Latest news with #Nurses'HealthStudy
Boston Globe
2 days ago
- Health
- Boston Globe
Harvard has collected 3 million biological samples over decades. Now researchers may not have the money to preserve them.
The samples are kept at temperatures as low as minus-170 degrees Celsius (or minus-274 degrees Fahrenheit), in a network of liquid nitrogen freezers at the Chan School as well as at Brigham and Women's Hospital, according to 'If we really don't have any funding, we would lose the samples,' said Dr. Walter Willett, a Harvard professor and a principal investigator for the studies, in an interview. 'We're doing everything possible to not let that happen.' Advertisement The two programs affected are among the most comprehensive and long-running public health studies in the country. The Nurses' Health Study is A similar project, the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study, tracks lifestyle and nutrition factors for men. Advertisement The two projects have yielded a number of landmark findings, including the link between alcohol consumption and breast cancer and the effects of trans fats on heart disease. The dataset generated from the massive project has informed countless additional studies by other researchers. Related : As part of the projects, researchers collected biological samples from roughly 350,000 individuals, monitoring various components, including nutrients, contaminants, and hormone levels. That research has been crucial to the growing understanding of factors that contribute to breast cancer, heart disease, and dementia, Willett said. 'Looking at what's going on inside the body a few decades before the disease occurs, that's what we can do [with the samples],' he said. 'That's really critical, because we know for many cancers, it's not what's in the blood or in the urine at the time of diagnosis, it's what was going on decades before that's probably most important. And we can go back to the samples and look at that today.' The collection of samples is among the most comprehensive in the world, Willett said. Its scientific potential — which will only increase as new research technologies are developed — is something that 'no amount of money can buy,' he added. Related : Both projects were funded in large part by two grants issued by the National Institute of Health's National Cancer Institute. Those grants were terminated on May 6, according to an affidavit filed by Willett June 2. Now, researchers are scrambling to keep the freezers running. Advertisement 'We have probably a couple of months worth of resources for paying our nitrogen bills,' Willett said. 'But the nitrogen company is very efficient in cutting off supply if we don't pay.' Though it's not clear exactly when the funding will run out, Willett said the research team may soon have to decide which samples are kept and which will be allowed to spoil. But because the sweeping nature of the study relies on having multiple samples from hundreds of thousands of people over a multi-year period, it's difficult to say which will be more useful for research purposes. 'We don't yet know who's going to get breast cancer,' Willett said. 'Which makes it impossible to predict exactly which samples will be the most valuable.' Nicole Romero examines samples on the campus of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health on June 11, 2025. Kent Dayton/Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health Camilo Fonseca can be reached at
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Science Just Linked These Popular Fruits To Boosted Longevity In Women
A new study found that consuming foods rich in flavanoids can help women age better. Over 24 years, researchers found that women who consumed a diet rich in flavanoids had a lower risk of frailty, impaired physical function, and poor mental health. Here's what else you should know about this essential chemical compound. There's no magic pill that will skyrocket you to peak longevity, but recent research has uncovered a slew of factors that can help women age in the healthiest way possible. And they're surprisingly simple (and don't involve crazy injections!). Yep, there's one more healthy aging hack to add to the list, and it's a delicious one: Eat more berries. New research suggests that loading up on foods that contain flavonoids (like berries) is linked with a slew of factors associated with healthy aging. Of course, throwing some strawberries on top of your morning granola once in a while won't *guarantee* you'll be a healthy ager, but it can help. And it's an easy enough thing to incorporate into your lifestyle. Plus, you might already be regularly tossing back flavonoid-rich foods in which case, keep going! With that in mind, here's what scientists uncovered about flavonoids and healthy aging, plus how to put the findings to work for you. Meet the experts: Keri Gans, RDN, dietitian and host of The Keri Report podcast; Scott Keatley, RD, co-founder of Keatley Medical Nutrition Therapy The study, which was published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, analyzed data on diet, lifestyle habits, and health from 62,743 women and 23,687 men collected over 24 years from two long-term studies (the Nurses' Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-Up Study). The researchers discovered that women who consumed the highest intakes of flavonoids—equivalent to three servings of berries a day or more—had a 15 percent lower risk of frailty, 12 percent lower risk of impaired physical function, and 12 percent lower risk of poor mental health at the end of the study period compared to those who consumed the least amount of flavonoids. (The link wasn't as strong for men, although they still seemed to get a mental health boost.) Overall, the researchers concluded that 'incorporating flavonoid-rich foods in the diet may be a simple strategy to support healthy aging.' Basically, they're a natural chemical compound. 'Flavonoids are a class of natural compounds found in fruits, vegetables, tea, and cocoa,' says Scott Keatley, RD, co-founder of Keatley Medical Nutrition Therapy. These compounds have antioxidant properties, points out Keri Gans, RDN, dietitian and host of The Keri Report podcast. 