Andrew Rhoades

CHICAGO — A greater intake of ultraprocessed foods, or UPFs, did not significantly increase the risk for type 2 diabetes in middle-aged adults, according to a study presented at NUTRITION.“We were motivated with wanting to better understand how [UPFs], a staple of the U.S. diet which contributes to over 60% of caloric intake, was potentially influencing the risk of diabetes,”

A 5:2 intermittent fasting diet combined with meal replacement resulted in greater weight loss and better glycemic control compared with antidiabetic medications in patients with early-stage type 2 diabetes, data from the EARLY study showed. According to Lixin Guo, MD, from the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences in China, and colleagues, past clinical trials on the 5:2 intermittent fasting diet

This year’s American Society for Nutrition Scientific Sessions and Annual Meeting will take place in person in Chicago from June 29 to July 2.Speaking to Healio, Gwen Twillman, chief knowledge officer at the American Society for Nutrition, said that more than 2,800 health professionals, scientific researchers and policymakers from around the world will attend the conference to

Almost one-third of adults aged 60 years and older without CVD regularly used aspirin for primary prevention in 2021, contrary to guidance from medical organizations, a study showed.The data, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, build on previous research that shows older adults continue to use aspirin for primary CVD prevention.

Veterans who were paired with service dogs demonstrated lower PTSD symptom severity, anxiety and depression, a study published in JAMA Network Open showed. According to Marguerite E. O’Haire, PhD, a professor at the University of Arizona College of Veterinary Medicine, veterans with PTSD face high rates of depression, anxiety and suicide.

On May 8, the health care organization Ascension experienced a cyberattack that disrupted access to its electronic health care records, patient portals, phones and systems used to order tests, medications and procedures.The attack forced Ascension, which operates 140 hospitals across 19 states, to divert ambulances from several hospitals, an organization spokesperson said in an update.

Greater adherence to the Mediterranean diet was associated with a reduced risk for all-cause mortality among women, data in JAMA Network Open showed. Researchers said the association can be partly attributed to cardiometabolic risk factors.“For women who want to live longer, our study says watch your diet!” Saima Mora, MD, MHS, a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and

First-line prostate-specific antigen testing with second-line multiparametric MRI was a more cost effective screening strategy for prostate cancer than biparametric MRI as a first-line approach, a study showed.Prior research has tied prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening for prostate cancer with high rates of overdiagnoses and limited reductions in cancer-specific mortality, Roman Gulati, MS,

The net benefit of GLP-1 receptor agonists in adults with overweight or obesity who do not have diabetes depends on their weight loss target and willingness to accept harms, according to researchers.Although GLP-1 receptor agonists have demonstrated effectiveness in reducing weight loss and risks for other chronic diseases, questions remain over whether the benefits outweigh the harms of the

Dispensing of GLP-1 receptor agonists increased nearly 600% among adolescents and young adults in the United States from 2020 to 2023 and was particularly significant among girls and young women, a new study showed.According to Joyce M. Lee, MD, MPH, a professor of pediatrics and communicable diseases at the University of Michigan School of Public Health, and colleagues, interest in GLP-1

Drug overdose deaths in the United States decreased in 2023 for the first time in half a decade, preliminary CDC data showed.The decrease “is heartening news for our nation and demonstrates we are making progress to prevent deaths from drug overdoses,” CDC Chief Medical Officer Deb Houry, MD, MPH, said in a press release. “The decrease is a testament to the hard work by all of

The American College of Lifestyle Medicine, or ACLM, announced the release of a simple diet screening tool that captures a patient’s dietary pattern, allowing clinicians to implement a “food as medicine” approach in practice.“While there are other screeners that exist for specific populations, we are unaware of any single tool that is as flexible to a wide variety of

Enrollment in medical cannabis programs increased overall from 2020 to 2022, but it decreased in most states where nonmedical cannabis use became legal, research showed.Medical cannabis use has risen significantly over the past decade, with the prevalence of U.S. citizens who use medical cannabis increasing from 1.2% in 2013 to 2014 to 2.5% in 2019 to 2020.

Exercise just two to three times a week reduced the risk for multiple insomnia symptoms and extreme sleep durations both short and long, a study published in BMJ Open showed.“Regular exercise is associated with better health and several studies suggest that physical activity is beneficial to sleep and may improve symptoms of chronic insomnia,” Erla Björnsdóttir, PhD, a postdoctoral

An hour-long telehealth session on mindfulness and compassion failed to achieve its primary outcome — decreased loneliness — but it did reduce depression, anxiety and perceived stress, research showed. “Given the degree to which the COVID-19 pandemic has led to increases in loneliness and stress, it was important to consider ways to address this concern in a relatively

Patients with an incarceration history were less likely to receive preventive care, such as physical examinations, BP tests or cancer screenings, according to a study in JAMA Network Open.“The physical, psychological, and socioeconomic consequences of being incarcerated may exacerbate inequities in access to health care,” Jingxuan Zhao, MPH, a senior associate scientist at the

Shorter sleep durations increased the risk for developing type 2 diabetes, even among those with healthy eating habits, research showed.According to Diana Aline Nôga, PhD, a researcher from Uppsala University in Sweden, and colleagues, although it has been established that a healthy dietary pattern can help reduce the risk for type 2 diabetes, “the extent to which adherence to such a diet

There is inadequate evidence to recommend for or against the use of iron supplements during pregnancy or screening pregnant people for iron deficiency and iron deficiency anemia, according to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.In its draft recommendation published Tuesday, the task force issued I statements — which are given when not enough evidence is available to support a preventive

Maintaining high levels of physical activity and weight loss were associated with reduced risks for several cardiovascular events, a study published in JAMA Network Open showed.“Additional research is crucial to deepen our knowledge of the outcomes of lifestyle-induced weight loss,” Zihao Huang, Msc, from the First Affiliated Hospital in China, and colleagues wrote. “Recent

Patients with diabetes on one of several GLP-1 receptor agonists were less likely to be diagnosed with depression and anxiety compared with those not on those medications, researchers found.“Our findings suggest that GLP-1 medications could potentially have a dual benefit for patients, not only in managing their diabetes or obesity but also in potentially reducing the likelihood of