Monthly Archives: July 2026

Affordable AI Is Driving Change in Health Care Logistics

Managing medical supply chains in low- and middle-income countries can be particularly difficult when health systems face sudden and unpredictable disruptions. In Sierra Leone, political instability, infectious disease outbreaks and widespread power failures can all interfere with the delivery of essential medicines. The consequences can be severe. Despite a national initiative providing free medical care and essential supplies to pregnant women and children under five, the country continues to have one of the world’s highest maternal mortality rates. Hamsa Bastani, an operations researcher and statistician at the Wharton School, says the problem is not always a shortage of medicine. Often, supplies fail to reach the facilities that need them most, leaving some clinics overstocked while others experience chronic shortages.

To tackle this imbalance, computer scientist Osbert Bastani and PhD candidate Angel Tsai-Hsuan Chung partnered with Sierra Leone’s government to develop an affordable decision-support system powered by machine learning. The tool forecasts demand for medical products at individual health facilities and recommends how limited national supplies should be distributed. Following a pilot programme in five districts, researchers recorded a 19% increase in the consumption of allocated medical products in areas using the system, indicating improved access to essential supplies. The findings, published in Nature, also showed particularly strong benefits for poorer and more remote communities, where medicine consumption rose by 32%.

Encouraged by the results, the government expanded the system nationwide. It now helps guide allocation decisions for more than 70 essential health products, including medicines used to manage postpartum haemorrhage and eclampsia, as well as tetanus vaccines, gloves and antimalarial treatments. The programme is estimated to reach around two million women and children under five across Sierra Leone. Remarkably, the technology operates at a server cost of only about $30 a month and requires no additional workforce. The system demonstrates how relatively inexpensive artificial intelligence can strengthen health care logistics without demanding major investments in infrastructure or staffing.

Developing an effective tool required more than analysing data remotely. Chung travelled to Freetown to understand the country’s complex logistics network and work directly with local officials. Some employees initially worried that an overseas AI system might replace their jobs or leave them responsible for mistakes. To build trust, Chung spent weeks providing personalised training and ensuring officials were fairly compensated for their time. She also helped design a web application that closely resembled the spreadsheet-based processes staff already used. Rather than replacing human decision-makers, the technology was deliberately built as a support tool. Local officials retain final authority and can override its recommendations whenever necessary.

One of the biggest technical challenges was incomplete and uneven data. Understaffed and under-resourced clinics are often the least able to submit consistent records, meaning the greatest data gaps tend to occur in communities with the greatest needs. A conventional model trained on the cleanest information could therefore favour well-documented facilities that are already better served. The researchers addressed this problem through multitask learning, allowing the system to identify shared patterns, such as seasonal changes in demand, from facilities with stronger data and apply those insights to clinics with limited records.

The team also created a backup approach using census information and satellite imagery from Google Earth to estimate local health care needs. Vegetation and other geographic indicators helped identify areas of human activity, while travel times were used to estimate which populations were likely to rely on particular clinics. Combined with demographic information about women and children, these data provided a stable baseline for the demand for medicine. With ownership of the allocation system now transferred to Sierra Leone’s government, the researchers are exploring similar approaches elsewhere, including Somaliland. Their work suggests that affordable, carefully designed machine learning can improve health care delivery in resource-constrained settings while keeping local officials firmly in control.

More information: Angel Tsai-Hsuan Chung et al, Improving access to essential medicines via decision-aware machine learning, Nature. DOI: 10.1038/s41586-026-10433-7

Journal information: Nature Provided by University of Pennsylvania

Sustainable Diet Changes Could Lower Emissions Without Higher Food Costs

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Modest changes to meat and dairy consumption could help Scotland meet its climate targets while improving public health and nutrition, according to new research. A modelling study found that replacing some processed and unprocessed meat and dairy products with vegetables, beans and eggs could deliver significant environmental and health benefits without increasing the overall cost of diets. The findings suggest that relatively small and realistic changes to everyday eating habits could contribute to both climate and public health goals.

