Evidence-based wellness trends to follow in 2026, and the viral health habits experts say to skip.
Category: health – Page 2
Prediabetes rates soar among children with overweight as maternal weight rises
The prevalence of prediabetes has increased significantly in recent years among Finnish children living with overweight or obesity, a recent study by Tampere University and the University of Eastern Finland shows. In the early 2000s, 11% of those studied had prediabetes, whereas 20 years later, the prevalence of prediabetes was 50%. The prevalence of obesity remained unchanged during the study period, but prediabetes became more common among children, which could, in part, be due to a simultaneous increase in maternal overweight.
The study, published in the International Journal of Obesity, included 602 children aged 6 to 16 who had been assessed for overweight or obesity in primary health care or specialized health care in Tampere between 2002 and 2020. The study also included a control group of 483 children aged 7–16, which had been drawn from the Physical Activity and Nutrition in Children (PANIC) study, underway at the University of Eastern Finland.
According to the study, 34% of children who had been assessed for overweight or obesity had prediabetes, and 1% had type 2 diabetes. In the control group, 7% had prediabetes, while type 2 diabetes was not observed. Prediabetes was more common in older children and those in more advanced stages of puberty. Its prevalence was also associated with fatty liver disease and acanthosis nigricans, a skin condition often linked to overweight and disturbances in glucose metabolism.
Covenant Health says May data breach impacted nearly 478,000 patients
The Covenant Health organization has revised to nearly 500,000 the number of individuals affected by a data breach discovered last May.
The healthcare entity initially reported in July that the data of 7,864 people had been exposed, but further analysis has revealed a larger impact.
After completing “the bulk of its data analysis,” Covenant Health now says that 478,188 individuals were affected.
Melanoma cancer cells secrete extracellular vesicles to paralyze immune cells
A new international study led by Prof. Carmit Levy of the Department of Human Genetics and Biochemistry at the Gray Faculty of Medical & Health Sciences at Tel Aviv University finds that melanoma cancer cells paralyze immune cells by secreting extracellular vesicles (EVs), which are tiny, bubble-shaped containers secreted from a given cell. The research team believes that this discovery has far-reaching implications for possible treatments for the deadliest form of skin cancer.
The work is published in the journal Cell.
Melanoma is the deadliest type of skin tumor. In the first stage of the disease, melanocytic cells divide uncontrollably in the skin’s outer layer, the epidermis. In the second stage, the cancer cells invade the inner dermis layer and metastasize through the lymphatic and blood systems.
How Dad’s Fitness May Be Packaged and Passed Down in Sperm RNA
We tend to emphasize the maternal role in development: an egg cell is enormous compared to a sperm cell, and a mother gestates the embryo. But a growing body of research suggests that sperm cells carry more than just genetic information.
Research into how a father’s choices — such as diet, exercise, stress, nicotine use — may transfer traits to his children has become impossible to ignore.
Evolution of long scalp hair in humans
Hair is a signature mammalian characteristic with versatile functions, including thermoregulation, protection from ultraviolet radiation, physical and chemical insults, sensation of pain, vibration and touch, and defence from predators.1–3 Human hair patterns, which feature prominently reduced body hair length combined with extremely long scalp hair,4–8 are an outlier among mammals. The likely original function of long scalp hair was to shield the sun-exposed head of upright-standing human ancestors. Long scalp hair probably reduced the amount of sweat secretion required to counter the total thermal load experienced by individuals from incoming solar radiation in equatorial Africa, and from endogenous muscle-generated heat during exercise.9 Tightly curled scalp hair is more efficacious at reducing heat gains compared with other hair shapes, and such hair probably represents the ancestral scalp hair form (Figure 1).9 Variability in hair shapes increased over time. These variations are thought to be associated with the dispersal of anatomically modern humans (AMHs) and accompanying effects of populational bottlenecks, admixture with Neanderthals and Denisovans, and adaptations to diverse environments at new geographic locations (Figure 1a).10 Extreme scalp hair length was probably universal across all African AMH populations and available for diverse functions, other than thermoregulation. In this sense, long scalp hair is an excellent example of exaptation, a form of evolutionary co-option,11 whereby it acquired secondary essential functions in communicating social cues.12 Under these conditions, unwanted hair loss triggered significant psychological stress in affected individuals.
