Browse the evidence

Probiotic supplementation for metabolic syndrome yields heterogeneous outcomes: a subset of 'responders' improves triglycerides and diastolic blood pressure, while 'non-responders' experience increased blood glucose and insulin levels.

If you have metabolic syndrome, a probiotic might not help everyone. In this study, some people saw better blood pressure and triglycerides, but others saw worse blood sugar. Your diet matters: responders ate more sugars and specific nutrients like folate and lactose. Before starting a probiotic for metabolic health, consider that it may not work for you, and your current diet might influence whether it helps or harms your metabolic markers.

B-mode ultrasonography (US) provides valid, reliable, and comparable measurements of vastus lateralis cross-sectional area (VLCSA) changes in response to resistance training-induced hypertrophy and immobilization-induced atrophy when compared to MRI, provided that probe pressure is minimized (<0.2 N) and image stitching techniques are used.

If you are tracking muscle growth or loss using ultrasound, ensure you use a thick layer of gel and apply minimal pressure (just enough for contact, <0.2N) to avoid compressing the muscle. Use image stitching if possible to get a full cross-sectional area view. This method is validated as a reliable alternative to MRI for tracking changes over time in young, healthy men.

Intensive lifestyle intervention (ILI) for weight loss in type 2 diabetes patients with poor glucose control (HbA1c >9%) is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease events, whereas it reduces risk in patients with older onset, severe obesity, or younger onset.

If you have type 2 diabetes and your blood sugar control is consistently poor (high HbA1c), an intensive weight loss program involving strict diet and heavy exercise might actually increase your risk of heart problems. You should discuss your specific glucose control levels with your doctor before starting an intensive lifestyle intervention, as standard advice may not apply to your specific metabolic subgroup.

Plant-based diets influence the gut microbiome to reduce production of Trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), a biomarker associated with increased cardiovascular risk.

Eating a diet rich in diverse plant fibers (vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains) feeds beneficial gut bacteria. This reduces the production of TMAO, a compound linked to heart disease risk. You don't need to be vegan to benefit; increasing plant fiber intake is key.

Dual SGLT1/SGLT2 inhibition with licogliflozin produces statistically significant but modest body weight loss (mean -3.73% to -3.83%) in adults with overweight or obesity, with responder rates (≥5% loss) reaching 45.3% at high doses, though accompanied by dose-dependent gastrointestinal adverse events.

Licogliflozin, a dual SGLT1/SGLT2 inhibitor, leads to modest but statistically significant weight loss (around 3-4% on average) in adults with overweight or obesity over 24 weeks. While about 45% of patients taking the highest doses lose at least 5% of their body weight, the average effect is smaller than other anti-obesity medications. Treatment is associated with gastrointestinal side effects like diarrhea, which are dose-dependent and often improve over time or with dose reduction. Patients should expect a gradual, modest weight loss rather than a dramatic reduction, and must adhere to lifestyle interventions (caloric restriction and exercise) as part of the protocol.

Bariatric surgery, particularly malabsorptive procedures, significantly increases the risk of nephrolithiasis (kidney stones) due to enteric hyperoxaluria, low urinary volume, and hypocitraturia.

If you have had bariatric surgery, especially a bypass, you are at a significantly higher risk for kidney stones. This is not just about weight; it is about how your body processes nutrients now. You must be vigilant about hydration and dietary oxalate to protect your kidneys.

Eliminating artificial trans fatty acids (TFA) from the food supply significantly reduces the burden of coronary heart disease (CHD), including mortality and acute events, and generates substantial healthcare cost savings.

Support policies that eliminate artificial trans fats from the food supply. This public health intervention has been shown to significantly reduce heart disease deaths and events, saving billions in healthcare costs, with no significant negative impact on food affordability.

Abdominal obesity, measured by waist circumference or waist-to-hip ratio, significantly increases the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD), whereas general obesity (BMI ≥30) shows a weaker, non-significant association when analyzed using G-estimation to account for time-varying confounding.

