Mini 'arteries-on-a-chip' could help predict a person's risk of stroke

 Have your competent? doctor lay out a path to stroke recovery with all this chip based research.

• BBB on a chip (1 post to February 2017)
• Brain on a chip (9 posts to October 2012)
• Lab on a Chip (3 posts to May 2012)

Do you prefer your doctor, hospital and board of director's incompetence NOT KNOWING? OR NOT DOING? Your choice; let them be incompetent or demand action!

Mini 'arteries-on-a-chip' could help predict a person's risk of stroke

Researchers have pioneered a way to create miniaturized copies of a person's carotid artery that could help doctors predict and manage the patient's stroke risk, a new study suggests.

In the research, published in July in the journal Cell Biomaterials, scientists used these "arteries-on-a-chip" to monitor how real blood flows through a patient's carotid arteries, which carry blood to the brain, face and neck. This could enable doctors to identify not just how and what type of clots form in that specific patient, but also determine which medications would be most effective in dealing with the blockage.

While the technique is currently a proof-of-concept, someday, it could help medical practitioners to better tailor treatments for each patient.

"When the inner lining of an artery is damaged, material underneath the cells, including collagen, becomes exposed to the blood," Zhao said. A bloodborne protein called von Willebrand factor (VWF) grabs hold of platelets from the flowing blood. Those platelets then stick together and recruit more platelets, building a clot, he said.

But forming a clot is only half the story; it's what this mass does next that determines the risk to the patient.

In some cases, the growing ball of clotted blood will stay firmly rooted to the artery wall, slightly impeding blood flow but not posing any immediate danger. However, if tiny fragments break off this static clot, they can travel toward the brain, where they risk blocking smaller vessels and thus causing a stroke.

"Clinically, we are very good at imaging how narrow an artery is," Zhao said, "but narrowing alone does not tell us exactly how a clot will behave."

This is where artery-on-a-chip models come in, he said. Rather than relying purely on medical scans, the team's model recreates the exact shape and structure of an individual patient's blood vessels using 3D printing. To create the models, they first use a patient’s existing CT scans to 3D print a plastic replica of their carotid artery, including any narrowing caused by atherosclerosis. Next, the inside of this plastic structure is coated with collagen, and then cells that line the carotid artery get layered on top. Blood is passed through the replica artery, mimicking the speed and pressure of blood flow in the body.

Nicotine Directly Damages Blood Vessels, Raising Heart Attack and Stroke Risk: Study

 Have your competent? doctor validate that the benefits outweigh this risk! Oh NO, your doctor is so incompetent, doesn't know of nicotine benefits! A fireable offense!

• nicotine (43 posts to October 2010)

Nicotine Directly Damages Blood Vessels, Raising Heart Attack and Stroke Risk: Study

Scientists just identified the 3 best ways to prevent muscle loss as you age

 

More reasons for your competent? doctor to have EXACT 100% RECOVERY PROTOCOLS! You don't want sarcopenia or muscle atrophy to occur. 

Ask your doctor if 'Exercise-in-a-pill' (9 posts to May 2017) will also produce this benefit.

Scientists just identified the 3 best ways to prevent muscle loss as you age

• A meta-analysis of 96 randomized controlled trials found that strength and balance training, along with protein intake, led to the biggest improvements in walking speed, grip strength, lean muscle mass, overall performance, and balance.
• The holistic approach is key, since longevity depends on multiple areas of health—your diet, balance training, and exercise, experts say.
• The bottom line is that it is possible to fight against muscle loss—at any age.

Muscle loss is common as people get older, but it’s not inevitable. A combination of strength training, protein, and other healthy lifestyle habits can help to combat what's known more scientifically as sarcopenia. Still, those are pretty vague recommendations, making it hard to know exactly how to approach this. Now, new research is laying out a clear formula.

The meta-analysis, which was published in the Journal of Nutrition, Health & Aging, analyzed data from thousands of people and came up with straightforward guidance that everyone can use.

Here’s what the researchers discovered when it comes to preventing muscle loss as you age, plus why it makes sense.

Meet the experts: Scott Keatley, RD,is the co-owner of Keatley Medical Nutrition Therapy. Bert Mandelbaum, MD, is a sports medicine specialist and orthopedic surgeon at Cedars-Sinai Orthopaedics and co-director of the Regenerative Orthobiologic Center at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

What did the study find?

