Browse the evidence

Observational data suggest GLP-1 RAs improve walking distance in peripheral artery disease.

GLP-1 RAs may enhance mobility in patients with peripheral artery disease.

Lifestyle modifications remain the primary approach to managing MASLD, but their effectiveness is often limited.

Practitioners should be aware of the limitations of lifestyle modifications in MASLD management.

A higher proportion of carbohydrate intake is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality in Japanese people with type 2 diabetes.

Practitioners should consider the carbohydrate intake levels of patients with type 2 diabetes when assessing cardiovascular risk.

The mean total low-carbohydrate diet score and animal low-carbohydrate diet score are inversely associated with the incidence of cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality.

Encouraging low-carbohydrate dietary patterns may benefit patients with type 2 diabetes in reducing cardiovascular risk.

The study utilized a multivariable Cox proportional hazards model to analyze the relationship between lifestyle habits and health outcomes.

Understanding the methodology can help practitioners evaluate the reliability of the findings.

Combining GLP-1 RAs with EBTs may yield synergistic effects.

Practitioners may explore combination therapies for enhanced weight loss outcomes.

72.2% of patients achieved ≥ 20% total weight loss (TWL) by week 52 on liraglutide.

Practitioners can expect a significant proportion of patients to achieve substantial weight loss with liraglutide.

Liraglutide was well-tolerated, with benefits experienced by over 90% of patients.

Liraglutide can be considered a safe option for obesity management in clinical practice.

Patients achieved a calorie deficit of 651 kcal/day while on liraglutide.

Practitioners should encourage calorie tracking to support weight loss efforts in patients using liraglutide.

Individuals without diabetes were more likely to achieve ≥10% weight loss compared to individuals with T2D (21.4% vs. 0%).

Practitioners may consider the likelihood of achieving significant weight loss when prescribing tirzepatide based on diabetes status.

Ultrasound measurement of vastus lateralis (VL) muscle thickness, combined with body mass, provides a statistically accurate and ecologically valid prediction of whole-body and thigh fat-free mass (FFM) in resistance-trained men, serving as a viable alternative to DXA.

If you are a resistance-trained man, you can track your muscle gains using a portable ultrasound device focused on your vastus lateralis (side thigh) and your body weight. The study provides a specific formula: Whole Body FFM = -1.657 + (0.719 * Body Mass in kg) + (0.416 * VL Thickness in mm). This method is as accurate as DXA for this group and can be done in a gym setting, allowing you to monitor progress without expensive medical imaging.

Adhering to a hypercaloric, high-protein plant-based diet during resistance training preserves insulin sensitivity (HOMA-IR) and prevents the rise in fasting serum insulin seen with an isoenergetic, isonitrogenous omnivorous diet.

If you are eating enough protein (around 2g per kg of body weight) and training hard, choosing a plant-based diet rich in mycoprotein (like Quorn) can help keep your insulin sensitivity stable. You don't need to worry about the metabolic downsides often associated with high-protein diets, as long as you match the calories and protein of an omnivorous diet.

A high-protein plant-based diet does not compromise micronutrient status (Vitamin B12, Vitamin D, Calcium, Ferritin) compared to an omnivorous diet during resistance training, although ferritin levels may decrease in both groups.

You can follow a high-protein plant-based diet without worrying about losing essential vitamins and minerals, as long as you eat enough calories and protein. Just be aware that your ferritin (iron storage) might drop, which is also true for omnivores in this study, so monitor your levels if you feel fatigued.

Protein supplementation improves endurance performance and muscle strength compared to placebo, but these benefits are likely attributable to unmatched energy intake rather than protein itself.

If you are an athlete, protein supplements may help performance, but likely only because they add calories. If you already meet your energy needs, adding protein powder on top of it may not offer extra performance gains compared to a placebo with the same calories. Focus on total energy intake first.

In older adults, resistance training combined with whey protein supplementation induces distinct skeletal muscle metabolic adaptations—specifically upregulation of tryptophan-indole metabolites, branched-chain amino acids (leucine, isoleucine, valine), and urea cycle intermediates—in individuals who exhibit high hypertrophic responsiveness (upper tertile).

For older adults seeking muscle growth, resistance training combined with adequate protein (whey) is effective, but results vary significantly. High responders exhibit specific metabolic adaptations, including increased levels of tryptophan, branched-chain amino acids, and urea cycle intermediates. This suggests that individual metabolic profiles play a key role in hypertrophic responsiveness, and those with lower responses may require different strategies or higher stimuli to achieve similar gains.

