PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Healthy lifestyle linked to lower diverticulitis risk, irrespective of genetic susceptibility

High fibre, low red meat diet, no smoking, regular exercise, normal weight, all key

2025-07-01
(Press-News.org) Maintaining a healthy lifestyle—specifically, a diet rich in fibre but light on red/processed meat, regular exercise, not smoking, and sticking to a normal weight—is linked to a significantly lower risk of diverticulitis, finds a large long term study, published online in the journal Gut.

What’s more, these 5 components seem to offset the effects of inherited genes, the findings indicate.

Diverticulitis occurs when ‘pouches’ develop along the gut and become inflamed or infected in the wall of the large intestine (colon), explain the researchers. It’s a common cause of hospital admissions and a major reason for emergency colon surgery, they add.

Genetic and environmental factors, including lifestyle, contribute to the development of the condition, but it’s not clear exactly how these factors interact or the extent to which lifestyle might offset the genetic risk, they say.

To shed more light on this, the researchers derived an overall healthy lifestyle score (0-5) for diverticulitis from survey responses for 179,564 participants drawn from three prospective studies: the Nurses’ Health Study (NHS), NHSII, and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study.

The score was based on 5 elements that have independently been associated with heightened risks of developing diverticulitis: smoking; weight (BMI); physical activity; fibre intake; and red/processed meat intake. 

The association between this score and incident diverticulitis was confirmed among 30,750 participants in the Southern Community Cohort Study (SCCS). 

Genetic risk was assessed using a polygenic risk score (PRS) in 36,077 people with available genotype information. 

During a monitoring period of 20 years, 10,299 new cases of diverticulitis were recorded. The 5 lifestyle factors were each significantly associated with the development of the condition. 

For example, compared with participants with a BMI below 25, those who were overweight were 32% more likely to develop diverticulitis, while those who were obese were 44% more likely to do so. 

Participants who had formerly or who were still smoking were, respectively, 17% and 13% more likely to be diagnosed with diverticulitis than those who had never smoked. And higher levels of physical activity were associated with a 16% reduced risk compared with lower levels. 

While higher fibre intake was associated with a 14% lower risk, higher red meat intake was associated with a 9% increased risk. 

And every 1-point increase in healthy lifestyle score was associated with a 12% lower risk of diverticulitis. Participants with a score of 5 were 50% less likely to be diagnosed with the condition than those with a score of 0.

The findings were consistently observed across all three studies and in different racial groups.

The association between healthy lifestyle score and incident diverticulitis was confirmed among 30,750 participants in the Southern Community Cohort Study (SCCS). 

Some 2183 new cases of diverticulitis were reported during an average monitoring period of nearly 12 years in this group. Those with a healthy lifestyle score of 3–5 had a substantially lower risk (31%) than those with a score of 0. 

Genetic risk was assessed using a polygenic (cumulative) risk score (PRS) in 36,077 people with available genotype information in the NHS, NHSII, and HPFS groups.

There were no notable differences in lifestyle factors across PRS categories, but PRS was significantly associated with incident diverticulitis. For each unit increase in PRS, the risk increased by 58%, and was particularly evident among those under the age of 60. 

And a healthy lifestyle seemed to offset genetic susceptibility to the condition. For example, those in the lowest PRS category and with a healthy lifestyle score of 4-5 were 37% less likely to develop diverticulitis compared to those with a score of 0.

Similarly, those with a medium PRS were 48% less likely to do so, while those in the highest PRS category were 50% less likely to do so. Further analysis showed that adopting a healthy lifestyle might prevent 23–42% of diverticulitis cases across PRS categories.

And when the effect of PRS and a healthy lifestyle score were combined, those in the highest PRS category with a healthy lifestyle score of 0 or 1 were 5 times more likely to develop diverticulitis than those in the lowest PRS category with a score of 4 or 5.  

The findings were further validated in the Mass General Brigham Biobank (MGBB).

This is an observational study, and as such, can’t establish cause. And the researchers acknowledge that ascertainment of diverticulitis was based on different approaches across the different studies.

