At Health Matters 2024, Stanford Medicine physicians, scientists, and health care experts will present their latest research and practical tips on how to use food as medicine, maintain brain resiliency, and keep your heart healthy—no matter your age.
10:00 a.m. PT
Food’s Protective Power Against Disease
Tamiko Katsumoto, MD, Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine–Immunology and Rheumatology
Inflammation can be a good thing, signaling your body’s attempt to fight off infection or heal an injury. But when inflammatory cells soldier forth when you’re not sick or injured, chronic inflammation can ensue, contributing to obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and even autoimmune disease and cancer. The good—no, great—news is that the foods you eat can have a dramatic effect on inflammation in your body, helping not only to prevent it, but to fight it if it’s already started. Join Dr. Katsumoto as she discusses how foods can be anti-inflammatory—and how the ones you choose can also help the planet.
11:00 a.m. PT
Brain Power: How Science Is Revolutionizing Cognitive Health
Frank M. Longo, MD, PhD, the George E. and Lucy Becker Professor of Medicine, Professor of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, and Professor, by courtesy, of Neurosurgery
We’re living in a neuroscience revolution, with more ways to detect and treat disorders of the brain than was imaginable just a few decades ago. Hear from Dr. Longo, a leading expert in the research and treatment of neurological conditions, about the work being done at Stanford to transform the field and offer hope to the millions of people suffering from cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative conditions. From novel blood tests and brain imaging approaches to emerging treatments, Dr. Longo will explain the ways he and his fellow scientists are working to detect problems earlier, create strategies to delay onset of cognitive loss, reverse impairment once it begins, and increase brain resiliency for all people. He’ll also offer information you can use, starting now, to help protect your own brain health far into the future.
12:00 p.m. PT
Ways to Protect Your Heart at Any Age
Joseph C. Wu, MD, PhD, Director of the Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, the Simon H. Stertzer, MD, Professor, and Professor of Medicine–Cardiovascular Medicine and of Radiology
What types of exercise should I be doing to keep my heart healthy? Are there any tests that can predict whether I’m at risk for cardiac problems? Should I be taking medications or supplements to protect my heart? Join Dr. Wu, a preeminent researcher and physician in the area of cardiovascular health and current president of the American Heart Association, as he discusses steps you can take—and those you shouldn’t—to help keep your heart healthy. From using food as medicine, to medications such as Ozempic and metformin, wearable technology, digital apps, and more, he’ll answer your questions about the best ways to help prevent and detect heart problems.
