Health

A common and often overlooked nutrient deficiency may play a bigger role in pregnancy outcomes than previously recognized. In a recent analysis published in the Journal of Perinatology, neonatologist and pediatrician Carol L. Wagner, M.D., and Anjali G. Borsum, an M.D. candidate at MUSC’s College of Medicine, found that among more than 15,000 pregnancies studied at MUSC, women with the lowest vitamin D levels faced the highest risk of preterm birth.

A healthy diet lowers the risk of type 2 diabetes. However, the extent of this protective effect may be influenced by epigenetic factors. This is suggested by a new study conducted by researchers from the German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD) and the German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke (DIfE). The results have been published in Cardiovascular Diabetology.

Incorporating a free smartphone app featuring AI-driven health coaching, blood pressure monitoring and behavioral incentives into a hospital’s existing clinical workflows helps patients make meaningful reductions in blood pressure, findings that suggest digital apps may offer an effective means of extending care beyond the clinic when incorporated into treatment plans.

Forget jade rollers, LED masks and salmon sperm facials. The latest skincare trend taking over TikTok is a blood test.

What if you could heal like Wolverine?

A study by DZNE finds that healthy eating is associated with slower biological aging—and that there is more than one way to eat healthily. The researchers examined 10 dietary patterns considered healthy, including the Mediterranean, Nordic, and a plant-based diet, as well as the DASH diet, which is designed to help lower blood pressure. All were linked with slower biological aging, with age-related changes in the DNA serving as markers.

Losing muscle as we age could be an important warning sign for dementia, according to new Curtin University research. Researchers analyzed more than 80 studies examining the links between body weight, body fat, muscle health and dementia, finding people with sarcopenia—the loss of muscle mass and strength—had a 42% higher risk of dementia. Sarcopenia is a condition in which people lose muscle mass, strength and physical function, often as they get older.

Structured exercise may help people with cancer live longer and have more time free of disease, finds a synthesis of the available evidence, published online in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

Eating four to six servings of whole grains each day reduces several major risk factors for cardiovascular disease, according to a new study published in the European Heart Journal. The study is a systematic review and meta-analysis, meaning it brings together the results of all existing research in this area. It includes data from 87 clinical trials that tested the effects of eating whole-grain foods on risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

Poor sleep is known to lead to poor diet quality. But as a new Concordia-led study of cohabiting couples shows, poor sleep can affect not only an individual’s food choices but also their partner’s choices. Because couples who sleep together often eat together, one partner’s unhealthy food choices can have a ripple effect on the other’s eating habits, the researchers say.

Most of us are used to hearing about the risks of not getting enough iron. Yet having too much iron in the body can also cause serious health problems.