Nevertheless, they conclude: “Our data provide consistent evidence from multiple data sets indicating that adherence to a healthy lifestyle is linked to a reduced risk of developing diverticulitis, irrespective of one’s genetic predisposition.”

END


ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Women 65+ still at heightened risk of cervical cancer caused by HPV

2025-07-01
Women aged 65 and above are still at heightened risk of cervical cancer caused by human papillomavirus (HPV), suggest the findings of a large observational study published in the open access journal Gynecology and Obstetrics Clinical Medicine. But most guidelines currently recommend discontinuing screening for the disease in women aged 65+ if they have had previously normal smear tests. Yet global cases of cervical cancer have been rising among women in this age group, prompting the researchers to call for a policy rethink. Recent data from the World Health Organization indicate that ...

‘Inflammatory’ diet during pregnancy may raise child’s diabetes type 1 risk

2025-07-01
A diet high in foods with the potential to promote low grade inflammation during pregnancy may raise that child’s risk of developing type 1 diabetes, suggests Danish research published online in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health. This dietary pattern was associated with a 16% heightened risk for every unit increase in a dietary measure of inflammatory food intake, the findings show. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disorder characterised by the destruction of insulin-producing β-cells in the pancreas, necessitating lifelong ...

Effective therapies needed to halt rise in eco-anxiety, says psychology professor

2025-07-01
More must be done to address the growth in anxiety related to climate change, says a leading psychologist, before it becomes the next mental health crisis. In his book Understanding Climate Anxiety, Geoff Beattie documents how climate anxiety is on the rise, especially amongst young people. Yet support is limited and sufferers face stigma because of the polarised debate around whether the climate crisis even exists, he says. Understanding Climate Anxiety offers psychological tips and guidance ...

Nature-friendly farming boosts biodiversity and yields but may require new subsidies

2025-07-01
Farming methods that support nature improve both biodiversity and crop yields but more extensive measures may require increased government subsidies to become as profitable as conventional intensive agriculture. That is the finding of the first comprehensive on-farm trials of their kind in the UK, which were led by the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH) and Rothamsted Research. This four-year study across 17 conventional, commercial farms in southern England not only trialled various agroecological methods but also – for the first time – the financial viability for businesses. It showed that incorporating nature-friendly practices within farming – agroecology ...

Against the odds: Endometriosis linked to four times higher pregnancy rates than other causes of infertility, new study reveals

2025-07-01
(Paris, France, Wednesday, 2 July 2025) A landmark 30-year study of over four million women in England has revealed that women with endometriosis-associated infertility are significantly more likely to become pregnant compared to those with infertility from other causes.[1] Presented today at the 41st Annual Meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE), the findings offer renewed optimism for millions of women living with endometriosis who are hoping to conceive.   Endometriosis is a long-term ...

Microplastics discovered in human reproductive fluids, new study reveals

2025-07-01
(Paris, France, Wednesday, 2 July 2025) New research presented today at the 41st Annual Meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) reveals the presence of microplastics in human reproductive fluids, raising important questions about their potential risks to fertility and reproductive health.[1] Researchers examined follicular fluid from 29 women and seminal fluid from 22 men, both of which play critical roles in natural conception and assisted reproduction. A range of commonly used microplastic polymers, including polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polystyrene ...

Family ties and firm performance: How cousin marriage traditions shape informal businesses in Africa

2025-07-01
A new study published in the Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal examines how long-standing cultural practices, specifically cousin marriage traditions, continue to influence business outcomes in sub-Saharan Africa's informal economy. Researchers Saul Estrin (London School of Economics), Tomasz Mickiewicz (Aston University), and Peng Zhang (University of Sheffield) analyzed survey data from over 3,000 informal entrepreneurs across eight African countries. They explored how pre-colonial family structures—especially the practice of marrying within the extended family—affect ...

