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A systematic review of 17 randomized trials found that among high cardiovascular risk individuals, reducing saturated fat was linked to lower all-cause mortality and possible reductions in cardiovascular deaths, heart attacks, and strokes. Notably, the greatest benefit for preventing nonfatal heart attacks occurred when saturated fats were replaced with polyunsaturated fats (PUFA) rather than simply reducing them. For people at low to intermediate cardiovascular risk, cutting or replacing saturated fat intake offered little or no benefit over five years. Researchers reviewed trials involving 66,337 participants that compared the effect of reducing saturated fat intake or replacement with alternative nutrients such...

A blood biomarker yet to be used in cardiac arrest care can give a clearer picture of the extent of brain damage after a cardiac arrest. This has been shown in a large international multicenter study. A simple blood test that can very accurately predict the chance of survival with good recovery will be of great significance for patients in intensive care after a cardiac arrest. This assertion comes from the researchers behind a large multicenter study in which four brain damage biomarkers in the blood were compared to ascertain how reliably they could estimate the extent of brain damage...

A new study offers insight into how two of the world's most popular beverages, coffee and tea, may influence bone health in older women. The research followed nearly 10,000 women aged 65 and older over a decade to explore whether their daily habits of sipping coffee or tea were linked to changes in bone mineral density (BMD), a key indicator of osteoporosis risk.. The team analyzed data from the Study of Osteoporotic Fractures, using repeated measures of both beverage intake and BMD at the hip and femoral neck, areas strongly associated with fracture risk. Over ten years, participants reported their...

Reducing calorie intake helps cancer-fighting immune cells do their jobs more effectively, reports a study. The findings lay the groundwork for developing dietary strategies to boost the effects of a powerful class of cancer immunotherapies. "Growing evidence suggests dietary restriction has anti-cancer effects but the 'why and how' are not well understood. Our new study reveals one way this relationship may work: by providing T cells, the soldiers of the immune system, with the right mix of nutrients to more effectively fight cancer," said Russell Jones, Ph.D. Dietary restriction is an approach that reduces overall calorie intake while maintaining good...

New results from the MajesTEC-3 study show that combining teclistamab with daratumumab could help people with myeloma whose cancer has come back or hasn't responded to previous treatment, to live longer without their cancer getting worse. The results published and presented represent the first phase 3 evidence that a bispecific antibody can outperform established triplet therapies in earlier relapse. Myeloma is a type of blood cancer that affects plasma cells in the bone marrow. It is currently incurable and will return even after treatment to keep the disease at bay. The phase 3 trial included 587 people from hospitals across...

Consuming one gram of omega-3 per day may slow down the rate of biological aging in humans, according to an analysis of data from a clinical trial involving over 700 older adults over a three-year period. Previous clinical trial research has shown that restricting caloric intake may slow aging in humans. Other research conducted in animal studies or small pilot trials on slowing biological aging, such as by consuming vitamin D or omega-3, has also shown promising effects. However, whether these interventions work in humans remains unclear. Researchers Heike Bischoff-Ferrari, Steve Horvath and colleagues used molecular biology tools known as...

A clinical trial has shown that an internet-delivered lifestyle intervention has resulted in significantly better cognition in older adults. The researchers recruited over 6,000 participants aged 55–77 for the trial. Participants were without dementia but carried at least two of major risk factors for dementia. Half of the participants received an active intervention that included personalized coaching in two to four modules—physical activity, brain training, nutrition or depression/anxiety—depending on their risk factors, while the control group received publicly available information. A Mediterranean diet with limited meat and dairy, an increase in moderate-vigorous intensity exercises, and specific types of computerized brain...

Researchers conducted a study to evaluate the efficacy of qigong on biopsychosocial outcomes in veterans with chronic low back pain. Qigong (pronounced "chee-gong") is a traditional Chinese practice that combines gentle movements, controlled breathing and meditation to cultivate and balance the body's energy, often referred to as "qi" or "life force." The research team designed a novel qigong program for this research specifically applicable to managing chronic low back pain in veterans. The purpose of the eight-week longitudinal study was to evaluate the effects of the qigong intervention. Specifically, researchers assessed how the intervention impacted physical function, sleep disturbance, PTSD,...

Elderberry juice may be a potent tool for weight management and enhancing metabolic health, according to a recent study. A clinical trial found that drinking 12 ounces of elderberry juice daily for a week causes positive changes in the gut microbiome and improves glucose tolerance and fat oxidation. Elderberry, a small dark purple berry found on elder trees native to Europe, is commonly used as a medicinal plant and supplement to promote immune function. The researchers tested the effects of elderberry on metabolic health in a randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial with 18 overweight adults. Participants consumed either elderberry juice or...

Researchers have provided the molecular explanation for why some osteoporosis drugs offer protection against COVID-19. The study builds on work that compared more than 450,000 users of a class of drugs, called bisphosphonates, with non-users during the months leading up to the pandemic in 2020. The Harvard study showed that those who used drugs, such as alendronate and zoledronate, had lower odds of testing for SARS-CoV-2 infection, COVID-19 diagnosis and COVID-19-related hospitalization, but the study didn't explain why. Researchers explored all bisphosphonates listed in a drug candidate database that could potentially bind to a specific enzyme domain found in nidoviruses,...

