A 20-year study of 66,892 postmenopausal women linked the Planetary Health Diet to lower cardiovascular disease risk
Women whose eating habits most closely followed the diet had around a 28 per cent lower risk of cardiovascular disease than those in the lowest-adherence group
Even moderate adherence to the diet was linked with a lower risk
Donya Shahamati is a doctoral student in public health at the University of California, Irvine
The researcher said: “Our results suggest that people may not need to follow a perfect or very restrictive diet to see potential heart-health benefits
“This is especially important for postmenopausal women, because cardiovascular risk increases with age and tends to rise after menopause.”
The diet emphasises fruit, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and unsaturated fats, while limiting red and processed meats, added sugars, refined grains and saturated fats
Postmenopausal women are those who have gone through menopause, when periods stop and hormone levels change
Cardiovascular risk tends to increase with age and rise after menopause
“Moving towards a more plant-forward, higher-quality diet can be accomplished through small, realistic changes,” said Shahamati
“These changes might include filling half the plate with vegetables more often; using avocado or olive oil in place of butter; choosing oatmeal or whole-grain cereal for breakfast; or trying a meatless meal once per week.”
For the research, investigators followed 66,892 participants in the Women’s Health Initiative, a long-term national health study funded by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute at the National Institutes of Health
All the women included in the analysis were free from cardiovascular disease at the start of the study, between 1994 and 1998, and had complete information about their diet and other important health and lifestyle factors
Researchers used information collected through a food frequency questionnaire at the start of the study to calculate a Planetary Health Diet Index score for each participant. Higher scores indicated that a participant’s diet was more closely aligned with the Planetary Health Diet
They then divided the women into five groups according to how closely their diets followed it
The women were around 63 years old at the start of the study and were followed for about 20 years to see who developed cardiovascular disease
When analysing the data, researchers adjusted for factors that could affect cardiovascular risk, including age, race and ethnicity, education, income, smoking, alcohol intake, physical activity, body mass index and total calorie intake
“We did not only look at overall cardiovascular disease,” said Shahamati
“We also looked separately at coronary heart disease, stroke and heart failure. This helped us see whether the pattern was similar across different types of cardiovascular outcomes.”
Overall, women whose diets were most closely aligned with the Planetary Health Diet had the lowest risk of cardiovascular disease
They also had a lower risk of coronary heart disease, heart failure and stroke than women in the lowest-adherence group
Moderate adherence was also associated with a lower risk, with each 10-point increase in the Planetary Health Diet Index score linked to a further reduction
The researchers cautioned that, because the study was observational, it could not show that the diet directly caused the lower risk among women
Observational studies identify links between factors such as diet and disease risk, but cannot prove that one caused the other
The research team is now exploring other aspects of diet and health among older adults, including how diet quality changes over time
The researchers said this information could help support healthy ageing and prevent chronic diseases
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Yoga and omega-3 as effective as therapy for depression in pregnancy, research finds
Entrepreneur
Fertility startup American Baby Company secures US$4m
4 hours ago
on
July 27, 2026
By
Jenn Catubay
A fertility startup has raised US$4m and will open its first lower-cost IVF clinic in West Palm Beach later this year
It will offer a full IVF cycle, including medications, for US$8,995
Around 12 per cent of American couples struggle with infertility, according to the company, but only 14 per cent of them receive IVF because of the cost
A single IVF cycle costs an average of US$23,500, it said, with the cost nearly doubling if further cycles are needed
Co-founder and chief executive Van Spina said: “We’re building ABC around a straightforward premise: IVF has become unnecessarily expensive, and many patients are priced out before they ever have a real chance to start a family.”
“This is personal for me. My fiancée and I went through IVF ourselves, including multiple failed cycles,” Spina continued, citing Jamie Rapp
“That experience pushed me to build the kind of fertility company we wished had existed when we began treatment.”
The US$4m seed round was led by Wormhole Capital and Tower Research Ventures
In a blog post, New York-based Tower Research described ABC as a new model for fertility care, praising its “evidence-based protocols, AI-assisted intake, and modern lab workflows.”
“When we met the team at The American Baby Company (ABC), we saw an opportunity to rethink how fertility care is delivered in the US from the ground up,” the post said
Co-founder and chief medical officer Dr Paul Magarelli is a board-certified reproductive endocrinologist and one of the most prominent voices in the US on expanding access to fertility care
Reproductive endocrinology is a branch of medicine concerned with hormones and fertility
Magarelli developed the Clinical Fertility Physician certification programme, which trains generalist clinicians to deliver routine fertility procedures under specialist oversight
Spina spent his early career as a technology investor at Warburg Pincus before founding an institutionally backed data business in private credit
“We’re on a mission to become the place Americans go to start their families,” Spina said
“Our 10-year goal is to help make 250,000 babies per year.”
