Weight Gain and Obesity Strongly Linked to Higher Asthma Risk, Especially in Middle-Aged Adults, New Study Finds

Sweden: A new 8-year follow-up study has reinforced the connection between obesity, weight gain, and the risk of developing asthma in adults. Conducted by Reshed Abohalaka from the Krefting Research Centre at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, and colleagues, the research highlights that both baseline obesity and significant weight gain substantially raise the likelihood of new-onset asthma, particularly in women aged 40–60 years.           

The study, published in Scientific Reports, analyzed data from the West Sweden Asthma Study, a population-based survey conducted in 2008 and followed up in 2016. Among the 10,769 participants who did not have asthma at the beginning of the study, the overall asthma incidence over the 8-year period was 1.8 per 1,000 person-years. Researchers assessed weight changes using body mass index (BMI), categorizing individuals as normal weight (BMI <25), overweight (BMI 25–29.9), or obese (BMI ≥30). Asthma diagnosis was self-reported based on physician confirmation.
Key Findings:
  • Adults who gained ≥4 BMI units during the 8-year follow-up showed a significantly higher risk of developing asthma.
  • Women exhibited a stronger association between weight gain and asthma incidence, indicating a gender-specific vulnerability.
  • Even modest weight increases of ≥0.5 BMI units were linked to a higher asthma risk compared to individuals with stable, normal weight.
  • Baseline obesity itself emerged as a key risk factor for developing asthma, independent of later weight changes.
  • Individuals who were obese at the beginning of the study were more likely to develop asthma than those with a normal weight, highlighting the importance of healthy weight maintenance for asthma prevention.
The researchers note that middle-aged women who are overweight or obese and experience further weight gain are at the greatest risk. These findings have crucial implications for clinical practice and public health, highlighting the need for weight management strategies as an integral part of asthma prevention and care. Interventions targeting healthy weight maintenance, dietary guidance, and lifestyle modification could significantly reduce asthma incidence, particularly in vulnerable groups.
Obesity is known not only to increase the likelihood of developing asthma but also to worsen symptoms, reduce responsiveness to treatment, and lead to poorer outcomes in individuals with existing asthma. By integrating weight control measures into asthma management plans, healthcare providers may improve both prevention and long-term disease control.
In summary, the study establishes a clear link between obesity, weight gain, and new-onset asthma over an 8-year period. The risk is particularly pronounced in women who gain substantial weight during middle age, as well as in individuals who are obese at baseline. These findings highlight the importance of early interventions to maintain a healthy weight and prevent asthma, highlighting weight management as a key component of long-term respiratory health.
Reference:
Abohalaka, R., Ercan, S., Ilmarinen, P., Backman, H., Ekerljung, L., Rådinger, M., Nwaru, B. I., & Kankaanranta, H. (2025). Obesity and weight change during eight years in relation to asthma incidence. Scientific Reports, 15(1), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-20657-8

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Can a Stevia-derived sweetener improve hair loss treatment?

Androgenetic alopecia is a common form of hair loss in both men and women-also called male pattern baldness and female pattern hair loss. Topical minoxidil is an approved treatment, but it has poor water solubility and skin permeability. New research in Advanced Healthcare Materials reveals that stevioside, a natural sweetener derived from the Stevia plant, can improve the drug’s absorption into the skin.

In a mouse model of alopecia, a dissolving patch formulation of stevioside with minoxidil effectively promoted hair follicles to enter the growth phase, leading to new hair development.

“Using stevioside to enhance minoxidil delivery represents a promising step toward more effective and natural treatments for hair loss, potentially benefiting millions worldwide,” said co–corresponding author Lifeng Kang, PhD, of the University of Sydney, in Australia.

Reference:

Junying Zhang, Tianyu Shao, Hailiang Li, Luying Zhu, Lamyaa Albakr, Nial J. Wheate, Lifeng Kang, Chungyong Wu, Natural Sweetener Stevioside-Based Dissolving Microneedles Solubilize Minoxidil for the Treatment of Androgenic Alopecia, Advanced Healthcare Materials, https://doi.org/10.1002/adhm.202503575.

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Cesarean delivery linked to higher risk of pain and sleep problems after childbirth: Study

New mothers are more likely to experience severe pain that disrupts sleep and activities of daily living, as well as develop sleep disorders, if they give birth by cesarean delivery (C-section), suggests research presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY® 2025 annual meeting.

