As the microbiome field has matured over the past decade, some questions have been answered easily, while others have remained more difficult. One of the most complicated and challenging biological questions has been whether the method that a baby is delivered (vaginally or by cesarean section) affects their microbiome.

A study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine reviewed more than 1,000 research trials examining the effects of physical activity on depression, anxiety, and psychological distress. It showed exercise is an effective way to treat mental health issues – and can be even more effective than medication or counselling.

Seven healthy habits and lifestyle factors may play a role in reducing the risk of dementia, according to a two decade-long study. Being active, eating a better diet, maintaining a healthy weight, not smoking, keeping normal blood pressure, controlling cholesterol and having low blood sugar in middle age may all lower the chances of developing conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease later in life, research suggests.

Excess weight or obesity boosts risk of death by anywhere from 22% to 91%—significantly more than previously believed—while the mortality risk of being slightly underweight has likely been overestimated, according to new CU Boulder research. The findings, published Feb. 9 in the journal Population Studies, counter prevailing wisdom that excess weight boosts mortality risk only in extreme cases.

University of Queensland research has found women who have quality relationships in their 40s and 50s are less likely to develop multiple chronic conditions in older age.

Brittany Williams' life nearly ended in 2014 in a restaurant in Times Square in New York City. At just 24, Williams went into cardiac arrest and lost consciousness. Two strangers jumped into action and gave Williams CPR for eight minutes, and after being put in a medical coma, she woke up in the hospital two days later.

Ultra-processed foods such as ready meals and breakfast cereals increase the risk of cancer and should be taxed, research suggests.In the largest study of its kind, scientists at Imperial College London looked at the eating habits of 200,000 middle-aged Britons over ten years.

A Harvard University study has pinpointed the precise number of times men should ejaculate each month in order to stave off certain harmful diseases. Research published in the journal European Urology has indicated that high levels of sexual activity can reduce the risk of contracting prostate cancer.

Working from home often pays more than working in an office for jobs in the tech industry, new research has claimed. HR company Remote collected data on more than six million jobs ads from 2022 from employee resource Glassdoor and found that web developer and software engineering roles had the most amount of remote opportunities compared to other professions, making up 37% and 36% of the total remote job market respectively.

The recent death of the world’s oldest person at 118 highlights the growing number of centenarians around the world.

Published in Health Economics Review, a new study has found that working fewer hours is associated with higher life satisfaction, which is mediated by one's level of health.

Sufferers may be driven online because of the difficulty in accessing affordable GP appointments, professor says

A study of data on the association between work stress and depression from 100 world countries revealed that this association depends on certain characteristics of the national culture. While this link was stronger in cultures with pronounced power distance and individualism, it was weaker in cultures with pronounced masculinity, uncertainty avoidance, and long-term orientation. The study was published in Cross-Cultural Research.

The results suggest that some previous studies, which have shown a strong link between childhood obesity and mental health, may not have fully accounted for family genetics and environmental factors. Children with obesity are more likely to be diagnosed with depression, anxiety, or attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). But the nature of the relationship between obesity and these mental health conditions is not clear.

A study published in the Journal of Affective Disorders investigated the relationship between walking in nature and emotional affect in those with major depressive disorder (MDD). Compared to urban settings, walking in nature successfully lowered levels of negative affect in those diagnosed with MDD. These findings help with the search for low-cost client-managed therapeutic interventions for disorders like MDD.

When it comes to pet ownership increasing the welfare of elderly people, dog really is man’s best friend. A study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health suggests that dog owners may be healthier than cat owners or people with no pets.

Gene therapies promise long-term relief from intractable diseases—if insurers agree to pony up.

Childhood bullying is so common that it may not seem like a big deal. Up to 35% of people are estimated to have experienced it at some point. By adulthood, we are generally expected to have “got over” it. But the mental health effects of being bullied can be serious and last a lifetime. One study has even suggested that, when it comes to mental health, bullying is as harmful as child abuse, if not worse.

Nearly all participants in a new study looking at exposure to PFAS “forever chemicals” in the US state of North Carolina have multiple dangerous compounds in their blood, and most at levels that researchers say requires medical screening. The North Carolina State University study, which is among the largest ever conducted, checked about 1,500 blood samples from people living in the Cape Fear River basin over several years. It’s the first study to recommend screening for cancers, kidney damage, heart disease and other health issues linked to the chemicals, using newly developed physicians’ guidelines for PFAS exposure.

The U.S. health regulator on Wednesday approved Switzerland-based Ferring Pharmaceuticals' fecal transplant-based therapy to reduce the recurrence of a bacterial infection, making it the first therapy of its kind to be cleared in the United States.