Post-exercise liquid protein supplementation (25g) enhances maximal strength gains in untrained young adults compared to resistance training alone, without significantly altering muscle mass or endurance adaptations.

If you are new to lifting, drinking 25g of protein immediately after your workout will help you get stronger faster than just training alone. While it might not make your muscles look bigger any faster than training by itself, you will likely lift heavier weights. Stick to a simple liquid protein drink post-workout for the best results.

Long-term supplementation with plant-based protein (PBP) yields equivalent results to animal-based protein (ABP) for lean body mass, muscle strength, physical performance, and cardiometabolic risk factors in adults.

If you are consuming enough protein daily (typically 1.6g/kg or more for muscle gain), the source (plant vs. animal) matters less than you might think for long-term results. You can effectively build muscle and maintain metabolic health with plant-based proteins like soy, provided you stick with it for at least 6 months.

Increased social support for healthy eating from family mediates the association between intervention attendance and increased fruit and vegetable intake, accounting for 62% of the effect.

If you are trying to eat more fruits and vegetables, involve your family or community in your journey. The study shows that encouragement from family members is a powerful driver of success, mediating over 60% of the improvement in healthy eating. Seek out groups or family members who can support your dietary goals rather than trying to do it entirely alone.

Increases in psychological flexibility moderate the relationship between weight loss and depression reduction, such that individuals who lose weight AND increase psychological flexibility experience significantly greater reductions in depression than those who lose weight alone.

If you are doing a weight loss program, don't just focus on the scale. Pay attention to your ability to stay committed to your goals even when it feels hard or uncomfortable (psychological flexibility). The research shows that people who get better at this mental skill while losing weight see much bigger improvements in their depression than those who just lose weight. Consider adding mindfulness or acceptance-based strategies to your routine to boost mental health outcomes.

Modest combined improvements in sleep (11 min/day), physical activity (4.5 min/day MVPA), and nutrition (3 DQS points) are associated with a clinically meaningful 10% reduction in major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE).

You do not need to overhaul your entire life to significantly lower your heart disease risk. Instead, focus on making small, manageable improvements in three key areas every day: get 11 extra minutes of sleep, add 4.5 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous exercise (like brisk walking), and improve your diet quality by about 3 points (roughly adding 1/4 cup of vegetables). These modest, combined changes are associated with a 10% lower risk of major cardiovascular events.

Sleep duration has a non-linear (L-shaped or U-shaped) relationship with MACE subtypes, with optimal benefits for heart failure but potential risks for myocardial infarction and stroke at longer durations.

While getting enough sleep (8-9.5 hours) is generally beneficial for heart health, be aware that the relationship between sleep duration and specific heart conditions varies. For heart failure, more sleep is linearly beneficial. For heart attacks and strokes, very long sleep durations might not offer additional benefits and could potentially be linked to other risks. Aim for the 8-9.5 hour range as a general guideline.

In males with type 2 diabetes, higher baseline endogenous total testosterone and lower estradiol levels significantly enhance the reduction of triglycerides achieved through intensive lifestyle intervention.

If you are a man with type 2 diabetes, your baseline testosterone and estradiol levels may dictate how effectively your diet and exercise efforts lower triglycerides. Men with higher testosterone and lower estradiol tend to see bigger improvements in triglycerides from lifestyle changes. This suggests that knowing your hormone profile could help tailor your lifestyle prescription for better lipid outcomes.

In females with type 2 diabetes, higher baseline sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) significantly enhances the reduction of LDL cholesterol achieved through intensive lifestyle intervention.

If you are a postmenopausal woman with type 2 diabetes, your baseline SHBG levels may dictate how effectively your diet and exercise efforts lower LDL cholesterol. Women with higher SHBG tend to see bigger improvements in LDL-C from lifestyle changes. This suggests that knowing your hormone profile could help tailor your lifestyle prescription for better lipid outcomes.

Higher baseline total testosterone predicts greater long-term weight loss and waist circumference reduction in both males and females with type 2 diabetes undergoing intensive lifestyle intervention.

If you have type 2 diabetes, your baseline testosterone levels may dictate how effectively your diet and exercise efforts lead to weight loss and waist circumference reduction. Both men and women with higher testosterone tend to see bigger improvements in weight and waist size from lifestyle changes. This suggests that knowing your hormone profile could help tailor your lifestyle prescription for better weight outcomes.