Scientists from the University of Edinburgh assessed 33 different approaches to meeting the UK Climate Change Committee’s recommendations for more sustainable diets. Researchers examined how dietary changes could affect greenhouse gas emissions, land and water use, nutrient intake and food costs, as well as the risk of health conditions including type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Across every scenario modelled, reductions in meat and dairy consumption were linked to improvements in health outcomes and environmental indicators.

The study found that even small, gram-for-gram substitutions in familiar meals, including sandwiches and pasta dishes, could produce meaningful long-term benefits when adopted across the population. Replacing some meat with a variety of alternative foods did not negatively affect overall nutrient intake. Lower dairy consumption could, however, considerably reduce iodine intake among some groups. Researchers said this potential nutritional gap could be addressed by fortifying plant-based dairy alternatives with iodine, highlighting the importance of considering nutrition when encouraging dietary change.

The findings also challenge the perception that eating more sustainably is necessarily more expensive. Most of the dietary changes assessed had little effect on overall food costs, suggesting that lower-emission diets do not have to place additional financial pressure on households. Researchers say making healthier and more sustainable options easier to find, more convenient and more accessible could help people adopt dietary changes without requiring major changes to their lifestyles or spending.

Targeting people who consume the largest quantities of processed and unprocessed red meat could deliver particularly substantial benefits, the study suggests. Rather than asking everyone to reduce meat consumption by the same amount, helping the highest consumers move towards lower intakes could produce greater health and environmental gains. The modelling predicted that this targeted approach could prevent almost 60,000 cases of type 2 diabetes over 10 years while also achieving larger reductions in environmental impacts. All 33 dietary pathways modelled resulted in lower greenhouse gas emissions and reduced land and water use.

The research also found that emissions linked to food consumed by adults in Scotland, including the carbon footprint of imported products, exceed emissions from agricultural production within Scotland itself. The findings underline the importance of changing food consumption alongside efforts to reduce emissions from farming. “The findings show that modest, realistic dietary changes, when scaled across a population, can deliver substantial benefits to people and the planet,” said Dr Joe Kennedy, from the University of Edinburgh’s Division of Global Agriculture and Food Systems. “Making healthier, sustainable options more available and convenient will be key to enabling such change.”

More information: Joe Kennedy et al, Reduced meat and dairy consumption improves health, environmental and most nutritional outcomes without increasing diet costs among Scottish adults, Nature Food. DOI: 10.1038/s43016-026-01384-3

Journal information: Nature Food Provided by University of Edinburgh

Research Reveals Association Between Sedentary Behaviour and Increased Cancer Risk

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Each additional hour spent in prolonged, uninterrupted sedentary behaviour is associated with a 9% higher risk of dying from cancer, according to a new study published on July 2 in the journal PLOS Medicine. Led by Frederick Ho at the University of Glasgow, the research suggests that not only the amount of time people spend sitting but also how that time is accumulated may influence long-term health. While previous studies have linked sedentary lifestyles to poorer health outcomes, most public health recommendations have focused on reducing total sitting time rather than encouraging people to break up long periods of inactivity.

To investigate the health effects of sedentary behaviour patterns, the researchers analysed data from 91,292 participants in the UK Biobank. Participants wore wrist-based activity monitors continuously for seven days, allowing researchers to measure their movement objectively. They were then followed for a median of 12.38 years. The team classified activity into prolonged sedentary behaviour, defined as sitting or remaining inactive for at least 30 minutes with at least 90% of the time spent sedentary, interrupted sedentary behaviour, and varying levels of physical activity.

The findings showed that prolonged sedentary behaviour was consistently associated with poorer health outcomes. Each additional hour spent in uninterrupted sedentary activity was linked to a 9% increase in cancer mortality risk. It was also associated with a greater likelihood of developing cancer overall, including obesity-related cancers such as cancers of the oesophagus, liver, kidney, pancreas, colorectum, breast, ovary, and thyroid, as well as cancers associated with type 2 diabetes. In contrast, sedentary time that was regularly interrupted by movement was associated with lower risks across these health outcomes, highlighting the potential importance of taking frequent activity breaks throughout the day.

