Time-restricted eating provides modest weight loss benefits

 

A Johns Hopkins Medicine study reports evidence that time-restricted eating (TRE) — a form of intermittent fasting that involves only eating during a consistent, daily 8- to 10-hour window — can cause modest weight loss in adults with both obesity and prediabetes or those with diet-controlled type 2 diabetes. 

The National Institutes of Health and American Heart Association-supported study, described July 27 in the journal Obesity, represents the latest findings from ongoing research led by Daisy Duan, M.D., an assistant professor of medicine and the study’s primary author, on how time-restricted eating without caloric restriction may change the body’s weight and other functions.

Other studies on time-restricted eating, Duan says, examined it with respect to either intentional or unintentional calorie restriction. The new study, she said, focused on whether restricted meal timing while ensuring consistent calorie intake would change other obesity-related factors, such as eating behavior, inflammation, and appetite hormones.

More than 100 million adults with obesity and 115 million adults with prediabetes in the United States are at an increased risk of cardiometabolic complications, such as high blood pressure, heart attack and stroke, and these numbers are expected to rise. Intermittent fasting — an umbrella term for structured patterns of fasting and eating that focus on changing when a person eats instead of reducing calories or avoiding certain foods — has broadly been linked to weight loss and may benefit individuals with either or both conditions.

Broadening clinical understanding of time-based dietary interventions, Duan’s team investigated whether health benefits linked to intermittent fasting and other time-based dietary plans are caused by weight loss alone or if other biological mechanisms are also involved.

In the 12-week study, a predominantly female (92%) and Black (92%) cohort of adults (ages 18–69 years) with obesity and prediabetes or diet-controlled type 2 diabetes were randomly assigned to a 10-hour time-restricted eating (TRE) schedule (19 adults) or a 16-hour usual eating pattern (UEP) schedule (20 adults).

All study participants received the same adapted Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet — a heart-healthy diet that emphasizes limiting red meats, high-fat foods, sugar and salt intake — and the caloric intake of each person was personalized to maintain their starting weights.

All meals were prepared and provided by the Johns Hopkins ProHealth Clinical Research Unit in Baltimore, Maryland, under the supervision of research dieticians.

Before and after the study, participants provided fasting blood samples that were used to measure inflammation markers and appetite hormone levels and completed a Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire — a tool that captures how a person interacts with and thinks about food. The researchers used both to track and compare physical and psychological changes over time.

Notably, at the study’s conclusion, the researchers observed similar and modest weight loss in both the group that followed the time-restricted eating (median 2.7%) and the usual eating pattern (median 2.5%) meal schedules.

At the end of the study, participants from both groups reported greater restraint around food, a reduced tendency to eat when stressed, and a lower susceptibility to hunger overall after the study’s conclusion. However, the appetite hormones (ghrelin and leptin) and the inflammation markers (C reactive protein, cortisol and sRAGE) were comparable between TRE and UEP participants.

“We saw that people who followed a 10-hour time-restricted eating schedule lost weight and positively changed their eating habits without calorie restriction,” says Duan. “But we did not identify any unique, body-wide health benefits linked to the dietary strategy beyond that.”

Future directions for the research include exploring how time-restricted eating shapes weight loss maintenance in people who have successfully lost weight through other interventions, such as via GLP-1 receptor agonists.

Reading for pleasure has benefits at all ages

Reading for pleasure – from tucking into a Jane Austen classic to devouring a Heartstopper graphic novel – is linked to better mental health, greater empathy and a lower risk of dementia, say researchers.

Scientists at the University of Cambridge have joined with The Queen’s Reading Room – the charity founded by Her Majesty The Queen – to highlight the benefits of reading for pleasure at any age as part of the National Year of Reading.

In 2025, Professor Barbara Sahakian and Dr Christelle Langley from the Department of Psychiatry at Cambridge published Brain Boost: Healthy Habits for a Happier Life. It was while writing this book that they became aware of how widespread the benefits to reading for pleasure are – but also, how there was surprisingly little research in this area.

Today, in a review published in Psychological Medicine, Professor Sahakian and Dr Langley, together with Vicki Perrin, CEO of The Queen’s Reading Room, argue that it doesn’t matter what or how we read, reading for enjoyment can bring huge benefits – and reading with others, whether it’s as part of a book club or a parent reading with their children, can bring even greater rewards.

