Browse the evidence

High levels of sedentary behavior (defined as sitting or lying down with energy expenditure of 1.0-1.5 basal metabolic rates) are strongly associated with increased all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes in adults, independent of physical activity levels.

If you have a desk job, prioritize breaking up long periods of sitting. The risk of heart disease and early death increases with sitting time even if you exercise. Stand up, walk, or move frequently throughout the day rather than relying solely on your gym session to protect your health.

In children and adolescents, high sedentary behavior (specifically TV viewing and screen time) is strongly associated with obesity, and moderately associated with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and poor academic achievement.

For parents of children, limit recreational screen time. High sedentary time is linked to obesity and poor academic performance. Encourage active play and limit TV/computer use to healthy levels.

The Lipid Accumulation Product (LAP), calculated as (Waist Circumference - 65cm) × Triglycerides for men and (Waist Circumference - 58cm) × Triglycerides for women, is a superior predictor of cardiovascular risk factors compared to Body Mass Index (BMI).

To better assess your cardiovascular risk, ask your doctor for a Lipid Accumulation Product (LAP) calculation. This requires your waist circumference and a fasting triglyceride blood test. The formula is (Waist - 65) x Triglycerides for men, and (Waist - 58) x Triglycerides for women. This metric captures visceral fat and lipid overload, offering a more accurate risk prediction than Body Mass Index alone.

Vitamin D supplementation is probably linked to a decrease in dental caries in children and a decrease in parathyroid hormone concentrations in patients with chronic kidney disease requiring dialysis.

For children, Vitamin D supplementation may help reduce tooth decay. For patients with chronic kidney disease on dialysis, it may help lower parathyroid hormone levels. These are probable benefits, but they do not apply to the general population.

Dietary polyphenols reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) by inhibiting LDL oxidation, preventing platelet aggregation, and improving endothelial function through nitric oxide signaling.

Include polyphenol-rich foods like tea, coffee, berries, and dark chocolate in your diet to support heart health. These foods help protect LDL from oxidation and improve blood vessel function, reducing cardiovascular risk.

Chronic low-grade inflammation (inflammaging) is a key driver of sarcopenia, contributing to muscle protein breakdown and functional decline.

Managing chronic inflammation through lifestyle (diet, stress reduction) may help preserve muscle mass in older adults, in addition to resistance training.

Habitual consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) is associated with a significantly greater incidence of type 2 diabetes, independent of adiposity.

To lower your risk of type 2 diabetes, reduce your intake of sugar-sweetened beverages. Each daily serving increases your risk by approximately 13%, even if you maintain a healthy weight. Switching to artificially sweetened drinks or fruit juice does not remove this risk and is not a recommended strategy for prevention.

High-fat, low-fiber diets increase the risk of colon cancer by stimulating secondary bile acid synthesis and suppressing beneficial butyrate production.

Limiting animal fats and increasing fiber helps maintain a healthy balance of gut metabolites, specifically by reducing carcinogenic secondary bile acids and increasing protective butyrate.

Westernized diets high in fat and protein promote the growth of potentially pathogenic bacteria and increase the production of toxic metabolites like hydrogen sulfide and TMAO.

Reducing animal protein and fat can help shift gut bacteria away from pathogenic types that produce harmful metabolites.

Adopting a vegetarian or vegan diet is associated with a significantly reduced risk of ischemic heart disease incidence and mortality compared to an omnivorous diet.

If you switch to a vegetarian or vegan diet, you may lower your risk of heart disease by about 25% compared to eating meat. This is based on large observational studies. Ensure your diet is balanced to maintain health.

Marine n-3 supplementation may offer greater cardiovascular benefits for Black participants and those with low fish consumption.

If you are Black or eat very little fish, you might get more cardiovascular benefit from fish oil supplements than the average person. However, this is a hypothesis-generating finding and not definitive.

Chronic daily cold exposure (17°C for 2 hours) recruits brown adipose tissue (BAT) in humans, leading to a significant reduction in body fat mass.

To potentially reduce body fat by recruiting brown fat, you can try exposing yourself to cold temperatures (around 17°C or 63°F) for 2 hours daily for 6 weeks. This might increase your energy expenditure and help lower body fat, especially if you currently have low brown fat activity.

Daily ingestion of capsinoids (nonpungent capsaicin analogs) for 6 weeks increases cold-induced thermogenesis (CIT) and energy expenditure, mimicking the effects of cold exposure on brown adipose tissue.

Taking 9 mg of capsinoids daily for 6 weeks can increase your body's ability to burn fat when exposed to cold, effectively boosting your energy expenditure. This offers a dietary way to potentially support weight management by activating brown fat.

