A study published in The BMJ suggests that consuming five or more servings of dark chocolate per week is linked to a 21% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes, while milk chocolate consumption does not significantly affect diabetes risk and may lead to weight gain. The research, conducted on healthcare professionals, highlights the potential benefits of flavanols in dark chocolate, though the study's generalizability is limited due to its participant demographics.
A cohort study of 247,867 adults from the UK Biobank found that habitual short sleep duration, particularly less than 6 hours daily, was associated with a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes (T2D) even among those with healthy dietary habits. While adherence to a healthy diet was linked to reduced T2D risk, the increased risk associated with short sleep duration persisted. The study highlights the importance of understanding the interplay between sleep duration, dietary habits, and T2D risk for public health and diabetes prevention strategies.
The Born in Guangzhou Cohort Study (BIGCS) has released raw sequencing data approved by The Ministry of Science and Technology of China, enabling generational genetic discoveries. The study's code and software tools are available on Github, and various publicly available software and databases were used for the research. The study references previous genetic studies and cohorts, emphasizing the importance of prospective cohort studies in understanding human genetic variation and disease.
A cohort study evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of a commercially available plasma phosphorylated tau 217 (p-tau217) immunoassay for Alzheimer disease (AD) pathology. The study found that the p-tau217 immunoassay accurately identified abnormal amyloid β (Aβ) and tau pathologies, showing similar accuracies to cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers. Longitudinally, plasma p-tau217 values showed an annual increase only in Aβ-positive individuals, with the highest increase observed in those with tau positivity. The wider availability of high-performing assays may expedite the use of blood biomarkers in clinical settings and benefit the research community.
A nationwide cohort study in Denmark found that transgender individuals had significantly higher rates of suicide attempts, suicide mortality, suicide-unrelated mortality, and all-cause mortality compared to nontransgender individuals. The study, which spanned over four decades and included 6,657,456 Danish-born individuals, highlights the need for further research and support for transgender individuals to address their mental health and well-being.
A cohort study conducted by the US Department of Veterans Affairs found that treatment with the antiviral drug molnupiravir within five days of a positive COVID-19 test result was associated with a reduced risk of post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 (PASC) in people with at least one risk factor for severe COVID-19. The study also found that molnupiravir was associated with reduced risk of post-acute death, post-acute hospital admission, and eight of the 13 prespecified post-acute sequelae. The findings suggest that molnupiravir use may be a viable approach to reduce the risk of PASC in people at high risk of severe COVID-19.
