A groundbreaking study has revealed that consuming a diverse range of foods rich in flavonoids, such as tea, berries, dark chocolate, and apples, can lower the risk of developing serious health conditions and potentially lead to a longer lifespan. The research, conducted by a team of scientists from Queen’s University Belfast, Edith Cowan University Perth, and the Medical University of Vienna, tracked over 120,000 participants aged 40-70 years old for more than a decade.

Flavonoids are powerful compounds found in plant-based foods like tea, blueberries, strawberries, oranges, apples, grapes, and even red wine and dark chocolate. The study’s findings show that increasing the diversity of flavonoids within your diet can help prevent conditions such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease (CVD), cancer, and neurological diseases.

The research team led by Dr. Benjamin Parmenter, a Research Fellow at ECU, discovered that consuming around 500 mg of flavonoids per day was associated with a 16% lower risk of all-cause mortality, as well as a 10% lower risk of CVD, type 2 diabetes, and respiratory disease. That’s roughly the amount found in two cups of tea.

However, the study revealed that those who consumed the widest diversity of flavonoids had an even lower risk of these diseases, even when consuming the same total amount. For example, instead of just drinking tea, it’s better to eat a range of flavonoid-rich foods to make up your intake, as different flavonoids come from different foods.

The study’s co-lead author, Professor Aedín Cassidy from Queen’s University Belfast, emphasized that higher intakes of dietary flavonoids can reduce the risk of developing heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and neurological conditions like Parkinson’s. The researchers also noted that different flavonoids work in different ways, some improving blood pressure, others helping with cholesterol levels and decreasing inflammation.

The findings are significant as they suggest that consuming a higher quantity and wider diversity of flavonoids has the potential to lead to a greater reduction in ill health than just relying on a single source. The study’s results also align with popular claims that eating colourful foods is invaluable for maintaining good health.

As the first-ever dietary guidelines for flavonoids recommend increasing consumption to maintain health, this study provides inaugural evidence that we may also need to advise increasing diversity of intake of these compounds for optimal benefits. The results provide a clear public health message, suggesting that simple and achievable dietary swaps, such as drinking more tea and eating more berries and apples for example, can help increase the variety and intake of flavonoid-rich foods, and potentially improve health in the long-term.

The severe heart disease of old age, characterized by aortic valve narrowing (aortic stenosis) combined with cardiac amyloidosis, has long been associated with a high risk of death. For years, treatment has focused on replacing the narrowed heart valve, while often leaving the amyloid deposits in the heart muscle untreated. A groundbreaking international study led by MedUni Vienna and University College London has now demonstrated that combining heart valve replacement with specific drug therapy can significantly prolong life for patients with this condition.

Led by Christian Nitsche (Department of Medicine II, Clinical Division of Cardiology, MedUni Vienna) and Thomas Treibel (Department of Cardiovascular Imaging, University College London), the research team analyzed data from 226 patients with aortic stenosis and concomitant cardiac amyloidosis from ten countries. Their study revealed that both aortic valve replacement and treatment with the drug tafamidis for amyloidosis were associated with a lower risk of death.

Most impressively, the survival benefit was highest in patients who received both forms of treatment. “Our results show that patients with both conditions who received valve replacement and specific amyloidosis therapy had similar long-term survival rates to people with aortic stenosis without amyloidosis,” emphasized study leader Christian Nitsche.

The targeted therapy can slow the progression of amyloidosis, while valve replacement treats the mechanical stress caused by the narrowed heart valve. The research suggests that around ten percent of patients with aortic stenosis also have amyloidosis, but this is often not diagnosed in everyday clinical practice.

“Our findings also suggest that patients with severe aortic valve stenosis should be screened for amyloidosis so that we can offer them targeted life-prolonging treatment options,” Christian Nitsche emphasized.

This study offers new hope for patients with severe heart disease and highlights the importance of combining therapy to improve outcomes. By targeting both the mechanical stress caused by aortic stenosis and the debilitating effects of cardiac amyloidosis, doctors can now provide their patients with more effective life-prolonging treatment options.

The treatment of chronic inflammatory bowel diseases has long been a challenge, particularly in young patients where disease manifestation often coincides with critical periods of education and early career development. Prompt diagnosis and treatment are crucial to prevent complications, including the development of bowel cancer. Researchers at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin have made a groundbreaking discovery that significantly contributes to halting ongoing inflammatory processes, published in Nature Immunology.

Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, the two most common chronic inflammatory bowel diseases, can be debilitating and life-altering. While traditional treatments focus on suppressing the immune system as a whole, newer therapies aim to interrupt the inflammatory process by blocking specific messenger substances that drive inflammation in the body.

Prof. Ahmed Hegazy has been studying inflammatory processes in the gut and the immune system’s defense mechanisms for several years. He has identified the interaction between two immune messenger substances – interleukin-22 and oncostatin M – as the driving force behind chronic intestinal inflammation. This uncontrolled chain reaction amplifies inflammation, drawing more immune cells into the intestine like a fire that spreads.

The research team spent five years uncovering how the immune messenger oncostatin M triggers inflammatory responses. They used animal models and examined tissue samples from patients to study the different stages of chronic intestinal diseases. State-of-the-art single-cell sequencing showed that in inflamed gut tissue, there are many unexpected cell types with binding sites for oncostatin M.

Interestingly, interleukin-22 normally protects tissue but also makes the gut lining more sensitive to oncostatin M by increasing its receptors. This interaction between the two immune messengers works together and amplifies inflammation, much like a fire getting more fuel and spreading.

In their models, the researchers specifically blocked the binding sites for oncostatin M and saw a clear reduction in both chronic inflammation and cancer associated with it. The team’s experimental findings may soon translate into real-world therapy by disrupting the harmful interaction between interleukin-22 and oncostatin M.

A clinical trial is already underway to test an antibody that blocks the receptors for oncostatin M. This targeted treatment has the potential to revolutionize the management of chronic inflammatory bowel diseases, particularly in patients with more severe forms of the illness. The discovery offers a new era in chronic inflammation treatment, providing hope for those affected by these debilitating conditions.