For the study, researchers analyzed data from 96 randomized controlled trials in order to understand the effectiveness of different types of exercise on muscle strength, physical function, and muscle mass in people with sarcopenia.

Related video

: The five muscle groups doctors say to train hardest as you age (Talking With Docs)People who ate protein but didn’t exercise only had small changes in their muscle mass, and didn’t see meaningful improvements in their strength or mobility.

Why is this combination important for preventing muscle loss?

A big element is that these factors will help to support your playspan, which is the ability to stay physically active as you age, says Bert Mandelbaum, MD, sports medicine specialist and orthopedic surgeon at Cedars-Sinai Orthopaedics and co-director of the Regenerative Orthobiologic Center at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

Approaching playspan from multiple areas of health—your diet, balance training, and exercise—can come together to support longevity. “It’s important to be comprehensive,” he says.

While exercising to combat muscle loss makes sense, protein is crucial, too, according to Scott Keatley, RD, co-owner of Keatley Medical Nutrition Therapy. “As we age, muscles become less responsive to protein, a process known as anabolic resistance,” he explains. “Higher protein intakes help overcome this by repeatedly triggering muscle protein synthesis throughout the day.” While the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) is for 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight, active women looking to gain muscle may want to aim for 1.2 g/kg or slightly above.

Protein provides the building blocks for muscle, but resistance exercise provides the signal that tells the body to actually build it, according to Keatley. “Without mechanical loading, amino acids are more likely to be used for energy or general maintenance rather than new muscle tissue,” he says. “This disconnect is even stronger in older adults.”

The national guidelines suggest a minimum of two days per week of muscle-strengthening activity, although upping that to three (and even up to five) sessions a week can help support muscle-building. (Always talk to your healthcare provider or a trainer before drastically changing your exercise routine or diet.)

As for balance, some experts suggest incorporating balance moves, like single-leg stands, marching in place, and alternating reverse lunges, into your strength workouts, or doing them alone for 10- to 15-minutes a few times a week.

What’s the takeaway here?

The researchers provide a concrete formula to follow to combat muscle loss, but maintaining muscle mass requires a multi-faceted approach. “The impact isn’t going to be significant enough just by choosing one of these drivers,” Dr. Mandelbaum says. “You need all three to make a difference.”

Beyond that, Keatley stresses that it is possible to fight against muscle loss with age. “Meaningful improvements are possible at any age with the right inputs,” he says.

A longevity researcher doesn't take any supplements. Here are his 3 anti-aging habits instead

 Since my doctor and therapists COMPLETELY FUCKING FAILED at getting me running, I'll stick to walking.

A longevity researcher doesn't take any supplements. Here are his 3 anti-aging habits instead

Workers in their 80s and 90s share 5 tips for staying healthy and active

©Courtesy of Patricia Casey/Marilyn Gettinger/Eileen Hartigan

• Older Americans said that mental stimulation and purpose are keys to healthy aging.
• Most workers over 80 I spoke to value routines, social connections, and staying active.
• Researchers and workers agreed that optimism and engagement support longevity and well-being.

After studying stem cell aging for decades, Dr. Thomas Rando learned that some of the best longevity advice is timeless.

"I often make the joke that the billions of dollars that have been spent on studying healthy aging could come down to the two things your mother told you," Rando, the president of the American Federation for Aging Research and director of the Broad Stem Cell Research Center at UCLA, told Business Insider.

"Eat a good diet and get plenty of exercise."

Rando dedicated his career to studying how tissues repair themselves — and why they eventually lose the ability to do it well. What he learned is that many of the drugs tested in animals that are meant to extend lifespan work as effectively as a balanced diet and exercise do. One example was a 2022 study that found mice that were put on fasting diets were as resilient to stress as those injected with ketone bodies.

He said that many drugs and interventions are "just in a way supplementing the challenges that humans face in dieting and exercising."

that lifestyle habits such as eating whole foods and taking care of his body are the keys to longevity. "From my own studies, if you are eating well, sleeping well, and exercising, it's unlikely that supplements are going to make a difference," he said.

Rando shared the three longevity habits he's stuck to for years, from avid running to lots of socializing.

By his 30s, Rando realized his work schedule made it hard to exercise: organizing basketball or squash games just took too much time. So, he started running solo a few miles a day, a few times a week.

After a colleague convinced him to run a 5K, he fell in love with racing. He worked his way up to a 10K, half-marathon, and eventually, a marathon. He's been a marathon runner for the last few decades.

