This week at ESC Congress 2026 (Munich, August 28–31), researchers from the University of Tokyo and Institute of Science Tokyo presented data showing that AI analysis of facial videos can detect undiagnosed hypertension and diabetes with remarkable accuracy — no blood test, no cuff, no clinic visit required. Here's how it works: a high-speed spectroscopic camera records a 30-second video of your face and palms. A machine-learning algorithm extracts pulse-wave dynamics (arterial stiffness markers), skin blood flow patterns, and the spectral characteristics of skin coloring — all of which correlate with blood pressure and blood sugar regulation. The numbers: • Hypertension detection: 95% accuracy from a 30-second recording • Still 90.3% accurate from just a 5-second video • Diabetes detection: similarly high accuracy using facial blood flow patterns This isn't speculative — it's a prospective clinical study. And the implication is significant: a world where cardiovascular risk screening happens through a phone camera at the pharmacy counter, at a wellness clinic, or at a routine eye exam. For preventive cardiology, this is the future of population-level risk stratification — finding the undiagnosed 30-79 year olds with hypertension (there are ~1.4 billion globally) who never come in for a clinic visit because they feel fine. Source: Medical Xpress / ESC Congress, August 26, 2026

I will be discussing my take on the recently announced failure of Pelacarsen to lower cardiac events in patients with elevated Lp(a) If you are unable to attend LIVE and want to ask a question, then please leave the question in the comments of this posts and I will answer it We will see how a hybrid of asynchronous questions with Live questions work to increase the volume of questions and educational opportunities for this group's members

Looks like Monday mornings are not a good option for Live "Ask Me Anything" No recording for meeting today Please let me know in the comments if Live "Ask Me Anything" are valuable The attendance has been low the last couple meetings If there is a better date and time for the majority of people we will work on using that going forward If you would prefer another format other than Live meetings then please make suggestions Thanks Michael Twyman

I need to dig deep on my SLC1B1 gene for a minute. I know there’s not much evidence that Ezetimibe would could musculoskeletal issues but I have developed severe and quite debilitating plantar fasciitis. When looking back at my notes it began about 8 weeks after starting Ezetimibe. The data are convincing for Statins of course. But my notes also show that I stopped red yeast rice a week after starting due to arthritic finger pain which resolved upon discontinuation. I’m beginning to wonder if lipid lowering agents and I can’t coincide.