Health

Hiking in Australia is having a moment. In the decade ending in 2024, hiking popularity rose 81%.

A recent study in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior provides new insight into how women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) adopt and maintain healthy eating and physical activity behaviors. Researchers found that behavior change is a nonlinear process shaped by factors that can support progress or lead to disengagement.

At least a quarter of Americans have high levels of cholesterol or fatty acids in their blood, a condition called dyslipidemia. Uncontrolled cholesterol levels increase the risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, or ASCVD, a group of diseases that result from plaque buildup in blood vessels and prevent blood from flowing smoothly to vital organs. This can lead to a heart attack or stroke.

Cardiac rehabilitation is much more than exercise after a heart attack or heart surgery. It is an integral part of treatment that also includes risk factor management, appropriate nutrition, medication optimization, education and psychological support. The European Society of Cardiology (ESC) presents this comprehensive approach in its new guidelines. One of the co-authors is Associate Professor Michał Czapla from Wroclaw Medical University.

As health care systems increasingly seek solutions to the growing burden of chronic disease, a new position statement from the American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM) outlines a standardized approach to collecting and measuring lifestyle medicine data at the point of care.

Emily Pfender, an assistant professor in the department of communications at the University of Delaware, is a researcher on a new study in Health Communication. She explains the focus of the research:

More than one-third of adults in England have high blood pressure, and two-thirds of them are unaware of their diagnosis, according to a new study of 1.4 million adults published in BMJ Public Health. The study also reported that only half of adults with high blood pressure who are treated by a doctor have their condition adequately controlled.

Doctors have long recommended investing in physical health for its potential long-term benefits, especially as we age. Over 30 years, regular exercise might help preserve our functional ability.

You reach into your pantry for a bottle of vitamin D. Then get some fish oil capsules from the fridge. Gulp! What’s a little fish burp for a healthier brain, right? But then you see the headline: Studies link vitamin D, fish oil and glucosamine to cognitive decline in older adults. Say what?

We know that being near someone we love can make us feel good. A new study explains why: It helps the body work better. A study led by Professor Shir Atzil and doctoral student Monia Masalha of Hebrew University and Dr. Shai Fuchs of Sheba Medical Center found that blood glucose levels after a meal were lower when participants ate with others than when they ate alone. After the same standardized carbohydrate meal, participants had smaller glucose spikes and quicker glucose recovery in the social condition.

The colorings, additives and preservatives added to food products, as well as food processing techniques, are a source of concern in 2026 because they are ubiquitous worldwide, yet their effects on metabolic health are not fully understood. Researchers are also increasingly investigating how they may affect the brain as people age. Dr. Owen Carmichael of LSU’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center is helping advance that understanding through a comprehensive look at the potential relationship between ultraprocessed foods—those featuring extensive processing and additives—and the aging brain.