Blood pressure

Sapiens and Binah.ai Partner to Empower Global Life Insurers to Improve Risk Management with AI

Retrieved on: 
Monday, February 5, 2024

HOLON, Israel, Feb. 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Sapiens International Corporation, (NASDAQ: SPNS) (TASE: SPNS), a leading global provider of software solutions for the insurance industry, and Binah.ai, the number one health and wellness check software provider, today announced a partnership to empower more insurance companies worldwide to use client-provided health data for improved risk management and value-added services at reduced costs. The partnership enables Binah.ai to leverage Sapiens' strong global presence and provide Sapiens' customers with seamless access to Binah.ai's software-based health and wellness check technology.

Key Points: 
  • The partnership enables Binah.ai to leverage Sapiens' strong global presence and provide Sapiens' customers with seamless access to Binah.ai's software-based health and wellness check technology.
  • "We are extremely excited to partner with Sapiens, a leading player in the global insurtech sector.
  • Sapiens' cloud-based SaaS insurance platform offers pre-integrated, low-code capabilities across core, data, and digital domains to accelerate our customers' digital transformation.
  • To learn more about how this partnership is empowering insurers with innovative solutions, please click here .

Sapiens and Binah.ai Partner to Empower Global Life Insurers to Improve Risk Management with AI

Retrieved on: 
Monday, February 5, 2024

HOLON, Israel, Feb. 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Sapiens International Corporation, (NASDAQ: SPNS) (TASE: SPNS), a leading global provider of software solutions for the insurance industry, and Binah.ai, the number one health and wellness check software provider, today announced a partnership to empower more insurance companies worldwide to use client-provided health data for improved risk management and value-added services at reduced costs. The partnership enables Binah.ai to leverage Sapiens' strong global presence and provide Sapiens' customers with seamless access to Binah.ai's software-based health and wellness check technology.

Key Points: 
  • The partnership enables Binah.ai to leverage Sapiens' strong global presence and provide Sapiens' customers with seamless access to Binah.ai's software-based health and wellness check technology.
  • "We are extremely excited to partner with Sapiens, a leading player in the global insurtech sector.
  • Sapiens' cloud-based SaaS insurance platform offers pre-integrated, low-code capabilities across core, data, and digital domains to accelerate our customers' digital transformation.
  • To learn more about how this partnership is empowering insurers with innovative solutions, please click here .

How much weight do you actually need to lose? It might be a lot less than you think

Retrieved on: 
Monday, February 5, 2024

But type “setting a weight loss goal” into any online search engine and you’ll likely be left with more questions than answers.

Key Points: 
  • But type “setting a weight loss goal” into any online search engine and you’ll likely be left with more questions than answers.
  • They’ll typically use a body mass index (BMI) calculator to confirm a “healthy” weight and provide a goal weight based on this range.
  • Most sales pitches will suggest you need to lose substantial amounts of weight to be healthy – making weight loss seem an impossible task.

Using BMI to define our target weight is flawed

  • So it’s no surprise we use measurements and equations to score our weight.
  • BMI classifies bodies as underweight, normal (healthy) weight, overweight or obese and can be a useful tool for weight and health screening.


fails to consider two critical factors related to body weight and health – body fat percentage and distribution
does not account for significant differences in body composition based on gender, ethnicity and age.

How does losing weight benefit our health?

  • Losing just 5–10% of our body weight – between 6 and 12kg for someone weighing 120kg – can significantly improve our health in four key ways.
  • But research shows improvements in total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels are evident with just 5% weight loss.
  • Excess weight is linked to high blood pressure in several ways, including changing how our sympathetic nervous system, blood vessels and hormones regulate our blood pressure.
  • A meta-analysis of 25 trials on the influence of weight reduction on blood pressure also found every kilo of weight loss improved blood pressure by one point.
  • Research shows just 7% weight loss reduces risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 58%.
  • In one study each kilogram of weight loss resulted in a fourfold decrease in the load exerted on the knee in each step taken during daily activities.

