Tag: Healthlines

• Research suggests that the amount of time stool spends in your body may affect your overall health.
• This may be due to changes in gut microbiomes associated with how quickly or slowly stool moves through the body.
• An expert explains long-term health issues associated with slow digestion, chronic constipation, and chronic diarrhea.

The amount of time it takes for stool to move through your body may impact your health in more ways than you may think.

A 2023 study showed that there may be distinct differences in gut microbiomes depending on whether your stool is fast or slow.

This study also looked at previous research on gut transit time. All of the research had the same goal of estimating how long food stays in a person’s colon.

The longer it stays, the more time bacteria have to ferment the contents, regulate acidity in the gut, and produce metabolites that can influence the body’s health.

The study found that people with faster gut transit times had drastically different microbiomes than those with slower transit times.

One approach to estimating the gut transit time was the Bristol Stool Scale. This is a visual tool that classifies stool by consistency. For example, hard, rock-like pellets typically mean a long transit time. Watery, mushy stool often indicates a short transit time.

Transit time can also influence how your body responds to probiotics, as well as supplements and medications that interact with the gut.

“The gut is far more than a digestive organ — it is a finely tuned ecosystem whose balance underpins everything from immune function and metabolic health to neurological well-being and cancer risk,” said Ketan Thanki, MD, board certified colorectal surgeon who specializes in benign and malignant disease of the colon, rectum, and anus with the MemorialCare Todd Cancer Institute at Long Beach Medical Center in Long Beach, CA.

Healthline spoke with Thanki to learn more about how poop transit time can impact health.

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

Thanki: Gut transit time is a major determinant of microbiome composition, diversity, and metabolism.

Slower colonic transit time is consistently associated with a shift away from beneficial sugar fermentation, which produces health-promoting short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and toward protein fermentation that generates potentially harmful byproducts like ammonia and phenols.

The relationship works both ways: transit time shapes which microbial communities thrive, but microbiota and their metabolites — including SCFAs and secondary bile acids — directly influence gut motility.

Thanki: When transit slows, fermentable carbohydrates become depleted before stool reaches the distal colon, and bacteria switch from fermenting carbohydrates into healthful short-chain fatty acids to fermenting proteins instead (proteolysis).

This produces metabolites — ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, phenols, indoles, and branched-chain fatty acids — that are directly toxic to colonocytes, damage colonocyte DNA, cause cancer-causing mutations, and promote a leaky gut lining, thereby promoting systemic inflammation.

Meanwhile, increased methane production further slows the gut, and increased estrogens in the blood can increase the risk of malignancies like breast cancer and dysregulate levels of other hormones.

SCFA depletion affects systemic metabolism. SCFAs are not just local (colonocyte) fuel. They also signal to the liver to regulate glucose production, and influence adipose tissue metabolism, insulin sensitivity, and secretion of appetite hormones (GLP-1, PYY).

When prolonged transit time reduces SCFA production, these regulatory signals are diminished. This is particularly relevant in diabetes and obesity, where gastroparesis and altered transit compound glycemic control problems and energy dysregulation.

Lastly, gut bacteria convert choline and carnitine from meat and eggs into trimethylamine (TMA), which the liver converts to TMAO, a metabolite linked to cardiovascular disease. The paper notes the transit-TMAO link hasn’t been fully characterized yet, but it’s a plausible pathway to worsened heart disease.

Thanki: Colorectal cancer is one of the most well-established and serious associations with chronic constipation.

Slow transit promotes the accumulation of secondary bile acids that are directly genotoxic and cytotoxic to colonocytes.

Combined with the shift toward proteolytic fermentation generating ammonia, phenols, and hydrogen sulfide — all of which damage the mucosal barrier and colonocyte DNA — and the depletion of protective butyrate (a SCFA), the colonic environment becomes progressively more hostile over time.

The distal colon, where proteolysis dominates and transit is slowest, is also where most colorectal tumors arise.

Thanki: Eat lots of fiber (I suggest aiming for 35 g a day), drink lots of water (64 to 80 ounces a day), and minimize red and processed meats (3 portions of red meat a week and only eat processed meats rarely or sparingly).

Try to get your fiber from varied sources like vegetables, seeds, and whole grains, and don’t hesitate to take a fiber supplement like psyllium husk.

Probiotic foods like yogurt, kefir, kombucha, and sauerkraut can help restore gut flora, especially sugar-fermenting bacteria.

Finally, exercise! Even 20 to 30 minutes of walking a day will stimulate your gut motility.

Thanki: Think beyond your diet — while food and water intake are major contributors, constipation is multifactorial.

Move your body regularly: Even a daily 20 to 30-minute walk can stimulate bowel activity.

Don’t hold in your bowel movements: Ignoring the urge to defecate retrains your bowel to live with constipation.

Try lifestyle modifications to help with stress, poor sleep, and reduce medications that might slow things down. These can all contribute to nervous system and hormonal dysregulation that, in turn, affects gut motility.

If constipation persists for more than a few weeks despite lifestyle modification, there’s likely something more going on. Listen to your body and get it checked out.

Thanki: Chronic diarrhea accelerates gut transit to the point where adequate nutrient absorption and microbial fermentation cannot occur, leading to a cascade of long-term systemic consequences, including:

The persistently compromised gut barrier allows bacterial products to enter systemic circulation, driving low-grade inflammation linked to autoimmune conditions, while the depleted SCFA production starves colonocytes and further destabilizes the mucosal lining.

• Eating one avocado and 1 cup of mango daily may improve blood vessel function in as little as 8 weeks, according to new research.
• The avocado-mango combo was linked to better flow-mediated dilation in both men and women, with lower diastolic blood pressure more pronounced in men.
• Researchers say the benefits likely come from a mix of fiber, potassium, vitamin C, and heart-healthy fats.
• Experts stress that overall diet quality matters most, and mango and avocado work best as part of a balanced eating pattern.

