News
The agetech innovators to watch in 2022
The age of the population is increasing; in 2016, just 18 per cent of people in the UK were aged 65 and over. By 2046, however, it’s expected that the figure will rise to 25 per cent of the UK’s population being 65 and over.
So it’s no wonder firms are leaping on the agetech bandwagon, with both startups and established businesses working on healthcare technology that specifically targets the older population. Here, Agetech World shares the industry innovators to look out for over the next 12 months…
Papa
Founded in 2017, Papa describes itself as “a hand to help, a shoulder to lean on, an ear to listen” and connects volunteers with older adults in need in America.
Through its nationwide network of Papa Pals – volunteers who provide social support and everyday assistance, from transportation to technology lessons – the firm aims to achieve better health outcomes for its members.
Papa even effectively adapted its offering during the pandemic so users didn’t suffer, launching virtual visits through Papa Health and expanding to service 17 states.
Now, the firm’s founders have plans to expand to all 50 states by 2021 and grow its services after receiving $18 million dollars in a recent funding drive.
Cera
Award-winning startup Cera was founded in the UK in 2016.
2020 was a milestone year for the platform; it raised £54 million, launched its SmartCare technology nationwide and acquired care company Mears Care, a strategic move which boosted employee numbers to over 2,000.
Now, the company is continuing to look for new ways to grow, innovate and transform the world of agetech. In an interview with Sifted in 2020, discussing the future of the company and industry as a whole, co-founder and chief executive of Cera Ben Maruthappu said: “It’s allowing us to bend the model of care.
“It allows us to potentially reduce the amount of care a carer needs to do because you’ve got that 24/7 monitoring, which in turn makes care more sustainable because a carer can look after more older people in a neighbourhood or in a community.”
Institution Robotics
Despite only being founded in 2015, the company behind social robot ElliQ has revolutionised technology in the care sector.
Described as a “sidekick for happier ageing”, the world’s first social robot ElliQ helps older adults continue to live happily and safely in their own homes. The intelligent bot engages in conversation, offers tips and advice, and provides companionship in a bid to prevent loneliness and low mood, which are becoming more and more prevalent within ageing adults.
While there have been concerns raised around the ethical issues of mimicking human intimacy, co-founder and CEO of Institution Robotics Dor Skuler says: “We are looking to create an empathetic digital companion that joins them on the journey of life and tries to find opportunities to improve their quality of life.”
While its not readily available across the world just yet, the Institution Robotics is continuing to invite older adults to apply for early access to its Care Program and receive a free ElliQ – all it asks is that insights and feedback are given when requested to allow it to continue with its development, with a goal in mind to scale to commercial customers.
Adding another string to its bow, the firm has also expanded its product line to include tools for creating digital companion agents without code, automotive solutions and more features for its trailblazing robot, which will allow it to offer a more holistic experience.
Bold
One of the biggest challenges in ageing is falls. A common cause of injury, around one in three adults over 65 and half of people over 80 will have at least one fall a year, according to the NHS, potentially landing them in hospital and leading to further problems.
Which is where tech company Bold comes in. While the firm isn’t developing fall prevention technology as such, its online programme – which is designed to help older adults build and maintain muscle mass while trying different types of exercise in their own home – can go a long way to improving the strength of older people and lower their risk of falls.
The company was only founded in 2019 but is already making waves with its direct-to-consumer offering and has also launched a B2B platform geared towards healthcare providers.
Birdie
UK-based software startup Birdie describes itself as “your complete homecare software solution”, with a range of home systems designed to improve the confidence and independence of older people.
The firm’s visual, motion and sonar sensors can alert carers to events such as falls, and used by both care professionals and supporting family members. The platform also allows care workers to coordinate notes, ensuring vital information isn’t lost or misplaced.
With plans in place to use machine learning to look at caregiver reports and data from sensors to deduce behaviour patterns, potentially alerting to health worries or issues before they’ve even occurred, the firm has big plans to continue to assist the ageing population.
The industry is something Birdie CEO Max Parmentier feels passionately about; in a recent interview, he said: “It drives me nuts that we’re talking about self-driving cars and all these great technologies, and yet we’re regularly letting older people be left helpless on the bathroom floor for 48 hours because a simple technology is not used.”
Gut-friendly foods such as kimchi and kombucha may carry hidden risks for heart health when eaten in excess, the British Heart Foundation (BHF) has warned.
