Krish Singh

New research suggests doing 90 minutes to two hours of weight training each week may reduce the risk of early death. The study linked regular resistance training with lower risk of death from heart disease, stroke and neurological conditions such as dementia. The biggest benefits were seen in people who combined strength training with high levels of aerobic exercise. Weight training may do more than build muscle.

A new study suggests the blood vessels inside fat tissue do more than respond to obesity and type 2 diabetes – they may actively help drive the disease process. Researchers found clear changes in vascular cells in people with obesity and type 2 diabetes, including signs linked to inflammation and tissue damage. The findings are early, but they raise the possibility that blood vessels in fat tissue could become a future treatment target. Fat tissue is often treated as little more than stored energy.

Researchers have found that the hormone FGF21 reversed obesity in mice by acting on a newly identified brain circuit in the hindbrain. Unlike GLP-1 drugs, which mainly reduce appetite, FGF21 appears to work by increasing energy burning. The findings are promising, but this is still mouse research and not proof that the same approach will work safely in people. Scientists at the University of Oklahoma have identified how the hormone FGF21 reduces body weight in mice.