Eating one avocado and 1 cup of mango daily may help improve heart health in as little as 8 weeks, according to a recent study.

Researchers at the Illinois Institute of Technology found that adults with prediabetes who followed this combination experienced improved blood vessel function and reductions in diastolic blood pressure.

Participants who followed the avocado and mango diet showed a notable improvement in flow-mediated dilation (FMD), a measure of blood vessel function. Their FMD rose to 6.7%, whereas it fell to 4.6% in the control group, indicating better vascular health in those consuming the fruit combination.

Diastolic blood pressure also improved in males. Those in the control group experienced an average increase in central blood pressure of 5 mmHg, while men in the avocado and mango group saw a reduction of around 1.9 mmHg.

The researchers acknowledged that the study was funded by the National Mango Board and the Hass Avocado Board, which is important to consider when interpreting the findings.

Karen E. Todd, a registered dietitian nutritionist at The Supplement Dietitian, said that while the findings of the new study are promising, it doesn’t mean that a mango-avocado combination is a magic bullet. Todd wasn’t involved in the study.

Rather, she said the research highlights how replacing lower-quality foods with nutrient-dense options can improve heart health markers over time.

“The study fits with what we already know about diet quality and heart health. In this trial, adults with prediabetes who ate one avocado plus 1 cup of mango daily for 8 weeks had better flow-mediated dilation, a marker of blood vessel function, than the control group,” she told Healthline.

“The intervention also increased intake of fruit, fiber, vitamin C, and monounsaturated fat, which are all consistent with a more heart-supportive eating pattern.”

“Mango likely helps heart health through a combination of vitamin C, potassium, and fiber,” she said.

“Vitamin C acts as an antioxidant and supports blood vessel integrity, potassium helps regulate blood pressure, and fiber supports cholesterol and blood sugar control. Together, these nutrients support both vascular function and overall cardiometabolic health.”

Todd said the biggest heart-health advantage of avocados is their unsaturated fat profile, especially monounsaturated fats, along with fiber and potassium.

“The added fiber and potassium further support heart health through cholesterol management and blood pressure regulation.”

Of course, the study looked at the heart health benefits of eating these two foods together, not each food on its own.

“Nutritionally, they complement each other well,” Todd said.

“Mango provides vitamin C and carbohydrates, while avocado contributes healthy fats and fiber. Together, they create a more balanced, satisfying option that may support heart health more effectively than either food alone, particularly when they replace processed foods,” she explained.

A significant finding of this study is that participants who added one avocado and 1 cup of mango to their daily diet showed measurable improvements in blood vessel function, along with reductions in diastolic blood pressure.

Brett A. Sealove, MD, chair of cardiology at Hackensack Meridian Jersey Shore University Medical Center, and associate professor and vice chair of cardiology, Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine, said the new study warrants “serious consideration,” but noted some limitations. Sealove wasn’t involved in the research.

“The sample size was relatively small, with 82 participants enrolled and 68 completing the protocol. And the study duration was only 8 weeks, which is brief given that vascular and metabolic remodeling typically occurs over several months,” he told Healthline.

“The study was also partially controlled, as participants prepared some of their own meals, introducing variability.”

Additionally, Sealove noted that the diastolic blood pressure benefit was observed primarily in males, limiting generalizability.

The findings of the present study are promising and offer a somewhat simple strategy to support heart health.

However, moderation is key, given that avocados are high in calories and fat, even though it’s “good” fat, and mangos are higher in natural sugars.

“For most people, a practical intake would be about one-third to one-half of an avocado and half to 1 cup of mango, several times per week,” Todd said.

“Whole fruit sugars are generally not a concern in moderate portions because they come with fiber, but avocado is calorie-dense, so portion awareness matters.

“Overconsumption of either food can contribute excess calories, which may work against weight and metabolic goals,” Todd added.

There are simple, practical ways to include mango and avocado as part of a heart-healthy, balanced diet.

Todd said these nutritious foods can be incorporated into meals or eaten together as a snack.

“Mangos and avocados work well in yogurt bowls with seeds, in salads with leafy greens and legumes, or as a topping for fish, like salmon,” she said.

“Pairing them with foods like whole grains, nuts, seeds, beans, and other fruits and vegetables helps reinforce an overall heart-healthy eating pattern, which is where the biggest benefits come from,” she continued.

If you’re looking for quick, no-fuss options, try blending mango and avocado with spinach and a source of protein, like Greek yogurt or protein powder.

You could also mash avocado onto wholegrain toast and top it with fresh mango salsa for a balance of fiber, healthy fats, and natural sweetness.

The key is to think of mango and avocado as versatile ingredients that can elevate everyday meals while supporting overall diet quality.

Consistently building meals around whole, minimally processed foods is what makes the biggest difference for long-term heart health.

• Eating one avocado and 1 cup of mango daily may improve blood vessel function in as little as 8 weeks, according to new research.
• The avocado-mango combo was linked to better flow-mediated dilation in both men and women, with lower diastolic blood pressure more pronounced in men.
• Researchers say the benefits likely come from a mix of fiber, potassium, vitamin C, and heart-healthy fats.
• Experts stress that overall diet quality matters most, and mango and avocado work best as part of a balanced eating pattern.

Eating one avocado and 1 cup of mango daily may help improve heart health in as little as 8 weeks, according to a recent study.

Researchers at the Illinois Institute of Technology found that adults with prediabetes who followed this combination experienced improved blood vessel function and reductions in diastolic blood pressure.

Participants who followed the avocado and mango diet showed a notable improvement in flow-mediated dilation (FMD), a measure of blood vessel function. Their FMD rose to 6.7%, whereas it fell to 4.6% in the control group, indicating better vascular health in those consuming the fruit combination.

Diastolic blood pressure also improved in males. Those in the control group experienced an average increase in central blood pressure of 5 mmHg, while men in the avocado and mango group saw a reduction of around 1.9 mmHg.

