Browse the evidence

Prescription omega-3s (4 g/d EPA-only) reduce major adverse cardiovascular events by 25% in high-risk patients with hypertriglyceridemia who are already taking statins.

If you are at high risk for heart disease and have high triglycerides, ask your doctor about adding prescription EPA-only omega-3s (like Vascepa) to your statin. The REDUCE-IT trial showed this combination reduced major heart events by 25% compared to placebo.

Daily supplementation with 2000 mg calcium and 800 IU vitamin D reduces the incidence of stress fractures by 20% in female military recruits during basic training.

Female recruits in high-intensity training programs should consider taking 2000 mg of calcium and 800 IU of vitamin D daily to significantly lower their risk of stress fractures. This intervention is safe, does not interfere with training, and can prevent a substantial number of injuries.

Adherence to four low-risk lifestyle factors (never smoking, BMI 18.5-25, ≥30 min/day moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, and high diet quality) is associated with a 3.41-fold higher relative risk of all-cause mortality compared to adhering to none of these factors.

To maximize your lifespan, focus on four key areas: never smoke, maintain a healthy weight (BMI 18.5-25), engage in at least 30 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous exercise daily, and eat a high-quality diet (high in vegetables, fruit, nuts, whole grains, and healthy fats). You do not need to be perfect; even modest improvements in these areas significantly reduce your risk of death. If you don't smoke, you still need to prioritize diet and activity, as these factors independently lower mortality risk.

Orlistat (60-120 mg three times daily) combined with a hypocaloric diet produces significantly greater weight loss and improved cardiovascular risk factors compared to diet and placebo alone.

Take orlistat (60mg or 120mg) with your three main meals if you consume fat. Combine this with a calorie-controlled diet for the first year, then switch to a maintenance diet. Expect significant weight loss and improved cholesterol/blood pressure, but be prepared for mild, temporary gastrointestinal side effects if you eat too much fat.

Malnutrition is a preventable and reversible condition that worsens clinical outcomes, increases morbidity and mortality, and increases healthcare costs if left undetected.

Recognize malnutrition as a distinct, treatable disease, not just a side effect of aging or illness. Early identification and intervention can reverse the condition and significantly improve patient survival and recovery rates.

Aerobic training (AT) is superior to resistance training (RT) for reducing total body mass and fat mass in overweight or obese adults when exercise time is matched.

If your goal is to lose fat and body weight, prioritize aerobic exercise (like running, cycling, or elliptical) over resistance training. While lifting weights is great for building muscle, it does not reduce fat mass as effectively as aerobic exercise when you spend the same amount of time exercising. To maximize fat loss, focus on aerobic activities at 65-80% of your max heart rate.

Resistance training (RT) is necessary for increasing lean body mass and strength, whereas aerobic training (AT) does not significantly increase lean body mass.

If your goal is to build muscle and strength, you must include resistance training in your exercise routine. Aerobic exercise alone will not significantly increase your lean body mass. Aim for 3 days per week of resistance training, performing 3 sets of 8-12 repetitions for each major muscle group.

Sleep restriction (4 hours time in bed) in healthy adults causes significant weight gain and increased caloric intake, driven primarily by a shift in meal timing toward late-night consumption (22:00-03:59) and increased meal frequency.

If you are restricting your sleep to around 4 hours a night, you are likely to gain weight and eat more calories, especially late at night. To mitigate this, try to maintain a consistent sleep schedule and be mindful of your eating habits, particularly in the late evening. If you must stay up late, be aware that you are more likely to consume extra calories and gain weight.

Improving overall diet quality over a 12-year period significantly reduces the risk of all-cause mortality, with greater improvements yielding larger reductions in risk.

Focus on gradually improving your diet quality over time rather than seeking perfection. Even modest, sustained improvements in the quality of your diet (measured by indices like AHEI, MedDiet, or DASH) can significantly lower your risk of dying from any cause. Consistency over the long term matters more than short-term intensity.

Maintaining a consistently high-quality diet over 12 years is associated with a lower risk of all-cause mortality compared to maintaining a consistently low-quality diet.

Aim to maintain a high-quality diet consistently over the long term. While improving your diet is beneficial, keeping your diet quality high over many years provides a significant protective effect against mortality. Focus on sustainable habits that you can maintain.

Dynamic aerobic endurance training significantly reduces resting and daytime ambulatory blood pressure in hypertensive patients, with effects mediated by reduced systemic vascular resistance and sympathetic tone.

Engage in moderate-intensity aerobic exercise (like brisk walking, jogging, or cycling) on most days of the week. You do not need to train for hours; sessions as short as 15-40 minutes are effective. Consistency matters more than extreme intensity. This is a primary, non-pharmacological treatment for lowering blood pressure.

Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) provided by a registered dietitian significantly improves glycemic control (HbA1c) and metabolic outcomes in patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes, with the greatest benefit observed at initial diagnosis.

If you have diabetes, working with a registered dietitian for Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) is a proven way to lower your blood sugar (HbA1c). This isn't just generic advice; it involves a personalized plan, regular check-ins, and adjustments based on your results. Starting MNT early, especially after diagnosis, yields the best results, but it helps at any stage. It can even reduce your need for medication.

Intensive lifestyle interventions, including medical nutrition therapy and physical activity, can prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes in high-risk individuals (impaired glucose tolerance, overweight) by reducing the risk by up to 58-71%.