Despite variations, both across different species and different body regions, hair typically has a finite length. A fully grown hair fibre commonly remains attached within its hair follicle (HF) until a new round of growth replaces it. In a typical adult human, approximately 90% of scalp HFs are in active growth (anagen) at any given time, which lasts for 5–7 years.13,14 This is in contrast to small (vellus) body HFs, which have short-lasting anagen, such as 22–28 days on the upper arm.15 When large (terminal) scalp HFs reduce in size, start growing vellus-like hairs, and/or stop growing for an extended period, they are considered to be entering a pathological state.
Elucidation of long scalp hair roles in human prehistory requires further investigation of its thermoregulatory benefit vs. the physical burden it may have caused by hindering vision and locomotion. Continuous hair growth is also metabolically expensive, requiring synthesis of large quantities of keratins and keratin-associated proteins.1,2,16,17 Conversely, highly visible long scalp hair effectively communicates a good state of fitness, whereas compromised hair growth implies poor nutrition and disease.17,18 Indeed, kwashiorkor, a disease caused by severe dietary protein deficit, features dramatic hair thinning and depigmentation.19 The ornamental potential of long hair enables the use of distinct hairstyles to signify a person’s social position, creativity and manual skills.20 Therefore, in prehistory, hair styling likely became an essential part of social communication, which probably further promoted long-hair trait selection.
Candida auris spreads globally as drug resistance and virulence increase, review finds
Best advice is simply disinfect with vinegar because it kills it on contact.
The fungal species Candida auris is spreading across the globe, and gaining in virulence, according to a new review by a Hackensack Meridian Center for Discovery and Innovation (CDI) scientist and colleagues.
But there are strategies available and underway to combat the invasive and drug-resistant germ, says the work in Microbiology and Molecular Biology Reviews.
The paper summarizes and analyzes the latest developments—and needs—in mycology in 2025. Neeraj Chauhan, Ph.D., of the CDI, is co-author with Anuradha Chowdhary, Ph.D., of the Medical Mycology Unit at the Vallabhbhai Patel Chest Institute at the University of Delhi, who is a global leader in identifying and combating fungal threats, and was one of the first scientists to identify C. auris as a major public health threat in India in 2014. Chowdhary is also a visiting researcher at the CDI.
Cold weather concerns: Doctor explains how winter affects children’s immunity and growth
Winter’s chill impacts children’s health, increasing illness and affecting growth due to reduced sunlight, indoor confinement, and dietary shifts. Experts advise parents to prioritize balanced nutrition, adequate sleep, and physical activity. Simple measures like hygiene, vaccinations, and sun exposure are crucial for keeping kids healthy and thriving throughout the colder months.
COVID-19 Leaves Lasting Changes in the Brain, Even After Full Recovery
Summary: Advanced imaging reveals that COVID-19 may cause lasting brain changes, even in people without ongoing symptoms, pointing to hidden neurological effects that could persist long after recovery.
COVID-19 affects more than the lungs. Research shows that even after people have fully recovered from the infection, the virus can cause significant changes in the brain, underscoring its lasting effects on neurological health.
COVID-19 is widely recognized for its impact on the lungs, but growing evidence shows that the virus can also cause lasting changes in the brain, even in people who have fully recovered. These findings point to potential long-term neurological consequences that extend beyond the acute phase of the illness.
Cleaving mechanically stressed DNA
Wang and Wu et al. identify soluble interleukin-6 receptor (sIL-6R) as a key exerkine determining the efficacy of exercise in diabetes prevention, which is modulated by microbiome-dependent leucine through a gut-adipose tissue axis. Pharmacological or dietary interventions targeting adipocyte-secreted sIL-6R may help to improve the metabolic outcomes in those exercise non-responders.