Browse the evidence

Obesity negatively impacts the response to therapy in Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), reducing the likelihood of achieving sustained remission with both conventional and biologic agents.

If you have Rheumatoid Arthritis and are obese, your current medications (including biologics) may be less effective at putting your disease into remission. This is due to biological factors like adipokines and inflammation. Discussing weight management alongside your RA treatment plan may improve your chances of achieving remission.

Mid-life obesity is associated with an increased risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease later in life, whereas late-life obesity may show a paradoxical protective effect or no increased risk.

Maintaining a healthy weight in mid-life is crucial for reducing your risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease later in life. While the relationship between weight and dementia in old age is complex, keeping your weight in a healthy range during your 40s and 50s is a proven way to protect your brain health.

Urban residence, higher socioeconomic status, and female sex are significantly associated with increased prevalence of overweight, obesity, hypertension, and diabetes in sub-Saharan African populations, contradicting the traditional view that these conditions are primarily diseases of affluence in high-income countries.

If you live in an urbanizing area, your risk for obesity, high blood pressure, and diabetes is significantly higher than if you lived in a rural subsistence farming environment, regardless of your income level. Focus on maintaining physical activity and monitoring blood pressure and blood sugar, as these conditions are emerging rapidly in these populations.

Urban women face the highest risk of multimorbidity (having two or more of hypertension, diabetes, or obesity) compared to rural women and men in either setting.

Urban women should be particularly vigilant about managing multiple health markers simultaneously. Because the risk of having high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and excess weight together is highest for this group, regular screening for all three is essential.

A significant proportion of individuals with diagnosed hypertension or diabetes in this population have poorly controlled conditions, with less than half of those on medication achieving target blood glucose or blood pressure levels.

Being on medication for high blood pressure or diabetes does not guarantee your numbers are under control. If you are on medication, you need regular monitoring to ensure it is working, as a significant number of people do not reach target levels.

Evening chronotype is independently associated with a higher prevalence of diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and sarcopenia in middle-aged adults, even after adjusting for sleep duration and lifestyle factors.

If you naturally prefer staying up late, be aware that this biological trait is linked to higher risks of diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and muscle loss, regardless of how many hours you sleep. To mitigate this, focus on circadian alignment: prioritize consistent sleep/wake times, limit exposure to bright artificial light at night, and try to align your largest meals with your active daytime hours rather than late at night.

In men, evening chronotype is specifically associated with sarcopenia and diabetes, whereas in women, it is associated with metabolic syndrome but not sarcopenia or diabetes.

Men who are evening types should prioritize muscle maintenance and blood sugar control, as they face higher risks for sarcopenia and diabetes. Women who are evening types should focus on managing visceral fat and metabolic markers, as they face a higher risk for metabolic syndrome.

Body composition assessment (quantifying fat mass and fat-free mass) is clinically superior to BMI for diagnosing and managing obesity, sarcopenia, and osteoporosis because BMI fails to distinguish between tissue compartments.

Stop relying solely on BMI or scale weight to judge health progress. Use body composition assessments (like DXA, BIA, or skinfolds) to distinguish between fat loss and muscle loss. This is critical for older adults at risk of sarcopenia or obesity, as BMI often hides dangerous muscle loss or high fat mass.

The Glycemic Index (GI) of cereal products is primarily determined by the ratio of Slowly Available Glucose (SAG) to Rapidly Available Glucose (RAG), with high SAG content (often resulting from ungelatinized starch) significantly lowering the GI.

To lower the glycemic impact of cereal products, look for those with high Slowly Available Glucose (SAG). This is often achieved through processing methods that leave starch ungelatinized (like certain biscuits) rather than fully gelatinized (like many breakfast cereals and breads). High SAG leads to a slower glucose release and a lower Glycemic Index.

Subcutaneous truncal abdominal adipose tissue is a major contributor to insulin resistance, potentially more so than visceral fat, due to its larger volume and capacity to drive systemic free fatty acid flux.

Focus on reducing overall body fat, particularly in the abdominal area, as subcutaneous fat plays a significant role in insulin resistance. While visceral fat is important, the sheer volume of subcutaneous abdominal fat can drive metabolic issues through free fatty acid release. Maintaining a healthy weight and engaging in lifestyle changes can improve adipose tissue function and reduce insulin resistance.

Adipose tissue dysfunction, characterized by decreased adipogenesis, angiogenesis, and adipocyte hypertrophy, leads to inflammation and ectopic fat deposition, causing insulin resistance.

Healthy adipose tissue is crucial for metabolic health. When fat cells become enlarged and inflamed, they stop functioning properly, leading to insulin resistance. Lifestyle changes that promote healthy fat cell function can help prevent these issues.

A ketogenic diet or elevated beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) levels inhibit the NLRP3 inflammasome in neutrophils, thereby preventing joint swelling and inflammation in gout models without compromising immune defense against bacterial infection.

For individuals prone to gout, maintaining elevated levels of beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) may help prevent painful joint flares. This can be achieved through a ketogenic diet or potentially via ketone ester supplements, which inhibit the inflammatory NLRP3 complex in immune cells. This approach does not appear to compromise the body's ability to fight bacterial infections.

