Bacterial indicators . . . and other stories

Rheumatoid arthritis and the gut microbiomeFusobacterium nucleatum is a common anaerobic organism implicated in periodontal disease and colorectal cancer. It’s present in abundance in stool samples from people with rheumatoid arthritis, and bacterial numbers correlate with severity of disease. What’s more, F nucleatum exacerbated arthritis in a mouse model, by triggering the production of inflammatory mediators and activating synovial macrophages (Cell Host Microbe doi:10.1016/j.chom.2023.03.018).Mediterranean dietsA score based on plasma carotenoid and fatty acid concentrations has been developed as a biomarker for adherence to a Mediterranean diet. Tested in 22 000 participants in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study, this score was related to the incidence of type 2 diabetes. An increase of one standard deviation in the dietary score was roughly equivalent to a 30% reduction in risk of diabetes (PLoS Med doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1004221).Wellbeing in old ageIn Finland, the mental wellbeing of older people has improved over…
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