted that age at exposure might matter.

10/08/2024

New insight into the mechanism of insulin resistance or metabolic dysfunction: Overgrowth of the gut bacteria Desulfovibrio produces hydrogen sulfide, which damages the mitochondria of GLP-1-producing cells.

The resulting GLP-1 deficiency can drive insulin resistance and cause abnormally high hunger. (The hormone GLP-1 is the basis for the Ozempic-type medications.)

Gut health is crucial for metabolic health.

Links to:
🟠 the study: https://www.nature.com/articles/s42255-024-01068-x
🟠 Nick Norwitz's Twitter thread about it: https://x.com/nicknorwitz/status/1821882668281201083
🟠 my new metabolism book, which has two patient stories about fixing the gut to fix metabolic health: https://www.larabriden.com/metabolism-book/

18/05/2024

16/05/2024

Yesterday, I went to get a heart scan to check my heart, which is an AI version of a CT angiogram that’s simpler, faster, and way more accurate at identifying atherosclerosis. This state of the art scan improved clinical decision-making and patient management in over 57% of cases.

Heart disease is the world’s leading cause of death. Many conventional doctors only look at your total LDL and HDL cholesterol numbers when looking at your risk of heart disease. There’s actually so many biomarkers that should be tested to fully understand your heart risks. That’s why I started . I wanted these tests to become more available to the public. For example a few of the tests included in the Function membership that pertain to heart health include:

Lipoprotein (a)
Apolipoprotein B (Apo B)
LDL Particle Number
LDL and HDL particle size
Triglycerides

And make sure to check out Cleerly if you or someone you know is dealing with any type of heart issue or risk.

21/04/2024

This story is part of a series, “Fighting ‘Forever Chemicals’: Women face pervasive PFAS risks.” Loreen Hackett suffered two bouts of cancer before she turned 50. Cancerous cells were d…