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Better Sleep, BMI, & Glucose Control Lower Female Infertility Odds

The AHA! Team — Mon, 07 Jul 2025 05:26:07 +0000

Tarun Sai Lomte via News-Medical – In a recent study published in the journal Scientific Reports, researchers explored the associations between Life’s Crucial 9 (LC9) and female infertility. Female infertility is a common reproductive condition. The Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study found that female infertility prevalence has increased by over 56 million cases in the past three decades worldwide, and is also projected to increase over the next decade. Female infertility can cause emotional and psychological stress. Besides, female infertility may be linked to the development of various gynecologic cancers, metabolic disorders, and cardiovascular disease. As such, exploring risk factors for infertility for the reduction of disease burden and early prevention has important implications for reproductive health. Life’s Essential 8 (LE8) is a tool for cardiovascular health assessment by the American Heart Association. Recently, LC9 was proposed, building on the LE8, and includes a mental health assessment component. LC9 is associated with cardiovascular and all-cause mortality, but with a limited increase in predictive power over LE8. About the study The present study examined the associations between female infertility and LC9. Female participants from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys from 2013 to 2018 were included. Females not of reproductive age and those with missing data were excluded. LE8 was assessed by pooling four health behaviors (sleep health, physical activity, diet quality, and nicotine exposure) and four health factors (body mass index [BMI] and blood pressure, glucose, and lipids). The Healthy Eating Index (HEI)-2015 was used to assess diet quality. Sleep health, physical activity, and nicotine exposure were self-reported. The blood glucose score was determined based on glycated hemoglobin, fasting blood glucose, or a history of diabetes, while the blood lipid score was derived from serum levels of non-high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. A depression score was calculated from the Patient Health Questionnaire-9. The LC9 score was calculated as the average of the scores from the eight LE8 components and the depression score, each scaled from 0 to 100. Female infertility was ascertained from the self-reported Reproductive Health Questionnaire. Covariates included age, ethnicity/race, education, marital status, income-poverty ratio, alcohol intake, age at menarche, pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) history, and intake of birth control pills. Multivariable logistic regression models examined the association between female infertility and LC9. The models were unadjusted (crude), partially adjusted (model 1), or fully adjusted (model 2). Furthermore, restricted cubic spline models were examined to investigate non-linear associations between the independent variable and female infertility. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to evaluate whether LC9 improves over LE8 in predicting female infertility. Findings The study enrolled 2,088 females, with an average age of 32.6 years. The prevalence of infertility was almost 14%. The infertile population was more likely to be non-single, non-Hispanic White, and older than females without infertility. Infertile females had lower LE8 and LC9 scores. As LC9 scores increased, subjects were younger, non-Hispanic White, free from infertility, moderate/light or never drinkers, and had higher age at menarche and no PID history. The fully adjusted model indicated that a 10-point increment in LC9 reduced the odds of female infertility by more than 21%. Similarly, a 10-point increment in LE8 decreased the odds of infertility by nearly 18%. Both LE8 and LC9 showed negative linear associations with female infertility. Further, higher scores for BMI, sleep health, blood glucose, and depression were each independently and inversely associated with infertility. Other LC9 components—diet quality, physical activity, nicotine exposure, blood lipids, and blood pressure—were not significantly associated. Further, the team identified ethnicity/race and age as significant effect modifiers. That is, the associations between infertility and LC9 were more pronounced in the Mexican American population and in women under 35 years. The ROC curve analysis revealed that LC9 and LE8 had comparable predictive capabilities for female infertility, with modest area under the curve (AUC) values of 0.594 and 0.590, respectively, indicating limited predictive utility. Conclusions The findings reveal inverse linear associations of LE8 and LC9 with female infertility. Depression, blood glucose, BMI, and sleep health were the components of the LC9 that were (inversely) associated with female infertility. However, LC9 did not significantly outperform LE8 in predicting female infertility. These results suggest that incorporating a depression score into LE8 may not be essential for infertility prediction, despite depression’s association with infertility. The authors note that the overlap between depression and other cardiovascular risk factors may reduce its added predictive value, and that depression assessment tools like the PHQ-9 may introduce subjectivity. Future research should examine the benefits of LC9 in other health domains, particularly in young women and underserved ethnic groups, and explore interventions targeting modifiable LC9 components, such as sleep and mental health. Limitations of the study include its cross-sectional design, reliance on self-reported measures, and the inability to infer causality. Journal reference: Li B, Zhai H. Life’s crucial 9 is inversely and linearly associated with female infertility prevalence: a cross-sectional analysis from NHANES 2013–2018. Scientific Reports, 2025, DOI: 10.1038/s41598-025-99023-7, https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-99023-7 To read the original article click here.

