Browse the evidence

Prolonged strenuous running (e.g., marathons, ultra-marathons) causes acute, transient elevations in biomarkers typically associated with pathology (such as creatine kinase, cardiac troponins, and liver enzymes), but these changes represent physiological stress and tissue microtrauma rather than chronic disease or injury.

If you have recently completed a long run or race, expect your blood work to show elevated markers for muscle, liver, or heart stress. These results are transient and reflect the physical effort, not disease. Inform your clinician about recent strenuous exercise to avoid misdiagnosis.

Adhering to a low-carbohydrate diet (defined as the lowest quartile of carbohydrate intake, <42.7% of energy) is associated with a significantly higher risk of developing incident atrial fibrillation compared to higher carbohydrate intake, regardless of whether the replaced carbohydrates are substituted with animal or plant-based fats and proteins.

If you follow a low-carbohydrate diet, be aware that long-term adherence may be associated with a higher risk of developing atrial fibrillation (an irregular heart rhythm). This risk appears to exist regardless of whether you replace carbohydrates with animal or plant-based foods. If you have risk factors for heart disease or AF, consider discussing your carbohydrate intake with a healthcare provider to balance weight management goals with cardiac rhythm health.

Performing general, specific, or combined warm-ups does not improve repetition performance or reduce fatigue during submaximal (80% 1RM) resistance training sets performed to failure.

If you are training with weights at 80% of your max for multiple sets to failure, skipping the warm-up saves time without costing you reps. Warm-ups are still useful for maximal strength lifts (1RM) or injury prevention, but for hypertrophy-focused fatiguing sets, they offer no performance advantage for detrained individuals.

The evolution of human fat storage levels is driven by a trade-off between starvation risk and predation risk, resulting in an optimum fatness that minimizes total mortality, not maximum fat storage.

Your body stores fat to balance survival needs (starvation) against survival costs (predation/mobility). This explains why we don't store maximum possible fat; there is an evolutionary optimum.

An intensive lifestyle intervention (ILI) may exacerbate the severity of self-reported problem-solving complaints in Type 2 Diabetes patients who have pre-existing cognitive complaints and a history of cardiovascular disease.

If you have Type 2 Diabetes, existing cognitive complaints, and a history of heart disease, be aware that aggressive lifestyle interventions might be associated with increased reports of problem-solving difficulties. Discuss this specific risk with your doctor to determine if a modified or less intensive approach is safer for your cognitive health.

Standardized ex vivo high-resolution respirometry (HRR) measurements of mitochondrial function in permeabilized human skeletal muscle significantly underestimate in vivo metabolic rates because they are conducted at 37°C, whereas mitochondria operate at temperatures up to 10°C higher (approx. 50°C) during maximal exercise.

If you are interpreting mitochondrial function from lab tests on muscle biopsies (ex vivo), be aware that standard tests at 37°C likely underestimate true in vivo capacity. The paper suggests that mitochondrial temperature during exercise can reach ~50°C. To compare lab results with real-world metabolic performance, apply a temperature correction factor (approx. 10°C increase) to the ex vivo data.

Long-term follow-up (median 14 years) of an intensive lifestyle intervention (ILI) targeting weight loss and physical activity in adults with type 2 diabetes and obesity does not significantly reduce the prevalence of frailty compared to diabetes support and education (DSE).

For older adults with diabetes, intensive lifestyle interventions (diet and exercise) provide short-to-medium term benefits in physical function, but these benefits may not persist enough to prevent the clinical syndrome of frailty 14 years later. Sustainable, long-term maintenance of lifestyle changes is critical, as the benefits of intensive programs tend to fade after structured support ends.

Patients with higher comorbidity burdens (cardiovascular risk, respiratory, pain, mental health) and higher BMI are significantly more likely to receive high-intensity interventions (surgery/procedures) rather than lifestyle intervention, while anti-obesity medications (AOMs) are underutilized relative to guidelines.

If you have obesity and comorbidities like diabetes or heart disease, you are more likely to get surgery or procedures than medication or lifestyle programs, even if guidelines suggest medication first. This is because providers often wait for severe BMI or complications before escalating care. You should discuss all options, including AOMs, with your provider rather than waiting for surgery eligibility.

In patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) treated with CPAP, a history of prior vascular events, hypertension, older age at treatment initiation, and higher comorbidity burden are significant independent risk factors for subsequent vascular events, whereas obesity (BMI) is not.

If you have OSA and use CPAP, adherence is crucial, but it does not guarantee immunity from heart issues. Your risk of a vascular event is significantly higher if you have high blood pressure, a history of heart problems, or other chronic conditions. Focus on managing your blood pressure and comorbidities alongside your CPAP therapy, and seek early diagnosis and treatment to mitigate age-related risks.

Nutrition intervention trials for complex chronic disease exhibit extensive heterogeneity in outcome reporting, with only 8% of outcomes reported with relative consistency and a 25% agreement rate with established Core Outcome Sets (COS).

For researchers and clinicians: Do not assume that 'nutrition intervention' studies are directly comparable just because they treat similar diseases. Look for whether they use Core Outcome Sets (COS). If they don't, the results may be difficult to apply to other patients or combine with other studies. Advocate for the use of standardized outcome sets in your own work to ensure your findings contribute to reliable evidence.

Baseline levels of physical activity and fitness do not significantly predict the rate of telomere length shortening over a 5-year period in older adults, although cross-sectional associations exist.

Don't just rely on your current fitness level to protect your cells. This study suggests that *changes* in your activity and fitness over time are what matter for telomere health. If you are sedentary, increasing your leisure-time activity and functional fitness may help slow cellular aging, even if you were previously active.