If you are overweight and have impaired glucose tolerance, you can significantly lower your risk of developing type 2 diabetes through lifestyle changes. Focus on losing weight, eating less saturated fat, eating more fiber, and getting 30 minutes of moderate exercise most days. This approach is more effective than medication alone for prevention, especially for older adults.

Replacing 5% of total energy intake from saturated fats with polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) or monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) is associated with a significant reduction in total mortality.

To lower your risk of death, focus on swapping saturated fats (found in red meat, butter, full-fat dairy) with unsaturated fats (found in olive oil, nuts, seeds, fish). Specifically, aim to replace about 5% of your daily calories from saturated fats with an equal amount of calories from polyunsaturated or monounsaturated fats. This swap is linked to a 13-27% lower risk of dying from any cause. Do not replace these fats with refined carbohydrates like white bread or sugar, as that offers no mortality benefit.

Higher intake of trans-fatty acids (TFA) is associated with increased total mortality and cause-specific mortality (particularly cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases).

Avoid industrial trans fats, which are found in partially hydrogenated oils used in some fried foods and baked goods. Higher intake of trans fats is linked to a 13% higher risk of total mortality and a 20% higher risk of cardiovascular disease mortality. Check labels for 'partially hydrogenated oils' and minimize consumption.

Adherence to four major healthy dietary patterns (HEI-2015, AMED, HPDI, AHEI) is associated with a statistically significant reduction in the risk of incident cardiovascular disease (CVD), including coronary heart disease and stroke.

To lower your risk of heart disease and stroke, focus on long-term adherence to established healthy dietary patterns rather than chasing single 'superfoods' or nutrients. The four major patterns studied (HEI-2015, AMED, HPDI, AHEI) all share core components: high intake of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, and nuts, and lower intake of red/processed meats, sugar-sweetened beverages, and refined grains. You can choose the pattern that best fits your cultural background and personal preferences, as all were associated with a 14-21% lower risk of CVD when comparing the highest adherence to the lowest.

Engaging in 11.25 MET hours per week of leisure-time physical activity (equivalent to 150 minutes/week of moderate activity) reduces the risk of incident type 2 diabetes by 26% compared to being completely inactive.

Aim for 150 minutes of moderate activity per week (like brisk walking) to cut your diabetes risk by roughly a quarter compared to being inactive. You don't need to do extreme amounts of exercise to get the main benefit, but doing more than 150 minutes will give you even greater protection.

Doubling the recommended physical activity dose (22.5 MET h/week) reduces type 2 diabetes risk by 36%, and high doses (60 MET h/week) reduce it by 53%, showing no plateau in benefits.

If you can, aim for more than the standard 150 minutes per week. Doing double that amount cuts your diabetes risk by 36%, and very high activity levels can cut it by over half. There is no 'maximum' benefit where extra exercise stops helping.

Intensive lifestyle intervention is cost-effective for preventing type 2 diabetes in high-risk adults over a 10-year horizon, yielding approximately $10,037 per QALY gained compared to placebo.

For high-risk individuals, committing to a structured lifestyle program involving 150 minutes of moderate exercise weekly and a 7% weight loss goal is a financially sound long-term investment. While the initial cost is higher than medication, the prevention of diabetes and associated medical costs makes it a valuable use of resources over 10 years.

High-Intensity Resistance and Impact Training (HiRIT) improves lumbar spine and femoral neck bone mineral density and physical function in postmenopausal women with osteopenia or osteoporosis without causing adverse events, contrary to traditional safety concerns.

If you are a postmenopausal woman with low bone density, supervised high-intensity resistance and impact training (like squats, deadlifts, and controlled jumps) performed twice a week for 30 minutes can significantly improve your bone density and physical function. This should be done under professional supervision to ensure safety and correct technique.

Routine supplementation with omega-3 LC-PUFA (specifically DHA) during pregnancy reduces the risk of early preterm birth (<34 weeks) and low birth weight.

If you don't eat fish at least twice a week (including oily fish like salmon or mackerel), take a daily supplement providing at least 200 mg of DHA. This reduces the risk of early preterm birth and low birth weight. Avoid large predator fish like tuna and swordfish due to toxin risks.

Long-acting GLP-1 receptor agonists (dulaglutide, liraglutide, once-weekly exenatide) provide superior glycemic control (HbA1c and FPG reduction) compared to short-acting agents (EBID, lixisenatide) in type 2 diabetes patients.

If you have Type 2 Diabetes and need better blood sugar control, long-acting GLP-1 medications (like dulaglutide, liraglutide, or once-weekly exenatide) are more effective at lowering HbA1c and fasting glucose than short-acting versions (like twice-daily exenatide or lixisenatide). Choose a long-acting option for superior glycemic results, keeping in mind that all GLP-1s carry a risk of gastrointestinal side effects.

Obesity is a primary driver of type 2 diabetes risk in minority populations, and population-level interventions targeting weight loss can favorably impact endocrine health disparities.

For minority populations at high risk for diabetes, focusing on weight management is a critical strategy to reduce disease burden. This is not just about individual willpower but involves addressing systemic factors that contribute to obesity in these groups.

Consuming one serving per day of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) is associated with a 0.12 kg additional weight gain over one year and an 18% higher risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D), independent of total energy intake adjustments in some analyses.

Limit sugar-sweetened beverages to occasional consumption. Replacing one daily serving of soda with water or unsweetened tea can prevent approximately 0.12 kg of weight gain per year and significantly lowers your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Be cautious with fruit juice, as it offers similar metabolic risks to soda due to high sugar content; prefer whole fruits instead.