Ziyad Al-Aly

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Ziyad Al-Aly is an American physician and clinical epidemiologist who is currently Director of the Clinical Epidemiology Center and Chief of the Research and Development at the Veterans Affairs St. Louis Health Care System. [1] [2] [3] He is also a clinical epidemiologist at Washington University in St. Louis. [2] He has led multiple studies on long covid and its sequelae. [4]

Contents

Early life

Al-Aly was born in Tripoli, Lebanon to teachers. [5] He grew up during the Lebanese civil war which dominated Lebanon from 1975 to 1990, [5] emigrating to the United States in 2000.

Education

Al-Aly holds a medical degree from the American University of Beirut. [6] He completed his post-graduate medical education at Saint Louis University and Washington University in St. Louis.

Career

Al-Aly's research work has been cited more than a 100,000 times and he has an h-index of more than 79 according to Google Scholar. [7]

Long COVID research

Al-Aly led work which provided the first systematic characterization of the post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection. [8] He subsequently led work which characterized the increased risks of cardiovascular disease, [9] neurologic disorders, [10] mental health disorders, [11] gastrointestinal disorders, [12] diabetes, [13] dyslipidemia, [14] and kidney disease [15] following SARS-CoV-2 infection. His lab also produced evidence characterizing the effects of COVID-19 vaccines on long COVID [16] and the health consequences of repeated infections with SARS-CoV-2. [17]

In 2024, Al-Aly testified before the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee as an expert witness on Long Covid. He called for the establishment of an NIH institute to address Long Covid and Infection-Associated Chronic Conditions (IACCs) — also called post-acute infection syndrome — with a funding of at least $1 billion per year [18] .

Pharmacoepidemiology

Including work characterizing the adverse health effect of proton pump inhibitors and comparative effectiveness of antihyperglycemic medications. His work also included examining the effectiveness of COVID-19 antivirals including paxlovid (nirmatrelvir/ritonavir) and molnupiravir on acute COVID-19 outcomes [19] [20] and long COVID. [21] [22]

Environmental epidemiology research

Including work which evaluated the effect of air pollution on kidney health, [23] diabetes, [24] and early mortality. [25]

Honors and awards

In 2023, Al-Aly was awarded the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary's Award — the highest VA award — for outstanding contributions to research.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Proton-pump inhibitor</span> Class of drugs for reducing stomach acid

Proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs) are a class of medications that cause a profound and prolonged reduction of stomach acid production. They do so by irreversibly inhibiting the stomach's H+/K+ ATPase proton pump.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Type 2 diabetes</span> Type of diabetes mellitus with high blood sugar and insulin resistance

Type 2 diabetes (T2D), formerly known as adult-onset diabetes, is a form of diabetes mellitus that is characterized by high blood sugar, insulin resistance, and relative lack of insulin. Common symptoms include increased thirst, frequent urination, fatigue and unexplained weight loss. Symptoms may also include increased hunger, having a sensation of pins and needles, and sores (wounds) that do not heal. Often symptoms come on slowly. Long-term complications from high blood sugar include heart disease, strokes, diabetic retinopathy which can result in blindness, kidney failure, and poor blood flow in the limbs which may lead to amputations. The sudden onset of hyperosmolar hyperglycemic state may occur; however, ketoacidosis is uncommon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kidney disease</span> Damage to or disease of a kidney

Kidney disease, or renal disease, technically referred to as nephropathy, is damage to or disease of a kidney. Nephritis is an inflammatory kidney disease and has several types according to the location of the inflammation. Inflammation can be diagnosed by blood tests. Nephrosis is non-inflammatory kidney disease. Nephritis and nephrosis can give rise to nephritic syndrome and nephrotic syndrome respectively. Kidney disease usually causes a loss of kidney function to some degree and can result in kidney failure, the complete loss of kidney function. Kidney failure is known as the end-stage of kidney disease, where dialysis or a kidney transplant is the only treatment option.

Protease inhibitors (PIs) are medications that act by interfering with enzymes that cleave proteins. Some of the most well known are antiviral drugs widely used to treat HIV/AIDS, hepatitis C and COVID-19. These protease inhibitors prevent viral replication by selectively binding to viral proteases and blocking proteolytic cleavage of protein precursors that are necessary for the production of infectious viral particles.

