5 Healthyish Things I like/don't like this week, including an Alzheimer’s blood test

Niche, virtual-first care reaches people where they are with personalized treatment that’s specific to their needs. In today’s world of infinite (and often undifferentiated) options, if I have a specific condition, then obviously I want a clinic that knows the ins and outs of said condition—and the patients living with it.

Some examples I particularly dig (though, disclaimer, I’m very biased here because I am or have been involved in all the following companies in some capacity as an advisor, consultant, and/or investor):

• Midi for menopause and perimenopause care

• NOCD for treating OCD (a much more common condition than you might think)

• Oshi Health for GI care

• Hone Health for men’s energy & longevity

• Allara Health for PCOS care (and other hormonal conditions)

In my experience, each connects patients with experts in their specific niche, rather than trying to provide generalized advice. There are (of course) many others I admire that have helped blaze this trail like Maven (shouts to the amazing Kate Ryder), Omada (hat tip to the likewise amazing Sean Duffy), and more. 

It’s never been easier to start a business like this. But it’s also never been harder to build a digital-first provider that starts niche, then grows into true venture-scale outcomes. Digital health doesn’t (yet) have many recent wins in this space—and the state-by-state complexity, high clinician costs, and the expense of acquiring patients (👋 where I tend to help most) doesn’t help. Venture is pretty down on the space right now. 

But I believe this is a winning model. I’ve seen it work and (done right) it can lead to better outcomes (and money making/cost savings) for everyone.

Here’s a fun fact: Frozen foods can be healthy… and they’re sometimes even more healthy than fresh ones. 🤯

I’m obviously not talking about, like, chicken pot pies here. But, for fruits and vegetables in particular, being immediately packaged and frozen after harvest means avoiding the “nutritional degradation” that can happen as fruit ages and travels from farm to store. Plus, they don’t go bad quickly AND they’re often cheaper.

Obviously not all frozen food is as healthy (or the texture as appetizing) as fresh. And I’m not saying you should avoid fresh fruits and veggies, duh. But I think frozen fruits and veggies are an underrated life hack not enough people take advantage of.

A recent McKinsey study found more and more hospital systems are adopting generative AI solutions. I’m heartened, though not super surprised… mostly because gen AI tools usually promise one critical benefit that everyone loves: cost savings. 

To me, the most exciting thing about gen AI in healthcare systems is how it could affect the average patient. Take AI scribes, for example. They listen to your appointment and take notes for you so you don’t have to. While an eavesdropping AI robot might seem a little futuristic and off-putting at first, these applications illustrate how generative AI can simplify and improve the patient experience. It’s not just saving the doctor tons of time (and improving accuracy) on clinical notes, it’s also getting you far better data than if you took notes yourself (or, worse, if you just tried to remember what was said afterwards).

Another example would be gen AI tools that work in revenue cycle management and can help patients with things like disputing unexpected or incorrect bills.

I’m glad to see more hospital systems are embracing gen AI technology than they traditionally do… and I think there’s finally a real chance at some healthcare transformation that’ll be positive for all stakeholders.

Toxic mold is a hot topic right now, and one I expect to see more of. With allergies and autoimmune conditions on the rise, it’s natural for people to investigate whether environmental causes are to blame. And for the estimated 3-10% of people that are allergic to mold spores, they could cause symptoms like itchy eyes and headaches… and maybe even more symptoms. 

But that does not mean that mold is toxic. In her ImmunoLogic newsletter, my new newsletter crush Dr. Andrea Love calls this notion the latest pseudoscience. With no science to prove the toxicity of mold spores, I’m skeptical too.

At a recent Alzheimer’s conference, researchers presented a new blood test with a meaningfully higher percentage of diagnostic accuracy for Alzheimer’s disease than alternative methods. By measuring a protein called tau, they were able to diagnose Alzheimer’s in 90% of cases (!). 

As I’ve shared before, my mother was unfortunately diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s, now 10ish years ago. The whole experience has been tremendously difficult for my family (and for so many other families with similar stories). One surprisingly big challenge was confirming she definitively had Alzheimer’s to begin with. Until she took a brain scan, she was given verbal memory tests with very subjective and squishy results. This is especially heightened by well-meaning doctors, friends, and of course family members who don’t want to believe it. In an ideal world, you get a clear-cut answer—you either have it or you don’t. 

There continues to be progress on ways to stall the disease, and knowing sooner can be the difference between years spent living a productive, rich life, and not. The New York Times coverage of this research asks some good questions—like should you test early if you don't have symptoms the way we screen for cancer? IDKID, but I personally care a lot less about the edge cases than when you need to know.

This is a meaningful, impactful discovery in a space that’s frankly had very few wins—and I’m looking forward to (and hopeful for) many more to come.