South Asians have a 2-4 fold higher prevalence of type 2 diabetes compared to white populations but do not exhibit a correspondingly higher risk of cardiovascular complications, suggesting a protective mechanism or different pathophysiology.

If you are of South Asian descent with type 2 diabetes, you are at a much higher risk of developing the disease itself than white individuals, often at a younger age and lower BMI. However, your risk of heart disease and stroke may not be as high as the diabetes prevalence would suggest. This paradox means you should focus on early screening and management of diabetes to prevent it from progressing, as your body may handle the cardiovascular stress of diabetes differently than other groups.

Intentional weight loss does not significantly reduce the risk of cardiovascular events (heart failure, atrial fibrillation, unstable angina/MI) compared to maintaining a high stable BMI, likely due to insufficient follow-up duration or irreversible cardiac remodeling.

Losing weight improves your blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar, which are key risk factors for heart disease. However, this study suggests that the actual reduction in heart attacks, strokes, or heart failure risk may not be immediately visible, possibly because heart damage takes time to reverse. Continue managing your weight and risk factors, as the long-term benefit for cardiovascular health is likely to follow the improvement in risk markers.

Vegan diets do not significantly affect blood pressure, HDL-C, or triglycerides compared to control diets in individuals with overweight or type 2 diabetes.

Do not expect a vegan diet to automatically lower your blood pressure or triglycerides if they are currently normal or if the diet is not carefully managed. The primary benefits observed were weight loss, improved HbA1c, and reduced LDL cholesterol. Monitor your BP and triglycerides separately.

Fatmax training does not increase fat-free mass (muscle mass) in obese individuals.

Do not expect muscle growth from Fatmax training alone. It preserves muscle while losing fat, but you need resistance training to build muscle.

The human gut microbiome contains a shared core of prevalent bacterial species and functions (the minimal gut metagenome) that are essential for gut ecosystem homeostasis, including the degradation of complex sugars and synthesis of short-chain fatty acids.

Your gut bacteria share core functions with others, specifically breaking down complex plant sugars into energy for your cells (SCFAs). You can support this shared machinery by eating diverse fibers (pectin, sorbitol, cellulose) that these microbes are evolved to process, regardless of your specific bacterial species mix.

Prebiotics can confer health benefits at extraintestinal sites (e.g., skin, vagina, brain) through indirect mechanisms mediated by gut microbiota changes.

Prebiotics can help conditions outside the gut, like skin health or mood, by changing the gut bacteria which then send signals to other parts of the body.

Aspirin should be used infrequently in the routine primary prevention of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) because of lack of net benefit.

Do not start taking daily aspirin for heart disease prevention without discussing it with your doctor. For most people in primary prevention, the risk of bleeding outweighs the benefits. Focus on lifestyle changes like diet and exercise instead.

Gut microbiota composition is not a single optimal state but a personalized ecosystem shaped by early-life factors (birth mode, feeding), age, and ongoing lifestyle variables (diet, exercise, BMI), where health is defined by functional balance rather than specific taxonomic abundance.

Do not chase a single 'ideal' bacterial profile. Focus on maintaining a diverse, balanced microbiome through personalized lifestyle choices: prioritize fiber-rich plant foods, regular exercise, and minimizing unnecessary antibiotic use. Recognize that your gut health is shaped by your unique history (birth, early diet) and current habits.

High leukocyte count (>=9x10^9/L) is an independent and significant predictor of cardiovascular recurrence in post-MI patients, regardless of dietary pattern.

Monitor your white blood cell count. An elevated count (>=9x10^9/L) is a strong independent risk factor for another heart event, even if you are following a heart-healthy diet. This suggests that inflammation management is a critical component of secondary prevention.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) affects approximately 32.2% of adults with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) globally, with coronary artery disease (21.2%) and atherosclerosis (29.1%) being the most prevalent comorbidities, while stroke is the least prevalent (7.6%).

If you have Type 2 Diabetes, your risk of cardiovascular disease is significantly higher than the general population, affecting roughly 1 in 3 people in this group. The most common heart issues are coronary artery disease and atherosclerosis. To mitigate this, focus on a comprehensive strategy: control blood sugar, quit smoking, manage blood pressure, treat cholesterol, and maintain a healthy weight. This is not just about sugar; it is about overall heart health.

Cardiovascular disease is the primary cause of mortality in Type 2 Diabetes, accounting for approximately 50.3% of all deaths in this population, with coronary artery disease and stroke being the major contributors.

For people with Type 2 Diabetes, heart disease is not just a complication; it is the leading cause of death, responsible for half of all fatalities. Preventing heart disease is the most critical step for extending life expectancy. This involves aggressive management of blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar, alongside lifestyle changes like smoking cessation and exercise.

Obesity-associated nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is driven by an imbalance where hepatic fatty acid input (uptake and de novo lipogenesis) exceeds output (oxidation and VLDL export), leading to intrahepatic triglyceride accumulation and subsequent insulin resistance.

If you have fatty liver, it is likely due to metabolic issues like insulin resistance and visceral fat, not just what you ate yesterday. Focus on improving metabolic health through weight loss and managing blood sugar, rather than just cutting fat.

Antioxidant vitamin supplementation is not recommended for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease due to lack of safety and efficacy evidence.

Do not rely on antioxidant vitamin supplements (like Vitamin C, E, or beta-carotene) to prevent heart disease. Current evidence does not support their safety or effectiveness for this purpose.