Professor Sahakian said: “Reading is a great way to support our brain health, develop important cognitive skills and boost our wellbeing. It’s something we ought to be encouraging from an early age, given the increasing evidence of its benefits, particularly to children, but really, it’s never too late to start, and it can bring benefits throughout our lives and into old age.”

Reading among children and adolescents is at its lowest levels since records began, surveys have shown, particularly among adolescent boys and children from disadvantaged backgrounds. But even those who say they enjoy reading the least still recognise its educational value, with nearly half saying it helps them learn new words or new things.

Some of the strongest evidence of the benefits of reading for pleasure come from a study by Professor Sahakian, Dr Langley and colleagues of more than 10,000 young people, which found that children who began reading for pleasure early in life showed benefits including : better attention, memory, and executive functioning, greater academic achievement, fewer mental health problems, and healthier lifestyles, including more sleep and less screen time.

Dr Langley said: “Given how beneficial reading for pleasure is at a young age, we should be doing everything we can to introduce children and young people to reading. The important thing is to find something they’d really enjoy reading about – it might be a TV programme or a game – and use this as a way in. Reading comics and graphic novels could also be a helpful introduction as they might be seen as less intimidating, maybe less boring, than novels.”

Perhaps unsurprisingly, reading is strongly associated with improved literacy skills – but it is even linked to mathematical achievement, as reading and maths share similar cognitive processes such as language skills, memory, and executive function.

The benefits are not limited to children and young people. Surveys have suggested a multitude of benefits for adults, particularly related to wellbeing, including reduced stress and better relaxation, greater empathy and understanding of others, and a more tolerant attitude to different perspectives.

Reading has emerged as the most popular method for stress relief, with almost two in five adults (38%) choosing books as their ultimate way to unwind. A neuroscience study commissioned by The Queen’s Reading Room in 2024 found that just five minutes of fiction can reduce stress by up to 20%, as well as boosting concentration and problem-solving skills and helping readers feel less lonely. One survey even found that more people turned to books for comfort (35%) than to wine (31%) or a hot bath (10%).

The benefits can be particularly important later in life. Leisure activities that stimulate the brain – particularly reading – are linked to slower cognitive decline and a reduced risk of dementia in older adults. For example, in a study of almost 5,500 adults aged 55 years and older, individuals who frequently engaged in activities including reading were significantly less likely to develop cognitive impairment over a five-year follow-up period. Another study found that reading newspapers, magazines, and books was associated with a 33% reduction in the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

So, why is reading for pleasure so beneficial? Brain imaging studies show a link between reading and differences in brain structure, including: larger volumes and cortical areas in brain regions involved in language, learning, emotional regulation, and executive control; stronger white matter connectivity supporting language processing; and increased cortical thickness in key language-related brain areas.

While most studies only show associations, evidence is emerging of a causal link. Structural brain changes have been shown to follow reading interventions. For example, a small study of 11 children with dyslexia aged 7–11 found that an eight-week training programme focused on mental imagery, articulation, and tracing of letters, letter groups, and words significantly improved reading skills – and these improvements were accompanied by increases in grey matter volume in key brain regions.

The Queen’s Reading Room was first launched on social media in January 2021 as a way of sharing book recommendations and connecting readers during lockdown and has since grown into a global movement of more than 12 million people in 184 countries. The charity works to restore reading to the heart of daily life, through its flagship festival and neuroscientific study, and works in homeless shelters and domestic violence refuges where it uses shared reading as a therapeutic tool in recovery. This social connection can be important to our mental and physical wellbeing, particularly later in life.

Professor Sahakian said: “Shared reading groups and book clubs appear to provide additional benefits through social interaction. They can help people feel less isolated and more connected to others, which has been shown to reduce the risk of dementia.

“While these clubs can be fun and beneficial at any age, they’re perfect for older people who may be not so mobile – they might not be able to go out as an exercise group or a cycling group, but a reading group is something most people can enjoy.”

Vicki Perrin, CEO of The Queen’s Reading Room, added: “At The Queen’s Reading Room, we have seen first-hand the transformative power of individual and shared reading to change lives. Books truly do make life better, and we’re excited to do our bit to help everyone, everywhere, make more room for reading.”