Immunization during pregnancy is the administration of a vaccine to a pregnant individual. This may be done either to protect the individual from disease or to induce an antibody response, such that the antibodies cross the placenta and provide passive immunity to the infant after birth. In many countries, including the US, Canada, UK, Australia and New Zealand, vaccination against influenza, COVID-19 and whooping cough is routinely offered during pregnancy.

Chronic systemic inflammation (SI) is the result of release of pro-inflammatory cytokines from immune-related cells and the chronic activation of the innate immune system. It can contribute to the development or progression of certain conditions such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes mellitus, chronic kidney disease, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, autoimmune and neurodegenerative disorders, and coronary heart disease.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Obesity-associated morbidity</span> Medical condition

Obesity is a risk factor for many chronic physical and mental illnesses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">High-risk pregnancy</span> Medical condition

A high-risk pregnancy is a pregnancy where the mother or the fetus has an increased risk of adverse outcomes compared to uncomplicated pregnancies. No concrete guidelines currently exist for distinguishing “high-risk” pregnancies from “low-risk” pregnancies; however, there are certain studied conditions that have been shown to put the mother or fetus at a higher risk of poor outcomes. These conditions can be classified into three main categories: health problems in the mother that occur before she becomes pregnant, health problems in the mother that occur during pregnancy, and certain health conditions with the fetus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diabetes</span> Group of endocrine diseases characterized by high blood sugar levels

Diabetes mellitus, often known simply as diabetes, is a group of common endocrine diseases characterized by sustained high blood sugar levels. Diabetes is due to either the pancreas not producing enough insulin, or the cells of the body becoming unresponsive to the hormone's effects. Classic symptoms include thirst, polyuria, weight loss, and blurred vision. If left untreated, the disease can lead to various health complications, including disorders of the cardiovascular system, eye, kidney, and nerves. Untreated or poorly treated diabetes accounts for approximately 1.5 million deaths every year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">COVID-19</span> Contagious disease caused by SARS-CoV-2

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the virus SARS-CoV-2. The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quickly spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">COVID-19 in pregnancy</span> Overview about the effects of COVID-19 infection on pregnancy

COVID-19 infection in pregnancy is associated with several pregnancy complications. However, pregnancy does not appear to increase the susceptibility of becoming infected by COVID-19. Recommendations for the prevention of COVID-19 include the same measures as non-pregnant people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Symptoms of COVID-19</span> Overview of the symptoms of COVID-19

The symptoms of COVID-19 are variable depending on the type of variant contracted, ranging from mild symptoms to a potentially fatal illness. Common symptoms include coughing, fever, loss of smell (anosmia) and taste (ageusia), with less common ones including headaches, nasal congestion and runny nose, muscle pain, sore throat, diarrhea, eye irritation, and toes swelling or turning purple, and in moderate to severe cases, breathing difficulties. People with the COVID-19 infection may have different symptoms, and their symptoms may change over time. Three common clusters of symptoms have been identified: one respiratory symptom cluster with cough, sputum, shortness of breath, and fever; a musculoskeletal symptom cluster with muscle and joint pain, headache, and fatigue; and a cluster of digestive symptoms with abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea. In people without prior ear, nose, or throat disorders, loss of taste combined with loss of smell is associated with COVID-19 and is reported in as many as 88% of symptomatic cases.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zoe Health Study</span> COVID-19 mobile research app

The Zoe Health Study, formerly the COVID Symptom Study, is a health research project of British company Zoe Limited which uses a mobile app that runs on Android and iOS.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transmission of COVID-19</span> Mechanisms that spread coronavirus disease 2019

The transmission of COVID-19 is the passing of coronavirus disease 2019 from person to person. COVID-19 is mainly transmitted when people breathe in air contaminated by droplets/aerosols and small airborne particles containing the virus. Infected people exhale those particles as they breathe, talk, cough, sneeze, or sing. Transmission is more likely the closer people are. However, infection can occur over longer distances, particularly indoors.

Long COVID or long-haul COVID is a group of health problems persisting or developing after an initial period of COVID-19 infection. Symptoms can last weeks, months or years and are often debilitating. The World Health Organization defines long COVID as starting three months after the initial COVID-19 infection, but other agencies define it as starting at four weeks after the initial infection.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on neurological, psychological and other mental health outcomes</span> Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and associated lockdowns on mental health

There is increasing evidence suggesting that COVID-19 causes both acute and chronic neurologicalor psychological symptoms. Caregivers of COVID-19 patients also show a higher than average prevalence of mental health concerns. These symptoms result from multiple different factors.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had an unequal impact on different racial and ethnic groups in the United States, resulting in new disparities of health outcomes as well as exacerbating existing health and economic disparities.

