Health

As Japan’s population continues to age, age-related declines in kidney function and chronic kidney disease (CKD) are becoming increasingly prevalent, underscoring the need for effective preventive strategies. Despite growing interest in the health benefits of cardiorespiratory fitness, its relationship with future kidney function decline remains poorly understood, particularly among individuals with preserved kidney function. To address this gap, researchers investigated whether higher cardiorespiratory fitness, a measure of whole-body endurance capacity, is associated with a slower age-related decline in kidney function.

A UIC study led by kinesiology and nutrition professor Krista Varady found that time-restricted eating may be a safe, effective tool to control blood sugar in adults with type 1 diabetes. The work is published in the journal Diabetes Care.

Air pollution can affect oral health. A study conducted in Brazil by researchers from São Paulo State University (UNESP) and the University of São Paulo (USP) demonstrated for the first time that exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5), a major component of urban air pollution, causes changes in oral tissues and accelerates the destruction of periodontal tissues that support teeth.

Participants who followed a Mediterranean-style plan tailored for the Southeast not only kept weight off but also ate better in ways that may help prevent chronic disease.

Supplement shelves can give the impression that almost everyone needs something. Yet for generally healthy adults, a review of 84 studies found that routine vitamin and mineral supplements offered little or no protection against cardiovascular disease, cancer or early death.

A review published in Nature Reviews Cardiology provides the most detailed picture yet of how nicotine damages the cardiovascular system—tracing the biological chain of events from the moment nicotine binds to receptors in blood vessel walls through to the atherosclerotic plaque rupture that triggers heart attacks and strokes.

Cannabis has a reputation for making people hungry. Popular culture has long joked about the “munchies,” and many people assume that students who use cannabis naturally have poorer diets than those who don’t.

Dehydration can affect much more than your thirst. It also can place extra stress on your heart and cardiovascular system, explains Dr. Brodie Marthaler, a cardiologist at Mayo Clinic Health System in Eau Claire.

Dementia can be brewing in the background for years before the telltale signs of memory lapses and difficulties with wayfinding creep into people’s daily lives or are detected through memory tests, but endless crossword puzzles or sudoku are unlikely to make a meaningful difference.

Anyone who works in health care in rural or remote Australia knows what the challenges look like. Behind every statistic is a person forced to travel hundreds of kilometers for care, a clinician stretched beyond capacity or a community left without the services it needs. These inequities are particularly stark for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.

Older adults who typically had longer intervals between meals accumulated chronic diseases more rapidly over time than those with shorter intervals, according to a study from Karolinska Institutet published in the Journal of Internal Medicine. The association was most pronounced among people aged 78 years and older.