Dietary Fibers Alleviate T2D by Promoting SCFA-Producing Gut Bacteria

A randomized clinical study of specifically designed isoenergetic diets, together with fecal shotgun metagenomics, showed that a select group of short-chain fatty acid (SCFA)-producing strains of the gut microbiota was promoted by dietary fibers, and correlated with improved blood-glucose regulation in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D). The improvement in hemoglobin […]


Calcium and Vitamin D Supplementation Increased Colorectal Cancer Precursors

A randomized chemoprevention study in the US found evidence that calcium and vitamin D supplementation increased the risk of sessile serrated adenomas or polyps (SSA/Ps), precursor lesions for colorectal cancer. A total of 2259 participants with one or more adenoma at baseline were randomized to receive 1200 mg/day of elemental calcium, […]


Vegetarian and Mediterranean Diets Equivalent for Weight Loss

A randomized, open, crossover trial in Italy showed that both low-calorie lacto-ovo vegetarian diet (VD) and Mediterranean diet (MD) were effective in reducing body weight, body mass index (BMI), and fat mass. One hundred eighteen overweight subjects (mean age 51.1 years, females 78%, BMI ≥ 25) with a low-to-moderate cardiovascular […]


Comparative Efficacy and Acceptability of Antidepressants

A systematic review and network meta-analysis concluded that all 21 antidepressants were more efficacious than placebo in adults with major depressive disorder. Smaller differences between active drugs were found when placebo-controlled trials were included in the analysis, whereas there was more variability in efficacy (response rate) and acceptability (treatment discontinuations […]


Shared and Specific Genes in Psychiatric Disorders

A transcriptomic profiling analysis revealed that there were shared and distinct gene-expression patterns across five major psychiatric disorders—autism (ASD), schizophrenia (SCZ), bipolar disorder (BD), depression (MDD), and alcoholism (AAD)—compared with matched controls. Brain transcriptomes—a quantitative, genome-wide molecular phenotype—were performed using 700 cerebral cortical samples from subjects with ASD (n = […]


Shifting Focus for Stroke

“Time is brain,” the time-focused mantra has been extended in acute stroke care. Findings of 2 recent trials—showing that a mechanical thrombectomy treatment window of 16 to even 24 hours can still benefit imaging-selected patient—have been adopted into the new American Heart Association/American Stroke Association guidelines. Strokes develop differently; some […]


Standing Burned More Calories than Sitting

A systematic review and meta-analysis suggested that replacing sitting with standing could be a potential solution for a sedentary lifestyle to prevent weight gain in the long term. The analysis included 46 studies with 1184 participants. The mean difference in energy expenditure (EE) between sitting and standing was 0.15 kcal/min (0.1 and […]


Atrial Fibrillation Ablation Improved Heart Failure Outcomes

A randomized study concluded that catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF) in patients with heart failure (HF) was associated with a significantly lower rate of death from any cause or hospitalization for worsening HF than was medical therapy. The study randomly assigned HF patients with symptomatic paroxysmal or persistent AF […]