“Sleep is often overlooked in postpartum recovery, but it is central to a mother’s physical and mental health,” said Moe Takenoshita, M.B.B.Ch., lead author of the study and a postdoctoral scholar in the department of anesthesia at Stanford University Center for Academic Medicine, Palo Alto, California. “Cesarean delivery in particular appears to increase the risk for severe pain and sleep disorders, which can lead to postpartum depression, thinking and memory problems, and fatigue, as well as disrupt bonding with their babies and relationships with family and friends.”

The study included both qualitative and quantitative analyses. For the qualitative analysis, the authors interviewed 41 mothers about their pain and sleep experiences after childbirth, 24 of whom had vaginal births, 11 who had scheduled C-sections and six whose C-sections were unplanned. More than two-thirds of the mothers who had C-sections (73% of the scheduled cesareans and 67% of the unplanned) reported severe pain that disrupted sleep and activities of daily living, compared to 8% of those who had vaginal births.

For the quantitative study, the authors analyzed a nationwide insurance database of more than 1.5 million mothers who delivered babies between 2008 and 2021. They determined that individuals who have C-sections are 16% more likely to be diagnosed with a new sleep disorder (e.g., insomnia, sleep deprivation or obstructive sleep apnea) between a month and a year after giving birth, compared to those who delivered vaginally.

New mothers, especially those recovering from C-sections, should be sure to manage pain adequately, since untreated pain can worsen sleep, said Dr. Takenoshita. Other measures that can help to improve sleep include regular exercise as appropriate, sleeping when the baby sleeps, avoiding caffeine or alcohol late in the day, and relaxing before bed by taking a bath or practicing deep breathing.

“About one-third of U.S. births are C-sections,” said Dr. Takenoshita. “Those who are planning a C-section should understand that the procedure is linked to more severe pain after delivery and a higher risk of sleep disorders. Anyone having sleep problems during pregnancy or after childbirth should discuss their concerns with their physician, who can evaluate the issue, make recommendations and refer them to a specialist if necessary.”

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New drug combination offers hope for men with advanced prostate cancer: Study

A new drug combination could significantly delay the progression of a life-threatening form of prostate cancer in men with specific genetic mutations, finds a major international trial led by UCL researchers.

The Phase III AMPLITUDE trial, published in Nature Medicine, tested the addition of niraparib, a type of targeted cancer drug known as a PARP inhibitor1, to the standard treatment of abiraterone acetate and prednisone (AAP).

The study focused on patients diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer where cells have spread to other parts of the body, who were starting their first treatment and who also had alterations in genes involved in an essential type of DNA defect repair, known as homologous recombination repair (HRR).

These genes help repair damaged DNA and when they are faulty, cancer cells can grow and spread more aggressively. Approximately one in four people with advanced prostate cancer at this stage have alterations in HRR genes, such as BRCA1, BRCA2, CHEK2, and PALB2.

The standard treatment for advanced prostate cancer is currently AAP (or similar drugs, with docetaxel chemotherapy offered to approximately one-in-five patients) but these mutations make the cancer more aggressive and consequently disease progression on standard treatment is often far quicker with shorter life expectancies.

Led by Professor Gerhardt Attard from UCL Cancer Institute, the trial enrolled 696 men across 32 countries with a median age of 68. Half received the new combination therapy (niraparib plus APP), while the other half received standard treatment with a placebo. Of all the patients, more than half (55.6%) had alterations in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes.

The trial was double-blind, meaning neither patients nor doctors knew which treatment was being administered.

Key findings

At a median follow-up of just over two and a half years (30.8 months), the researchers found that:

  • Overall, niraparib reduced the risk of cancer growth by 37% compared to AAP alone in all patients and by 48% in the subgroup of patients with BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations.
  • The time until symptoms got worse was twice as long for patients who received niraparib compared to those who received a placebo, reducing the number of patients who had notable worsening in symptoms from 34% to 16%.
  • Researchers observed a trend toward improved overall survival in the niraparib group. However, a longer follow-up is needed to confirm that starting niraparib for this population of patients improves life expectancy.

Professor Attard said: “Although current standard treatments are very effective for the majority of patients with advanced prostate cancer, a small but very significant proportion of patients have limited benefit. We now know that prostate cancers with alterations in HRR genes account for a significant group of patients whose disease recurs quickly and has an aggressive course. By combining with niraparib we can delay the cancer returning and hopefully significantly prolonging life expectancy.

“These findings are striking because they support widespread genomic testing at diagnosis with use of a targeted treatment for patients who stand to derive the greatest benefit.

“For cancers with a mutation in one of the eligible HRR genes, where niraparib has been approved, a doctor should consider a discussion that balances the risks of side effects against the clear benefit to delaying disease growth and worsening symptoms.” 