The charity said foods marketed as prebiotic, probiotic or otherwise good for the gut can support the microbiome, but some may also be high in salt or sugar, which can raise the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Products highlighted by the British Heart Foundation included kimchi, kombucha, fruit yoghurts, smoothies and sauerkraut. It said there is no harm in including them as part of a healthy diet, but advised people to check labels for added salt and sugar and eat them in moderation.
Tracy Parker, the charity’s nutrition lead, said: “We encourage everyone to choose foods that can keep their gut microbiome healthy. The benefits are clear, and we are continuing to improve our understanding of how a gut-friendly diet may help our hearts.
“A lot of these products can contain high levels of salt or sugar though, so it is important to be aware of the potential drawbacks.
“By ensuring you check package labels for added salt and sugars, and eat each in moderation, you can make sure the risks do not outweigh the benefits for your heart health.”
Fermented foods such as kimchi and sauerkraut are rich in probiotics, the healthy bacteria produced during fermentation that can help support a diverse and healthy gut microbiome.
However, both are traditionally made using a lot of salt, which can raise blood pressure if eaten frequently or in large quantities. High blood pressure is known to increase the risk of heart attack and stroke.
Kombucha, a fermented tea, also contains probiotics and can be a healthier alternative to fizzy drinks, but many commercial and shop-bought versions contain added sugar.
Eating too much sugar can lead to weight gain, which can increase the risk of heart attack, stroke and other cardiovascular disease.
Fruit yoghurts can contain probiotic live bacteria cultures, but may also be high in sugar and have fewer live cultures than plain versions.
The charity said plain yoghurt with live and active cultures on the label can be a lower-sugar option, with whole fruit added at home for sweetness.
Smoothies made with whole fruits provide prebiotic fibre, which feeds beneficial gut bacteria and supports digestive health.
They can also provide vitamins and antioxidants, especially when made with a variety of plant-based ingredients.
But blending breaks down the structure of fruit, releasing free sugars that behave like added sugars in the body and can cause faster rises in blood sugar levels.
Regularly consuming too much sugar can lead to weight gain, which can increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease and kidney disease.
The charity said only one 150ml serving of any smoothie counts towards five-a-day, and suggested adding nuts or seeds for extra protein and fibre to help keep blood sugar levels more stable.
The BHF also noted that some shop-bought sauerkraut is pasteurised, which removes most of the live bacteria.
It advised checking the label, eating small portions and choosing unpasteurised products for those seeking the probiotic benefits.
The charity said beneficial gut bacteria produce short-chain fatty acids during digestion, which are linked to reduced inflammation, better metabolism and better heart and circulatory health.
These good bacteria also help digest polyphenols, natural plant chemicals thought to have antioxidant properties and which may help lower blood pressure.
By contrast, harmful gut bacteria, which thrive on diets high in fat and red meat, produce chemicals that can cause problems in the heart and blood vessels by increasing inflammation and altering how cholesterol is processed in the body.
Beneficial bacteria thrive on varied diets high in prebiotics, non-digestible fibres found in foods such as wholegrains, oats, beans, lentils, bananas and onions.
People with diabetes may have undiagnosed heart failure that could be detected by a simple screening blood test, research suggests.
The TARTAN-HF trial found that one in four patients with diabetes who had at least one other risk factor for heart failure had undiagnosed heart failure detected through screening with a blood test and ultrasound scanning of the heart.
Experts said the findings show the extent of unrecognised heart failure in people with diabetes, and how the condition can be detected using a widely available blood test called NT-proBNP, which measures how much strain the heart is under.
They suggest a heart failure screening programme for diabetics could improve diagnosis rates, lead to earlier treatment and potentially reduce the risk of hospitalisation and death.
The study, involving 700 patients, was led by the University of Glasgow in collaboration with AstraZeneca, Roche Diagnostics, Us2.ai, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and NHS Lanarkshire.
Dr Kieran Docherty, clinical senior lecturer at the University of Glasgow’s School of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Health, said: “Our results from the landmark TARTAN-HF trial identified heart failure in a large proportion of people living with diabetes, emphasising the need for a heart failure screening strategy in this group of patients.
“We know that many of the symptoms and signs of heart failure are non-specific, and may go unrecognised as potentially being due to heart failure for a long time.
“The strategy used in our trial is simple and easy to implement in clinical practice, and will aid in the early identification of heart failure in people with diabetes, and facilitate the initiation of medications that we know improve outcomes in patients with heart failure.”
The study, which began more than three years ago, involved more than 700 people with diabetes from the two health board areas who had at least one other risk factor for heart failure.