The researchers acknowledged that the study was funded by the National Mango Board and the Hass Avocado Board, which is important to consider when interpreting the findings.

Karen E. Todd, a registered dietitian nutritionist at The Supplement Dietitian, said that while the findings of the new study are promising, it doesn’t mean that a mango-avocado combination is a magic bullet. Todd wasn’t involved in the study.

Rather, she said the research highlights how replacing lower-quality foods with nutrient-dense options can improve heart health markers over time.

“The study fits with what we already know about diet quality and heart health. In this trial, adults with prediabetes who ate one avocado plus 1 cup of mango daily for 8 weeks had better flow-mediated dilation, a marker of blood vessel function, than the control group,” she told Healthline.

“The intervention also increased intake of fruit, fiber, vitamin C, and monounsaturated fat, which are all consistent with a more heart-supportive eating pattern.”

“Mango likely helps heart health through a combination of vitamin C, potassium, and fiber,” she said.

“Vitamin C acts as an antioxidant and supports blood vessel integrity, potassium helps regulate blood pressure, and fiber supports cholesterol and blood sugar control. Together, these nutrients support both vascular function and overall cardiometabolic health.”

Todd said the biggest heart-health advantage of avocados is their unsaturated fat profile, especially monounsaturated fats, along with fiber and potassium.

“The added fiber and potassium further support heart health through cholesterol management and blood pressure regulation.”

Of course, the study looked at the heart health benefits of eating these two foods together, not each food on its own.

“Nutritionally, they complement each other well,” Todd said.

“Mango provides vitamin C and carbohydrates, while avocado contributes healthy fats and fiber. Together, they create a more balanced, satisfying option that may support heart health more effectively than either food alone, particularly when they replace processed foods,” she explained.

A significant finding of this study is that participants who added one avocado and 1 cup of mango to their daily diet showed measurable improvements in blood vessel function, along with reductions in diastolic blood pressure.

Brett A. Sealove, MD, chair of cardiology at Hackensack Meridian Jersey Shore University Medical Center, and associate professor and vice chair of cardiology, Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine, said the new study warrants “serious consideration,” but noted some limitations. Sealove wasn’t involved in the research.

“The sample size was relatively small, with 82 participants enrolled and 68 completing the protocol. And the study duration was only 8 weeks, which is brief given that vascular and metabolic remodeling typically occurs over several months,” he told Healthline.

“The study was also partially controlled, as participants prepared some of their own meals, introducing variability.”

Additionally, Sealove noted that the diastolic blood pressure benefit was observed primarily in males, limiting generalizability.

The findings of the present study are promising and offer a somewhat simple strategy to support heart health.

However, moderation is key, given that avocados are high in calories and fat, even though it’s “good” fat, and mangos are higher in natural sugars.

“For most people, a practical intake would be about one-third to one-half of an avocado and half to 1 cup of mango, several times per week,” Todd said.

“Whole fruit sugars are generally not a concern in moderate portions because they come with fiber, but avocado is calorie-dense, so portion awareness matters.

“Overconsumption of either food can contribute excess calories, which may work against weight and metabolic goals,” Todd added.

There are simple, practical ways to include mango and avocado as part of a heart-healthy, balanced diet.

Todd said these nutritious foods can be incorporated into meals or eaten together as a snack.

“Mangos and avocados work well in yogurt bowls with seeds, in salads with leafy greens and legumes, or as a topping for fish, like salmon,” she said.

“Pairing them with foods like whole grains, nuts, seeds, beans, and other fruits and vegetables helps reinforce an overall heart-healthy eating pattern, which is where the biggest benefits come from,” she continued.

If you’re looking for quick, no-fuss options, try blending mango and avocado with spinach and a source of protein, like Greek yogurt or protein powder.

You could also mash avocado onto wholegrain toast and top it with fresh mango salsa for a balance of fiber, healthy fats, and natural sweetness.

The key is to think of mango and avocado as versatile ingredients that can elevate everyday meals while supporting overall diet quality.

Consistently building meals around whole, minimally processed foods is what makes the biggest difference for long-term heart health.

• A recent study has found that the use of sleep apps may lead to negative effects in people with insomnia.
• The researchers also note that sleep apps may not give an accurate image of your sleep.
• Some researchers believe that constant sleep monitoring may lead to orthosomnia.

A rising interest in sleep health and the availability of sleep apps have led to a significant increase in people tracking their rest.

A recent study published in Frontiers in Psychology has found that sleep apps may be helpful to some people, but for those with insomnia, negative effects may be more likely.

The researchers also note that these sleep apps may not provide an accurate picture of your sleep and may actually make it more difficult for people to rest.

“In sleep medicine, there is something called orthosomnia, which is when people get anxious about sleep metrics, and in turn sleep more poorly from having that data. This study is in line with that concept,” said Alex Dimitriu, MD, a double board certified psychiatry and sleep medicine expert and founder of Menlo Park Psychiatry & Sleep Medicine. Dimitriu wasn’t involved in the study.

Sleep apps may vary widely, but often track similar measures for sleep, such as:

• how long it takes you to fall asleep
• how long you sleep for
• how restorative your sleep is

Sleep app technology is still so new that more research is needed to understand exactly how different groups of people respond to it and how accurate it is.

“The rapid development of sleep app technology requires the scientific community to keep up with technological advances,” first study author Håkon Lundekvam Berge of the University of Bergen said in a press release.

To investigate this, the research team analyzed data from 1,002 adults in Norway. Participants were asked about their use of sleep apps, their sleep health, and whether they experienced positive or negative effects when using the apps.

Around 46% of the survey participants stated they used, or had used, at least one sleep app. The survey showed that females and people under the age of 50 were more likely to use these apps.

The results showed that males and females generally responded similarly to the apps. However, younger individuals reported stronger effects than older users.

“We found that younger adults were more affected by the feedback from the sleep apps. They reported more perceived benefits, but also more worries and stress,” said Lundekvam in the press release.