The researchers also examined whether replacing prolonged sedentary time with physical activity could reduce health risks. Their analysis indicated that substituting just one hour per day of uninterrupted sitting with light physical activity was associated with a 12% lower risk of cancer death. The findings suggest that even modest increases in movement, such as standing, walking, or completing light household tasks, may offer measurable health benefits. This supports growing evidence that small changes in daily behaviour can complement regular exercise in reducing disease risk.

The authors caution that the study has important limitations. Because it is based on a single cohort of volunteers from the UK Biobank, who tend to be healthier and more physically active than the general population, the results may not apply equally to everyone. As an observational study, it cannot establish that prolonged sitting directly causes cancer or cancer-related deaths. In addition, the researchers were unable to determine the context of sedentary behaviour, such as whether participants were sitting at work, travelling, or relaxing at home, factors that could influence health outcomes.

According to the researchers, the results suggest that the health effects of sedentary behaviour depend not only on the total amount of time spent sitting but also on whether that time is broken up by movement. Experimental studies have already shown that interrupting prolonged sitting with brief periods of activity can improve metabolic function compared with remaining seated continuously. The team argues that current health guidelines place considerable emphasis on moderate- and vigorous-intensity exercise. Still, light movement throughout the day should also be recognised as an important component of disease prevention. They add that future clinical trials will help determine the most effective and personalised strategies for reducing the health risks associated with prolonged sitting.

More information: Ziyi Zhou et al, Accelerometry-measured prolonged and interrupted sedentary behavior and cancer incidence and mortality: A cohort study of 91,292 UK Biobank participants, PLOS Medicine. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1004767

Journal information: PLOS Medicine Provided by PLOS

Gerophysics Emerges: Applying Physics to the Biology of Ageing

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A new meeting report published in Aging (Volume 18) on May 14, 2026, introduces the emerging field of Gerophysics, which seeks to explain aging by combining biology with the quantitative principles of physics. Titled “Foundations of Gerophysics,” the report was led by first author Maximilian Unfried and corresponding authors Maximilian Unfried and Brian K. Kennedy from the National University of Singapore. While aging has traditionally been studied through biology, genetics, and medicine, many fundamental questions remain unresolved, including why organisms age at different rates, why resilience declines over time, and whether aging trajectories can be predicted before disease develops. Researchers argue that addressing these questions may require a new interdisciplinary framework grounded in physical laws.

The report summarises the inaugural Global Conference on Gerophysics, held in Singapore on March 5–6, 2025, which brought together 160 researchers from physics, biology, computational science, and medicine. Across 31 presentations, participants explored how concepts such as dynamical systems, thermodynamics, network theory, stochastic processes, and artificial intelligence could transform aging research into a predictive science. A central theme was the search for simple mathematical principles capable of explaining the complex biological processes underlying aging. For example, Uri Alon presented the “saturated removal” model, which explains hallmark aging patterns through the balance between damage production and repair. At the same time, Yifan Yang demonstrated how the same framework could distinguish interventions that extend lifespan from those that specifically reduce the years spent in poor health.

Several presentations examined whether aging behaves like a physical phase transition. Peter Fedichev and Jan Gruber proposed that aging emerges from growing instability within gene regulatory networks, linking resilience, entropy, and mortality patterns across species. Other researchers showed how network instability, loss of robustness, and critical transitions may help explain the progression from healthy aging to frailty and disease. Advances in measuring biological age were also highlighted. Andrew Teschendorff discussed improvements in epigenetic clocks, while Steffen Rulands presented evidence that age-related DNA methylation changes may reflect collective behaviours across the genome, suggesting that aging can be understood as a multi-scale physical process extending from molecular interactions to whole organisms.

Artificial intelligence also featured prominently throughout the meeting. Matt Kaeberlein described the “Million Molecule Challenge,” an ambitious initiative combining automated lifespan experiments with machine learning to screen more than one million compounds for longevity-promoting effects. Andrei Tarkhov presented AI-guided protein design strategies that substantially improve cellular reprogramming factors used in age-reversal research. Beyond AI, researchers emphasised systems-level approaches, including the use of network science to model cascading biological failures, entropy-based measures as potential biomarkers of aging, and computational analyses of large clinical and molecular datasets to identify promising geroprotective interventions. Additional presentations explored reproductive aging, skeletal muscle aging, comparative longevity across species, and tissue-specific metabolic changes linked to aging.