Low back pain is a leading cause of disability worldwide with many treatments, such as medication, often failing to provide lasting relief. Researchers have uncovered a possible solution. Their study found integrating lifestyle support into back pain care could reduce disability and enhance quality of life. The randomized controlled trial included 346 participants from across Australia, all of whom had chronic low back pain and at least one lifestyle risk factor, such as obesity, poor diet, sedentary habits, or smoking. Participants were randomly assigned to one of two groups: the "Healthy Lifestyle Program (HeLP)" or standard guideline-based physiotherapy care for...

Annual health checkups regularly include urine tests that serve several purposes, including checking for symptoms of kidney disease. The presence of albumin in the urine is one indicator, as is glomerular filtration rate (GFR). In diabetic nephropathy, albuminuria first appears, leading to excessive filtration and eventually a decrease in GFR. In the elderly, however, excessive filtration cannot be detected due to age-related GFR decline. To accurately assess GFR, researchers have come up with a new calculation method. The group led by Dr. Akihiro Tsuda, a lecturer, assessed 180 kidney transplant donor candidates to define a new formula for determining the...

The short-term boost our brains get after we do exercise persists throughout the following day, suggests a study. The study found that, on average, people aged 50 to 83 who did more moderate to vigorous physical activity than usual on a given day did better in memory tests the day after. More deep (slow-wave) sleep also contributed to memory function, and the research team found this accounted for a small portion of the link between exercise and better next-day memory. The research team looked at data from 76 men and women who wore activity trackers for eight days and took...

Researchers have found definitive proof of a kidney microbiome that influences renal health and kidney stone formation, demonstrating that the urinary tract is not sterile and low levels of bacteria are normal. They also identified certain bacteria within the microbiome that could promote or block kidney stone development and showed that antibiotic misuse (commonly associated with kidney stone development in a hospital setting) skewed the microbiome towards stone-promoting bacteria. The team's methods showed that bacteria living in the urinary tract were not only there because of disease, since they found them in the urinary tract of people without evidence of...

Researchers have found that tapping into the nervous system could help reduce the gut inflammation that drives inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). A new study reveals how electrical stimulation of the vagus nerve—a major nerve connecting the brain and gut—may combat the stress-related inflammation that worsens IBD symptoms. The study showed that vagus nerve stimulation in stressed mice with colitis, a form of IBD, reduced inflammation, improved symptoms, and boosted survival rates. By engaging the parasympathetic nervous system, the team observed that inflammation could be eased by inhibiting SUMOylation, a cellular process that shapes immune response. Ayman Youssef, MD, analyzed data...

CNC-Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology researchers in Portugal report that regular, moderate coffee consumption (three cups per day) not only contributes to a longer life but also enhances the quality of those additional years by reducing the risk of major age-related diseases and maintaining better overall health. Coffee consumption's perception has shifted from potentially harmful to potentially beneficial over the last several decades. Scientific understanding of the underlying mechanisms by which coffee's primary components, namely caffeine and chlorogenic acids, influence fundamental biological processes and are understood to have alertness, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, though how these might be involved...

Drinking beetroot juice before a workout could enhance the benefits of exercise training in postmenopausal women, according to new research. Reduced nitric oxide availability may diminish the responsiveness of skeletal muscles and blood vessels during exercise, potentially explaining why late postmenopausal women respond differently to exercise training. To address these challenges, the researchers investigated whether beetroot juice, rich in dietary nitrate, could enhance the health benefits of exercise for late postmenopausal women. Nitrate is stored in limited amounts in skeletal muscle and converted to nitric oxide during physical exertion. For the study, 24 postmenopausal volunteers completed supervised, circuit-based exercise training...

Capsaicin, the compound in chili peppers which gives them their spicy taste, may become a source of new, natural drugs for the hard-to-treat Mesothelioma type of cancer. Mesothelioma is a very aggressive cancer with very poor survival and limited therapeutic options, commonly, but not always, associated with exposure to asbestos. In this study, the authors demonstrated that treatment of various mesothelioma cell lines covering all mesothelioma subtypes inhibits several biological parameters of transformation. In addition, these results supported an antitumor effect of capsaicin on cisplatin-resistant mesothelioma cells, suggesting that it may enhance therapy by reducing resistance to cisplatin. "This research...

Concussion researchers have recognized a new concussion sign that could identify up to 33% of undiagnosed concussions. After a hit to the head, individuals sometimes quickly shake their head back and forth. Although it has been depicted in movies, television, and even cartoons for decades, this motion has never been studied, named, and does not appear on any medical or sports organization's list of potential concussion signs. A new study says it should. The study reveals that when athletes exhibit this movement, named a "Spontaneous Headshake After a Kinematic Event" or SHAAKE, athletes report they had a concussion 72% of...

Warnings against saturated fat on heart health need to be revisited as flaws were revealed in the seminal 1950s studies on which these warnings were based, according to research. In 1953, spurred by an apparent surge in heart disease in the US, physiologist Ancel Keys published a study that introduced the "lipid-heart hypothesis." He claimed without evidence that high saturated fat and cholesterol in the diet raise cholesterol levels in the blood and contribute to heart disease. Newport and Dayrit pointed out that Keys erroneously conflated the saturated fats found in meat and dairy with the harmful industrial trans-fats commonly...