Participants reported positive effects more often than negative. Around 15% stated that sleep apps improved their sleep, while 2.3% reported their sleep was worse.

Around 48% of participants reported they benefited from learning more about their sleep. However, 17% reported that the apps increased their worry about their sleep. One of the most important findings was that people with symptoms of insomnia were more likely to experience negative effects.

The researchers noted that people with insomnia were more likely to experience negative thoughts and worries about sleep. They also found that difficulties disengaging from concerns related to sleep may have further influence over how individuals with insomnia engage with these apps.

This shows that using sleep apps may increase stress and worry about sleep.

“This study specifically identified people with insomnia as being more susceptible to negative feedback, and this makes sense, as insomniacs are a lot more likely to have anxiety. These apps give people things to worry about when they already have a lot to worry about in the first place,” said Dimitriu.

The research team encourages further research into the relationship between insomnia and the use of sleep apps.

• More than 3.1 million bottles of over-the-counter eye drops are being recalled due to concerns about sterility.
• While no illnesses have been reported, experts say recalls like this can erode public trust in medicine.
• A 2023 outbreak linked to eye drops resulted in more than 80 infections and four deaths in the United States.

A California-based pharmaceutical company is recalling more than 3.1 million bottles of eye drops due to concerns about sterility.

According to a report by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), K.C. Pharmaceuticals is conducting a voluntary recall of the products distributed through major national retailers, including Walgreens, Kroger, and CVS.

The recall was initiated on March 3 and classified by the FDA on March 31. The FDA safety alert reflects both uncertainty and caution, according to experts.

“We don’t know if they really were contaminated. If they were, we don’t know what type of microbe. We don’t know any of that. All we know is that the manufacturer said there’s an issue with sterility in these products,” said Gary Novack, PhD, a clinical professor in the UC Davis Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Science and a consultant in ophthalmic product development.

There have been no reported injuries or illnesses related to the recalled products, which include:

• Sterile Eye Drops AC
• Eye Drops Advanced Relief
• Dry Eye Relief Eye Drops
• Ultra Lubricating Eye Drops
• Sterile Eye Drops Original Formula
• Sterile Eye Drops Redness Lubricant
• Sterile Eye Drops Soothing Tears
• Artificial Tears Sterile Lubricant Eye Drops

Consumers are urged to discontinue use and discard these products.

The FDA classified the recall as a “Class II” recall, meaning that “using the drug may cause temporary health consequences, but the probability of a serious health issue is remote,” an FDA representative told Healthline. The rationale for the recall is listed as “lack of assurance of sterility.”

That designation does not mean there is proof of contamination, but rather that there has been a potential lapse in the manufacturing process that could compromise sterility.

Retailers are working to address the recall and guide customers on the next steps. Healthline reached out to a number of them.

Walgreens and Kroger did not respond by the time of publication, but a representative for CVS said, “We’re committed to ensuring the products we offer are safe, work as intended, comply with regulations, and satisfy customers’ needs. While the four recalled items sold by CVS were discontinued nearly a year ago, we’re fully cooperating with the voluntary recall.”

The CVS representative added that customers who purchased these products may return them for a refund.

Although no illnesses have been reported due to the recall, experts say that widespread recalls do other kinds of damage.

“It’s always concerning any time we have a recall of clinical products,” said Sylvia Groth, MD, executive medical director, Department of Ophthalmology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, and associate professor of Ophthalmology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

“These events erode patient trust in over-the-counter medications. I am concerned that when I prescribe or recommend a treatment, it can be undermined by a recall,” she said.

Prescription eye drops are not part of the current recall, and anyone using these medications should feel safe and confident continuing their course.

“They’re not at risk,” said Novack. “We don’t want patients to stop using their prescription eye drops for glaucoma, dry eye, or infection. It doesn’t apply to them.”

Novack, who wrote about the outbreak in the journal Ophthalmology, called the incident a “perfect storm,” made possible by multiple points of failure.

He pointed to multiple points of failure, including:

• The manufacturer sold a product that didn’t comply with federal regulations; the facility was contaminated with the antibiotic-resistant bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
• During the COVID-19 pandemic, the FDA temporarily paused inspections of domestic and foreign manufacturing sites, potentially allowing lapses in manufacturing safety to go undetected.

If you’ve purchased one of the recalled products listed above and concerned about an potential eye infection look for the following signs and symptoms:

• discharge from the eye
• pain or discomfort
• redness or inflammation
• blurry vision

However, these symptoms are often nonspecific, meaning they can be caused by a number of issues, including allergies, Groth said.

“Patients can get very bad allergies, especially this time of year, that can mimic an infection in the eye. If it is actually an allergy-based reaction, that can be bothersome and irritating, but not something that needs any additional treatment or antibiotics,” she noted.

She added that it’s important to track symptom progression, and if they aren’t improving, it may be time to see a doctor.

People who wear contacts should be especially mindful of symptoms.

“In general, I’m always more worried about my contact lens population than an otherwise healthy person using artificial tears. If you’re a contact lens wearer, you’re at higher risk because you can have small, unrecognized abrasions or small ulcers that are present, and contact lenses can hold bacteria on them that other patients don’t have in their eyes,” Groth said.

Here are some best practices when applying eye drops:

• Wash your hands.
• Avoid touching your eye or eyelashes with the tip of the bottle.
• Discard single-use products immediately after use.
• Look for reputable brand names or get a doctor’s recommendation.

• A recent study found various “hidden” side effects of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic, including chills, hot flashes, and irregular periods.
• The researchers used self-reported Reddit data to examine the real-world effects of these medications.
• An expert weighs in on why hidden side effects, such as Ozempic chills, may occur.

GLP-1 medications, like Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro, have various known side effects, including nausea, fatigue, constipation, and diarrhea.

However, a recent study published in Nature Health found that GLP-1 drugs may also come with certain “hidden” side effects.