Side effects

While the treatment was generally well tolerated, side effects were more common in the niraparib group. Significantly more cases of anaemia and high blood pressure were reported with niraparib, and 25% of patients required blood transfusions. Treatment-related deaths were also higher in the niraparib group (14 versus 7), though overall discontinuation rates remained low.

The study’s authors note that while the results are promising, further research is needed to confirm long-term survival benefits and to explore the impact of newer imaging techniques and broader genetic testing.

Prostate cancer in numbers

Globally, an estimated 1.5 million men are diagnosed with prostate cancer each year. In the UK prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men, with more than 56,000 men diagnosed every year, and around 12,000 men die from the disease each year.

Reference:

Attard, G., Agarwal, N., Graff, J.N. et al. Niraparib and abiraterone acetate plus prednisone for HRR-deficient metastatic castration-sensitive prostate cancer: a randomized phase 3 trial. Nat Med (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-025-03961-8

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Personalized kinematic total knee arthroplasty in Indian population results in high satisfaction rates: study

Total knee replacement surgery for knee osteoarthritis has increased tremendously during the past few decades. But still, 15-19% of the patients are not satisfied with the surgical outcome. Therefore, alternative ways of aligning a TKR have gained interest.

The principle of strict KA is to restore the native joint line of the knee by positioning the femoral and tibial components in such a way so as to attain the pre-arthritic state and to maintain the balance of knee through the entire range of motion and three-dimensional correction— coronal, sagittal, rotational.

Narayanasamy Ragunanthan et al have designed their technique of personalized kinematic TKR with conventional instruments. This is the first mid-term survivorship analysis that has been done among the Indian population. It has been published in ‘Indian journal of orthopedics.’

A prospective study was done on the patients treated for knee osteoarthritis by a single surgeon in a single center. All the 124 knees (102 patients) were operated by our technique of personalized kinematic TKR where the thickness of distal femoral and tibial cuts was calculated by measuring cartilage and bone wear and calipered resection technique was carried out with conventional instruments.

Key findings of the study:

• In the study, all the patients (except one) were followed-up for a mean duration of 5.8 years (range 5–7.5 years).

• Out of 102 patients, 32 were men and 70 were women.

Out of 102 patients, 80 had undergone unilateral and 22 had undergone bilateral total knee arthroplasty

• Oxford Knee Score increased from 25.82 ± 6.01 preoperatively to 45.14 ± 5.98 postoperatively and FJS improved from 14.53 ± 4.06 preoperatively to 93.14 ± 12.21 at 1-year follow-up and none of the patients underwent revision surgery.

The authors concluded that – “this prospective study shows that personalized kinematic total knee arthroplasty in the Indian population results in high satisfaction rates as well as good clinical outcomes with no revisions at minimum 5-year follow-up.”

Further reading:

Mid-term Survivorship Analysis of Personalized Kinematic Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Single-Surgeon and Single-Centre Prospective Study Among the Indian Population

Narayanasamy Ragunanthan et al

Indian Journal of Orthopaedics (2025) 59:937–944

https://doi.org/10.1007/s43465-025-01384-8

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Skin symptoms may forewarn mental health risks

Scientists have discovered that mental health patients who have skin conditions may be more at risk of worse outcomes, including suicidality and depression. This work, which may aid in identifying at-risk patients and personalizing psychiatric treatment, was presented at the ECNP meeting in Amsterdam.

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Skin symptoms may forewarn mental health risks

Scientists have discovered that mental health patients who have skin conditions may be more at risk of worse outcomes, including suicidality and depression. This work, which may aid in identifying at-risk patients and personalizing psychiatric treatment, was presented at the ECNP meeting in Amsterdam.

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Brain test predicts ability to achieve orgasm—but only in patients taking antidepressants

Researchers have discovered that the ability to have an erection or to orgasm is related to the levels of serotonin in the brain, but this relation only applies to depressed patients taking SSRI antidepressants.

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Non-English primary language may raise risk of delirium after surgery, study finds

Older patients who primarily speak a language other than English may face a greater risk of developing delirium after surgery in U.S. hospitals, according to new research presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY 2025 annual meeting. The study also found that a lower socioeconomic status further increased patients’ risk.

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Weight loss drug stigma shows society still holds negative attitudes towards body weight and obesity

Since Wegovy received approval as a weight loss treatment in 2021, there has been huge demand for GLP-1 drugs. These drugs reduce hunger and suppress the “food noise” that can make it difficult to lose weight.

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