'They help protect our cells from free radicals that may cause damage to our body and contribute to inflammation,' she explains. The researchers didn't uncover exactly why flavonoid-rich foods are linked to healthy aging, but here are a few theories from experts. 'Research suggests flavonoids may support brain health, heart health, and overall cellular function—all important pieces of staying healthy as we get older,' Gans says. Also, flavonoids are known to tamp down on inflammation in the body, and inflammation is linked to a higher risk of developing a slew of serious health conditions that can interfere with your ability to age in a healthy way, Gans points out. Flavonoids are also found in plant foods, and eating a diet rich in plants has already been linked with longevity. But there may be another elements of flavonoid-rich foods that could explain this link that we just don't yet understand or recognize. As the researchers put it: 'It is possible that our findings might be due to other constituents found in the foods that contribute most to flavonoid intake." While berries are rich in flavonoids, Gans notes that you can also get this compound from a range of plant-based foods, including: Apples Citrus fruits Onions Red cabbage Grapes Soybeans Dark chocolate Red wine Tea If you want the best flavonoid bang for your buck, Gans recommends reaching for berries (which makes sense why the study points these out). 'Berries, especially blueberries and blackberries, are among the richest sources,' she says. Still, Gans stresses that it's good to mix things up in your diet, so you don't have to pick one type of flavanoid-rich food and stick with it. 'The goal is to include a variety of flavonoid-rich foods throughout the week to get the most benefit,' she says. You Might Also Like Jennifer Garner Swears By This Retinol Eye Cream These New Kicks Will Help You Smash Your Cross-Training Goals
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Trump cuts threaten ‘irreplaceable' Harvard stockpile of human feces, urine
Kept frozen by liquid nitrogen inside laboratories at Harvard University are more than 1.5 million biospecimens that have mere 'weeks' left until they spoil. As Harvard fights the Trump administration in court over the suspension of nearly $3 billion in federal funding, soon there won't be enough money left to keep the freezers running. The nearly 50 years of collected human feces, urine, blood, tumors and even toenail clippings could have consequential implications for the future health of Americans, and yet, they're at risk of being lost if funding slashed by the Trump administration isn't restored. The mother lode collection housed at Harvard has supported generations-long chronic disease risk studies that have fundamentally shaped major scientific and medical advancements. Read more: Funding cuts, lawsuits, foreign students: The latest on Trump's war with Harvard University The studies have lead to major breakthroughs, including links between cigarettes and cardiovascular disease and alcohol consumption and breast cancer. The research also uncovered the dangers of trans fats, which the U.S. has now largely restricted. The biological samples collected during the studies are 'irreplaceable,' according to Walter Willett, a professor of epidemiology and nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and one of the most sought-after nutritionists internationally. And some of the study participants could even die before the next check-in period, he said. 'No other institution in the world has this data,' Willett wrote in a May 30 court affidavit detailing the impacts of federal funding cuts on his research. Read more: Over 12,000 Harvard alums lend weight to court battle with Trump in new filing The money can't be replaced with private funding, Willett said, and Harvard has told him it won't be able to supplement lost dollars. Willett filed his affidavit last month as part of a lawsuit in which Harvard faculty members are suing the Trump administration. President Donald Trump has gone after the world's wealthiest higher education institution and its funding in the name of antisemitism, claiming Harvard has failed to protect Jewish students, particularly in the wake of the war in Gaza. Willett's research is funded by two federal grants from the National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health. On May 6, he was informed the funding had been terminated for both the Nurses' Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-Up Study. The Nurses' Health Study, which began with its first installment in 1976, followed by Willett's involvement in 1989, started tracking a cohort of 116,000 women in order to understand how 'diets and lifestyle relate to the risk of developing cancer,' Willett's affidavit said. In addition to collected biological samples, much of the data comes from questionnaires filled out by study participants every two years. The Nurses' Health Study has associated circulating sex hormones and postmenopausal breast cancer risk; connected higher vitamin D levels linked with lower risks of both colon polyps and colon cancer; and played a role in discovering genetic variations involved in cancers and cancer-related factors. The Health Professionals Follow-up Study is parallel research that has been tracking the diets of 52,000 adult men who have been diagnosed with cancer from all states in America. 'This study collects data about heart attacks, cancer and other conditions that share risk factors with heart disease, such as dementia and Parkinson's disease,' Willett wrote. 'Dozens of other grants studying many diseases have used the dataset collected by this study.' Read more: 'We are not just fighting for Harvard': For alums, this year feels different The male-focused study, which has also been used for women's research, has unearthed the harmful effects of trans fat; made connections between healthy plant foods and lower cardiovascular risk; linked dietary patterns and prostate cancer risk; and associated olive oil benefits with a lower risk of dying from dementia. There is another element of urgency in addition to the uncertain future of the biological samples: Willett says some participants may die before researchers are able to follow up with them next year for new information on their physical and cognitive functions. 