"Not that people should do marathons, but I really believe in the rejuvenating powers of exercise," Rando said. While he's still researching all the ways that working out benefits longevity, he said there's lots of evidence to support that regular exercise lowers the risk of cardiovascular disease and Alzheimer's.

Rando, who's currently dealing with an Achilles tendon injury, said he's running a little less often and focusing a little more on strength training, which is also important for healthy aging as muscle mass declines over time.

Beyond the anti-aging benefits, he said he loves how running makes him feel. "I think clearly, I think I solve problems when I run," he said. "So that was an added icing on the cake."

He fasts one day a week

I usually do one meal a day, around 5pm. No point in the Mediterranean diet, there is nothing specific in it, so you don't even know if you are following it correctly. 

Rando generally follows the Mediterranean diet, considered the healthiest diet in the world. He eats lean protein, fruits, and vegetables while cutting back on red meat, carbohydrates, and processed foods.

"I love a steak dinner, and I'll splurge on that," Rando said. "But my typical dinners are either purely vegetarian or with some light meat or some fish."

For decades, he's practiced a form of intermittent fasting where he doesn't eat breakfast. He usually has a light lunch of edamame and hard-boiled eggs, and eats his biggest meal at dinner. Some studies find that intermittent fasting can help control blood sugar levels and burn fat, while others show mixed evidence that intermittent fasting has sustained benefits.

Over the past few years, Rando also fasts for 24 hours once a week, another form of time-restricted eating. Because dinner is his biggest meal, he usually starts fasting until dinner the next day, rather than starting the fast in the morning.

Still, he isn't super strict about fasting. "My lifestyle is just not conducive to fasting multiple days in a row, partly because of the exercise, partly because I'm going to dinners and lunches with people," he said. "But I do believe in fasting as a means toward healthy aging."

Because intermittent fasting is still being studied, including any potential long-term risks, Rando considers it "a leap of faith."

"I believe from the science that this will have a long-term benefit," he said. But it's not because he feels the same immediate effects as he does from exercising. "I just feel hungry."

Socializing at work

My social connections are extensive.

As president of AFAR, Rando naturally interacts with a lot of people. "Through my work, I lead a very social life," he said, including collaborating with other researchers, sitting on various committees, and attending events. He said he also makes it a point to socialize outside work.

While he said it's harder to quantify the impact of social ties on longevity, there's a lot of compelling anecdotal evidence in favor of it. Some of it comes from Rando's own research: Dr. Ira Eliasoph, a 96-year-old AFAR study participant, said strong relationships helped him live a long life.

"I believe in the evidence that social interactions are really important as people get older," Rando said.

If you enjoyed this story, be sure to follow Business Insider on MSN.

If you can complete these 3 standing exercises after 60, your functional fitness is stronger than 90% of peers

 

I think I'm good on these at age 70.

If you can complete these 3 standing exercises after 60, your functional fitness is stronger than 90% of peers

Fitness after 60 isn't measured by how much weight you can lift or how many miles you can run. Instead, it shows up in the movements you perform every day without thinking twice. Standing from a chair, balancing on one leg, reaching overhead, and walking confidently all depend on strength, stability, and coordination working together. As a trainer, I've found that a few simple standing exercises reveal far more about someone's overall fitness than most gym workouts.

Many adults judge themselves against unrealistic standards or compare their abilities to people decades younger. I prefer using functional movements because they measure the qualities that matter most for healthy aging. These exercises challenge your legs, core, balance, and cardiovascular fitness simultaneously while closely resembling everyday activities. If you perform them with good control, you're likely in better shape than you realize.

I've used these assessments with hundreds of adults over 60, and they consistently separate those who simply exercise from those who move exceptionally well. Don't worry about perfection or speed. Focus on maintaining good form from beginning to end. Your results will tell you a great deal about your current level of functional fitness.

RELATED: 5 Standing Exercises That Restore Hip Strength This Week, No Gym Needed After 60

Exercise 1: Sit-to-Stand Test

I can do this from a standard kitchen chair, couches and Adirondack chairs, not!

The sit-to-stand remains one of my favorite indicators of lower-body strength because it mirrors one of the most common movements you'll perform every day. Strong quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings, and core muscles all contribute to completing this exercise with control. Clients who perform it easily usually walk farther, climb stairs more comfortably, and maintain greater independence as they age. The challenge isn't simply standing up. It's doing so repeatedly without using momentum or your hands.