Novel flu vaccine adjuvant improves protection against influenza viruses, study finds

2025-07-01
ATLANTA — Influenza hemagglutinin subunit vaccines are more effective and offer better cross protection against various influenza virus challenges when combined with a mucosal adjuvant that enhances the body’s immune response, according to a study by researchers in the Institute for Biomedical Sciences at Georgia State University. The study published in the journal ACS Nano shows that immune cell-derived extracellular vesicles, specifically those from mature bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (which are crucial for immune responses), rather than those from immature dendritic cells, are potent mucosal adjuvants for influenza hemagglutinin vaccines. The influenza hemagglutinin ...

Manipulation of light at the nanoscale helps advance biosensing

2025-07-01
Traditional medical tests often require clinical samples to be sent off-site for analysis in a time-intensive and expensive process. Point-of-care diagnostics are instead low cost, easy-to-use, and rapid tests performed at the site of patient care. Recently, researchers at the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology reported new and optimized techniques to develop better biosensors for the early detection of disease biomarkers. People have long been fascinated with iridescence of peacock feathers, appearing to change color as light hits them from different angles. With ...

New mechanism discovered in ovarian cancer peritoneal metastasis: YWHAB restriction drives stemness and chemoresistance

2025-07-01
A recent study published in Genes & Diseases has unveiled a novel mechanism by which the restriction of YWHAB-mediated YAP cytoplasmic retention plays a crucial role in maintaining stemness and chemoresistance in ovarian cancer peritoneal metastasis (OCPM). Researchers have found that the down-regulation of YWHAB in OCPM cells promotes the activation of YAP signaling, enhancing the cancer cells' ability to resist chemotherapy and maintain stem-like characteristics. This discovery may lead to innovative therapeutic strategies targeting the YWHAB-YAP pathway to ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Stopping pancreatic cancer spread using benzaldehyde

Pusan National University study reveals engineered bacterial vesicles to combat antimicrobial resistance

Africa needs more large firms, not more entrepreneurs, for economic growth

Clues in the claws: finger length may reveal sexual preferences in rats

World-unique method enables simulation of error-correctable quantum computers

Scientists uncover immune cells that help prostate cancer resist treatment — and reveal a way to stop them

Cellulose instead of crude oil: team with participation of Graz University of Technology develops sustainable foams

New fossils from Earth’s most famous extinction show climate tipping point was crossed

AI predicts patients likely to die of sudden cardiac arrest

Double detonation: New image shows remains of star destroyed by pair of explosions

Gene therapy restored hearing in deaf patients

Survey finds Trump losing favor, Newsom gaining

Religion, politics and war drive urban wildlife evolution

Peeking inside AI brains: Machines learn like us

A map for single-atom catalysts

What about tritiated water release from Fukushima? Ocean model simulations provide an objective scientific knowledge on the long-term tritium distribution

Growing crisis of communicable disease in Canada in tandem with US cuts

Women get better at managing their anger as they age

Illegal shark product trade evident in Australia and New Zealand

New search tool brings 21% better accuracy for robotics developers

New model extracts sentence-level proof to verify events, boosting fact-checking accuracy for journalists, legal teams, and policymakers

Efficient carbon integration of CO₂ in propane aromatization over acidic zeolites

FPGA-accelerated AI for demultiplexing multimode fiber towards next-generation communications

Vitamin D3 nanoemulsion significantly improves core symptoms in children with autism: A clinical trial

Microfluidic point-of-care device accurately measures bilirubin in blood serum: A pilot study

Amygdalin shows strong binding and stabilizing effects on HER2 receptor: A computational study for breast cancer therapy

Bond behavior of FRP bars in concrete under reversed cyclic loading: an experimental study

Milky Way-like galaxy M83 consumes high-speed clouds

Study: What we learned from record-breaking 2021 heat wave and what we can expect in the future

Transforming treatment outcomes for people with OCD

[Press-News.org] Healthy lifestyle linked to lower diverticulitis risk, irrespective of genetic susceptibility
High fibre, low red meat diet, no smoking, regular exercise, normal weight, all key