'The termination of my grants thus jeopardizes our chance to collect data from the living study participants who have voluntarily contributed personal information over the last four decades,' Willett wrote. 'This would deprive all Americans from the benefits of knowledge about diet, other aspects of lifestyle, and use of medications that enhance their possibilities of living longer and healthier lives.' Since April, the Trump administration has launched a series of attacks against Harvard. Nearly $3 billion in federal funding has either been cut or frozen, and there was also a wave of federal research grant terminations. The Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health announced in April that it was facing a 'significant budget crisis' resulting in layoffs and the non-renewal of two building leases. Since then, every one of the school's direct federal grants have been terminated and the school has even taken to social media to ask for donations. Federal funding makes up 46% of Harvard Chan School's budget. Read more: All Ivy League schools are supporting Harvard lawsuit — except these 2 U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon has also told the institution that the federal government would be barring Harvard University from acquiring new federal grants while the university continues to refuse to comply with the administration's demands for change on its campus. Harvard President Alan Garber wrote in a letter to U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon that they share the same 'common ground,' but the university 'will not surrender its core, legally-protected principles out of fear.' Read more: Funding cuts, lawsuits, foreign students: The latest on Trump's war with Harvard University Garber pushed back on the administration via a lawsuit in April. Harvard argues that its constitutional rights have been violated by the government's threats to pull billions of dollars in funding if the school doesn't comply with demands for an overhaul. Following a further $450 million in announced cuts, the university amended its lawsuit. 'No government — regardless of which party is in power — should dictate what private universities can teach, whom they can admit and hire, and which areas of study and inquiry they can pursue,' the suit reads. Due to the federal cuts, Harvard announced that it has committing $250 million of 'central funding' to support research impacted by suspended and canceled federal grants. All Ivy League schools are supporting Harvard lawsuit — except these 2 Embassies directed to resume processing Harvard University student visas Over 12,000 Harvard alums lend weight to court battle with Trump in new filing 'We are not just fighting for Harvard': For alums, this year feels different What a monk, a librarian and a dentist have to do with Harvard's fight with Trump Read the original article on MassLive.
West Australian
08-06-2025
- Health
- West Australian
New study suggests coffee consumption may reduce signs of ageing in women
Coffee may offer several health benefits, depending on who you ask, but now a recent study suggests it may help women reduce some of the effects of ageing. According to recent study results, regular coffee intake increased the chances of experiencing no physical function limitations, memory complaints, mental health impairments, cognitive impairments, or major chronic diseases among women in the Nurses' Health Study. The results of the study were shared at Nutrition 2025, a conference held between May 31 and June 3, in Orlando, Florida. Researchers examined food frequency questionnaires to look at the caffeine intake from decaf and regular tea, cola, and decaf and regular coffee of 47, 513 women. They did not find an association between healthy ageing and drinking tea, decaffeinated tea, or decaffeinated coffee. The results also suggested that drinking cola might actually decrease women's likelihood of healthy ageing. Study author Sara Mahdavi, said she found that a moderate intake of caffeinated coffee during midlife was modestly associated with healthy ageing later in life. 'We defined healthy ageing stringently: Not only surviving into older age, but doing so without major chronic disease, cognitive decline, physical disability, or poor mental health,' she said.
Perth Now
08-06-2025
- Health
- Perth Now
Study hints at how women can reduce signs of ageing
Coffee may offer several health benefits, depending on who you ask, but now a recent study suggests it may help women reduce some of the effects of ageing. According to recent study results, regular coffee intake increased the chances of experiencing no physical function limitations, memory complaints, mental health impairments, cognitive impairments, or major chronic diseases among women in the Nurses' Health Study. The results of the study were shared at Nutrition 2025, a conference held between May 31 and June 3, in Orlando, Florida. Coffee may assist women with the effects of ageing, according to a new study. Credit: Supplied Researchers examined food frequency questionnaires to look at the caffeine intake from decaf and regular tea, cola, and decaf and regular coffee of 47, 513 women. They did not find an association between healthy ageing and drinking tea, decaffeinated tea, or decaffeinated coffee. The results also suggested that drinking cola might actually decrease women's likelihood of healthy ageing. Study author Sara Mahdavi, said she found that a moderate intake of caffeinated coffee during midlife was modestly associated with healthy ageing later in life. 'We defined healthy ageing stringently: Not only surviving into older age, but doing so without major chronic disease, cognitive decline, physical disability, or poor mental health,' she said.