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Discover a Shockingly Simple Intervention to Support Liver Health

AHA Publisher — Mon, 28 Mar 2022 07:28:54 +0000

Lori Alton via NaturalHealth365 – Rates of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) – excessive deposits of liver fat in those with no history of alcohol abuse – are soaring in the United States, with some experts placing the incidence at a stunning one in three adults. Although many cases of NAFLD are mild, the disease can occasionally progress to severe and even life-threatening consequences, including liver cancer. Now, exciting new research published in the peer-reviewed journal Molecular Metabolism suggests that a simple intervention – regular exercise – can significantly improve the condition and even play a role in preventing it. To learn more about the effects of this surprising natural strategy on NAFLD, read on. Skyrocketing Rates of Obesity Are Triggering a National Epidemic of NAFLD The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that a shocking 66 percent of American adults are currently either overweight or obese, which goes a long way towards explaining the increasing rates of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. As the name implies, the primary cause is not excessive alcohol – but consumption of too many toxic foods and a lack of physical activity. The excessive intake of high fructose corn syrup plus many other processed foods lead to fat deposits in the liver, which over time causes dysfunction of the mitochondria in liver cells. Experts estimate that in 20 to 30 percent of the cases, NAFLD progresses to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (or NASH), a more serious condition that can sometimes lead to liver fibrosis (scarring), cirrhosis of the liver, liver failure, liver cancer and death. Study: Regular Exercise Mitigates NAFLD at the Molecular Level According to a new study conducted by scientists at Helmholtz Munich and Tubingen University Hospital, exercise causes molecular adaptations of mitochondria in the liver that can prevent the development of fatty liver disease. Over the course of the six-week study, mice were fed a high-calorie diet – and some received “treadmill training,” meaning that they had regular exercise. The team found that regular physical activity regulates the breakdown of glucose in the liver and improves the function of the mitochondria, also known as the “power stations” of the cell. The “exercised” mice also displayed improvements in glucose control. In addition, regular physical activity improved the respiratory capacity of the muscles, thereby relieving stress on the liver. Although the study was conducted on animals, it mirrors the research results on humans. “The results fit in very well with the approaches of ongoing clinical studies,” reported study leader Dr. Cora Weigert. Additional Studies Support the Ability of Regular Exercise to Improve Liver Health In a review published in 2018 in Gene Expression, the Journal of Liver Research, the authors summarized the evidence for the effects of regular physical exercise on NAFLD and NASH. They noted that several clinical trials have shown that both aerobic and resistance exercise reduce liver fat by several different pathways. These include improving insulin resistance – which reduces the excess delivery of fats and glucose to the liver – increasing fatty acid oxidation (in other words, fat burning) decreasing fatty acid synthesis and preventing mitochondrial and liver damage. In light of all this, it’s not at all surprising that the American Gastroenterological Association, the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases and the American College of Gastroenterology all recommend physical exercise for NAFLD! What Type of Exercise Is Best for NAFLD? Studies suggest that a wide variety of exercise styles, intensities and duration can benefit NAFLD. The authors of the 2018 review cited a study of overweight and obese NAFLD patients that evaluated the effects of three different exercise regimes: low intensity/high volume, high-intensity/low volume and low intensity/low volume. Each was found to cause significant reductions in liver fat. In another study, NASH patients performed a moderate exercise program consisting of 20- to 60-minute sessions four to seven days a week. The program, which included both resistance and aerobic training, caused a significant improvement in NASH. Resistance training includes weight lifting, squats, lunges, and pushups. You can get aerobic exercise through jogging, cycling, dancing, swimming, and even brisk walking. However, researchers in several studies stressed that the most important factor was that the exercise routine fit the individual’s ability and preferences. By the way, the general recommendation of the National Institutes of Health is for adults to get 30 minutes of exercise five days a week. But, do check first with your integrative doctor before embarking on an exercise regimen to address NAFLD. While there is currently no consensus on which type of exercise is “best” for NAFLD, almost any kind of regularphysical activity can be beneficial. By showing exactly how regular exercise positively impacts fatty liver disease, the new study helps to showcase the exciting potential of this simple, drug-free, non-toxic natural intervention. If needed, get some coaching advice and get started today. Sources for this article include: ScienceDaily.com WJGnet.com NIH.gov Healthline.com NIH.gov AJMC.com Healthline.com To read the original article click here.

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