Healthcare provider consulting with a patient in an exam room.

PMOS (formerly PCOS) linked to ‘significantly’ higher cardiovascular disease risk

The likelihood of having a heart attack and stroke is higher for women with PMOS, according to new Penn Medicine research. Before the study, it was known that women with PMOS were more likely to have type 2 diabetes and multiple other cardiovascular disease risk factors. But uniquely, even after accounting for those factors and looking at younger women, the risk was still there. “Our findings highlight the need for healthcare provider and patient education and awareness to improve early screening, counselling, and long-term surveillance in this population,” said study authors Anuja Dokras, MD, MHCI, PhD, director of the Penn PMOS Center, and her colleague Snigdha Alur-Gupta, MD, MSCE, from the University of Rochester Medicine.

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Verismo expands solid tumor CAR T pipeline with new target

Penn spinout Verismo Therapeutics, a subsidiary of HLB Innovation, has secured a novel solid tumor-targeted binder through a research collaboration with the University of Pennsylvania and will expand its next-generation solid tumor pipeline. This CLDN6-targeted binder was discovered by the research team of Donald Siegel, MD, PhD, a professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, through a research support agreement with Verismo.

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Emerging breast cancer risk predictor

Breast density is key to current breast cancer risk assessment and decisions about screening, but new research suggests another MRI finding—background parenchymal enhancement (BPE)—could be important to revealing risk information that density alone misses, particularly for Black women. “Black women are more likely to be diagnosed at later stages of disease, yet existing breast cancer risk models identify relatively few Black women as high-risk,” said Anne Marie McCarthy, PhD, ScM, an associate professor of Epidemiology.

Designing better healthcare decisions

Shivan Mehta, MD, MBA, MSHP, associate chief innovation officer, discussed how behavioral science can be used to help patients overcome barriers to receiving recommended care and make better decisions for their health. “We only have the limited bandwidth of our patients and we need to take advantage of it to do the things that we think are most impactful for their health,” Mehta said.

GLP-1s and breast cancer risk: Promising new findings

Elizabeth McDonald, MD, PhD, a professor of Radiology and practicing breast radiologist in the Abramson Cancer Center, explained the key findings from her recent study on the relationship between GLP-1s and breast cancer, and what patients should know.

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From Costa Rica to Philadelphia, Jeffrey traveled thousands of miles for a second chance at a healthy heartbeat. After enduring more than 13 million premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) in just eight months, and two unsuccessful ablation procedures in Costa Rica, Jeffrey’s condition became life-altering. The relentless arrhythmias caused severe symptoms, damaged his heart, and left him wondering if a solution existed. Referred to Penn Medicine and electrophysiologist Fermín García, MD, Jeffrey arrived in Philadelphia in June 2024. Days later, a complex ablation procedure successfully eliminated the arrhythmia that had consumed nearly a year of his life. Today, Jeffrey is back home with his wife, Alejandra, and their two daughters, enjoying the active life he loves—playing volleyball, cycling, running, and spending quality time with family. “For the first time in a long time, my heart rhythm looked completely normal. That moment changed everything,” Jeffrey said. “Dr. García truly saved my life, and my family and I will always be deeply grateful to him and the entire Penn team.”

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Carol Berman / Senior News Director, Penn Medicine

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