Browse the evidence

Continuous postoperative pulse oximetry (CPOX) monitoring without preoperative obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) screening is a safe and effective perioperative strategy for bariatric patients.

For bariatric patients, skipping preoperative sleep testing and relying on continuous pulse oximetry monitoring after surgery is a safe alternative. This approach avoids the cost and time of preoperative screening while maintaining low complication rates, provided patients receive supplemental oxygen and monitoring during the first postoperative night.

Higher genetically predicted BMI does not increase the risk of cancer mortality.

While higher BMI increases risks for other causes of death, this study did not find a link to cancer mortality.

In people with suppressed HIV and metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD), adjunctive treatment with maraviroc, metformin, or their combination for 48 weeks does not significantly reduce liver fat fraction compared to antiretroviral therapy alone.

If you have HIV and fatty liver, adding maraviroc or metformin to your standard HIV treatment is unlikely to reduce the fat in your liver. The trial showed no significant benefit for liver fat reduction compared to just staying on your HIV medication. Focus on proven lifestyle strategies for metabolic health.

Administration of insulin-sensitivity-associated bacteria, specifically Alistipes indistinctus, ameliorates insulin resistance and improves glucose tolerance in high-fat diet-fed mice by reducing caecal monosaccharide levels.

Specific gut bacteria, such as Alistipes indistinctus, can help break down harmful sugars in the gut, potentially improving insulin sensitivity. This suggests that targeting specific bacterial strains could be a therapeutic strategy for metabolic health.

Genetically predicted leisure television watching causally increases the risk of COVID-19 hospitalization and disease severity.

Reduce time spent watching television, as it is causally linked to higher risks of COVID-19 hospitalization and severity. This risk is mediated by metabolic factors like obesity and smoking, so replacing TV time with physical activity may mitigate these risks.

Vagal afferent signaling regarding food intake is primarily driven by mechanoreceptors (IGLEs) sensing intestinal stretch, rather than chemoreceptors sensing gut peptides like GLP-1.

When taking GLP-1 medications, part of the weight loss comes from the physical feeling of fullness (stretch) in your stomach and intestines, not just a chemical signal. This is why you feel full faster and stay full longer. The drug enhances these mechanical signals to your brain.

Epigenetic aging initiates early in life upon the loss of pluripotency during differentiation, and the epigenetic age of a tissue is largely determined by the composition of stem cells versus differentiated cells.

Epigenetic aging begins when cells lose their stem-like pluripotency and start differentiating. The overall epigenetic age of a tissue reflects the balance of young stem cells and older differentiated cells. Maintaining a healthy stem cell pool may help keep tissue-level epigenetic age lower.

A 12-week periodic ketogenic diet (30-50g carbs, 130g fat, 60g protein, ~1500 kcal) significantly improves body weight, BMI, waist circumference, fasting blood glucose, fasting insulin, HbA1c, and lipid profiles (TG, TC, LDL) in newly diagnosed overweight/obese T2DM patients compared to routine diabetes diet.

If you are newly diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes and overweight, a 12-week ketogenic diet (approx. 1500 calories, very low carb) can significantly improve your weight, blood sugar, and cholesterol better than standard diabetes advice. However, it is difficult to sustain long-term due to taste and adherence issues. It serves as an effective short-term intervention to reduce medication needs and improve metabolic health.

Soy protein supplementation produces identical increases in lean mass compared to whey protein in active individuals and athletes, making it an effective alternative for muscle growth.

If you are an athlete or active individual looking to build muscle, soy protein is just as effective as whey protein. You do not need to avoid soy for muscle gains. Ensure you are consuming enough total protein (at least 1.6 g/kg/day) and that your soy protein source is of high quality (high digestibility).

Lifestyle interventions, specifically combining dietary changes (low-calorie, low-fat, low-carbohydrate, high-protein, or low-glycemic-index diets) with exercise, are the first-line and fundamental treatment for obesity.

Start with lifestyle changes as your primary tool. Combine a calorie-controlled diet (whether low-fat, low-carb, or high-protein) with regular exercise (aim for 150 minutes of moderate activity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity per week, plus strength training twice a week). This combination is more effective than diet or exercise alone. Save medications and surgery for cases where lifestyle changes are insufficient or for severe obesity.

Maintaining or increasing resistance training volume (≥10 weekly sets per muscle group) during caloric restriction spares lean mass in resistance-trained athletes, particularly females, whereas reducing volume leads to greater lean mass loss.

If you are cutting weight, do not drop your training volume. Aim for at least 10 sets per muscle group per week. If you can, try to increase volume over time. This is especially important for female athletes to prevent muscle loss.

Strength training improves critical stroke recovery outcomes including walking capacity, balance, functional mobility, and walking speed.

For stroke survivors, strength training is a critical component of recovery that goes beyond just building muscle. It significantly improves your ability to walk, balance, and perform daily tasks. Work with a physical therapist to find a safe program that fits your current ability level.

An 8-week combined intervention of Baduanjin (moderate-intensity mind-body exercise) and a low-carbohydrate diet (70-130g carbs/day) significantly reduces body weight, BMI, waist circumference, and body fat percentage in overweight individuals with drug addiction compared to general physical activity alone.

For overweight individuals in recovery, combining a structured, moderate-intensity mind-body exercise like Baduanjin (approx. 60 mins, 5x/week) with a low-carbohydrate diet (70-130g carbs daily) for 8 weeks can significantly reduce body weight and fat. Light activity alone is likely insufficient for weight loss in this demographic.

An 8-week combined functional strength and balance training program with nutrition education significantly improves grip strength, sit-to-stand functioning, and dynamic balance in older adults with pre-frailty and frailty.