Focus on long-term habits

  • An analysis of 29 long-term weight-loss studies found participants regained more than half of the weight lost within two years.
  • When we lose weight, we take our body out of its comfort zone and trigger its survival response.
  • Read more:
    What's the 'weight set point', and why does it make it so hard to keep weight off?


losing weight in small manageable chunks you can sustain, specifically periods of weight loss, followed by periods of weight maintenance, and so on, until you achieve your goal weight
making gradual changes to your lifestyle to ensure you form habits that last a lifetime.
Setting a goal to reach a healthy weight can feel daunting. But it doesn’t have to be a pre-defined weight according to a “healthy” BMI range. Losing 5–10% of our body weight will result in immediate health benefits. At the Boden Group, Charles Perkins Centre, we are studying the science of obesity and running clinical trials for weight loss. You can register here to express your interest.
Dr Nick Fuller works for the University of Sydney and has received external funding for projects relating to the treatment of overweight and obesity. He is the author and founder of the Interval Weight Loss program.

Medicines360 and DKT WomanCare Announce Strategic Partnership to Expand Access to the Hormonal IUD Avibela™

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, January 31, 2024

"As a global nonprofit pharmaceutical organization dedicated to expanding access to affordable reproductive health products for women, DKT WomanCare is an ideal partner for our organization," said Dr. Andrea Olariu, CEO of Medicines360.

Key Points: 
  • "As a global nonprofit pharmaceutical organization dedicated to expanding access to affordable reproductive health products for women, DKT WomanCare is an ideal partner for our organization," said Dr. Andrea Olariu, CEO of Medicines360.
  • “DKT WomanCare looks forward to leveraging our global partnerships and commercial relationships to ensure every woman, regardless of income, can access affordable, high-quality contraception.
  • As the supplier of AVIBELA, Medicines360 will focus on providing quality assurance and regulatory oversight, as well as ensuring sustainable product supply to DKT WomanCare and global procurement agencies.
  • Together, Medicines360 and DKT WomanCare will meet the growing demand for quality-assured, affordable hormonal IUDs and help build a robust and sustainable global contraceptive market.

Jason Colodne and Colbeck Capital Support the Weill Cornell Hypertension Center

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, February 1, 2024

Colbeck Capital Management (“Colbeck”) today announced its support of the Weill Cornell Hypertension Center (the “Hypertension Center”), one of the few U.S. practices dedicated to investigating all forms of hypertension, while providing the most comprehensive and personalized care to patients.

Key Points: 
  • Colbeck Capital Management (“Colbeck”) today announced its support of the Weill Cornell Hypertension Center (the “Hypertension Center”), one of the few U.S. practices dedicated to investigating all forms of hypertension, while providing the most comprehensive and personalized care to patients.
  • Affecting more than one billion people, hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, is the leading cause of death worldwide.
  • Providing treatment tailored to each patient, the Hypertension Center is committed to understanding the condition’s heterogeneity through ongoing research and innovative clinical therapies.
  • Support from Colbeck, Founding Partner Jason Colodne and his wife Anita, and other donors will help advance the Hypertension Center’s ultimate mission of reducing morbidity and mortality associated with hypertension and ending hypertension-related organ damage which afflicts more than 60% of the U.S. population.

Good Measures’ Good Food Prescription™ Program with Instacart Significantly Improves Blood Pressure, Weight, and Member Engagement in First Year

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, January 31, 2024

72% of members also lost or maintained weight, with an average 4.5% loss of body weight.

Key Points: 
  • 72% of members also lost or maintained weight, with an average 4.5% loss of body weight.
  • “By partnering with Instacart Health to make Good Measures’ nutrition advice immediately actionable, the Good Food Prescription™ has helped make it easier for participants to make healthy choices.
  • Compared with other members who did not receive food deliveries, those who did had 22% higher engagement with the Good Measures digital platform and a 32% higher rate of engagement in coaching sessions.
  • “We look forward to partnering with more health plans, providers, and channel partners as we expand this exciting new program with Instacart.”