Reference

Sahakian, BJ, Perrin, V & Langley, C. Reading and associations with brain health, cognition, wellbeing and mental health. Psychological Medicine; 15 Sept 2026; DOI: 10.1017/S0033291726105625

Unhealthy Western diet is linked to faster cognitive decline

 An unhealthy Western-style diet was associated with a faster cognitive decline in people with a genetic risk of Alzheimer's disease, according to new research led by Murdoch University and Alzheimer's Research Australia.

As the world grapples with the growing public health challenge of dementia, there has been increasing academic interest in identifying lifestyle factors which may help maintain people’s brain health as they age.

“Diet is particularly interesting because it is often easily modifiable, but people may not respond to dietary patterns in the same way,” said lead author Dr Carolina Blagojevic Castro, from Murdoch University’s Centre for Healthy Ageing.

“In this study we investigated whether the types of food people regularly eat are associated with how their thinking abilities change as they get older,” Dr Blagojevic Castro said.

Using data from the Western Australia Memory Study (WAMS), the research team followed 185 older adults from Perth for more than seven years and examined whether unhealthy and healthier dietary patterns were associated with changes in different areas of their cognition, while also considering individuals’ genetic risk for Alzheimer’s disease.

The team grouped the participant’s diets into two main groups – a Western diet (unhealthy diet), consisting of food such as red and processed meat, chips, pizza, sweets, refined grains and beer, and a Prudent diet (healthy diet), consisting of things like fruit, vegetables, leafy greens, garlic, and whole grains.

None of the participants had diagnosed dementia when they entered the study, but they were tested for genetic susceptibility factors such as the apolipoprotein E (APOE) variant, the strongest common genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease.

Throughout the study, participants completed a series of cognitive tests to assess their attention, memory, executive function, language, recognition memory, and their general cognitive ability.

“Our main finding was that among people carrying the APOE ε4 allele, greater adherence to a Western dietary pattern was associated with a faster decline in attention over time,” Dr Blagojevic Castro said.

“One of the most interesting findings was that the association with cognitive decline was not seen across the whole group but emerged specifically among APOE ε4 carriers.”

“We did not find significant associations between the healthier Prudent dietary pattern and cognitive decline, or between the Western dietary pattern and cognitive decline among people who did not carry APOE ε4.”

Dr Blagojevic Castro said the findings reinforced growing evidence that the relationship between diet and brain health was complex and not the same for everyone.

“What we eat may be one part of a much larger picture of healthy brain ageing,” she said.

“Our findings highlight why research into individual differences is important – approaches to protecting brain health may ultimately need to consider both lifestyle and biological factors rather than assuming that one approach will work equally well for everyone.”

“However, our study is observational, so further research is needed before these findings can be translated into specific dietary recommendations based on genetic risk.”

The study, Dietary Patterns and Cognitive Decline in Older Adults: Findings from the Western Australia Memory Study, was supported by The University of Western Australia, Macquarie University, Edith Cowan University, the University of Sydney, and Brazil's State University of Bahia.

Potentially harmful drug combinations prescribed to older adults

A new study, published in BMJ , reveals that common medications, from statins to iron supplements, are quietly setting off prescribing cascades that leave older adults unknowingly taking drugs to treat side effects of other drugs. A potentially inappropriate prescribing cascade (PIPC) happens when a medication’s side effect gets mistaken for a new health problem, leading to another prescription that may not have been needed in the first place. 

One common example flagged in the study involves non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Commonly prescribed for pain, these drugs are associated with a rise in blood pressure, which can lead to a new prescription for high blood pressure, rather than a second look at the original pain medication. Older adults are especially vulnerable to this pattern because they're more likely to be on multiple medications at once, due to having multiple conditions, making it harder for both patients and clinicians to trace a new symptom back to an existing drug. 

The PIPCs with the highest incidence were iron supplement to laxative, statins to pain reliever, and cholinesterase inhibitor (Common Uses:: Alzheimer's Disease: Prescribed to ease memory loss and cognitive decline in mild-to-severe dementia; Other Conditions: Used for neurodegenerative disorders like Parkinson's disease and muscle-weakening conditions like myasthenia gravis.) to sleep agent.  