If you are an older adult feeling frail, start with a structured program that focuses on functional movements like squats and stepping, performed twice a week. Focus on form first, then gradually increase difficulty. Combine this with eating more protein (aiming for 1.2g per kg of body weight) spread across your meals, using affordable sources like dairy, eggs, or beans. This approach improves your strength, balance, and ability to perform daily tasks without needing expensive equipment.

A 12-week telehealth-delivered home resistance training program combined with dietary advice to increase plant-based protein intake (target 1.2–1.5 g/kg/d) is safe and feasible for adults with NAFLD, resulting in significant improvements in physical function (sit-to-stand performance) and total protein intake compared to usual care, despite modest adherence rates.

If you have NAFLD, a home-based resistance training program delivered via telehealth, combined with advice to eat more plant-based protein (aiming for 1.2-1.5g per kg of body weight), is a safe and effective way to improve your physical function and protein intake. You should perform 6-8 exercises, 2 sets of 10 reps, 3 times a week at a moderate effort level. While sticking to this routine can be challenging, the intervention is feasible and improves strength.

A structured, virtual, community-based lifestyle intervention using meal replacements and behavioral support achieves weight loss (14-16%) and type 2 diabetes remission (43%) comparable to GLP-1 receptor agonist therapies.

To achieve significant weight loss and potentially reverse type 2 diabetes, consider a structured program that combines a temporary period of meal replacements with long-term behavioral support. Look for programs that offer frequent check-ins, community support, and a clear plan for transitioning back to regular food. This approach can be as effective as newer weight-loss drugs for many people, especially when sustained over 18 months.

A 12-week comprehensive obesity management program combining nutritional education, personalized coaching, and plant-derived food supplements (PDFS) significantly reduces body weight, fat mass, and abdominal circumference in obese subjects compared to a control group receiving only medical observation.

To lose weight effectively, combine a structured, low-calorie diet with regular professional coaching and specific plant-based supplements over 12 weeks. This holistic approach addresses not just calories but also behavior and metabolic markers, leading to significant fat loss and improved health metrics compared to self-managed or medical-observation-only approaches.

Deloading (periodic reduction in training demand) is a common practice in strength and physique sports, primarily used for fatigue management and recovery, typically involving a 5-7 day duration every 4-6 weeks.

If you've been training hard for 4-6 weeks and feel fatigued or stalled, schedule a 5-7 day 'deload.' Reduce your total sets by 25-50% and/or train with less intensity (e.g., stop 4-5 reps before failure). This is not 'rest' in the passive sense, but a strategic reduction to manage fatigue and prepare for the next training block.

Individualized nutritional interventions based on Mediterranean/DASH principles, adapted to local socioeconomic contexts, significantly improve glycemic control (HbA1c, FBG), anthropometric markers (weight, BMI, waist circumference), and cardiovascular risk profiles in Type 2 Diabetes patients over 12 months compared to standard medical care alone.

For Type 2 Diabetes patients, a personalized diet based on Mediterranean/DASH principles, adapted to local foods and budget, significantly improves blood sugar, weight, and heart health markers over a year. This approach works even for sedentary individuals and those with limited income, provided the plan is flexible and adjusted regularly by a nutritionist. Standard medical care alone is not enough to prevent worsening of these markers.

A 3-month dose-escalated resistance training regimen using high-intensity compound exercises is safe and effective for breast cancer survivors, significantly improving body composition, strength, and functional mobility.

If you are a breast cancer survivor, a supervised, high-intensity resistance training program (3x/week for 3 months) is safe and can significantly improve your body composition, strength, and quality of life. Focus on compound movements like squats and deadlifts, progressively increasing the weight, and ensure you are supervised by a qualified professional.

A two-meals-a-day ketogenic diet significantly improves weight, glycemic control, and lipid profiles in newly diagnosed obese patients with type 2 diabetes compared to a conventional energy-restricted diabetic diet.

For newly diagnosed obese diabetics not on medication, a modified ketogenic diet (2 keto meals, 1 regular meal) at ~1500 calories for 2 months can significantly improve weight, blood sugar, and cholesterol compared to standard advice. Be aware of potential uric acid increases and early hypoglycemia risk.

An obesity-centric management approach utilizing a weight management program combined with anti-obesity medication (AOM) produces superior weight loss compared to usual glucose-centric care in patients with obesity and type 2 diabetes, while maintaining noninferior glycemic control.

For patients with obesity and type 2 diabetes, adopting an obesity-centric approach that combines a structured weight management program with FDA-approved anti-obesity medications leads to significantly greater weight loss compared to standard glucose-focused care, without compromising blood sugar control. This strategy addresses the root cause of obesity, offering a more comprehensive management plan.

Personalized nutrition significantly reduces HbA1c levels compared to standard control diets in adults with type 2 diabetes or prediabetes, with a median mean difference of -0.925%.

For adults with type 2 diabetes or prediabetes, using personalized nutrition strategies that incorporate individual biological data (like gut microbiome or genetic markers) alongside clinical metrics can lead to greater reductions in HbA1c compared to standard dietary advice. While the evidence quality is currently low due to study variability, the approach shows promise for improving glycemic control.

High-intensity circuit training (HICT) produces strength and lean body mass gains equivalent to traditional strength training (TS) in trained women when sets are taken close to muscular failure, while significantly reducing total session time.

If you are a trained woman looking to save time, try High-Intensity Circuit Training. Perform 3 sets of 8-15 reps for each exercise with short rest (35s) between sets and longer rest (5min) between circuits. Crucially, you must push close to failure (RPE 8-9) to get the same strength and muscle gains as traditional training, but in less time.