Welcome back to our regular feature where we sift through thousands of new, health-related papers, and pick a few to summarize in a practical, simple, and not anxiety-inducing way.
Our main questions on each paper:
- In simple language, what does it say?
- Does it have good evidence?
- Should what it says matter to normal people?
- What simple thing, if anything, could a normal person do to take advantage of this finding?
Okay, away we go. And, as always, we rate each paper for practicality and level of interest, but we are mostly focused on finding ways to simplify findings. And more than anything else, we want to avoid over-optimization, so if a paper is telling you down to the minute how much sunlight to get at dawn, or that you should only drink coffee during eclipses, we are outta there.
This edition's articles and papers:
- Body Roundness Index and All-Cause Mortality Among US Adults | Nutrition, Obesity, Exercise | JAMA Network Open | JAMA Network https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2819558
- Metformin: Therapeutic profile in the treatment of type 2 diabetes - Bailey - Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism - Wiley Online Library https://dom-pubs.pericles-prod.literatumonline.com/doi/10.1111/dom.15663
- Interventions to Prevent Falls in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement | Guidelines | JAMA | JAMA Network https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2819573
- Time of exercise differentially impacts bone growth in mice | Nature Metabolism https://www.nature.com/articles/s42255-024-01057-0
Now, here are our takes on the articles and papers:
Paper: Body Roundness Index Trends and Mortality
Practicality (4/5): 🏃♂️🏃♂️🏃♂️🏃♂️ Interest (4/5): 🏃♂️🏃♂️🏃♂️🏃♂️
Summary
Researchers observed that the Body Roundness Index (BRI) among U.S. adults has steadily increased over the last 20 years. Both very low and very high BRI levels were linked to higher death rates.
What is the paper's main claim?
- BRI has been increasing among U.S. adults from 1999 to 2018.
- There is a U-shaped relationship between BRI and overall mortality, meaning extreme BRI levels (both high and low) are associated with higher death risks.
Are the methods and/or data it uses appropriate and convincing?
- Sample size is substantial with nearly 33,000 participants, offering robust findings.
- Data analysis is thorough but might be confounded by factors like nonresponse bias as only about half of the participants completed the study.
What do we know now that we didn't know before, if anything?
- This study identifies BRI's increasing trend over two decades.
- Provides evidence that BRI has a significant association with mortality, which BMI might miss.
What simple and practical thing could a normal person do knowing this?
- Regularly measure waist circumference along with weight and height to have a better understanding of body fat distribution.
- Focus on maintaining a balanced body shape rather than just a healthy weight
Paper: History of Metformin
Practicality (4/5): 🏃♂️🏃♂️🏃♂️🏃♂️
Interest (3/5): 🏃♂️🏃♂️🏃♂️
Summary
Metformin, now widely used for managing type 2 diabetes, and now a favorite among longevity promoters, has a long history starting from its origins as French lilac. Over the decades, it was recognized for its ability to lower blood sugar without causing weight gain or severe side effects. Today, it continues to be a cornerstone of diabetes treatment, with potential uses beyond diabetes being explored.
What is the paper's main claim?
- Metformin has been a major player in diabetes care due to its safety, efficacy, and low cost.
- It was gradually adopted over many years and is now considered an essential medicine worldwide for type 2 diabetes.
Are the methods and/or data it uses appropriate and convincing?
- The paper relies heavily on historical reviews and summarizes decades of clinical observations and trials.
- No new clinical trials or experimental data were provided, so the methodologies are about robust documentation rather than experimental rigor.
What do we know now that we didn't know before, if anything?
- The paper offers a comprehensive historical timeline of metformin, adding context to its current use and safety profile.
What simple and practical thing could a normal person do knowing this?
- While metformin has a good safety profile in type 2 diabetes, its usage outside that domain remains experimental, at best.
Paper: Preventing Falls in Older Adults
Practicality (5/5): 🏃♂️🏃♂️🏃♂️🏃♂️🏃♂️
Interest (4/5): 🏃♂️🏃♂️🏃♂️🏃♂️
Summary
Exercises and customized interventions help older adults reduce fall risk, and falls represent one of the most common causes of decline, morbidity, and mortality in that group.
What is the paper's main claim?
- Exercise programs significantly lower the risk of falls in older adults.
- Multifactorial approaches offer smaller but positive benefits.
Are the methods and/or data it uses appropriate and convincing?
- Exercise programs show a moderate decrease in falls, and multifactorial interventions showed slight benefits but were inconsistent in application.
- Most studies had a decent sample size and showed significant, though not large, reductions in falls.
What do we know now that we didn't know before, if anything?
- Detailed evidence on specific exercise types and multifactorial approaches confirms their effectiveness in fall prevention.
What simple and practical thing could a normal person do knowing this?
- Engaging in appropriate exercise reduces fall risk.
- Resistance training becomes even more important with age as a way of preventing falls and subsequent decline cascades.
Paper: Exercise Time of Day and Bone Growth
Practicality (4/5): 🏃♂️🏃♂️🏃♂️🏃♂️
Interest (5/5): 🏃♂️🏃♂️🏃♂️🏃♂️🏃♂️
Summary
Exercising at different times of the day impacts bone growth in mice, with early active phase exercise (akin to morning exercise in humans) showing the greatest improvement. While this might suggest timing your workouts will optimize bone growth, this seems another example of over-optimization.
What is the paper's main claim?
- Exercising during the early active phase significantly enhances bone growth compared to other times.
- This early-phase exercise upregulates genes associated with bone growth and metabolic processes, especially oxidative phosphorylation
Are the methods and/or data it uses appropriate and convincing?
- The methods used a decent sample size of mice (890 male, 98 female) with high-quality imaging and genetic analysis, but results from mice might not perfectly translate to humans.
- The study's power appeared strong, with consistent results across several metrics (e.g., bone length, gene expression).
What do we know now that we didn't know before, if anything?
- Exercise timing can affect bone growth.
What simple and practical thing could a normal person do knowing this?
- Morning exercise may have bone development benefits, but don't worry about it: it's more important to exercise than to time it to perfection.
Back next week with thoughtful and simplifying takes on papers getting attention. And if you see anything you want us to look at, let us know.