Research on metabolism and longevity further illustrated the breadth of the emerging field. Peter James Mullen presented multi-organ metabolomic analyses revealing tissue-specific metabolic signatures associated with aging. At the same time, Maximilian Unfried described comparative lipidomics studies showing that longer-lived species possess more resilient lipid interaction networks. Brian K. Kennedy discussed the challenges of translating aging biomarkers into reliable clinical tools capable of assessing biological age and evaluating interventions. Throughout the conference, participants repeatedly stressed that meaningful progress will require close collaboration between theoretical modelling and experimental research, with mathematical models generating testable predictions that are continually refined by new biological data.

The conference concluded with broad agreement on four priorities for advancing Gerophysics: developing shared multi-modal datasets, establishing physics-based definitions of aging and rejuvenation, building predictive models that forecast responses to interventions, and strengthening the translation of findings from animal models to humans. Participants also emphasised the need for interdisciplinary training to bridge the languages of biology, physics, and computational science. By integrating quantitative physical principles with modern biological research and artificial intelligence, Gerophysics aims to shift aging research from a largely descriptive discipline towards a predictive science capable of accelerating the development of interventions that promote healthier aging throughout life.

More information: Maximilian Unfried et al, Foundations of Gerophysics, Aging-US. DOI: 10.18632/aging.206378

Journal information: Aging-US Provided by Impact Journals LLC

Understanding Fragility Fracture Risk: Preventing the Next Fall

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Japan’s rapidly ageing population has brought the health and wellbeing of older adults into sharper focus, with preventing falls and fractures emerging as a major public health priority. Fragility fractures, which occur when weakened bones break after relatively minor falls or impacts, can significantly reduce mobility, independence, and quality of life. Identifying preventable risk factors is therefore essential to helping older adults remain healthy and active for longer.

While lifestyle habits and medication use are believed to influence the likelihood of falls and fractures, researchers say comprehensive evidence has been limited. Particular attention has been given to potentially modifiable factors such as polypharmacy—the use of multiple medications simultaneously—and unintentional weight loss, both of which are common among older adults. At the same time, the role of physical activity in preventing falls and fractures has remained uncertain, with previous studies producing conflicting findings.

To better understand these risks, a research team led by Dr. Masayoshi Iwamae from Osaka Metropolitan University’s Graduate School of Medicine conducted a cross-sectional study involving 4,967 community-dwelling adults aged 60 and older in Osaka Prefecture. Participants completed an online survey that collected information on demographic characteristics, fragility fractures and falls over the previous five years, medication use, unintended weight loss, and levels of physical activity.

The analysis identified several independent factors associated with fragility fractures. Women were more likely than men to experience these injuries, while polypharmacy, a previous history of falls, and unintentional weight loss were also linked to a higher risk of fracture. These findings suggest that multiple health-related factors can combine to increase vulnerability among older adults, highlighting the need for comprehensive assessments rather than focusing on a single risk factor.

When researchers examined falls specifically, they found a slightly different pattern. The use of sleeping medications, polypharmacy, and unintended weight loss were each independently associated with a greater likelihood of falling. In contrast, physical activity was not significantly associated with either falls or fragility fractures. Although exercise remains widely recommended for maintaining overall health, the findings suggest that physical activity alone may not be sufficient to reduce fracture or fall risk without addressing other underlying health issues.

According to Dr. Iwamae, the results underscore the importance of adopting broad prevention strategies that go beyond encouraging exercise alone. Optimising medication use to reduce unnecessary prescriptions and addressing nutritional problems that contribute to weight loss could play key roles in lowering the risk of falls and fractures among older adults. While physical activity should continue to be promoted because of its many benefits for overall health and quality of life, the study provides evidence that practical interventions targeting medication management and nutrition may be equally important in helping community-dwelling seniors maintain their independence and reduce their risk of serious injury.