The researchers analyzed 410,198 Reddit posts that mentioned either semaglutide or tirzepatide. They found a total of 67,008 users who self-reported using these medications. Of those, 43.5% posted about at least one side effect.

Reproductive issues, such as menstrual irregularities and temperature-related complaints, like chills and hot flashes, were the most notable unrecognized side effects of GLP-1s.

Jeffrey Lee, MD, a double board-certified plastic surgeon and founder of JL Plastic Surgery in Boston, MA, who was not involved in the study, spoke to Healthline about these “hidden” side effects, why they may occur, and what people may misunderstand about GLP-1s from social media posts.

This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity and length.

Lee: The most common side effects I see in practice are gastrointestinal, things like nausea, bloating, or constipation.

These are typically temporary and often dose-dependent, meaning they can improve over time or with a dosage adjustment.

Of the lesser-known side effects mentioned in the study, I have occasionally had patients report fatigue, but it’s not something I see frequently.

I have not personally seen most of the other symptoms highlighted in the study in a consistent or clinically significant way.

Lee: GLP-1 agonists primarily affect the gastrointestinal system, but they also act on the brain, particularly the hypothalamus, which regulates many core functions, including hormones, temperature, and appetite.

Because of this, it’s plausible that some patients could experience broader systemic effects, including hormonal or temperature-related symptoms.

That said, these effects are not yet well established clinically, and more research is needed to determine whether they are directly caused by the medication or influenced by factors such as weight loss, metabolic changes, or individual physiology.

Clinically, we are seeing that some patients report a reduced sense of reward from certain behaviors.

For example, there have been reports of individuals with alcohol use issues experiencing a decreased urge to drink. This suggests that GLP-1s may blunt the reward response, which could be beneficial in some contexts.

However, that same mechanism may also translate into a dampening of emotional highs and lows, which some patients may interpret as apathy or decreased libido. This is still an emerging area of research, but it’s one of the more interesting potential effects of these medications.

Lee: Patient behavior can absolutely play a role.

If someone is actively restricting intake beyond what the medication is already doing, they may experience symptoms like irritability or mood swings.

On the other hand, if a patient is fully reliant on the medication and experiences little to no hunger, those fluctuations may be less noticeable.

So there’s often an interplay between the medication’s effects and the patient’s behavioral response.

Lee: One of the biggest challenges with social media is that it captures anecdotal, self-reported experiences without context.

It can be difficult to determine whether a symptom is directly caused by the medication, related to rapid weight loss, influenced by other medications, or tied to underlying health conditions.

Without that clinical context, it’s easy for associations to be made that aren’t necessarily causal. That’s why it’s important to interpret these reports carefully and in conjunction with clinical data.

Lee: These limitations are significant. For findings to be broadly applicable, the study population needs to reflect real-world patients in terms of age, gender, medical history, and dosing.

Self-reported data, especially from platforms like Reddit, can introduce bias, as it often captures a narrower or more vocal subset of users.

That said, studies like this can still be valuable as an early signal. They can help generate hypotheses and guide more rigorous, controlled research that allows us to draw more definitive conclusions.

• A small study found that young non-smokers who eat more fruit, vegetables, and whole grains are more likely to develop lung cancer than the general population.
• The researchers speculate that this could be due to pesticides used on crops.
• The study is small in sample size and does not prove causation, so experts caution against reducing fruits and vegetable intake.

Younger nonsmokers who eat a higher quantity of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains are more likely to develop lung cancer than the general population.

The research has not yet been published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal, but the authors speculate that their findings may be linked to pesticide use in crops.

“Our research shows that younger non-smokers who eat a higher quantity of healthy foods than the general population are more likely to develop lung cancer,” said Jorge Nieva, MD, a medical oncologist and lung cancer specialist with USC Norris and lead investigator of the study, in a statement.

“These counter-intuitive findings raise important questions about an unknown environmental risk factor for lung cancer related to otherwise beneficial food that needs to be addressed,” Nieva continued.

The researchers note that non-organic fruits, vegetables, and whole grains produced commercially typically have higher levels of pesticides than many processed foods, as well as meat and dairy.

Existing research that found agricultural workers who are exposed to pesticides have higher rates of lung cancer may support this theory.

Rates of lung cancer in the United States have been falling since the 1980s, along with rates of smoking. However, this has not been true among non-smokers ages 50 and younger, particularly females. Women in this group are now more likely than men to develop lung cancer.

“This trend is quite concerning. I think it is important for us to better understand through research why non-smokers are getting lung cancer,” Jimmy Johannes, MD, a pulmonologist and critical care medicine specialist at MemorialCare Long Beach Medical Center in Long Beach, California, who was not involved in the research, told Healthline.

In undertaking their study, the researchers surveyed 187 patients who received a diagnosis of lung cancer by the time they were 50.

The participants were asked to give details of their smoking history, diet, and demographics.

The majority of those studied reported that they had never smoked and also were diagnosed with a type of lung cancer that is biologically different than the type of lung cancer that is caused by smoking.

The researchers then used the Healthy Eating Index (HEI) to compare the diets of those surveyed with the general U.S. population. The Healthy Eating Index ranks Americans’ diets on a scale of 1-100.

Young, non-smoking patients who had lung cancer had an HEI score of 65 out of 100, compared with the average U.S. score of 57.

The researchers found that women scored higher than men.

On average, those with lung cancer ate more fruit, vegetables, and whole grains than the average U.S. population.

The study authors note that further research is needed to examine the link between pesticides and lung cancer among young people, especially in females.

The study authors say the next step in the research would be to confirm the association between pesticides and lung cancer in young people by measuring pesticide levels in blood and urine samples from lung cancer patients.

“This work represents a critical step toward identifying modifiable environmental factors that may contribute to lung cancer in young adults,” Nivea said in a statement. “Our hope is that these insights can guide both public health recommendations and future investigation into lung cancer prevention.”

