Health

As recently as the mid-20th century, aging was described by Nobel Prize laureate Peter Medawar as “an unsolved problem in biology.” Today, scientists can analyze the activity of thousands of genes in individual cells, identify genetic variants associated with longevity, study molecular pathways affecting lifespan, and estimate biological age using epigenetic clocks. Experimental therapies using senolytics—compounds that eliminate some senescent cells—have also emerged. Paradoxically, however, the more we know about the biology of aging, the more clearly we see how complex this process is.

A new article published in Globalization and Health warns that the rapid rise of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs in high-income countries could have unintended consequences for food environments in low- and middle-income countries.

University of Queensland researchers have examined taste and smell genes to help determine whether specific foods cause or are linked to disease. People who like the taste and smell of onions are more likely to have lower blood pressure and risk of type 2 diabetes, they have found. The findings are published in the journal BMC Medicine.

Chronic stress, the prolonged exposure to psychological and/or physical strain, is known to be a risk factor for depression, anxiety and some other psychiatric disorders. Past studies suggest that chronic stress disrupts the integrity of myelin, a fatty insulating layer that surrounds nerve fibers and helps electrical signals travel efficiently between brain cells.

A major Australian clinical trial has found that timing when you eat can be just as effective as traditional dietitian-led advice in trying to lower the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

People are increasingly seeking health information online in Estonia, but the information they find is not leading to better health decisions. The concern is not a lack of information but people’s digital literacy and ability to make sense of it.

Parents who find time for themselves feel better and show healthier physiological stress patterns on the same day, according to my new research. The findings suggest that even small moments away from daily demands may help mothers and fathers recharge emotionally and physically.

Nearly one in three adults in Denmark score high on the stress scale, and more than one in 10 feel lonely. This is shown by the large survey The National Health Profile 2025. There is good reason to pay attention to the mental health of the Danish population—and now researchers, municipalities and others working with well-being and mental health promotion have a new tool at their disposal.

A new study from the German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam–Rehbruecke (DIfE) and Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin shows for the first time that targeted control of human breathing rhythm can influence decision behavior by modulating heart and brain function. The research team led by Prof. Soyoung Q. Park was able to demonstrate that prolonged exhalation increases heart rate variability and the brain’s reward sensitivity, thus enabling us to make bolder decisions. The study was published in the journal Neuron.

A clinical trial supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) found that adults with prediabetes assigned to a lifestyle intervention had a significantly lower risk of developing multiple chronic health conditions (known as multimorbidity) over time than those assigned to a placebo. This study, which followed participants for more than two decades, also found that participants assigned to receive metformin did not experience a statistically significant reduction in multimorbidity risk. The findings, published in JAMA, highlight the lasting benefits of lifestyle programs that may lower the risk of developing chronic conditions.

A new Viewpoint published in JAMA from researchers at the University of Queensland, the University of Toronto and the University of California, San Francisco, is raising concern about a fast-growing but poorly understood trend: the use of injectable peptides marketed online for enhancement purposes, often beyond the reach of traditional drug regulation.