“Application of Biomarker Data in Personalizing Nutrition”
Abstract
The trend toward personalized approaches to health and medicine has resulted in a need to collect high-dimensional datasets on individuals from a wide variety of populations, in order to generate customized intervention strategies. However, it is not always clear whether insights derived from studies in patient populations or in controlled trial settings are transferable to individuals in the general population. To address this issue, a longitudinal analysis was conducted on blood biomarker data from 1032 generally healthy individuals who used an automated, web-based personalized nutrition and lifestyle platform (InsideTracker). The study had two main aims: to analyze correlations between biomarkers for biological insights, and to characterize the effectiveness of the platform in improving biomarker levels. First, a biomarker correlation network was constructed to generate biological hypotheses that are relevant to researchers and, potentially, to users of personalized wellness tools. The correlation network revealed expected patterns, such as the established relationships between blood lipid levels, as well as novel insights, such as a connection between neutrophil and triglyceride concentrations that has been suggested as a relevant indicator of cardiovascular risk. Next, biomarker changes during platform use were assessed, showing a trend toward normalcy for most biomarkers in those participants whose values were out of the clinically normal range at baseline. Finally, associations were found between the selection of specific interventions and corresponding biomarker changes.
Speaker Bios
Dr. Gil Blander, founder and chief scientific officer of InsideTracker, is internationally recognized for his research in the basic biology of aging and translating research discoveries into new ways of detecting and preventing age-related conditions. He leads a team of biology, nutrition & exercise physiology experts, and computer scientists at InsideTracker, and has been featured in CNN Money, The New York Times, Forbes, Financial times, The Boston Globe to name a few. Dr. Gil Blander received a Ph.D. in biology from the Weizmann Institute of Science and completed his Post Doctoral fellowship at MIT, before going on to found InsideTracker. The InsideTracker platform analyzes key biochemical and physiological markers and applies algorithms and large scientific databases to determine optimal zones for each marker. The system then provides nutrition, exercise, supplements and lifestyle interventions that empower people to optimize their markers, increasing vitality, improving overall health, as well as athletic performance and extending life.
Rony Sellam is CEO of InsideTracker. He spent 12 years in the health technology sector where he developed a passion for products at the intersection of science and technology with a mission. The mission of InsideTracker is to transform the way every human being eats, sleeps, and moves to live a longer, better life.