How to Perform It

• Sit near the front of a sturdy chair.
• Cross your arms over your chest.
• Stand completely.
• Sit back down under control.
• Repeat continuously for 30 seconds.
• Count your completed repetitions.

Benchmark: Completing 12 to 17 controlled repetitions without using your hands indicates excellent lower-body strength for most adults over 60.

RELATED: 4 Standing Exercises That Flatten Apron Belly Faster Than Gym Sessions After 60

Exercise 2: Single-Leg Balance Hold

I've failed the one leg standing test of the Berg Balance Scale from the beginning, 20 years of failure so far and will never get better. My therapists DID NOTHING to get my one leg balance fixed!

Balance often becomes the first physical quality to decline with age, making this one of the most valuable assessments I use. Standing on one leg requires the ankles, hips, core, and nervous system to communicate continuously while making tiny adjustments. Clients who hold this position comfortably usually demonstrate excellent coordination and lower-body stability. Strong balance also reduces fall risk while improving confidence during everyday movement.

How to Perform It

• Stand next to a chair for safety.
• Shift your weight onto one leg.
• Lift the opposite foot slightly.
• Keep your eyes focused ahead.
• Avoid grabbing the chair unless necessary.
• Time your longest hold.

Benchmark: Holding the position for 30 seconds or longer on each leg reflects top-tier stability for most adults over 60.

RELATED: The 10-Minute Chair Routine That Restores Leg Strength Faster Than Gym Sessions After 60

Exercise 3: Standing March Endurance

Impossible to lift the left knee to hip height unless in a pool. It has nothing to do with my endurance or balance. 

 Walking depends on far more than simply putting one foot in front of the other. Strong hip flexors, stable core muscles, good balance, and cardiovascular endurance all contribute to maintaining a smooth, confident stride. The standing march combines each of these qualities into one practical assessment. I often use it because it closely reflects the stamina needed for shopping, traveling, hiking, and enjoying an active lifestyle.

How to Perform It

• Stand tall.
• Lift one knee to hip height.
• Lower with control.
• Alternate legs continuously.
• Maintain an upright posture.
• Continue for one minute.

Benchmark: Completing the full 60 seconds without losing posture, shortening your stride, or needing extra support places you above average for functional endurance after 60.

Read the original article on Eat This Not That.

Researchers Explain Why Walking Becomes Increasingly Difficult With Age

 I have no push-off power on my left foot because MY FUCKINGLY INCOMPETENT DOCTOR AND THERAPISTS  didn't get me recovered and never cured my spasticity. For that failure they should all be fired!

Researchers Explain Why Walking Becomes Increasingly Difficult With Age

Building strength in this 1 area of the body can reduce dementia risk, research shows

 

My doctor and therapists were complete fucking failures at getting my left hand recovered, so grip strength there is poor, mainly because they never cured my spasticity!

Building strength in this 1 area of the body can reduce dementia risk, research shows

A wealth of research links dementia risk to lifestyle choices and chronic illnesses. Among that data are studies that consistently show physical activity, specifically building and maintaining strength, can reduce one's likelihood of cognitive decline.

As 10 million new dementia cases arise annually, strength in one area of the body stands out as an especially reliable indicator for cognitive health, one 2022 study found: your hands and forearms.

Improving and maintaining grip strength during middle age can lead to better neurological health later in life, Jennifer A. Schrack, Ph.D., director at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health’s Center on Aging and Health, tells TODAY.com.

However, she adds, building grip strength involves much more than upper-body workouts at the gym; it’s an undertaking that calls for a full-body commitment meant to stimulate your mind for the long run.

How Grip Strength and Dementia Are Related

Your grip strength is a reflection of your total body strength, which research has repeatedly linked to overall cognitive function, says Schrack. "We use grip strength in studies because it’s easy to measure, whereas total body strength is much more difficult to measure," she explains.

Grip strength in particular can track how well the brain is communicating with the rest of the body to control motor function and sensation, she adds. It is measured with a hand dynamometer, available at physical therapists’ offices, some primary care offices and at hand specialist practices.

A 2019 study found the weaker an older adult's grip strength, the greater the likelihood of cognitive impairment. The study authors said that measuring grip strength can help identify people who may have symptoms beyond normal age-related cognitive decline and need early intervention.