They were randomly assigned either to receive heart failure screening or to continue with their usual care.
Researchers found screening uncovered a large number of previously unrecognised cases of heart failure. Around one in four, or 24.9 per cent, of those screened were found to have the condition within six months, compared with 1 per cent in the group continuing their usual care.
The study, involving patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes, found almost all of the participants found to have heart failure had preserved ejection fraction, which can be difficult to detect without dedicated testing.
The findings of the TARTAN-HF trial were presented at the American College of Cardiology conference taking place from 28 to 30 March in New Orleans in the US.
Dr Edward Piper, medical director at AstraZeneca UK, said: “Delayed diagnosis and treatment of heart failure in people with type 2 diabetes contributes to poor long-term outcomes. TARTAN-HF demonstrates that targeted, risk-based screening can identify previously undiagnosed heart failure in approximately one in four high-risk patients with diabetes, enabling earlier intervention with guideline-directed therapy.”
Dr Christian Simon, head of global medical affairs at Roche Diagnostics, said: “We are proud to have supported the landmark TARTAN-HF trial. These findings demonstrate the transformative power of early, accessible diagnostics like the NT-proBNP blood test.
“By identifying unrecognised heart failure in people with diabetes, we enable clinicians to initiate appropriate treatments sooner, ultimately improving patient outcomes and lives.”
The UK has launched a £6.3m men’s health fund to back local projects aimed at helping men and boys live longer, healthier lives.
The Men’s Health Community Fund is a partnership between the Department of Health and Social Care, Movember and People’s Health Trust.
The government is contributing £3m, while the two charities are more than doubling that to take the total to £6.3m.
Grants will support community projects reaching underserved men and boys aged 16 and over, particularly in the most disadvantaged areas and at key points in their lives such as becoming a father, losing a job or retiring.
Projects could include support for new fathers, activities for men facing loneliness and social isolation, services to help young men engage with the health system, and support for men in work, out of work and moving into retirement.
The programme will bring together voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations to test new ways of reaching men who are least likely to use traditional health services.
An evaluation funded through the National Institute for Health and Care Research will assess what works and help inform future policy and delivery.
Health and social care secretary Wes Streeting said: “Too many men across the country are living shorter, less healthy lives, particularly those in our most disadvantaged communities.
“This new partnership will help men get the support they need in the places they feel most comfortable, their communities, among people they trust.
“By working with expert charities and local organisations, we can reach the men who are too often missed by traditional services and help them take better care of their mental and physical health.”
“It is a key step in delivering our first ever Men’s Health Strategy and driving forward our ambition to halve the gap in healthy life expectancy between the richest and poorest areas.”
The Men’s Health Strategy sets out plans to tackle the physical and mental health challenges men and boys face.
Men can be less likely to seek help and more likely to suffer in silence, while higher rates of smoking, drinking, gambling and drug use are damaging men’s health and affecting families, workplaces and communities.
The government is also investing £3.6m over the next three years in suicide prevention projects for middle-aged men in local communities across areas of England where men are most at risk, many of which are also among the most deprived. Suicide is one of the biggest killers of men under 50, and three-quarters of all suicides are men.
The projects will aim to break down barriers middle-aged men face in seeking support, including stigma around asking for help and a lack of awareness of what is available and how to access it.
They will be co-designed with experts and men with lived experience of mental health crises and suicidal thoughts.
Gut-friendly foods may damage heart, charity warns
Diabetes patients face increased risk of undiagnosed heart failure
UK government announces £6.3m fund to boost men’s health
Brain health collaboratory launches in Gulf South
Centenarian study probes healthy ageing
Landmark prostate cancer screening trial begins in UK
Centenarian study probes healthy ageing
Active sitting linked to lower dementia risk
Endogenex raises US$50m for diabetes procedure
Working nights undermines type 2 diabetes management – study
News4 weeks agoLandmark prostate cancer screening trial begins in UK
- News4 weeks ago
Centenarian study probes healthy ageing
- News4 weeks ago
Active sitting linked to lower dementia risk
- News4 weeks ago
Endogenex raises US$50m for diabetes procedure
- News4 weeks ago
Working nights undermines type 2 diabetes management – study
- News4 weeks ago
UK government announces £6.3m fund to boost men’s health
- News4 weeks ago
Brain health collaboratory launches in Gulf South
- Wellness4 weeks ago
Social isolation is a horrible consequence of dementia – AI could be an answer