Laura C. A. Rosella is a Canadian epidemiologist who is an Associate Professor at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health in the University of Toronto. She studies public health and the social determinants of health. Rosella holds a Canada Research Chair in Population Health Analytics.

Biological inequity, also known as biological inequality, refers to the “systematic, unfair, and avoidable stress-related biological differences which increase risk of disease, observed between social groups of a population”. The term developed by Centric Lab aims to unify societal factors with the biological underpinnings of health inequities – the unfair and avoidable differences in health status and risks between social groups of a population — such that these inequalities can be investigated in a holistic manner.

Post-acute infection syndromes (PAISs) or post-infectious syndromes are medical conditions characterized by symptoms attributed to a prior infection. While it is commonly assumed that people either recover or die from infections, long-term symptoms—or sequelae—are a possible outcome as well. Examples include long COVID, chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), and post-Ebola virus syndrome. Common symptoms include post-exertional malaise (PEM), severe fatigue, neurocognitive symptoms, flu-like symptoms, and pain. The pathology of most of these conditions is not understood and management is generally symptomatic.

References

  1. ↑ "Repeat coronavirus infections can still be dangerous, study suggests". The Washington Post . Retrieved 11 November 2022.
  2. 1 2 "Ziyad Al-Aly, MD". Washington University in St. Louis . Retrieved 11 November 2022.
  3. ↑ Outlook Magazine, Washington University in Saint Louis (2023-06-21). "Real-world reflections". Outlook Magazine. Retrieved 2023-08-03.
  4. ↑ "COVID-19 infections increase risk of long-term brain problems". Washington University in St. Louis . 22 September 2022. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
  5. 1 2 Outlook Magazine, Washington University in Saint Louis (2023-06-21). "Real-world reflections". Outlook Magazine. Retrieved 2023-08-05.
  6. ↑ "Ziyad Al-Aly, MD, FASN". Washington University in St. Louis . Retrieved 11 November 2022.
  7. ↑ "Ziyad Al-Aly, MD". Google Scholar . Retrieved 11 January 2024.
  8. ↑ Al-Aly, Ziyad; Xie, Yan; Bowe, Benjamin (June 2021). "High-dimensional characterization of post-acute sequelae of COVID-19". Nature. 594 (7862): 259–264. Bibcode:2021Natur.594..259A. doi: 10.1038/s41586-021-03553-9 . ISSN   1476-4687. PMID   33887749. S2CID   233373053.
  9. ↑ Xie, Yan; Xu, Evan; Bowe, Benjamin; Al-Aly, Ziyad (March 2022). "Long-term cardiovascular outcomes of COVID-19". Nature Medicine. 28 (3): 583–590. doi:10.1038/s41591-022-01689-3. ISSN   1546-170X. PMC   8938267 . PMID   35132265.
  10. ↑ Xu, Evan; Xie, Yan; Al-Aly, Ziyad (November 2022). "Long-term neurologic outcomes of COVID-19". Nature Medicine. 28 (11): 2406–2415. doi:10.1038/s41591-022-02001-z. ISSN   1546-170X. PMC   9671811 . PMID   36138154.
  11. ↑ Xie, Yan; Xu, Evan; Al-Aly, Ziyad (2022-02-16). "Risks of mental health outcomes in people with covid-19: cohort study". BMJ. 376: e068993. doi:10.1136/bmj-2021-068993. ISSN   1756-1833. PMC   8847881 . PMID   35172971.
  12. ↑ Xu, Evan; Xie, Yan; Al-Aly, Ziyad (2023-03-07). "Long-term gastrointestinal outcomes of COVID-19". Nature Communications. 14 (1): 983. Bibcode:2023NatCo..14..983X. doi:10.1038/s41467-023-36223-7. ISSN   2041-1723. PMC   9992516 . PMID   36882400.
