New study spotlights The Ottawa Hospital’s critical leadership

This week, an important study led by researchers from ICES and The Ottawa Hospital (TOH) made waves when it was published in The Lancet Psychiatry.

The study, led by TOH’s Dr. Marco Solmi , Medical Director of our Regional Eating Disorder Program, and Dr. Gregory Hundemer, nephrologist and the Lorna Jocelyn Wood Chair for Kidney Research, is one of the first large, population-based investigations into electrolyte abnormalities in people diagnosed with eating disorders. It analyzed health data from more than 6,000 individuals within this vulnerable population in Ontario, revealing that 32% had abnormal electrolyte levels.

These individuals were at a significantly higher risk of death and other serious health issues, including chronic kidney disease, bone fractures, and acute kidney injury.

“This study underscores the importance of including electrolyte abnormalities in how we assess the severity of eating disorders,” says Dr. Solmi. “It also suggests the potential for earlier detection and intervention, which could help reduce the risk of death and improve long-term health outcomes.”

The Ottawa Hospital played a key role in this groundbreaking study, which analyzed patient health records between 2008 and 2019. The findings indicate that individuals with eating disorder-related electrolyte abnormalities are more likely to face severe outcomes, including a 16% mortality rate compared to 6% for those without such imbalances.

The research, which is already shaping the conversation around eating disorders, was first featured in a 2022 CNN article. That study, published in JAMA Network Open, gained significant attention for its insight into how electrolyte abnormalities may be detected up to a year before an eating disorder diagnosis — and could lead to improved treatment for patients worldwide. It’s a great example of how The Ottawa Hospital’s leadership continues to push research, treatment, and patient care to new heights.

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$1.8M raised for our community at region’s premiere golf tournament

A huge congratulations to CLV GROUP and InterRent REIT on the incredible success of this year’s Mike McCann Charity Golf Tournament, which raised an impressive $1,802,000 for community organizations, including TOH and the Campaign to Create Tomorrow. Special thanks to Mike McGahan , President and CEO of CLV Group and a member of Board and our Campaign Executive, for his leadership in organizing this tremendous event.

Dr. Kwadwo Kyeremanteng is on a mission to keep you out of the ICU

Recently interviewed for a TOH story about redefining critical care at the new campus, this superstar physician explains how taking advantage of modern healthcare technology will help revolutionize patient care — give it a read and a share.

Dr. Kyeremanteng is a Board member of The Ottawa Hospital Foundation and one of the four new Co-Chairs of our Campaign to Create Tomorrow.

And don’t miss Dr. K on LinkedIn, he’s on a mission to keep you out of the ICU.

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New research pushes boundaries for faster, safer therapies

Exciting developments this week highlight how our region’s healthcare ecosystem is rapidly becoming a hub for innovation and world-class expertise.

Satellos Bioscience , co-founded by Dr. Michael Rudnicki , has dosed the first participant in its Phase 1 trial for SAT-3247, a therapy designed to regenerate muscle in Duchenne muscular dystrophy. This marks a major step toward bringing a life-changing treatment to patients.

At the same time, TOH's Dr. VIMOJ J. NAIR was interviewed by CBC Ottawa Morning about his research which is helping advance safer radiation therapy for brain cancer -- addressing the challenge of protecting healthy brain tissue while delivering life-saving treatment. ?A focus of the discussion is TOH’s CyberKnife radiosurgery robot, the acquisition of which was entirely funded through donor support.

And an international conference of top experts on Non-Lethal Roles of Cell Death Proteins convened in Ottawa through the collaboration of the Ottawa Hospital Ottawa Hospital Research Institute , the University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa Brain and Mind Research Institute, the University of Ottawa Heart Institute, BioCanRx , the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and Satellos.? The conference discussed how proteins that normally promote cell death and destruction are in fact key regulators of a broad array of normal functions that also impact varied disease mechanisms.?

These examples demonstrate how our hospital collaborates with academia and the private sector in accelerating the development and implementation of advanced therapies.