How personalized health can extend your lifespan
A few weeks ago I attended my first in-person medical conference since Covid: the annual Health Leaders of New York Mini-Congress.
I was excited to connect with healthcare leaders. I miss the spontaneous interactions that happen when you bring smart people together in a room to solve problems.
One highlight was a panel discussion called “Technology Innovation Changing the Face of Care Delivery.” I saw my old McKinsey colleague, Kevin Kumler, US President of Virta Health, speak about his company’s mission to reverse type 2 diabetes.
Virta Health provides individualized diet plans to reduce insulin resistance, the primary cause of type 2 diabetes. The software delivers advice and coaching via a mobile app or website.
A clinical trial with 350 patients showed the Virta Health program reversed type 2 diabetes in a majority of patients. Virta patients lose over 30 pounds on average within the program’s first year.
I was impressed with Virta’s results. Getting people to change their diet is hard. Every week we get conflicting guidelines on what’s healthy and what’s not.