Independent Pharmacy Cooperative (IPC) Secures Exclusive Distribution Rights to Independent Retail Pharmacies for BRENZAVVY® (bexagliflozin) with TheracosBio Partnership

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, February 1, 2024

SUN PRAIRIE, Wis., Feb. 1, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Independent Pharmacy Cooperative (IPC), the leading group purchasing organization owned by independent pharmacies nationwide, proudly announces an exclusive distribution partnership with TheracosBio to make BRENZAVVY® (bexagliflozin) accessible to its 6,000 member pharmacies.

Key Points: 
  • SUN PRAIRIE, Wis., Feb. 1, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Independent Pharmacy Cooperative (IPC), the leading group purchasing organization owned by independent pharmacies nationwide, proudly announces an exclusive distribution partnership with TheracosBio to make BRENZAVVY® (bexagliflozin) accessible to its 6,000 member pharmacies.
  • IPC, renowned for its commitment to supporting independent pharmacies, is set to be the first pharmaceutical wholesaler in the United States to carry and distribute BRENZAVVY.
  • BRENZAVVY, an FDA-approved oral sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor, presents a groundbreaking approach to diabetes care.
  • IPC members and customers will benefit from this exclusive arrangement, reinforcing IPC's commitment to expanding the range of cost-effective, clinically meaningful products available to independent pharmacies.

SoniVie announces enrollment completion in the REDUCED-1 pilot study with TIVUS™ Ultra-Sound Renal Denervation

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, January 31, 2024

TEL AVIV, Israel, Jan. 31, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- SoniVie, an Israeli company developing a novel, proprietary Therapeutic Intra-Vascular Ultrasound (TIVUSTM) System to treat a variety of hypertensive disorders, announced that on January 8th 2024, the last patient was treated with its Renal Artery Denervation TIVUS™ technology, as part of its FDA IDE-approved pilot study to treat hypertension (The REDUCED-1 Study).

Key Points: 
  • The REDUCED-1 Study had two enrollment cohorts that were conducted under an identical protocol in the United States and in Israel.
  • Twenty-five patients were enrolled in the U.S. and 15 patients were enrolled in Israel.
  • Renal Denervation with TIVUS™ is a minimally invasive procedure that uses high-frequency non-focused Ultra-Sound energy to ablate nerves in the renal arteries.
  • This causes a reduction in the nerve activity, which may decrease blood pressure.

SoniVie announces enrollment completion in the REDUCED-1 pilot study with TIVUS™ Ultra-Sound Renal Denervation

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, January 31, 2024

TEL AVIV, Israel, Jan. 31, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- SoniVie, an Israeli company developing a novel, proprietary Therapeutic Intra-Vascular Ultrasound (TIVUSTM) System to treat a variety of hypertensive disorders, announced that on January 8th 2024, the last patient was treated with its Renal Artery Denervation TIVUS™ technology, as part of its FDA IDE-approved pilot study to treat hypertension (The REDUCED-1 Study).

Key Points: 
  • The REDUCED-1 Study had two enrollment cohorts that were conducted under an identical protocol in the United States and in Israel.
  • Twenty-five patients were enrolled in the U.S. and 15 patients were enrolled in Israel.
  • Renal Denervation with TIVUS™ is a minimally invasive procedure that uses high-frequency non-focused Ultra-Sound energy to ablate nerves in the renal arteries.
  • This causes a reduction in the nerve activity, which may decrease blood pressure.

Genomics plc publishes clinical trial results demonstrating successful integration and clinical utility of integrated risk scores combining polygenic and clinical risk of cardiovascular disease in NHS primary care

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, January 31, 2024

The HEART Study is the world's first clinical trial investigating the use of genomic 'polygenic risk score (PRS) testing' to support the prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in National Health Service (NHS) clinical practice.

Key Points: 
  • The HEART Study is the world's first clinical trial investigating the use of genomic 'polygenic risk score (PRS) testing' to support the prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in National Health Service (NHS) clinical practice.
  • It was designed to evaluate an integrated risk tool (IRT) that combines genetic risk in the form of a polygenic risk score or PRS, with QRISK, a prediction algorithm for CVD.
  • For people aged 45-64, genetics accounts for 40% as much risk as all the non-genetic risk factors combined in QRISK.
  • We hope that it will also encourage similar studies incorporating genetics into clinical risk prediction for other common diseases."