Simon Spichak

Toronto

Science and Tech Writer at Freelance

Neuroscience MSc 🦔 dad Founded @Resolvve_inc to make therapy affordable for students Words @Being_Patient_ @thedailybeast @TVO @ObserverUK @dailydot

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Articles

Walking Faster Could Lower Your Risk of a Common Heart Problem

3 days ago | businessandamerica.com | Simon Spichak

Walking at a speedy pace could keep your heart in a normal rhythm, a new study suggests. For the research, published April 15 in the journal Heart, scientists focused on how walking frequency, duration, and speed reduced the risk of developing heart rhythm abnormalities called arrhythmias, which can lead to a stroke and other adverse cardiac events.
Stem Cells for Alzheimer’s? Neurologists Weigh In on Longeveron's New Data

1 week ago | beingpatient.com | Simon Spichak

Longeveron published new results from a small Phase 2 trial testing its stem cell therapy in people living with Alzheimer’s disease. Since their discovery in the 1960s, stem cells have captivated our curiosity. Unlike other cells in the body, stem cells are changeable — they can self-renew and they can differentiate into different, specialized cell types, raising the possibility that we could one day regenerate damaged tissue and organs.
Everything You Wanted to Know About ARIA

1 week ago | beingpatient.com | Simon Spichak

Between 13 and 35 percent of people who receive anti-amyloids develop brain swelling or brain bleeding. At the 2025 AD/PD conference in Vienna, researchers gathered to discuss the advances in understanding, monitoring, and preventing ARIA. Anti-amyloid drugs like Leqembi and Kisunla are among the first FDA-approved treatments for early-stage Alzheimer’s disease.
Walking at This Pace Could Lower Your Risk of a Common Heart Problem, Study Suggests

1 week ago | health.com | Simon Spichak |Jani Actman |Nick Blackmer

stevecoleimages / Getty ImagesNew research found that walking at an average or brisk pace could lower the risk of heart rhythm issues. It's estimated that atrial fibrillation, the most common type of arrhythmia, will affect 12.1 million Americans by 2030. Experts recommend gradually increasing your walking pace, but seeking medical advice before doing so if you have pre-existing conditions. Walking at a speedy pace could keep your heart in a normal rhythm, a new study suggests.
Precision Prevention: The Latest on Alzheimer’s Vaccines

2 weeks ago | beingpatient.com | Simon Spichak

More than a decade ago, Alzheimer’s vaccines appeared in clinical trials — but failed. Now several companies are gearing up to test the next generation of preventive treatments. In the early 2000s, doctors and scientists were cautiously optimistic about a novel approach for treating Alzheimer’s disease.
A Stem Cell Therapy for Parkinson’s Disease Heads to Phase 3 Trials

3 weeks ago | beingpatient.com | Simon Spichak

Scientists developed new brain cells to replace those lost in Parkinson’s. Early trials showed they’re safe — now, larger human trials are on the way. Each of us begins as a single cell that divides over and over again. Some of the new cells specialize while others retain the ability to divide. The cells that can continue to divide and then turn into other cells are called stem cells. Since the 1960s, scientists have tried to harness stem cells to treat disease.
How Down Syndrome Research Is Helping Scientists Understand Alzheimer's

3 weeks ago | beingpatient.com | Simon Spichak

For people with Down syndrome, early-onset Alzheimer’s disease is almost a certainty. UC Irving professor Elizabeth Head explains how studying Alzheimer’s in individuals with Down syndrome could help us develop new treatments. People with Down syndrome have a 9/10 chance of developing early-onset Alzheimer’s — a reality tied to genetics.
Hospitalizations For Ozempic Side Effects Are Rare-But When Should You Go to the ER?

3 weeks ago | health.com | Simon Spichak |Julia Landwehr |Nick Blackmer

Kinga Krzeminska / Getty ImagesHospital trips tied to semaglutide—the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy—are rare, but can be serious, a new study foundCompounded versions of semaglutide could explain some of these visits, since these drugs are not FDA-regulated and could cause dosing errors. Side effects can usually be managed at home, but there are some signs that might indicate you should seek care at an emergency room, experts said.
Alzheimer's Drug Trials: Do Drug Companies Warn You About Your Genetic Risk?

4 weeks ago | beingpatient.com | Simon Spichak

The drugmakers behind Leqembi and Kisunla didn’t clue participants in if they had a higher risk of side effects during these drugs’ clinical trials. But now that the link between side effects and genetic risk is clearer cut, have companies started disclosing these risks? Being Patient investigated. Your genetics could make you more vulnerable to the side effects of the new class of Alzheimer’s drugs.
It Takes Tau to Tangle: Is Faster Buildup Driving Women's Alzheimer's Risk?

1 month ago | beingpatient.com | Simon Spichak

New research shows the Alzheimer’s protein tau builds up faster in women’s brains. Could this help scientists explain why women are twice as likely to develop Alzheimer’s? Years before any symptoms of Alzheimer’s appear, beta-amyloid and tau proteins misfold, tangle, and aggregate inside the brain.