If you are concerned about heart disease risk, waist circumference or waist-to-hip ratio are more accurate predictors than BMI alone. Even if your BMI is in the 'normal' or 'overweight' range, a larger waist circumference (≥102 cm for men, ≥88 cm for women) or higher waist-to-hip ratio indicates a significantly higher risk of coronary heart disease. This risk persists even when accounting for other health factors like blood pressure and cholesterol, suggesting that visceral fat itself is a critical driver of heart disease.

Long-term adherence to a ketogenic diet carries risks of nutritional deficiencies, electrolyte disturbances, and potential renal stones (nephrolithiasis), requiring strict monitoring.

If you follow a ketogenic diet long-term, monitor your electrolytes (sodium, potassium, magnesium) and ensure you are getting essential vitamins through supplementation or carefully chosen food sources to prevent deficiencies and kidney stones.

High consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPF) is associated with increased risk of chronic diseases, including obesity, cardiometabolic outcomes, mortality, cancer, and depressive symptoms, independent of overall nutritional quality.

Prioritize whole, minimally processed foods. While checking nutritional labels (like Nutri-Score) is a good start, it is not enough. Actively limit ultra-processed foods (UPF) because they are linked to chronic disease risk through mechanisms beyond just calories and macros, such as additives and processing byproducts. Aim to replace UPF with raw or minimally processed alternatives.

Women exhibit a significantly greater relative increase in maximal strength (1RM Bench Press) compared to men after 16 weeks of resistance training, although absolute strength gains may be larger in men.

If you are a woman, expect your relative strength gains (percentage increase) to be higher than men's on upper body pushing movements like the bench press. This may be due to neural adaptations or less prior familiarity with the exercise. Men may still lift more absolute weight, but women often see bigger percentage jumps.

Canagliflozin treatment in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus reduces cardiovascular risk factors by inducing mild osmotic diuresis, natriuresis, and weight loss, leading to significant reductions in blood pressure and body weight.

For patients with Type 2 Diabetes and high cardiovascular risk, canagliflozin (100-300 mg daily) offers benefits beyond blood sugar control, specifically lowering blood pressure and body weight through fluid loss and caloric excretion. This multifactorial risk reduction is recommended by guidelines for patients with existing cardiovascular disease, provided their kidney function (eGFR) is above 45 mL/min/1.73 m2.

Supplementation with 15g/day of specific bioactive collagen peptides (CP) during 15 weeks of resistance training significantly increases skeletal muscle volume (hypertrophy) compared to placebo, without enhancing maximum strength gains.

If you are doing resistance training, taking 15g of specific collagen peptides daily may help you build more muscle mass than training alone, particularly in the quadriceps. However, do not expect this to make you stronger faster; your strength gains will likely be similar to those achieved with a placebo. Focus on the structural benefits for tissue health rather than immediate power output.

Resistance-trained individuals achieve similar quadriceps muscle hypertrophy after eight weeks of resistance training when terminating sets with 1-2 repetitions in reserve (RIR) compared to terminating sets at momentary muscular failure.

If you are experienced with resistance training, you do not need to train to absolute failure on every set to build muscle. Stopping your sets with 1-2 reps left in the tank (RIR) produces the same muscle growth as going to failure over an 8-week period. This approach likely allows you to recover faster and maintain better form, as failure training induces significantly higher acute fatigue and repetition loss.

Obesity is a heterogeneous condition where distinct subtypes exist based on metabolic and genetic profiles, necessitating personalized treatment strategies rather than uniform BMI-based approaches.

Stop treating all obesity as the same. Your doctor should look beyond your weight to your metabolic health (blood sugar, lipids) and genetics to determine the best treatment for you, which might include specific medications or lifestyle changes tailored to your body's unique biology.

Sarcopenia (defined by low handgrip strength and/or low muscle mass) is associated with a significantly higher long-term risk of developing atrial fibrillation (AF) in Caucasian populations, independent of genetic predisposition and lifestyle factors.

Prioritize resistance training and adequate protein intake to maintain muscle mass and strength, especially if you are female or under 65, as these groups showed a stronger link between muscle loss and heart rhythm issues. Regular assessment of handgrip strength and muscle mass can serve as an early warning system for cardiovascular risk.

