Browse the evidence

Waist-hip ratio (WHR) is a superior predictor of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) risk compared to body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), average arm circumference (AAC), hip circumference (HC), and neck circumference (NC).

If you are concerned about your risk for type 2 diabetes, do not rely solely on your weight or BMI. Measuring your waist and hip circumferences to calculate your Waist-Hip Ratio (WHR) provides a more accurate assessment of your risk. A higher WHR indicates a higher risk, even if your overall weight (BMI) appears normal. This simple measurement can help identify those who need lifestyle interventions or medical screening earlier.

Higher values of Waist-Hip Ratio (WHR ≥ 0.93), Average Arm Circumference (AAC ≥ 32.6 cm), and BMI (≥ 30 kg/m2) are significantly associated with increased odds of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus.

To assess your personal risk for type 2 diabetes, check if your Waist-Hip Ratio is 0.93 or higher, your Average Arm Circumference is 32.6 cm or higher, or your BMI is 30 or higher. Exceeding any of these thresholds significantly increases your odds of having or developing diabetes compared to those with lower values.

Higher educational attainment is associated with significantly higher weight management nutrition knowledge scores.

If you have less formal education, do not assume you cannot understand nutrition. Seek out dietitians who provide structured, personalized education. The study shows that ongoing counseling can help overcome educational barriers to understanding weight management.

Sedentary lifestyle is a primary driver of metabolic syndrome in judicial officers, with 79% of the studied population exhibiting sedentary habits and 21% diagnosed with metabolic syndrome.

If you work a desk job, your lack of movement is likely the biggest threat to your metabolic health, regardless of your education or awareness. You must actively incorporate physical activity because sitting for 8+ hours significantly increases your risk of metabolic syndrome, even if you are young and otherwise healthy.

High intake of refined carbohydrates is associated with increased dietary risk for metabolic syndrome, with 50% of the studied judicial officers exhibiting this habit.

Half of the judicial officers in this study ate high amounts of refined carbohydrates, which drives obesity and insulin resistance. If you consume a lot of white bread, rice, or sugary foods, reducing these refined carbs is a key step in preventing metabolic syndrome, alongside increasing physical activity.

Adding luseogliflozin (an SGLT2 inhibitor) to incretin modulator therapy produces an additive glucose-lowering effect, specifically reducing time above range, with the magnitude of benefit being significantly greater in patients consuming high-carbohydrate diets compared to low-carbohydrate diets.

If you are taking an incretin-based diabetes medication (like a GLP-1 agonist or DPP4 inhibitor) and consume a diet high in carbohydrates (e.g., >180g carbs daily), adding luseogliflozin (2.5mg daily) may provide better blood sugar control than adding it to a low-carb diet. This combination appears to work additively, meaning the drugs complement each other to handle the glucose load from carbs more effectively than either might alone in that specific context.

Moderate-to-high intensity physical activity improves lipid profiles (reducing LDL, Triglycerides, and Total Cholesterol while increasing HDL) in patients with Coronary Artery Disease (CAD).

If you have coronary artery disease and your doctor clears you for exercise, engaging in moderate-to-high intensity physical activity (like brisk walking, cycling, or interval training) for 30 minutes, 3-5 times a week, can significantly improve your cholesterol levels by lowering bad cholesterol (LDL) and triglycerides while raising good cholesterol (HDL). High-intensity interval training (HIIT) may offer greater lipid benefits than moderate continuous training, but always consult your cardiologist before starting.

In persons with type 2 diabetes, higher subtotal lean mass and higher maximum exercise capacity are associated with a lower risk of albuminuria, while higher subtotal fat mass is associated with a higher risk.

For people with type 2 diabetes, protecting kidney health involves more than just weight loss. Focus on maintaining muscle mass (lean body mass) and maximizing your exercise capacity. These factors, along with controlling blood sugar and blood pressure, are strong predictors of whether you will develop albuminuria (protein in the urine).

Oral supplementation of mint extract (5 ml/kg body mass) taken one hour before exercise significantly reduces post-exercise blood lactate concentrations compared to placebo or control.

If you are a healthy, moderately active individual, taking 5 ml of mint extract per kg of body weight one hour before a high-intensity run (like 400m) may help clear blood lactate faster than doing nothing or drinking unsweetened tea. However, do not expect this to reduce muscle soreness.

Poor sleep quality is positively associated with increased arterial stiffness (measured by baPWV) in patients with type 2 diabetes, independent of conventional cardiovascular risk factors and other lifestyle habits.

If you have Type 2 Diabetes, your sleep quality matters for your heart health as much as your blood pressure. Use a validated tool like the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) to assess if your sleep is 'poor' (score ≥ 9). If your sleep is poor, addressing it may help reduce arterial stiffness, independent of your medication or diet.

The transition to fatherhood in young men (ages 19-39) is associated with declines in cardiovascular health, specifically through reduced physical activity, increased sedentary behavior, poor diet quality, reduced sleep, and increased body weight.

If you are becoming a father, be aware that your health metrics (weight, sleep, diet, activity) are likely to decline during the first year. Proactively schedule health checks and prioritize basic habits like sleep and movement, as the new role often disrupts these routines.

Moderate alcohol consumption may confer cardiovascular protection in Type 2 Diabetes patients, but chronic consumption (even low/moderate) may trigger or worsen T2DM and raise blood pressure.

The effect of alcohol on diabetes is mixed. While moderate drinking might lower heart disease risk, it can also raise blood pressure and worsen diabetes. If you drink, do so in moderation. If you have uncontrolled diabetes or high blood pressure, it may be safer to avoid alcohol. Consult your doctor.

