Body Mass Index News and Research

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Do lifetime body weight patterns affect kidney cancer risk?

Excess weight in mid-life is a known risk factor for kidney cancer, but new research indicates that weight patterns throughout life may also affect an individual’s likelihood of developing this malignancy.

1 Apr 2025

Tirzepatide improves kidney, cardiovascular function in patients with obesity and HFpEF

The drug tirzepatide improved kidney function and cardiovascular outcomes among patients with obesity and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) compared with placebo at one year, according to featured clinical research presented at the American College of Cardiology's Annual Scientific Session (ACC.25) and simultaneously published in JACC.

31 Mar 2025

What blueberries do and don’t do for your microbiome and heart

Regular blueberry consumption for 12 weeks enriched Coriobacteriales incertae sedis in the gut microbiota of older overweight adults. However, this microbial shift was not linked to significant improvements in cardiometabolic biomarkers.

31 Mar 2025

Five lifestyle changes by 50 can add a decade to your life, global study finds

Study estimates the global lifetime risk and benefits of modifying cardiovascular risk factors like hypertension, smoking, and obesity by age 50, showing significant improvements in both life expectancy and quality of life. It highlights the importance of early intervention and midlife changes in preventing cardiovascular disease and mortality.

31 Mar 2025

Eating ultra-processed food daily increases depression risk in older adults

Eating four or more servings of ultra-processed food daily increases the risk of depression by 10% in older adults and modestly reduces their mental health-related quality of life.

30 Mar 2025

Why sucralose could make you hungrier instead of helping you lose weight

Sucralose increases hypothalamic activity linked to hunger more than sugar or water, especially in women and people with obesity.

30 Mar 2025

Bentracimab reverses ticagrelor's antiplatelet effects during surgery and bleeding events

A drug developed as an antidote to the antiplatelet agent ticagrelor safely and effectively reversed ticagrelor's antiplatelet effects in patients undergoing urgent surgery or experiencing major bleeding, according to a study presented at the American College of Cardiology's Annual Scientific Session (ACC.25).

29 Mar 2025

Semaglutide improves maximal walking distance in people with symptomatic PAD and Type 2 diabetes

Semaglutide, a glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) agonist, significantly improved maximal walking distance in people with symptomatic peripheral artery disease (PAD) and Type 2 diabetes in the first-of-its kind trial to evaluate the use of a GLP-1 agonist to manage PAD.

29 Mar 2025

Expanded access to anti-obesity medications could boost life expectancy and save society billions

A new USC Schaeffer Center white paper finds expanded access to anti-obesity medications would lead to significant increases in life expectancy and disease-free years while generating a substantial societal return on investment, even after accounting for treatment costs.

27 Mar 2025

Older Americans support insurance coverage for obesity medications

A large majority of older Americans feel that health insurance – including Medicare – should cover anti-obesity medications, according to a new University of Michigan study.

27 Mar 2025

Study links high sodium intake to increased risk of general and abdominal obesity

New research to be presented at this year's European Congress on Obesity (ECO 2025, Malaga, Spain, 11-14 May) shows an association between the amount of sodium consumed in the diet and the risk of both general and abdominal obesity.

26 Mar 2025

Pass the (iodized) salt: Iodine deficiency drives frailty risk in people with diabetes

Lower iodine levels and use of non-iodized salt are linked to a higher risk of frailty in people with type 2 diabetes. This association is strongest in those with thyroid dysfunction, underscoring the importance of adequate iodine intake.

26 Mar 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

Epigenetic scores offer new insights into cardiometabolic disease prevention

A new study explores how epigenetic markers-chemical modifications that influence gene activity-can help predict the risk of developing cardiometabolic diseases and guide personalized prevention strategies.

25 Mar 2025

Simple changes in eating habits could help fight obesity

Obesity is linked to numerous health complications, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and fatty liver disease.

25 Mar 2025

Drinking diet drinks in pregnancy raises overweight risk in children, study finds

Daily consumption of artificially sweetened beverages (ASB) during pregnancy was linked to a modest but consistent increase in overweight risk in offspring from age 7 to 18. Surprisingly, sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) were associated with a lower risk, though lifestyle differences may explain this.

25 Mar 2025

Ketogenic diet reverses obesity-linked biological aging by over 6 years

Obesity speeds up biological aging at the molecular level, but this study finds that a very-low-calorie ketogenic diet (VLCKD) can significantly reverse this effect.

24 Mar 2025

A pecan a day keeps bad cholesterol away

Daily consumption of 57g of pecans for 12 weeks improved cholesterol profiles and diet quality in adults at risk of cardiometabolic disease, without affecting vascular health. Replacing typical snacks with pecans led to higher intake of healthy fats and fiber, and reduced carbohydrate consumption.

24 Mar 2025

Waist circumference identified as a stronger cancer risk marker in men

Body size and excess weight, conventionally assessed using body mass index (BMI), are well-established risk factors for many types of cancer. However, new research to be presented at this year's European Congress on Obesity (ECO 2025, Malaga, Spain, 11-14 May) and published in The Journal of the National Cancer Institute shows that waist circumference (WC) is a stronger risk marker than BMI for developing obesity-related cancers in men, but not women.

24 Mar 2025

Lifelong weight patterns linked to kidney cancer risk

Excess weight in mid-life is a known risk factor for kidney cancer, but new research indicates that weight patterns throughout life may also affect an individual's likelihood of developing this malignancy.

24 Mar 2025