Semaglutide 2.4 mg treatment leads to preferential loss of fat mass over lean body mass, which supports improvements in physical function and walking capacity.

Semaglutide 2.4 mg helps you lose fat mass more than lean body mass, which supports your physical function and walking capacity. This is achieved through once-weekly injections combined with lifestyle changes.

Bariatric surgery (RYGB, SG, BPD/DS) is the most effective long-term treatment for severe obesity, achieving 15-30% total weight loss, but carries significant risks of micronutrient deficiencies and lean body mass loss due to anatomical malabsorption.

Bariatric surgery is the most effective long-term weight loss option for severe obesity, but it is not a simple fix. It requires lifelong commitment to high-dose nutritional supplementation and regular medical monitoring to prevent serious deficiencies in iron, B12, and calcium, as well as loss of muscle mass. The procedure works through complex metabolic changes, not just stomach size reduction.

Metabolomic profiling (metabotyping) reveals that metabolic syndrome, obesity, T2DM, and CVDs share common metabolic signatures and pathways, suggesting that dietary interventions and pharmacologic treatments can target these shared traits.

Understanding that these diseases share metabolic roots allows for integrated treatment strategies, such as dietary changes that address insulin resistance and inflammation, benefiting multiple conditions simultaneously.

In older adults with type 2 diabetes, weight cycling and weight regain following intentional weight loss are associated with significantly worse physical function (gait speed, expanded physical performance battery) in women and weaker grip strength in men compared to maintaining or continuing weight loss.

If you have type 2 diabetes, keeping the weight you lose is just as important as losing it. Regaining weight or constantly going up and down (cycling) can weaken your grip and slow your walking speed, especially for women. Focus on strategies to maintain your weight loss to protect your physical function and independence as you age.

Fish oil supplementation (3.85 g/day EPA+DHA) combined with resistance training significantly increases absolute and relative upper-body strength and relative lower-body strength in young adults compared to placebo, without significantly altering lean body mass.

If you are a young, healthy adult doing resistance training 3 times a week, adding 3.85 grams of combined EPA and DHA daily (from fish oil) can help you get stronger, especially in your upper body and relative strength, without necessarily making you bigger. This effect is likely due to improved muscle quality and neural factors, not just muscle growth. Ensure you are getting enough protein (at least 1.2g/kg/day) as this may be required for the fish oil to work effectively.

Bariatric surgery (RYGB, SG, or LAGB) produces significantly greater sustained weight loss and higher rates of type 2 diabetes remission compared to intensive lifestyle interventions (ILI) or diabetes support and education (DSE) in patients with type 2 diabetes and obesity.

For individuals with Type 2 Diabetes and obesity, bariatric surgery is significantly more effective than lifestyle changes alone for losing weight and reversing diabetes. While lifestyle changes (like the Intensive Lifestyle Intervention in this study) can lead to modest weight loss (~6%) and minimal diabetes remission (~1%), surgery leads to substantial weight loss (~19%) and much higher remission rates (~7-23%). Surgery should be considered a highly effective medical option for those who meet criteria, rather than just a last resort after failed lifestyle attempts.

Performing leg extension exercises with a reduced hip flexion angle (approx. 40°) produces significantly greater hypertrophy in the rectus femoris compared to a standard upright hip angle (90°), while having no differential effect on the vastus lateralis.

If your goal is to maximize growth in the rectus femoris (the muscle in the middle of your thigh), adjust your leg extension machine to lean back slightly (approx. 40 degrees of hip flexion) rather than sitting fully upright. This position likely places the rectus femoris at a more optimal length for growth. Note that this change does not appear to affect the vastus lateralis (outer thigh) growth, so both positions are valid for general quad development.

In patients with type 2 diabetes who have switched from metformin to a second-line antidiabetes medication, a 6-month weight loss is associated with improved glycemic control (lower A1c) and reduced diabetes-specific pharmacy costs.

If you have type 2 diabetes and are considering a medication change after metformin, achieving even modest weight loss over 6 months can significantly improve your blood sugar control and lower your pharmacy bills. Focus on sustainable weight management as part of your treatment plan.