A 2022 study looking at grip strength and dementia risk similarly concluded that increasing muscle strength in middle age may help maintain brain health.

Because muscle mass typically peaks between ages 30 and 35, TODAY.com previously reported, strength and coordination will progressively decline after that. It also doesn’t help that “we tend to do less as we age,” Schrack says. That lack of movement further drives this loss of muscle mass, she explains, and degeneration in muscle function often precedes mental degeneration.

When to Start Building Grip Strength

While there are benefits to being fit at all stages of life, Shrack says the most critical time to prioritize building strength to reduce dementia risk is between ages 45 and 65. Doing so combats the decline in muscle mass taking place.

In one study, the most physically active adults (in mid-life and late-life) were 41-45% less likely to develop dementia than the least active.

What is considered good grip strength? Shrack points to a 2014 study that found the average grip strength for men was between 26-32 kilograms (meaning they squeezed the equivalent of this weight with their grip), and anything less than that was considered “weak.” For women, grip strength between 16-20 kilograms was considered “intermediate,” and anything below 16 was “weak.”

How to Improve Grip Strength

Since grip strength is a reference for overall strength, improving it calls for strengthening your entire body, says Schrack. But you can also integrate grip strength into your routine with specific exercises in the same way you'd treat any other muscle group.

Your approach should depend "on a person’s age and fitness level, of course, but there’s lots of things people can do,” Schrack says.

For older populations, she recommends chair stands, wall pushups and light dumbbells. They can also squeeze stress balls or use resistance bands between their arms if they want to dedicate part of their workouts to grip strength.

Occupations, hobbies and sports, she says, can make a difference, too. Schrack’s mother is an 85-year-old organist whose hands get a challenge every day. And those who enjoy knitting, tennis or golf will definitely have their grip strength put to the test.

Younger people, on the other hand, will need something more challenging, says Schrack. Their muscles will require regular strength training and progressive overload. For grip-strength-focused exercises, Alexander Rothstein, Ed.D., assistant professor of exercise science at New York Institute of Technology’s School of Health Professions, tells TODAY.com he recommends these workouts:

• Farmer’s carry
• Suitcase carry
• Bottoms-up kettlebell carry
• Dead Hang

The pullup bar I installed in the garage at shoulder height since anything higher and I'd never get the left hand open and around the bar at a higher level. Will lift my legs ups to do the dead hang properly.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com

The key to living longer is small changes in key areas, new research finds

 Did your competent? doctor instruct you in this? NO? So your doctor IS COMPLETELY FUCKING INCOMPETENT IN ANYTHING FOR LIVING LONGER!

The key to living longer is small changes in key areas, new research finds

If your goal is to be healthier in 2026, you don’t have to overhaul your habits, follow a strict diet or spend hours at the gym.

Taking baby steps to collectively improve three of the most important behaviors — sleep, exercise and nutrition — may not only boost health but also lengthen your life, new research shows.

The changes could be as basic as a few extra minutes of sleep per night, plus a few more vegetables or grains and a few extra minutes of exercise per day.

Scientists at the University of Sydney in Australia analyzed the behaviors of more than 59,000 older adults using the UK Biobank, a massive database that began recruiting participants in 2005 and collects data about health, lifestyle and demographics.

For one week, Biobank participants wore wrist devices that tracked their sleep and movements, in which moderate to vigorous physical activity counted as exercise.

Based on participants’ self-reported eating habits, they were awarded diet quality scores ranging from zero to 100, with a higher score indicating a healthier diet. For example, eating at least three servings of fruit per day earned the maximum 10 points in the fruit category, while refraining from sugary drinks earned the maximum 10 points in the beverage category.

People with the poorest health habits were used as a reference point. They slept 5.5 hours per night, exercised 7.3 minutes per day and had a diet quality score of 36.9.

While anyone may benefit from small lifestyle changes, the study, published Tuesday in the journal eClinicalMedicine, found that people with the poorest health habits could add a year of life if they got a combined:

• 5 extra minutes of sleep per night and
• 1.9 extra minutes of exercise per day and
• a 5-point increase in diet quality score, such as an extra half-serving of vegetables or 1.5 servings of whole grains per day.

The unhealthy group that didn't or couldn't make improvements in all three areas could see the same one-year increase in lifespan if they got either:

• 25 extra minutes of sleep per night or
• 2.3 extra minutes of exercise per day or
• a 35.5-point increase in diet quality score.