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Mental health
Yoga and omega-3 as effective as therapy for depression in pregnancy, research finds
Published
3 days ago
on
July 24, 2026
By
News Desk
Yoga and omega-3 supplements may be as effective as talking therapies for pregnancy depression, a major review suggests
Globally, nearly one in three pregnant women experience depression, but most receive no treatment
When support is available, women are often directed towards talking therapies such as cognitive behavioural therapy, or CBT, and mindfulness
CBT is a structured talking therapy that helps people identify and change patterns of thought and behaviour affecting their mental health
The review examined 115 clinical trials involving more than 12,000 participants across 30 countries
It found that yoga, massage, omega-3 supplements and bright light therapy were broadly as effective as talking therapies at reducing depression symptoms during pregnancy
Bright light therapy involves controlled exposure to bright light and is sometimes used to treat mood conditions
The findings point to the importance of social support and increased connection, as all these approaches offer some element of contact or guided support
Led by King’s College London, the research brought together trial evidence across every type and format of treatment for antenatal depression under a common framework
Antenatal depression is depression that occurs during pregnancy
The study was conducted as part of HappyMums, a European consortium led by the University of Milan that aims to improve mental health support during pregnancy and after birth
Carmine Pariante, professor of biological psychiatry, said: “This is the most comprehensive analysis of treatments for depression in pregnancy ever conducted, and the findings should prompt a rethink of how we support women during this critical period
“The evidence is clear that there is no single best approach. What matters is that women have access to a range of options, and that clinicians feel equipped to offer them.”
The researchers said yoga and omega-3 supplements could be legitimate treatment options, rather than stopgaps, for women on waiting lists or those who struggle to access mental health support
However, the studies differed considerably in design, sample size and how results were measured, so the findings should be interpreted with care
The team said non-psychological approaches could help women cope with long waits for care without ruling out other treatments alongside them
Digital and online interventions, including apps and telephone-based support, were also found to be as effective as face-to-face treatment
Researchers said this could affect how antenatal depression is managed, particularly for women who cannot travel or face long waits for in-person care
The team found no randomised controlled trials of pharmaceutical treatments for antenatal depression, despite antidepressants being widely prescribed for depression outside pregnancy
A randomised controlled trial is a study in which participants are randomly assigned to different treatment groups, allowing researchers to compare outcomes more fairly
Evidence for drug treatment during pregnancy therefore relies on indirect research rather than trials carried out during pregnancy, reflecting long-standing caution around testing medicines in pregnant populations
NICE guidelines recommend antidepressants for moderate to severe depression in pregnancy, while evidence from outside formal pregnancy trials suggests they can be safe and effective
However, the researchers said trials are still needed, particularly for women who cannot access or engage with other forms of support
Riddhi Laijawala, trial manager and PhD student, said: “Depression in pregnancy is common, but it is not inevitable, and it is treatable. What this review shows is that the options available to women are broader than many people realise
“A yoga class, music therapy, or an online programme may not sound like clinical treatment, but the evidence suggests they can make a real difference, and for many women they may be easier (and quicker) to access than a course of therapy.”
Depression during pregnancy affects an estimated 28.5 per cent of pregnant people worldwide, but only around one in five receives appropriate and timely treatment
The team said closing this treatment gap should be a priority for health systems because the condition can affect both parent and child
The HappyMums project is supported by the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme
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Hormonal health
Type 2 diabetes rising among young women, experts warn
Published
3 days ago
on
July 24, 2026
By
News Desk
Type 2 diabetes is rising among women in their 20s in England, with experts warning of a worrying increase since the Covid pandemic
The rise has largely occurred since the pandemic and is closely linked to increasing obesity levels, according to an analysis of NHS data from 2011 to 2024
The condition is serious and can lead to severe complications, including heart attacks and strokes
Diabetes UK said it tends to be more aggressive when it develops at a younger age, raising the risk of serious complications and shorter lives
The charity said early diagnosis is vital for people at risk to help prevent long-term organ damage
The condition can sometimes be put into remission through healthy eating and maintaining a healthy weight, without relying on glucose-lowering medicines
Researchers said newer obesity treatments, including GLP-1 injections and pills, may also help alongside healthy eating advice
About 90 per cent of the six million people living with diabetes in the UK have type 2 rather than type 1, or insulin-dependent, diabetes
The risk increases with age, and older adults still account for the largest proportion of new diagnoses
However, NHS England estimates suggest that 12,000 people under 30 are now living with the condition, with women making up more of the younger cases
Common symptoms include feeling very tired, urinating more often than usual and feeling thirsty all the time
Researchers at Imperial College London analysed NHS data from the English National Diabetes Audit to examine trends over time
The figures showed that cases are falling slightly among older adults, who still account for the largest share of new diagnoses
However, diagnoses are increasing rapidly among people under 40, with some of the sharpest rises among women aged 20 to 29
Body mass index at diagnosis has also been rising more quickly among younger adults than in older age groups, pointing to obesity as a likely factor
Body mass index, or BMI, is a measure of obesity based on a person’s height and weight
Separate NHS data for England shows obesity rates have worsened since the pandemic, with nearly one in three people now affected
The largest increases over time have been among younger adults
Between 2019 and 2025, new obesity cases rose by 16 per cent among people aged 20 to 29 and by almost 20 per cent among those aged 30 to 39
Rates fell among adults aged 60 to 79 over the same period
Lead researcher Dr Shivani Misra said: “We think that the earlier onset of severe obesity in young people is increasing their type 2 diabetes risk in early life and pulling down their age at diagnosis
“This is really worrying given the poor health outcomes from early-onset type 2 diabetes.”
Misra said much of the discussion about rising rates among younger people had focused on ethnic minority groups, which have traditionally been considered at higher risk
However, the new data suggests the trend extends well beyond those communities
She added: “We now see that incidence is also increasing in white populations too, showing that this public health challenge is broadening across the generations.”
Diabetes UK said better follow-up care is also needed for mums-to-be diagnosed with gestational diabetes during pregnancy because it raises the risk of developing type 2 diabetes after childbirth
Some studies have suggested that the risk of developing the condition may also increase after being ill with Covid, although the evidence remains inconclusive
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