  13. ↑ Xie, Yan; Al-Aly, Ziyad (2022-05-01). "Risks and burdens of incident diabetes in long COVID: a cohort study". The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology. 10 (5): 311–321. doi:10.1016/S2213-8587(22)00044-4. ISSN   2213-8587. PMC   8937253 . PMID   35325624.
  14. ↑ Xu, Evan; Xie, Yan; Al-Aly, Ziyad (2023-02-01). "Risks and burdens of incident dyslipidaemia in long COVID: a cohort study". The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology. 11 (2): 120–128. doi:10.1016/S2213-8587(22)00355-2. ISSN   2213-8587. PMC   9873268 . PMID   36623520.
  15. ↑ Bowe, Benjamin; Xie, Yan; Xu, Evan; Al-Aly, Ziyad (November 2021). "Kidney Outcomes in Long COVID". Journal of the American Society of Nephrology. 32 (11): 2851–2862. doi:10.1681/ASN.2021060734. ISSN   1046-6673. PMC   8806085 . PMID   34470828. S2CID   237389462.
  16. ↑ Al-Aly, Ziyad; Bowe, Benjamin; Xie, Yan (July 2022). "Long COVID after breakthrough SARS-CoV-2 infection". Nature Medicine. 28 (7): 1461–1467. doi:10.1038/s41591-022-01840-0. ISSN   1546-170X. PMC   9307472 . PMID   35614233.
  17. ↑ Bowe, Benjamin; Xie, Yan; Al-Aly, Ziyad (November 2022). "Acute and postacute sequelae associated with SARS-CoV-2 reinfection". Nature Medicine. 28 (11): 2398–2405. doi:10.1038/s41591-022-02051-3. ISSN   1546-170X. PMC   9671810 . PMID   36357676.
  18. ↑ (PDF) https://www.help.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/baf4e4e7-b423-6bef-7cb4-1b272df66eb8/Al-Aly%20Testimony.pdf.{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  19. ↑ Xie, Yan; Bowe, Benjamin; Al-Aly, Ziyad (2023-04-11). "Nirmatrelvir and risk of hospital admission or death in adults with covid-19: emulation of a randomized target trial using electronic health records". BMJ. 381: e073312. doi:10.1136/bmj-2022-073312. ISSN   1756-1833. PMC   10086514 . PMID   37041016.
  20. ↑ Xie, Yan; Bowe, Benjamin; Al-Aly, Ziyad (2023-03-07). "Molnupiravir and risk of hospital admission or death in adults with covid-19: emulation of a randomized target trial using electronic health records". BMJ. 380: e072705. doi:10.1136/bmj-2022-072705. ISSN   1756-1833. PMC   9989554 . PMID   36882199.
  21. ↑ Xie, Yan; Choi, Taeyoung; Al-Aly, Ziyad (2023-06-01). "Association of Treatment With Nirmatrelvir and the Risk of Post–COVID-19 Condition". JAMA Internal Medicine. 183 (6): 554–564. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2023.0743. ISSN   2168-6106. PMC   10037200 . PMID   36951829.
  22. ↑ Xie, Yan; Choi, Taeyoung; Al-Aly, Ziyad (2023-04-25). "Molnupiravir and risk of post-acute sequelae of covid-19: cohort study". BMJ. 381: e074572. doi:10.1136/bmj-2022-074572. ISSN   1756-1833. PMC   10126525 . PMID   37161995.
  23. ↑ Bowe, Benjamin; Xie, Yan; Li, Tingting; Yan, Yan; Xian, Hong; Al-Aly, Ziyad (January 2018). "Particulate Matter Air Pollution and the Risk of Incident CKD and Progression to ESRD". Journal of the American Society of Nephrology. 29 (1): 218–230. doi:10.1681/ASN.2017030253. ISSN   1046-6673. PMC   5748906 . PMID   28935655.
  24. ↑ Bowe, Benjamin; Xie, Yan; Li, Tingting; Yan, Yan; Xian, Hong; Al-Aly, Ziyad (July 2018). "The 2016 global and national burden of diabetes mellitus attributable to PM 2·5 air pollution". The Lancet Planetary Health. 2 (7): e301–e312. doi: 10.1016/s2542-5196(18)30140-2 . ISSN   2542-5196. PMID   30074893.
  25. ↑ Bowe, Benjamin; Xie, Yan; Yan, Yan; Al-Aly, Ziyad (2019-11-20). "Burden of Cause-Specific Mortality Associated With PM 2.5 Air Pollution in the United States". JAMA Network Open. 2 (11): e1915834. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2019.15834. ISSN   2574-3805. PMC   6902821 . PMID   31747037.
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