Health

A 10-year study of residents of São Paulo, Brazil, reveals that leisure-time physical activity is highly unequal and that the gap between social strata is widening. While highly educated white men are exercising more, women from racial minorities with low levels of education have the lowest rates of physical activity during leisure time. In contrast, exercise associated with urban transportation, such as walking to work, is distributed more evenly across different population segments.

Not every disease announces itself with obvious symptoms. Some develop quietly, going unnoticed until they begin to take a serious toll on health. Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is one of them. Rather than a single disease, it is a combination of at least three conditions—including high blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess belly fat, high triglycerides and low HDL (good) cholesterol—that together raise the risk of heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes.

Protein-fortified foods are popping up everywhere, from cereal and coffee to even protein water. But a new review covering more than 350 papers on protein restriction and aging—published July 31 in the journal Cell Press Blue—suggests that consuming less protein could have greater health benefits and could, in some cases, extend lifespan. The authors describe how protein restriction slows aging by improving metabolism, changing how cells respond to nutrients, reducing cellular damage and preserving healthy cell function.

People living on the coast in midlife are more likely to have worse health, a new study of England and Wales led by UCL researchers finds.

The amino acid arginine helps keep the human body humming, most notably by synthesizing proteins that carry out a range of cellular processes. It’s produced by our bodies and found in common high-protein foods. Low levels of arginine are associated with a number of diseases, including colon cancer.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is among the leading causes of death worldwide. In South Korea, it is the second-leading cause of death, and its incidence has continued to rise in recent years. CVD places a substantial burden on public health systems, society and the economy while also reducing quality of life. As a result, identifying effective strategies for prevention and management remains a major public health priority.

Cigarette smoking kills nearly half a million Americans each year, yet most people who smoke are unable to quit despite multiple attempts. Helping more people quit smoking remains one of the greatest opportunities to reduce tobacco-related disease and death.

From yoga studios to boutique gyms, workouts performed beneath infrared heating panels have become a visible fitness trend. Studios often claim that infrared heat improves circulation, flexibility and recovery, reduces inflammation and helps the body to “detoxify.”

High blood pressure can be better controlled with a strategy that combines boosting potassium intake with reducing sodium, according to a new report. High blood pressure, or hypertension, affects more than 1.28 billion adults worldwide and is a leading risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Public health guidelines underscore sodium reduction as the best way to reduce hypertension and cardiovascular disease risk.

A growing body of scientific evidence confirms what many of us know innately—spending time in nature is good for us. It not only lowers stress and depression, it strengthens immunity, boosts cognitive performance, promotes better sleep, fights inflammation, and helps the lungs and heart, research suggests.

A father’s diet can affect his children’s health and body composition before they are even conceived. A study of 43 triads of fathers, mothers and newborns treated in the public health care system of Ribeirão Preto in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, demonstrated this. The analysis revealed that the greater the consumption of ultra-processed foods by the fathers, the higher the birth weight and the greater the accumulation of fat in the baby’s thighs and suprailiac region. High birth weight and elevated body fat early in life are risk factors for cardiometabolic diseases in adulthood.