Experts who spoke with Healthline caution that people shouldn’t reduce their intake of fruits and vegetables based on the results of the study, which is small in sample size and doesn’t prove causation.

“This study raises an important question, but doesn’t directly measure pesticide exposure in participants. Decades of evidence still show that diets rich in fruits and vegetables help lower cancer risk. People should not reduce their intake of plant foods based on this study alone,” Melissa Mroz-Planells, a registered dietitian nutritionist in private practice, told Healthline.

Pesticides are known to be carcinogenic, but experts say reducing or eliminating them from agricultural production would require a significant overhaul of food supply systems.

“The fact is, pesticides and herbicides are poison. They’re meant to kill pests and bugs. They were developed during wartime… and now are sprayed on almost everything and contaminate much of the food supply,” Dana Hunnes, PhD, a senior dietitian supervisor at UCLA Health, told Healthline. Hunnes wasn’t involved in the research.

“They should be included/discussed in dietary guidelines, which is more a downstream approach, but ought to be regulated or eliminated if we want a more comprehensive upstream/public health approach. However, that requires political will, money to change how farmers and ranchers grow food, and a complete overhaul of food systems.”

The reason for lung cancer rates among young non-smokers remains unknown, and the USC study offers just one theory yet to be confirmed.

George Chaux, MD, a board certified interventional pulmonologist and medical director of Interventional Pulmonology at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, CA, said it could be a number of factors contributing to the trend. Chaux wasn’t involved in the study.

“The rising trend of lung cancer amongst younger non-smoking individuals is concerning but remains relatively rare and is mostly tied to ethnicity, such as Asian descent. There is likely to be some strong genetic predisposition together with an environmental exposure driving this,” he told Healthline.

“Pesticides are known to be carcinogens, and there is a higher risk of lung cancer associated with heavy exposure, such as in agriculture workers, as cited in this study,” he said.

“This is why washing your fruits and vegetables before eating raw foods is very important. I would not conclude from this data nor recommend that people stay away from a healthy diet of fruits and vegetables, which has been conclusively shown to improve overall health, including risk of colon cancer and heart disease. I would also not necessarily recommend organic foods, which tend to be more expensive; the best approach is to wash your fruits and vegetables well before you eat them,” Chaux continued.

Amy Bragagnini is a clinical oncology dietitian at Trinity Health Lacks Cancer Center. She wasn’t involved in the study but said that, regardless of whether produce is organic, rinsing before eating is a good idea.

“When eating fresh produce, I first encourage my patients to thoroughly wash all produce that they consume, regardless of the produce being organic or conventional. Rinsing under cold water and using a light friction can reduce bacteria, dirt, chemicals, and pesticides,” she told Healthline.

“In addition, I encourage my patients to frequent local farmers’ markets if they have one close to them and to grow their own produce if they are able. There is nothing more satisfying than picking ingredients for your family’s salad right out of your backyard,” Bragagnini said.

• A recent study shows there may be a connection between those who are or have been married and reduced incidents of cancer.
• This adds to a growing body of research that links marriage to improved health outcomes.
• This is not to say that people must get or be married to have health and cancer benefits.

The concept of marriage is in flux in society. In fact, recent data show that marriage rates in the United States are actually falling.

A recent study published in the journal Cancer Research Communications suggests that being or having been married may be associated with reduced cancer risk. This means that, according to the data, many people may be missing out on the health benefits of marriage.

However, there are some who say that the societal concept of marriage being “better” than being single may skew data and the interpretations of it.

“People start from the assumption ‘Marriage: good. No marriage: bad’ and interpret things in ways that do not make sense in terms of actual data,” Joan DelFattore, PhD, professor emerita of English and legal studies at the University of Delaware, and someone who has written about cancer and marital status for academic journals and mass media, told CNN. Delfattore wasn’t involved in the study.

She added that this bias, which is embedded in medical training and research, often leads to conclusions that may be “over-simplified.”

The recent study showed, however, that statistically, people who had an “ever-married” status had a lower incident rate of cancer than those who had “never-married.” The researchers identified “ever-married” to include married, separated, divorced, or widowed individuals.

“This demonstrates that marriage confers not only known social benefits but also downstream physiological benefits, highlighting the unity between mind and body, and between social, mental, and physical health,” said Deborah Vinall, PsyD, LMFT, and Chief Psychological Officer with Recovered, who was not involved in the study.

“Loneliness is known to be fatal. This study makes that finding more concrete,” Vinall said.

While this study may show another potential health benefit of marriage, more research is needed.

The researchers found that among never-married males, cancer rates were 68% higher than those of males in the ever-married group. For never-married females, the rate was 85% higher than that of females in the ever-married group.

“With how heterogeneous both cancer and individual behaviors can be, this is a nuanced question but to generalize broadly, being married is known to decrease exposure to many of the risk factors associated with various malignancies,” said Ketan Thanki, MD, board certified colorectal surgeon who specializes in benign and malignant disease of the colon, rectum, and anus with the MemorialCare Todd Cancer Institute at Long Beach Medical Center. Thanki wasn’t involved in the study.

The research team notes that these findings probably have multiple causes. For example, some cancers, such as ovarian and endometrial cancers, may be related to reproductive mechanisms. Individuals who have never given birth may be at a higher risk for these cancers.

The study also found that in older participants, the correlation between marriage and cancer risk seemed to strengthen. This may suggest that the effects of marriage accumulate over time.

It’s also possible that these outcomes are partly due to the way marriage can offer advantages in social support and healthcare.

The study researchers suggest that people who are married may be less likely to partake in behaviors that may be considered a risk, pointing to data that shows marriage was strongly associated with lower rates of lung and cervical cancer.

Both these cancers are linked to behaviors that may be considered a risk, like smoking, sexual activity, and drinking alcohol.