DOI

10.1136/bmj-2026-100499 

Regular use of eyelash extensions linked to skin mites, eye irritation and blocked glands

Reports and Proceedings

European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons

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Credit: Tetiana Zhmud / ESCRS

London, UK: A study among young women who regularly have eyelash extensions has found most have tiny mites, called Demodex folliculorum, living on their lashes. These mites can cause a painful reaction in the skin called demodicosis.

 

The research, presented on Saturday at the 44th Congress of the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons (ESCRS) [1], also shows that many of the women have symptoms of eye irritation and most have problems with the tiny glands near the eyelashes, called meibomian glands, that produce an oily substance to prevent the eyes from drying out.

 

Researchers say that some simple hygiene steps, such as cleaning the eyelashes and treating mite infestation when needed, could make eyelash extensions much safer.

 

The study was presented by Dr Tetiana Zhmud, from the Department of Ophthalmology, National Pirogov Memorial Medical University, Vinnytsia, Ukraine. She said: “Eyelash extensions are an extremely popular cosmetic procedure among young women because they provide the appearance of longer and fuller eyelashes without the need for mascara. At the same time, there is growing evidence suggesting that this procedure may create problems on the surface of the eye, including irritation, dry eye symptoms, and meibomian gland dysfunction. However, the relationship between eyelash extensions and demodicosis remains poorly understood.”

 

Dr Zhmud and her colleagues carried out a survey of 345 women aged between 16 and 28. They found that almost a quarter had ever had eyelash extensions. More than half (58%) had eyelash extensions every three to four weeks. Almost half of those who had eyelash extensions (47.6%) said they had discomfort, redness, tearing or itching after the procedure.

 

The researchers used a technique called meibography where infrared light makes it possible to see the meibomian glands through the eyelids. Among the women who had had eyelash extensions at least ten times, researchers found most (85%) had signs of meibomian gland dysfunction. This means the glands were blocked or not producing the right oil to keep eyes hydrated.

 

Next, the researchers used a microscope to examine samples of eyelashes from 25 women who regularly had eyelash extensions. In all but one of the women, they found the Demodex folliculorum skin mites. In 18 of the women, there were signs of skin irritation typically caused by skin mites, including itching and irritation around the eyelids, redness, swelling, eyelashes sticking together, and scaly skin at the base of the lashes.

 

Dr Zhmud said: “Our findings do not suggest that people should completely avoid eyelash extensions. However, they highlight the importance of proper eyelid hygiene, awareness of symptoms and timely assessment when symptoms arise. For optimal care of eyelash extensions, the use of a preservative-free, hypoallergenic gel designed for therapeutic eyelid hygiene may be recommended twice daily using an eyelash cleansing brush. In individuals with confirmed Demodex infestation, a course of anti-parasitic treatment may be considered.

 

“For clinicians, these findings emphasise the importance of considering demodectic blepharitis in patients presenting with chronic eyelid irritation, particularly those who regularly use eyelash extensions. For beauty professionals, our results may support the development of recommendations regarding eyelid hygiene and the need to inform clients about potential ocular health risks associated with repeated eyelash extension procedures.”

 

The researchers caution that this is a small study that did not include a comparison with young women who had not had eyelash extensions. They say further research should include a larger group of people with and without eyelash extensions to look at how many mites are present and how the frequency of eyelash extensions compares with eye health and symptoms of mite infestation.

 

Professor Sorcha Ni Dhubhghaill, Chair of the ESCRS Cornea Committee, Head of Department and Corneal and Cataract Specialist at UZ Brussel, Belgium, who was not involved in the research, said: “Although these mites are common, we don’t typically see a lot of them in younger women. Usually if they are present on the eyelashes, we spot them by the ‘collarettes’ they leave around the eyelashes. These are waxy rings made up of dead mites, mite faeces and mite eggs, mixed with skin and oil. Since the adhesive used during eyelash extension procedures is applied near the base of the natural lashes, where collarettes are typically located, it could be much harder to spot them in women using eyelash extensions.

 

“It is important to emphasise that the presence of Demodex folliculorum does not necessarily indicate disease, as these mites may be part of the normal ocular microbiota. But it is important to detect them if they are causing symptoms, signs of inflammation and meibomian gland dysfunction.” 