“All those tiny behaviors we change can actually have a very meaningful impact, and they add up over time to make a big difference in our longevity,” said lead study author Nicholas Koemel, a registered dietitian and research fellow in the university’s department of physical activity, lifestyle and population health.

After a median follow-up period of just over eight years, Koemel and his colleagues looked at how many participants had died or developed medical conditions including cancer, dementia, heart disease and Type 2 diabetes. They defined healthspan as additional years lived free of those diseases.

People with the poorest health habits could increase their healthspans by four years, the study showed, if they got a combined:

• 24 extra minutes of sleep per night and
• 3.7 extra minutes of exercise per day and
• a 23-point increase in diet quality score, such as an extra cup of vegetables per day, a serving of whole grains per day and two servings of fish per week.

While no individual change in sleep, exercise or diet would increase lifespan by 10 years for the least healthy group, the following combined changes were associated with an extra decade of life:

• 180 extra minutes of sleep per night and
• 24.9 extra minutes of exercise per day and
• a 35-point increase in diet quality score.

“The message here should not necessarily be that making these small tweaks is a silver bullet,” Koemel said. “It’s more so about where we take that first step and trying to look at how we can make sustainable opportunities that are more achievable for some people.”

In a similar study also published Tuesday, in the journal The Lancet, researchers found that for most adults, sitting 30 fewer minutes a day was associated with a 7% decrease in deaths over an average follow-up period of eight years.

What’s more, an additional five minutes of moderately to vigorously intense daily exercise was linked to 10% fewer deaths, while an additional 30 minutes of light physical activity was linked to 5% fewer deaths.

The second study, led by scientists at the Norwegian School of Sports Sciences in Oslo, involved more than 135,000 adults in the U.K., the U.S., Norway and Sweden, and it included UK Biobank data. The authors wrote that they hope their work may influence public health policies.

Sleep gains and losses add up

Nearly 37% of U.S. adults don’t get the recommended minimum seven hours of sleep per night, according to 2022 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Lack of sleep can cause short- and long-term mental and physical health problems, from depression and trouble focusing to heart disease and obesity. Impacts to your sleep are cumulative, said Dr. Maha Alattar, medical director of the VCU Health Center for Sleep Medicine in Richmond, Virginia.

“Adding five minutes may not help you that one day, but ... at the end of the month, it will add up to a lot of hours,” said Alattar, who wasn’t involved in either study. “That can translate to long-term better health because I look at it the other way, and that’s how we look at sleep deprivation.”

Rather than focus on sleeping eight hours a night, Alattar said, she advises patients to add an extra 30 minutes to whatever nightly amount of sleep they’ve been getting. That small change is a manageable way to help get them on the right track.

In the Sydney study, sleeping more than 7.5 hours a night alone wasn’t associated with increased life expectancy.

Move more to live longer

Glenn Gaesser, a professor of exercise physiology at the Arizona State University College of Health Solutions, wasn’t surprised by the Sydney study results. He said they back up previous research showing an association between cumulative exercise changes and increased life expectancy.

“Those going from zero to 10 minutes a day of walking will experience more benefit than someone who’s going from 30 to 40,” said Gaesser, who wasn’t involved in either study. “Beyond 40, you get a law of diminishing returns.”

The Sydney study showed that exercise benefits peaked at 50 minutes per day, meaning exercising beyond that wasn’t linked to a longer lifespan.

Fitness habits — or the lack thereof — are hard to change, Gaesser said: “The best predictor of future behavior is past behavior.” Even so, the science suggests a little change goes a long way.

“It doesn’t require a mass overhaul of your lifestyle to achieve health benefits,” he said.

Focus on small nutritional improvements

There are notable limitations to the Sydney study. The diet data was self-reported, which is known to be notoriously inaccurate, and the observational research was based on relatively brief recordings of sleep and exercise.

Dr. David D’Alessio, chief of the division of endocrinology, metabolism and nutrition at the Duke University School of Medicine, said, “It’s really hard to be that precise when you take a 30,000-foot view.”

Sleep, exercise and diet “would need to be tested in an interventional way to be able to say little bits really do make a difference, a half a cup of vegetables does make a difference,” said D’Alessio, who wasn’t part of either study.

However, D’Alessio appreciates how hard it is to change health habits. “The thing I always push is you gotta lose 5 pounds before you lose 10 pounds.”

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com