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Genetic testing of IVF-created embryos could help more women over 35 have a baby in less time, a clinical trial by researchers from King’s College London, King’s College Hospital, and King’s Fertility has found.

Published today in the Journal of Clinical Medicine, this is the first randomised controlled trial worldwide to focus exclusively on women aged 35-42, a group at higher risk of producing embryos with chromosomal abnormalities. The trial looked at the use of Preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy (PGT-A) to check embryos for chromosomal abnormalities before transfer.

Older women are more likely to produce embryos with the wrong number of chromosomes, which can lead to difficulties conceiving, and increases the risk of miscarriage. Current NICE guidance does not currently recommend routine use of PGT-A, driving women to pursue this test privately or skip it altogether. This guidance is based on previous evidence from studies which had a young average age of participants where the rate of aneuploidy, abnormal number of chromosomes in a cell, is lower. The study also broke new ground by including mosaic embryos, those containing both normal and abnormal cells, which are frequently encountered in IVF but rarely included in research.

The pilot study of 100 women undergoing fertility treatment at King’s Fertility was aimed to fill the evidence gap by focusing on older patients, and assessing the feasibility of conducting a multi-centre randomised controlled trial that explores the test’s impact on pregnancy and live birth rates in women aged 35-42. Both the clinical treatment and embryology procedures for the study were carried out at King’s Fertility.

The unblinded trial was conducted from June 2021 to June 2023. There were 50 patients in the PGT-A group and 50 patients in the control group.

The study showed that the PGT-A test showed a higher cumulative live birth rate after up to three embryo transfers with 72% in the PGT-A group versus 52% in the control group.

Women in the PGT-A group achieved pregnancy in fewer transfers, reducing the time to conception, an important factor for women of advanced reproductive age.

Whilst this is a pilot study and the difference did not reach statistical significance due to the small sample size, the trend suggests a potential benefit that warrants investigation in a larger, multi-centre trial.

Dr Yusuf Beebeejaun, first author of the paper at King’s College London and King’s Fertility, said: “The number of women starting their family above the age of 35 is increasing and women in this age group are more likely to create embryos with the wrong number of chromosomes. This increases the risk of unsuccessful implantation and miscarriages. Our findings suggest that targeted use of PGT-A in this age group could help more women have a baby sooner, while also reducing the emotional toll of repeated unsuccessful cycles.”

Lead author Dr Sesh Sunkara from King’s College London and King’s Fertility added: “By focusing exclusively on women aged 35-42 and including mosaic embryos, we have addressed questions that previous studies have not adequately explored. While larger multi-centre trials are needed to confirm these findings, improving treatment efficiency with a shorter time to achieving pregnancy and live birth could reduce the physical and emotional burden of IVF for women of advanced reproductive age.”

Dr Ippokratis Sarris, Director of King’s Fertility and co-author of the study, said: “This research is a testament to the dedication and expertise of the team at King’s Fertility. Not only were all patients recruited and treated here, but the embryology work was also carried out by our laboratory staff. We are proud to have led this pioneering trial, which addresses one of the most important questions in IVF treatment for women over 35, and we look forward to building on these findings in larger, multi-centre studies.”

Reference:

Beebeejaun Y, Bakalova D, Mania A, Copeland T, Sarris I, Nicolaides K, Capalbo A, Sunkara SK. Preimplantation Genetic Testing for Aneuploidy Versus Morphological Selection in Women Aged 35-42: Results of a Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial. J Clin Med. 2025 Jul 21;14(14):5166. doi: 10.3390/jcm14145166.

A Mediterranean-style diet, in combination with reduced caloric intake, moderate physical activity, and professional support for weight loss, may cut the risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D) by 31%, according to a new study co-authored by researchers at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

The study will be published August 25, 2025, in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

“We’re facing a global epidemic of diabetes,” said co-author Frank Hu, Fredrick J. Stare Professor of Nutrition and Epidemiology and chair of the Department of Nutrition. “With the highest-level evidence, our study shows that modest, sustained changes in diet and lifestyle could prevent millions of cases of this disease worldwide.”

Prior research has linked the Mediterranean diet-which emphasizes high intake of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats, moderate intake of dairy and lean proteins, and little to no intake of red meat-to better health outcomes, including lowered risk of T2D through improved insulin sensitivity and reduced inflammation.

A team of collaborators from the PREDIMED-Plus clinical trial, the largest nutrition and lifestyle randomized trial in Europe, sought to understand how the diet’s benefits may be enhanced with additional healthy lifestyle changes.

The researchers, from 23 universities in Spain and Harvard Chan School, split 4,746 PREDIMED-Plus participants into an intervention group and a control group and followed their health outcomes for six years. The intervention group adhered to a Mediterranean diet; reduced their caloric intake by about 600 calories per day; engaged in moderate physical activity, such as brisk walking and strength and balance exercises; and received professional support for weight loss control. The control group adhered to a Mediterranean diet without calorie restriction, exercise guidance, or professional support. Participants ranged from age 55 to 75, were overweight or obese, and had metabolic syndrome, but were free of T2D at baseline.

The study found that those in the intervention group had a 31% lower risk of developing T2D compared to those in the control group. Additionally, the intervention group lost an average of 3.3 kilograms and reduced their waist circumference by 3.6 centimeters, compared to 0.6 kilograms and 0.3 centimeters in the control group.

“In practical terms, adding calorie control and physical activity to the Mediterranean diet prevented around three out of every 100 people from developing diabetes-a clear, measurable benefit for public health,” said co-author Miguel Martínez-González, professor at the University of Navarra and adjunct professor of nutrition at Harvard Chan School.

Reference:

Miguel Ruiz-Canela, Dolores Corella, Miguel Ángel Martínez-González, Comparison of an Energy-Reduced Mediterranean Diet and Physical Activity Versus an Ad Libitum Mediterranean Diet in the Prevention of Type 2 Diabetes: A Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Controlled Trial, Annals of Internal Medicine, https://doi.org/10.7326/ANNALS-25-00388