Soluble dietary fiber (SDF) from whole grains, specifically beta-glucan and arabinoxylan, lowers cardiovascular disease risk by forming viscous gels that reduce bile acid reabsorption and cholesterol synthesis.

Focus on whole grains known for high soluble fiber content, such as oats and barley, to help manage cholesterol levels. Beta-glucan in these grains forms a gel in the gut that helps lower cholesterol.

Mitochondrial dysfunction, characterized by impaired fatty acid oxidation and respiratory chain activity, is a primary driver of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) pathogenesis.

Fatty liver is deeply linked to how your cells produce energy. If your mitochondria aren't working well, fat builds up in the liver regardless of diet. Focus on improving overall metabolic health and mitochondrial function through lifestyle changes that support cellular energy production, rather than just restricting specific macronutrients.

Strength gains from weight-lifting training in the elderly are specific to the trained movement and joint angle, with greater improvements in weight-lifting capacity and isokinetic torque than in isometric strength, despite similar hypertrophy.

To get stronger at specific tasks (like lifting groceries), train those specific movements. General machine exercises may not translate directly to the strength needed for those tasks, even if your muscles get bigger.

Adherence to a combination of low-risk lifestyle factors (physical activity, diet, smoking, alcohol, and adiposity) is associated with a markedly lower incidence of new-onset diabetes in older adults, with up to 90% of cases potentially attributable to nonadherence.

Focus on maintaining a healthy weight, eating a balanced diet rich in fiber and healthy fats, staying physically active, avoiding smoking, and drinking alcohol moderately. Doing these things together significantly lowers your risk of developing diabetes, even if you are older.

High levels of sedentary behavior, specifically television viewing time, are associated with a significantly increased risk of colon cancer compared to low levels of sedentary time.

If you watch a lot of television, be aware that this habit is linked to a higher risk of colon cancer. This risk is distinct from your exercise routine, meaning that even if you work out, spending many hours sitting and watching TV may still increase your risk. Try to limit continuous viewing time and take breaks to stand or move.

High levels of sedentary behavior, specifically television viewing time, are associated with a significantly increased risk of endometrial cancer compared to low levels of sedentary time.

If you watch a lot of television, be aware that this habit is linked to a higher risk of endometrial cancer. This risk is distinct from your exercise routine, meaning that even if you work out, spending many hours sitting and watching TV may still increase your risk. Try to limit continuous viewing time and take breaks to stand or move.

Nutritional ketosis, induced by carbohydrate restriction or caloric restriction, reduces systemic inflammation and ASCVD risk markers primarily through the ketone body beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) inhibiting the NLRP3 inflammasome.

If you have insulin resistance, reducing refined carbohydrates can trigger ketone production. This helps lower inflammation by blocking specific immune sensors (NLRP3), offering cardiovascular protection beyond just weight loss.

Higher intake of processed meat, unprocessed red meat, or poultry is significantly associated with an increased risk of incident cardiovascular disease (CVD), whereas fish intake is not significantly associated with CVD risk.

If you are concerned about heart disease, be mindful of processed meats and unprocessed red meats, as higher intake is linked to a small increase in risk. However, you do not need to eliminate poultry or fish, as this study found no significant link between their consumption and cardiovascular disease. Focus on the type and quantity of meat rather than avoiding all meat.

Higher intake of processed meat or unprocessed red meat is significantly associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality, whereas poultry and fish intake are not significantly associated with all-cause mortality.

To support longevity, limit processed meats and unprocessed red meats, as higher intake is linked to a small increase in mortality risk. You do not need to avoid poultry or fish, as this study found no significant link between their consumption and all-cause mortality. Prioritize plant-based proteins and fish/poultry over red and processed meats.

The Dreem Headband (DH), a reduced-montage dry-EEG wearable device, achieves sleep staging accuracy (83.5%) comparable to the consensus of five human sleep experts (86.4%), validating its use for automated, longitudinal sleep monitoring.

If you want to track your sleep stages accurately at home without a clinical setup, the Dreem Headband is a validated option. It uses dry EEG electrodes and a machine learning algorithm to classify your sleep stages with accuracy nearly identical to human experts. It is designed to be comfortable for overnight wear and can operate without internet connectivity, making it suitable for longitudinal home use.

Intake of plant protein is associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease mortality, whereas animal protein intake was not significantly associated with cardiovascular or cancer mortality.

If your goal is cardiovascular health and longevity, prioritize plant-based protein sources (beans, lentils, nuts, seeds) over animal proteins. This meta-analysis found that higher plant protein intake was linked to a lower risk of dying from heart disease, while animal protein intake showed no such significant benefit for cardiovascular mortality.

Regular exercise training acts as an effective antioxidant therapy by upregulating vascular eNOS and antioxidant enzymes (SOD1, SOD3) while downregulating pro-oxidant enzymes (NAD(P)H oxidase), thereby improving endothelial function and reducing cardiovascular risk.

Engage in regular, moderate exercise (e.g., brisk walking or cycling) consistently. This triggers your body's natural antioxidant defenses, improving blood vessel health and reducing cardiovascular risk more effectively than many drugs, without the side effects.