Body Mass Index (BMI) News and Research

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Body Mass Index (BMI) is a measure that relates body weight to height. BMI is sometimes used to measure total body fat and whether a person is a healthy weight. Excess body fat is linked to an increased risk of some diseases including heart disease and some cancers.

Small weight loss leads to big gains in heart health

Even without weight loss, healthy lifestyle changes enhance heart health. This study highlights the importance of habits for cardiometabolic improvement.

9 Jun 2025

Study explores the connection between abnormal uterine bleeding and hyperinsulinemia

Insulin resistance is becoming more common because of a combination of lifestyle factors, genetics, and medical conditions. A lot of those same risk factors play a role in abnormal uterine bleeding.

4 Jun 2025

Plant-based portfolio diet linked to fewer heart-related deaths

The portfolio diet significantly lowers heart disease risk, with long-term benefits for cardiovascular health and all-cause mortality in diverse populations.

3 Jun 2025

Genetic factors influence obesity risk in children exposed to gestational diabetes

Children exposed to gestational diabetes in utero with a specific variation of a common gene are at a higher risk of becoming overweight or obese during childhood, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.

30 May 2025

What drives insulin resistance? Proteomics reveals key pathways in human skeletal muscle

Identifying proteomic signatures of insulin resistance in fasting muscle offers insights for personalized type 2 diabetes therapies based on molecular profiles.

30 May 2025

Midlife weight loss may lower your long-term risk of diabetes, study finds

This study shows that midlife weight loss, without medical interventions, reduces chronic disease risk and supports longevity, beyond diabetes benefits.

29 May 2025

Higher BMI, not menopause age, increases hypothyroidism risk

Researchers analyzed over 15,000 postmenopausal Canadian women to investigate whether age at natural menopause influences the risk of developing overt hypothyroidism. The study found no association, but higher BMI was linked to increased hypothyroidism risk.

29 May 2025

Choosing better carbs in low-carb diets boosts health outcomes

A long-term study of the Framingham Heart Study Offspring cohort found that low-carbohydrate diets emphasizing high-quality carbs, like whole grains, fruits, and vegetables, were linked to reduced inflammation and oxidative stress. Diets low in carbohydrate quality offered no such benefits.

29 May 2025

Coronary inflammation marker helps identify hidden heart risk in young adults

Researchers found that peri-coronary adipose tissue attenuation (PCAT), a marker of coronary inflammation, is independently associated with coronary artery disease (CAD) in young adults. Adding PCAT to standard risk models improved detection of early atherosclerosis, even in patients with a zero calcium score.

28 May 2025

How dietary zinc affects your chances of having a stroke

Moderate zinc intake is associated with a significantly lower prevalence of stroke among U.S. adults. Higher intake beyond this range offers no added benefit, suggesting a threshold effect.

28 May 2025

MRI scans reveal why young women face higher risk for eating disorders

Advanced high-field MRI reveals distinct microstructural changes in hypothalamic subregions of young women with anorexia nervosa and obesity. These alterations may underlie increased vulnerability to eating disorders and point toward new neurobiological treatment targets.

26 May 2025

Which diet lowers blood pressure more: keto or Mediterranean?

A pilot study comparing a low-calorie, high-protein ketogenic diet and a Mediterranean diet in overweight and obese adults with elevated blood pressure found that both diets led to significant weight loss, improved body composition, and reduced blood pressure. Both dietary approaches were safe and well-tolerated, but the Mediterranean diet group showed a greater proportion of participants with healthy nocturnal blood pressure dipping.

26 May 2025

Is a vegan diet the right choice for your child?

A new scoping review analyzes current evidence on vegan diets in children, examining health outcomes, growth, and nutritional adequacy. The findings show that well-planned vegan diets can support normal growth, but highlight crucial gaps and the need for ongoing clinical and research guidance.

26 May 2025

Heavy smoking triggers systemic inflammation and vascular damage in new biomarker study

Heavy smoking in adult males significantly increases oxidative stress, inflammation, and vascular dysfunction, as shown by comprehensive blood and tissue biomarker analysis. The findings highlight measurable biological damage and reinforce the urgent need for targeted public health interventions.

26 May 2025

Blood test pinpoints early Alzheimer’s risk with high accuracy

Researchers evaluated a fully automated plasma biomarker panel to detect early amyloid-β accumulation in cognitively unimpaired adults at risk for Alzheimer’s disease. Plasma p-tau217/Aβ42 emerged as the most robust and accurate blood-based marker for identifying preclinical amyloid pathology.

26 May 2025

Mild winter temperatures offer surprising mental health benefits

Higher ambient temperatures during the cold season were linked to reduced stress, improved life satisfaction, better self-reported health, and less loneliness in a large Swiss population study. While effects were modest at the individual level, they highlight the broader mental health impacts of seasonal temperature changes.

22 May 2025

Endurance training leads to significant drops in vascular resistance and diastolic blood pressure

Eight months of supervised marathon training in Finnish adults led to moderate reductions in peripheral diastolic blood pressure, systemic vascular resistance, and extracellular water volume. Central (aortic) blood pressure showed a non-significant decline, highlighting the specific impact of exercise on vascular health.

22 May 2025

Early childhood weight patterns linked to future obesity risk

Not all children grow the same way. A new study from the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program suggests that body weight changes in early childhood may be associated with later obesity risk.

22 May 2025

Mediterranean eating habits help European children fight genetic obesity risk

A large European cohort study found that adherence to the Mediterranean diet mitigates the impact of genetic risk for obesity in children, especially in early childhood. High consumption of vegetables and legumes was linked to lower obesity risk, regardless of genetic predisposition.

22 May 2025

Blood and urine tests reveal how much ultra-processed food you really eat, study finds

Researchers developed and validated blood and urine metabolite scores that objectively measure ultra-processed food (UPF) intake in adults. These biomarker profiles accurately distinguished between high- and low-UPF diets and may transform nutrition research and public health monitoring.

21 May 2025