The rewritten article:

Tai chi, yoga, and jogging may be the best forms of exercise to improve sleep quality and ease insomnia, suggest the findings of a comparative pooled data analysis published in the online journal BMJ Evidence Based Medicine.

The study, which involved 1348 participants and 13 different treatment approaches to ease insomnia, found that these three exercise-based interventions showed promising results. Yoga likely resulted in a large increase in total sleep time of nearly 2 hours and may improve sleep efficiency by nearly 15%. Walking or jogging may result in a large reduction in insomnia severity of nearly 10 points, while Tai Chi may reduce poor sleep quality scores by more than 4 points, increase total sleep time by more than 50 minutes, and reduce time spent awake after falling asleep by over half an hour.

Further in-depth analyses revealed that Tai Chi performed significantly better on all subjectively and objectively assessed outcomes than existing treatments for up to 2 years. The researchers suggest that Tai Chi’s focus on body awareness, controlled breathing, and attentional training may alter brain activity, thereby alleviating anxiety and depressive symptoms which often interfere with a good night’s sleep.

The study also found that exercise-based interventions, including yoga, Tai Chi, and walking or jogging, have the potential to serve as viable primary treatment options for insomnia. The researchers conclude that these interventions are well-suited for integration into primary care and community health programs due to their low cost, minimal side effects, and high accessibility.

Overall, the findings of this study further underscore the therapeutic potential of exercise interventions in the treatment of insomnia, suggesting that their role may extend beyond adjunctive support to serve as viable primary treatment options.

The study, presented at ENDO 2025 in San Francisco, California, compared three dietary interventions for managing type 2 diabetes with obesity. Researchers found that intermittent energy restriction (IER), also known as fasting twice a week, showed greater advantages in reducing blood sugar levels, improving insulin sensitivity, and lowering triglycerides.

For the study, 90 patients were randomly assigned to either IER, time-restricted eating (TRE), or continuous energy restriction (CER) for 16 weeks. While there were no significant differences in HbA1c reduction and weight loss between the three groups, the IER group experienced a greater absolute decrease in blood sugar levels and body weight.

The study’s lead researcher, Haohao Zhang, Ph.D., highlighted the importance of this research, stating that it fills a gap in directly comparing 5:2 intermittent energy restriction with a 10-hour time-restricted eating. The findings provide scientific evidence for clinicians to choose appropriate dietary strategies when treating patients with obesity and type 2 diabetes.

Interestingly, the IER group had the highest adherence rate at 85%, followed by the CER group at 84% and the TRE group at 78%. This suggests that fasting twice a week may be more feasible and effective for people managing type 2 diabetes.

The study’s results have significant implications for the management of type 2 diabetes, particularly in relation to dietary interventions. As researchers continue to explore the benefits and limitations of different diets, healthcare professionals can rely on evidence-based information to guide their recommendations.

A groundbreaking study has revealed that combining menopause hormone therapy with the obesity medication tirzepatide can lead to significantly greater weight loss in postmenopausal women. The research, presented at the Endocrine Society’s annual meeting, provides new insights into how these two treatments can be used together to improve the health and well-being of millions of women.

Menopause-related hormonal changes often result in increased abdominal fat, decreased muscle mass, and altered energy expenditure, leading to weight gain and an increased risk of heart disease and other serious health issues. To confirm the hypothesis that concurrent menopause hormone therapy enhances the effectiveness of tirzepatide for weight loss, researchers conducted a real-world study using the electronic medical records of 120 postmenopausal women over a median duration of 18 months.

The results were striking: superior total body weight loss percentage was observed in women using tirzepatide plus menopause hormone therapy (17%) compared to those using tirzepatide alone (14%). Moreover, a higher percentage of menopause hormone therapy users (45%) achieved at least 20% total body weight loss, compared to 18% of menopause hormone therapy non-users.

These findings have significant implications for the development of more effective and personalized weight management interventions to reduce the risk of overweight and obesity-related health complications in postmenopausal women. As one researcher noted, “This study underscores the urgent need for further research to better understand how obesity medications and menopause hormone therapy work together. Gaining this knowledge could greatly improve the health and well-being of millions of postmenopausal women.”

The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health Bridging Interdisciplinary Careers in Women’s Health Research Grant and the Mayo Clinic Center for Women’s Health Research, highlighting the importance of continued investment in research that addresses the unique needs of women’s health.