“Married people get screened more,” Thanki suggested. “This is especially true for men who are 20% more likely to get colonoscopies, for example, if married … Having a partner to help us manage and afford our lifestyle and food choices and remind us to get our health maintenance checkups seems to help prevent cancer,” said Thanki.

Vinall agreed, “Marriage partners are invested in each other’s long-term health and wellness. They may be more likely to encourage one another to engage in health-maintaining efforts such as eating well, exercising, and attending regular doctor’s visits, which can catch problems at a pre-cancerous stage.”

“It is interesting to note that while other surveys have found that marriage benefits men’s mental health more than women’s, the reduction in cancer risk identified in this study applies to both genders,” she told Healthline.

Some research suggests that single individuals going through cancer care may have worse outcomes than those who are married.

However, others, like DelFattore, argue that this may be due in part to stereotypes held by doctors.

More research is needed, and the study authors emphasize that it should focus on how to better support unmarried individuals.

It also provides doctors with an opportunity to counsel those without a support system at home. Unmarried people should be encouraged to build a strong support network.

“Social support really is the key factor, whether in a partner, friends, or family,” Thanki told Healthline.

“Taking that support out of the same home probably diminishes the effect slightly but still, having family and friends who encourage or inspire healthful behaviors, remind you to get your screening, and share meals and activities with you will not only keep you in a healthier and happier mental space but help keep you on top of the physical aspects of health that reduce cancer risk,” Thanki said.

Vindall added that it is important to remember “marriage decreases the odds of cancer but does not prevent it. If you are in a happy marriage and cancer still occurs, it is not an indictment of your marriage, love, or care for your spouse.”

• The FDA recently cleared another option for at-home self-collection for cervical cancer screening, further broadening access.
• The Onclarity kit from Waters Corporation is expected to be available in the coming months.
• The Teal Wand, another option for at-home HPV testing, is also available through a prescription.
• Experts say self-collection methods that test for HPV at home could reduce barriers to care and reduce cervical cancer diagnoses and related deaths.

Cervical cancer is widely considered the most preventable form of cancer with routine screening and early detection of human papillomavirus (HPV), which causes 90% of cases.

The Onclarity HPV Self-Collection Kit from Waters Corporation is a comprehensive screening tool that detects all high risk, cancer-causing HPV genotypes, the company said in a statement on April 8.

“Expanding access to screening is one of the most important steps we can take to prevent cervical cancer, and at-home HPV self-collection is a game-changer for making screening easier to complete,” said Jeff Andrews, MD, Vice President of Medical Affairs, Waters Advanced Diagnostics, Waters Corporation, in the statement.

“When more patients are able to get screened, whether at home or in the clinic, clinicians have better information to identify risks earlier and intervene sooner. That allows us to spend less time trying to reach patients who have fallen behind on screening and more time focusing on prevention, follow-up care, and treatment for those who need it,” Andrews continued.

Waters promises “broader nationwide access” to its self-collection kit, which will be available in the coming months and covered by private insurance, Medicaid, and Medicare. Here’s what you need to know.

Around 60% of all cervical cancers occur in people who are under-screened or unscreened, due to various factors and barriers to care.

While vaccination against HPV is considered a first-line defense against cervical cancer, regular screening is still advised.

In January, the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA), a division of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), updated its cervical cancer screening guidelines to endorse self-swab at-home tests for HPV.

In May 2025, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the Teal Wand, the first at-home test for cervical cancer.

The new Onclarity screening kit is expected to further expand access to cervical cancer screening, potentially saving lives.

Self-collection methods are thought to reduce barriers to cervical cancer screening, such as lack of access to care or discomfort during traditional screening methods like pap smears.

Improving early detection and reducing cervical cancer-related deaths, particularly among Black and Hispanic women, who face disproportionately high risks of cervical cancer.

The Onclarity at-home self-collection kit will be available with a prescription and mailed to your home.

Samples are collected with a cervical swab at an individual’s convenience and mailed to a participating laboratory for analysis.

The samples are processed using advanced robotics to ensure reliable and accurate results, the company stated. It’s unclear what the turnaround time for results will be, but the Teal Wand typically takes about a week to process.

Diana Pearre, MD, board certified gynecologic oncologist at The Roy and Patricia Disney Family Cancer Center at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, CA, said that overall, at-home self-collection methods are considered accurate.

Indeed, research has shown that samples collected via swab yield results as accurate as those collected by a clinician.

Test results are shared with a patient’s designated healthcare professional, who will help guide any follow-up and treatment decisions. Pearre said that depending on the findings, follow-up testing may be needed.

Pearre said that anyone interested in the Onclarity kit should ask their doctor for more information or visit the company’s website.

“The benefits of testing at home are convenience [and] lack of need for a pelvic exam, which can be uncomfortable for some individuals,” Pearre told Healthline.

• A man in Norway has achieved long-term HIV remission after a stem cell transplant, adding to a small but growing group of similar cases.
• Researchers say rare genetic factors, immune responses, and medication appear to work together to eliminate hidden HIV reservoirs.
• While not a practical cure for most people, these cases are helping scientists better understand the complexities of how to achieve HIV remission.

An adult man in Norway has been functionally cured of HIV following a stem cell transplant. He joins a small number of patients worldwide who have achieved similar outcomes.

Advancements in prevention and treatment, including PrEP and antiretroviral therapy (ART), have drastically improved outcomes and reduced the risk of HIV transmission.

In these cases, “functional cure” refers to long-term HIV remission without the need for ongoing treatment.

Only a small number of patients have achieved remission in this manner, but a new report adds to that growing body of evidence.

The “Oslo patient,” as he is known in the report, is a 63-year-old man who is documented as being functionally cured five years after undergoing HSCT to treat myelodysplastic syndrome.

Researchers affirmed his remission status by testing blood, gut, and bone marrow samples, all of which revealed no detectable viral reservoirs.

The case, which is documented in the journal nature microbiology, is the first in which HIV remission has resulted after a stem cell donation from a sibling.