Low hand-grip strength is a consistent predictor of premature mortality, disability, and postoperative complications in middle-aged and older adults.

Get your grip strength measured, especially if you are over 50. It is a simple, low-cost test that can predict your risk of future health issues like disability or death. If your grip is weak, it is a signal to focus on maintaining muscle function and overall health, potentially through resistance training and adequate nutrition.

Adherence to a Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) in older adults (65-79 years) modulates the gut microbiome to increase beneficial taxa (e.g., Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, Roseburia) and decrease harmful taxa, which is associated with reduced frailty, lower inflammation, and improved cognitive function.

For adults over 65, adopting a Mediterranean-style diet rich in vegetables, legumes, fruits, nuts, olive oil, and fish, while limiting red meat and saturated fats, can positively alter gut bacteria. This shift is linked to reduced inflammation, better cognitive function, and lower risk of frailty. Consistency over a year is key, and including a Vitamin D supplement (as per the study's guidelines) may support this process.

Among women who have had a myocardial infarction, low-dose ALA supplementation (2g/day) may reduce the rate of major cardiovascular events, approaching statistical significance.

For women who have had a heart attack, taking 2g of ALA (plant-based n-3) daily might offer some protection against future cardiovascular events, although the evidence is not definitive. This should not replace standard medical care.

Actigraphy provides valid, cost-effective measures of sleep-wake patterns and sleep quality, making it a useful tool for assessing specific sleep disorders like insomnia and schedule disorders, despite limitations in distinguishing sleep from wakefulness in certain patient populations.

Actigraphy is a reliable, non-invasive way to track sleep patterns over time, especially for insomnia. While it might not be perfect for every single night or severe movement disorders, it is a valuable tool for doctors to monitor treatment progress and understand sleep schedules without the need for expensive lab stays.

Eliminating extended work shifts (capping shifts at 16 hours) significantly increases sleep duration and reduces attentional failures in medical interns compared to traditional schedules with extended shifts.

For medical trainees and healthcare administrators: Structuring work shifts to cap continuous duty at 16 hours, rather than allowing 24+ hour shifts, significantly improves sleep and reduces errors. This is achieved not just by reducing total weekly hours, but by preventing the physiological toll of extended wakefulness. Implementing this schedule, potentially with encouraged napping, is a high-impact intervention for safety.

Obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSAS) is an independent risk factor for systemic arterial hypertension, with CPAP treatment effectively lowering blood pressure in hypertensive patients.

If you have sleep apnoea, treating it with CPAP is crucial for preventing high blood pressure, even if you don't feel excessively sleepy during the day. Consistent nightly use is key to lowering blood pressure and reducing long-term heart risks.

Untreated severe OSAS significantly increases long-term cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, whereas compliant CPAP treatment normalizes mortality rates to those of the general population.

If you have severe sleep apnoea, using your CPAP machine consistently every night is the most effective way to protect your heart and prevent early death. The severity of your apnoea matters less than your consistency in using the treatment.

OSAS is associated with an increased risk of stroke, with severity of sleep-disordered breathing correlating with stroke risk, and CPAP treatment may improve survival in stroke patients with OSAS.

If you have sleep apnoea, especially with a high apnoea-hypopnoea index, your risk of stroke is significantly higher. Treating OSAS with CPAP, particularly after a stroke, can improve your long-term survival.

Autophagy is a double-edged sword in muscle health: it is essential for removing damaged components and preventing degeneration, but its hyperactivation contributes to muscle loss in pathological conditions.

Autophagy is your muscle's recycling system. It is essential for removing damaged parts and maintaining health. However, in states of severe stress or disease, this system can become overactive and break down muscle faster than it can be replaced. Balancing this system is key to maintaining muscle mass.

Higher daily total sitting time is associated with a greater risk of all-cause mortality, with the risk increasing non-linearly (specifically 5% per hour) for individuals sitting more than 7 hours per day, even after adjusting for moderate-to-vigorous physical activity.

If you sit for more than 7 hours a day, your risk of death increases by about 5% for every additional hour, even if you exercise. To mitigate this, try to break up long periods of sitting, especially if your total sitting time exceeds 7 hours.

Consuming approximately one fatty fish meal per week (approx. 5.5g n-3 fatty acids/month) is associated with a 50% reduction in the risk of primary cardiac arrest compared to no seafood intake.

To potentially lower your risk of primary cardiac arrest, aim to eat one serving of fatty fish (like salmon or mackerel) per week. This provides about 5.5 grams of n-3 fatty acids monthly, which the study links to a 50% lower risk compared to not eating seafood. This applies to healthy adults without prior heart disease.