A 3-week interdisciplinary dermatological rehabilitation program significantly improves cardiorespiratory fitness (peak wattage) and reduces BMI in patients with psoriasis, thereby addressing key cardiovascular risk factors.

For psoriasis patients, seeking comprehensive inpatient rehabilitation that includes physical training and nutrition counseling can significantly improve heart health markers like fitness and weight, not just skin appearance. This holistic approach addresses the systemic nature of the disease.

In untrained individuals, high-intensity resistance exercise causes an immediate post-exercise increase in plasma sodium (Na+) concentration, and lower immediate Na+ levels are inversely correlated with higher delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) 24 hours later.

If you are new to resistance training, be aware that your body's sodium levels shift immediately after your workout. The study suggests that people who had smaller changes in sodium levels right after exercising actually felt more muscle soreness the next day. While this doesn't mean you should consume excessive sodium, it highlights that electrolyte balance (possibly via isotonic drinks) might help reduce post-workout pain for untrained individuals.

Consumption of specific edible oils (frying, sunflower, olive) with fatty acid profiles within standard ranges is associated with a reduction in household oil intake, which may help reduce the risk of chronic diseases.

To support heart health, consider reducing your overall intake of cooking oils, particularly frying, sunflower, and olive oils, which are commonly consumed. Ensure the brands you choose have fatty acid profiles that meet national standards, as some brands may have non-compliant levels of saturated or specific fatty acids. Reading labels can help you make informed choices, although many consumers find this difficult.

Adopting a whole-food, plant-based or Mediterranean diet and reducing ultra-processed foods can reverse or prevent chronic inflammatory conditions (such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and COPD) by correcting gut dysbiosis and lowering inflammatory markers like IL-6 and CRP, thereby potentially reducing susceptibility to severe COVID-19.

Shift your diet towards whole plant foods, vegetables, and fiber-rich options while minimizing ultra-processed foods, added sugars, and high-fat animal products. This approach supports a healthy microbiome and reduces systemic inflammation, which may lower your risk of severe outcomes from respiratory infections.

Moderate exercise (at least 150 minutes/week) positively impacts the gut microbiome and immune function, whereas excessive exercise may increase stress and decrease immune function.

Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week. This level of activity supports a healthy gut microbiome and immune system. If you are healthy, you may derive even greater benefits from higher volumes, but tailor the amount to your current fitness level.

The transition to fatherhood during young adulthood (ages 19-39) is associated with longitudinal declines in cardiovascular health, specifically characterized by reduced physical activity, increased sedentary behavior, reduced sleep, poor diet quality, and increased body weight.

If you are becoming a first-time father, expect your health metrics to potentially decline due to lifestyle disruptions. Prioritize sleep and simple dietary choices early on, as these are the areas most likely to suffer. Recognize that stress and anxiety are common triggers for poor health behaviors during this period, and plan for them proactively rather than reacting to them.

Higher adherence to the PURE diet score is significantly associated with lower odds of depression and anxiety in adults at high cardiovascular risk, with the association being statistically significant in women but not in men.

Focus on adding fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, fish, and whole-fat dairy to your daily diet. This pattern, known as the PURE diet, is linked to lower risks of depression and anxiety, especially in women. You do not need to strictly eliminate animal products or dairy to see benefits; the key is overall dietary quality and nutrient density rather than extreme restriction.

Greater restriction of the daily eating window is positively associated with greater loss of fat mass and visceral fat in individuals practicing TRE.

Tightening your eating window further (e.g., from 10 hours to 8 hours) may yield greater fat loss benefits, provided you maintain the ad libitum approach.

Increasing absolute drinking water intake to ≥1 liter per day is associated with significant weight loss (~2.3 kg over 12 months) in overweight women, independent of diet group, physical activity, and food energy intake.

If you are overweight and trying to lose weight, try to drink at least 1 liter (about 4 cups) of water per day, especially if you currently drink less. This simple change, particularly if it replaces sugary drinks, is associated with losing about 2.3 kg (5 lbs) over a year, regardless of which specific diet you follow or how much you exercise. It is not a magic bullet, but a robust, low-cost lever for weight loss.

Intermittent fasting (IF) produces weight loss (0.8% to 13.0% of baseline) that is equivalent to continuous calorie restriction, regardless of whether total caloric intake is restricted on non-fasting days.

Intermittent fasting is a viable weight loss strategy for overweight and obese individuals, producing results similar to traditional calorie restriction. You can choose from various protocols, such as a 16-hour daily fast or fasting two days a week with reduced calories. The key is consistency; hunger often decreases over time, and adherence is comparable to other diets. While most studies are short-term, IF shows promise as a primary care intervention for obesity.

Intermittent fasting improves glycemic control in patients with Type 2 Diabetes, including reductions in fasting glucose, HbA1c, and insulin levels, though it carries a risk of hypoglycemia requiring medication adjustment.

If you have Type 2 Diabetes, intermittent fasting can improve your blood sugar control, but you must work with your doctor to adjust medications like insulin or sulfonylureas to avoid low blood sugar. Studies show that with proper management, IF is safe and can lower HbA1c and fasting glucose levels without severe adverse events.

The improvement in arterial stiffness (PWV) resulting from weight loss is correlated with the reduction in systolic and diastolic blood pressure, suggesting blood pressure changes may mediate this benefit.

When you lose weight, your blood pressure likely drops, and this drop is closely linked to the improvement in your arterial stiffness. Monitoring both weight and blood pressure gives you a better understanding of your cardiovascular health improvements.