Most, though not all, documented cases of HIV remission following a stem cell transplant have involved patients receiving stem cells from donors with the CCR5Δ32 mutation.

The CCR5Δ32 mutation confers resistance to the most common forms of HIV-1, the predominant HIV variant.

HIV uses CCR5 receptors on immune cells as an entry point to infect them. However, the CCR5Δ32 mutation prevents cells from expressing these receptors, effectively blocking the virus from entering and establishing infection.

The Oslo patient is no exception, having received a stem cell transplant from a sibling carrying the mutation. The presence of the mutation appears to play a key role in long-term remission, but it is not the only factor.

Steven Deeks, MD, a professor of medicine at UCSF in the Division of HIV, Infectious Diseases, and Global Medicine at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, framed the development as a step forward in an evolving understanding of HIV remission. Deeks wasn’t involved in the study.

“There have now been 10 successful transplants. Each is unique, but they collectively show that there are multiple ways a bone marrow transplant can help cure HIV. We learn from each case,” he said.

Augusto Dulanto, MD, an assistant professor of Medicine in the Department of Medicine’s Division of Infectious Diseases at Vanderbilt University, who wasn’t involved in the research, called the case “a cause for optimism” in HIV research.

The Oslo patient is among just a few others from around the world, including London, Berlin, and New York, who have been functionally cured of HIV following a stem cell transplant in which the donor had the CCR5Δ32 mutation.

In all of those cases, patients received stem cell transplants to treat conditions other than HIV, and remission occurred as a consequence of that treatment.

HIV is adept at hiding in various cells throughout the body in a latent state, including in the gut, making it extremely difficult to eliminate and prone to rebound if treatment is stopped. However, HSCT appears to be one method through which HIV can be almost entirely eliminated.

HSCT involves destroying much of a patient’s existing bone marrow and immune system with chemotherapy or radiation, then infusing healthy donor stem cells to rebuild the immune system. This process can drastically reduce the number of cells harboring HIV, which is known as the viral reservoir.

Humans have two copies of the CCR5 gene; when both carry the CCR5Δ32 mutation, cells are highly resistant to HIV, whereas a single copy confers only partial resistance. When donor cells with this mutation are used in a transplant, they can confer that resistance to the recipient, increasing the likelihood of remission.

“In this case, the sibling had the mutation in both the mother’s and the father’s side, which means he was homozygous for that mutation. And that is the key characteristic that allows for most cases similar to this to be successful,” Dulanto said.

However, some patients have been functionally cured of HIV following a stem cell transplant, even when the donor does not carry the mutation, as in the case of a patient in Geneva, Switzerland.

In these cases, researchers increasingly look to a well-known complication of the procedure — graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) — as part of the explanation for remission. As the donor immune system takes hold, it can aggressively attack the patient’s remaining cells.

Under other circumstances, this is harmful. However, in patients with HIV, that immune response may also target and destroy cells harboring the latent virus, a phenomenon referred to as a “graft-versus-reservoir” effect.

The graft-versus-reservoir effect is theorized to be another piece of the puzzle in achieving HIV remission.

Yet there are other moving parts, said Marshall Glesby, MD, PhD, associate chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases and director of the Cornell HIV Clinical Trials Unit at the Weill Cornell Medical College, told Healthline. Glesby wasn’t involved in the research.

“The graft-versus-reservoir effect and CCR5Δ32 mutation are kind of at the heart of things, but these patients are often receiving either prophylactic or therapeutic measures to counteract graft-versus-host disease, some of which are drugs that may have effects on the HIV reservoir,” he said.

Researchers note that ruxolitinib and vedolizumab, two drugs commonly used to treat GVHD, also appear to have anti-HIV properties that may contribute to the complete elimination of the virus. Simultaneously, antiretroviral therapy is also part of recovery, preventing any surviving virus from infecting the newly forming immune cells.

Taken together, this combination of treatments and immune-related factors may create the conditions in which HIV viral reservoirs are reduced or eliminated to the point where the virus can no longer rebound, potentially resulting in sustained remission, even in the absence of the protective CCR5Δ32 mutation.

Antiretroviral therapy (ART) has advanced to such a point that individuals with HIV are able to suppress the virus to undetectable levels, meaning there is “effectively no risk” of transmitting HIV.

The case of the Oslo patient is further proof that curing HIV is possible, though unlikely for most people. The authors write that using HSCT to cure HIV is “not a scalable strategy” owing to the serious and high risk nature of the procedure.

HSCT carries a significant risk of death, with a mortality rate of 10–20% within the first year after treatment.

Even if the procedure is successful, remission from cancer is not guaranteed. Cancer relapse is the leading cause of death following HSCT among those with HIV and the general population.

While ART requires lifelong use, it offers effective and generally well-tolerated viral suppression and is far more accessible than HSCT.

“The HIV treatments that we have nowadays are often just one pill per day, which is similar to how we treat hypertension. A procedure like HSCT has to be worthwhile, such as in cases where you may be able to simultaneously cure both HIV and a hematologic malignancy,” Dulanto said.

Still, Glesby points out that, despite its effectiveness, ART is still not a cure, and there are plenty of individuals with HIV who may still have difficulty taking daily medication. Furthermore, having HIV is still linked with a number of other conditions.

“Even when HIV is controlled, there’s still ongoing activation of the immune system and inflammation in many people that contributes to a number of comorbidities, including heart disease and age-related conditions,” he said.

That is to say, there is still a real drive among researchers to find a true cure. Despite the limitations of HSCT as a practical HIV treatment, the Oslo patient case advances our understanding of what it takes to achieve remission, helping to clarify the roles of genetics, immune response, and drug therapy on the path toward that goal.

“There’s still interest in achieving long-term control of HIV without having to take medications. There’s also research to try to improve tolerability and reduce the frequency of medication administration. All of these things are being done in parallel with the ultimate goal of helping people with HIV live longer and more productive lives,” Glesby said.