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Blood test breakthrough pinpoints 70 proteins linked to asthma risk in major genetic study

Researchers used UK Biobank data to identify 70 proteins with genetically predicted roles in asthma, offering insights into disease mechanisms.

7 Apr 2025

Genetic pathways explain why some people grow tall and others stay short

A landmark review in Nature Reviews Genetics dissects the rare and common genetic variants that shape human height. The paper explains how monogenic and polygenic factors converge on key growth pathways and influence disease risk.

7 Apr 2025

Short on time? Weekend workouts still boost longevity, researchers say

A large UK Biobank study found that concentrating weekly physical activity into one or two days provides similar mortality benefits as spreading it across the week. Regular and “weekend warrior” exercise patterns both significantly reduced all-cause, cancer, and cardiovascular mortality.

3 Apr 2025

Weekend exercise can offer the same health benefits as daily workouts

Being physically active for one to two days a week, often called a "weekend warrior," may provide comparable health and life-prolonging benefits as smaller doses of daily physical activity if the physical effort is moderate to vigorous and totals 150 minutes a week in line with recommended guidelines for weekly physical activity, according to new research published today in the Journal of the American Heart Association, an open access, peer-reviewed journal of the American Heart Association.

2 Apr 2025

Light intensity daily physical activities may reduce cancer risk

In a prospective cohort study of more than 85,000 adults in the United Kingdom, researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and University of Oxford found that individuals who engaged in light- and moderate-to-vigorous-intensity daily physical activity had a lower risk of cancer than individuals who were more sedentary.

26 Mar 2025

Scientists find links between bipolar disorder and rare loss-of-function variants in two genes

Scientists at deCODE genetics, a subsidiary of Amgen, reveal today in Nature Genetics associations between bipolar disorder and rare loss-of-function variants in two genes.

25 Mar 2025

Plant-based diets and IBD

This study highlights the link between plant-based diets and reduced IBD risk, suggesting dietary choices play a crucial role in managing chronic inflammation.

19 Mar 2025

Healthy plant-based diets linked to longer life for people with cardiometabolic disorders

People with cardiometabolic disorders—such as obesity, diabetes and heart disease—could increase their chances of living longer by adopting a healthy plant-based diet, according to a study being presented at the American College of Cardiology's Annual Scientific Session (ACC.25).

18 Mar 2025

Social advantage reduces risk of age-related diseases and slows aging

People with favorable socioeconomic conditions, such as high incomes or education levels, face a reduced risk of age-related diseases and show fewer signs of biological aging than peers of the same age, finds a new study led by University College London (UCL) researchers.

14 Mar 2025

Study links ITSN1 gene variants to increased Parkinson's disease risk

A new study published in Cell Reports reveals a breakthrough discovery linking genetic variants in the gene ITSN1 to a significantly elevated risk of Parkinson's disease, a neurodegenerative condition that affects nearly 2% of adults older than 65 years.

7 Mar 2025

New AI tool detects elevated heart disease risk in women using ECG

A new AI model can flag female patients who are at higher risk of heart disease based on an electrocardiogram (ECG).

25 Feb 2025

Can coffee push back Parkinson’s? New study uncovers key genetic link

Higher coffee consumption is causally linked to delayed onset of Parkinson’s disease but does not affect disease risk or progression, according to a Mendelian randomization study.

25 Feb 2025

Aging isn’t just in your genes—your environment plays a bigger role, study shows

Study explores the relative contributions of genetics and environmental factors to aging and premature mortality. It highlights how the exposome—lifetime environmental exposures—shapes disease risks, with socioeconomic status, smoking, and lifestyle choices emerging as key aging determinants.

23 Feb 2025

Small amounts of exercise linked to lower dementia risk in older adults

A little movement could help prevent dementia, even for frail older adults, suggests a new study led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

20 Feb 2025

Lifestyle and environmental factors play bigger role in health and premature death than genetics

A new study led by researchers from Oxford Population Health has shown that a range of environmental factors, including lifestyle (smoking and physical activity), and living conditions, have a greater impact on health and premature death than our genes.

19 Feb 2025

Drinking more water may lower heart disease risk, but too much coffee and tea could raise it

Drinking water may help reduce cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk, while excessive coffee and tea intake (≥6 cups/day) increases the likelihood of CVD, with stronger effects in women.

19 Feb 2025

Study links sucrase defects to increased IBS risk and severe symptoms

Sucrase-isomaltase (SI) is an intestinal enzyme critical for the digestion of dietary carbohydrates, particularly sucrose and starch.

17 Feb 2025

People with depression at higher risk for long-term physical health conditions

Adults with a history of depression gain long-term physical conditions around 30% faster than those without, according to research publishing February 13th in the open-access journal PLOS Medicine.

13 Feb 2025

Study connects loneliness and social isolation to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease risk

Loneliness and social isolation have been linked to an elevated risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), according to a groundbreaking study conducted by researchers from Central South University and the Army Medical University in China, in collaboration with the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden.

12 Feb 2025

Research reveals distinct blood pressure patterns in South Asian and East Asian adults

South Asian and East Asian adults living in the United Kingdom may have distinct trajectories to develop high blood pressure over their life course, according to new research published today in Hypertension, an American Heart Association journal.