Nighttime light exposure may weaken the heart, increase the risk of cardiovascular disease

Experts have long recommended a dark, light-free bedroom for better sleep. New research shows that sleeping in near-total darkness may carry an added benefit: protecting the heart.

In a study published in the European Heart Journal, researchers at Tulane University’s Celia Scott Weatherhead School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine found that even small amounts of nighttime light exposure were linked to potentially harmful changes in the heart’s structure and function.

“Previous observational studies have linked nighttime light exposure with a higher risk of cardiovascular diseases, but little is known about the related cardiac structure and functional changes,” said lead author Lu Qi, HCA Regents Distinguished Chair and professor at Tulane. “We carried out this research to find out what happens to the heart over time when people are exposed to too much light at nighttime.”

The research team analyzed data from 11,017 participants, all of whom wore a sensor on their wrist for a week to measure levels of light exposure overnight. Some of the participants were exposed to 0 lux (near total darkness) and others were exposed to varying levels of light, with the highest group at more than 3 lux (roughly equivalent to a phone screen at low brightness on a nightstand or a hallway light left on outside a cracked door).

Three years later, each participant was given a cardiovascular magnetic resonance scan to examine any potential changes to the structure and function of their hearts. The results showed participants who were exposed to the highest levels of nighttime light saw the walls of the left chamber of their heart thicken, reducing the space inside the ventricle. There were also signs that the heart’s ability to flex during a heartbeat was reduced — an early indication of heart dysfunction.

“This is the first study of its kind, and it shows that exposure to higher levels of light at nighttime is linked to cardiac remodeling,” Qi said. “This is where the structure and function of the heart changes, and we typically see it in response to chronic stress or injury to the heart. It’s our body’s way of adapting to that stress, but ultimately it weakens the heart and can lead to heart failure.”

Cardiovascular disease, including heart disease and stroke, is the leading cause of death both in the United States and around the world. Nighttime light has been identified as a potential environmental risk factor for this deadly group of diseases. Unlike age or genetics, nighttime light exposure is a modifiable risk factor within most people’s control — simply by turning off screens, drawing curtains before bed or sleeping with an eye mask. 

“Light pollution has emerged as a new risk factor for cardiovascular disease,” Qi said. “Our findings, together with evidence from other studies, suggest that a reduction in nighttime light exposure should be considered as one of the potential strategies for preventing heart disease by clinicians and policymakers.”

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Journal

European Heart Journal

DOI

10.1093/eurheartj/ehag563 

 

Benefits of slow running: Just 10 minutes of very slow running improves mood and executive function

 

A growing body of evidence shows that exercise improves mood and cognitive function. However, much of this evidence comes from cycling, which allows researchers to precisely control exercise intensity in the laboratory. Running may play a special role in this story: it is a fundamental human movement, closely linked to our evolutionary history, and remains a popular form of exercise practiced by millions of people worldwide. This raises two basic questions about running: does it provide similar benefits, and if so, how little running is enough?

To address these questions, the researchers used a treadmill to precisely control exercise intensity and functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to measure prefrontal cortical activity following 10 min of very slow running at approximately 3-6 km/h, a pace close to walking. This comfortable pace corresponds to a very light exercise intensity of approximately 35% of peak oxygen uptake (V̇o2peak).

The results were clear: after just 10 min of very slow running, participants showed a shorter Stroop interference time—a measure of executive function—and reported a more pleasant mood. Activity also increased in prefrontal regions associated with executive function and mood regulation, most notably the left dorsolateral prefrontal and left frontopolar cortices. Interestingly, greater up-and-down movement of the runner's head—the gentle vertical oscillation characteristic of running—was associated with a greater improvement in mood.

These findings suggest that even very slow running, despite imposing little physiological demand, can simultaneously improve mood and executive function while providing insight into the brain mechanisms that may underlie these effects.

Because it requires relatively little exertion, very slow running may be an accessible form of exercise, potentially benefiting people with low fitness levels or those who find conventional exercise challenging. A brief, comfortable run could provide a practical way to support physical and mental well-being while benefiting executive function. Notably, previous research has also shown that a 10-min bout of very light-intensity exercise can enhance hippocampal-dependent memory (Suwabe & Soya et al., PNAS, 2018), highlighting the broader potential of light-intensity exercise for cognitive function.