All articles tagged with #population health
Researchers say small daily changes—five extra minutes of moderate activity and 30 minutes less sitting—could reduce premature deaths by about 10% and 7%, respectively, across large populations, with the biggest gains for the least active. A second study links modest improvements in sleep, activity, and diet to longer life, potentially extending life by up to nearly a decade for those with the worst habits.
Population expert Prof. Sarah Harper argues that concerns over an ageing society are exaggerated and that society should instead focus on harnessing the opportunities presented by healthy, active older adults, including retraining workers, creating flexible work environments, and supporting the 'silver economy' to foster growth and innovation.
A meta-analysis of two large prospective cohort studies, the UK Biobank and the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC), found that higher body mass index (BMI) was associated with an increased risk of obesity-related cancer among European adults, regardless of their cardiometabolic disease (CMD) status. The study also revealed an additive interaction between obesity and cardiovascular disease (CVD), suggesting that obesity prevention could lead to a greater reduction in cancer risk among populations with CVD compared to the general population.
A clinical laboratory team at Oregon Health & Science University offered free genetic screening for inherited cancer and familial hypercholesteremia to over 13,000 Oregonians. Through social media ads, vending machines, and mail-in kits, participants provided saliva samples that were screened for disease-causing variants in 31 genes related to inherited cancer and one gene related to familial hypercholesteremia. Of the participants, 710 screened positive for a disease-causing variant, and all received genetic counseling. The researchers also assembled a large repository of data to analyze the genetic risk factors of Oregon's population. The study highlights the importance of expanding the range of genes tested in population screening studies.
A meta-analysis of previous studies suggests that obesity may be one of the causes of depression. The researchers found that obese individuals have an increased risk of depression, and the rise in obesity rates in recent decades may contribute to the increased occurrence of depression. The study used Mendelian randomization to examine the relationship between obesity and depression and found that individuals with higher BMI values had a higher risk of depression. The researchers estimated that the doubling of obesity prevalence from the 1990s to 2010s could have increased the prevalence of psychological distress by half a percentage point. However, the study only focused on depression and did not consider other mental health consequences of obesity.