More information: Masayoshi Iwamae et al, Lifestyle factors, including physical activity status, associated with fragility fractures and falls: a cross-sectional study, BMC Geriatrics. DOI: 10.1186/s12877-026-07344-7

Journal information: BMC Geriatrics Provided by Osaka Metropolitan University

The Key to a Fulfilling Retirement: Staying Social

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Staying socially connected may be one of the most effective ways to protect brain health after leaving the workforce, according to a new study led by researchers at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA). Drawing on data from more than 145,000 observations across 27 European countries, the researchers found that strong social networks can help offset the loss of mentally stimulating interactions that often come with retirement or other forms of non-employment. The findings also reveal that men and women benefit from different types of social relationships, highlighting the need for tailored approaches to healthy ageing.

As Europe’s population continues to age, preserving cognitive health has become an increasingly important public health priority. Previous studies have shown that both employment and social engagement contribute to better mental functioning. Still, little research has examined how these factors work together or whether their effects differ between men and women. To address this gap, the researchers analysed data from adults aged 50 and older who participated in the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) between 2011 and 2020. Participants included those who were employed, retired, unemployed, or homemakers.

The research focused on two important measures of cognitive health: episodic memory, which involves recalling past experiences and information, and verbal fluency, or the ability to generate words quickly. Researchers then examined how different levels of social connectedness influenced cognitive performance among people with different employment statuses. The results showed that social relationships can provide valuable mental stimulation, especially for individuals who are no longer working.

The study also uncovered important gender differences. Among women, having a broad and diverse social network appeared to compensate for the cognitive stimulation that employment often provides. Women who maintained connections with family members, friends, neighbours, and community groups generally performed better on cognitive tests after leaving the workforce. For men, however, the quality of close personal relationships appeared to matter more than the size of their social circle. Strong bonds with a spouse or partner were particularly important, while men with few or no social connections experienced significantly poorer episodic memory, underscoring the risks associated with social isolation.

These findings have important implications for policymakers and healthcare professionals seeking to promote healthy ageing. Rather than adopting a one-size-fits-all approach, programmes designed to support older adults should recognise that men and women may benefit from different forms of social engagement. Encouraging older women to maintain diverse social networks and helping older men build and preserve close personal relationships could both play a meaningful role in protecting cognitive health. Preventing loneliness and social isolation should therefore be considered a key component of public health strategies in ageing societies.

The researchers conclude that social networks can serve as an important source of cognitive stimulation when employment is no longer part of daily life. While retirement often marks the end of regular workplace interactions, maintaining meaningful social connections may help preserve memory, communication skills, and overall cognitive resilience. As populations continue to age around the world, fostering stronger social relationships may prove just as valuable as promoting physical health in helping older adults enjoy fulfilling, independent lives.

More information: Thomas Arnhold et al, Employment Status and Later Life Cognitive Functioning: A Gendered Perspective on the Moderating Role of the Social Network, Research on Aging. DOI: 10.1177/01640275261456210

Journal information: Research on Aging Provided by International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis

Adopting a Healthy Lifestyle Linked to Slower Biological Ageing in Older Men

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A new research paper published in Volume 18 of Aging on May 29, 2026, reports that adopting a healthy lifestyle may modestly slow biological ageing in older men. The Editors’ Choice article, titled “Short-term responsiveness of DNA methylation–based ageing biomarkers to a multimodal intervention comprising exercise and dietary guidance involving daily consumption of yogurt containing Bifidobacterium longum BB536: an exploratory randomized controlled trial,” was led by first author Tatsuki Nishimura and corresponding author Yukihiro Hishida from the R&D Division of Morinaga Milk Industry Co., Ltd., Japan. The findings add to growing evidence that coordinated lifestyle changes may influence molecular markers associated with the pace of biological ageing.

As interest grows in strategies to promote healthy ageing, researchers are increasingly investigating interventions that target multiple biological pathways simultaneously. Regular physical activity and a balanced diet are well established as pillars of healthy ageing, while emerging evidence suggests that the gut microbiome may also play an important role. In this study, the researchers examined whether a 12-week intervention combining individualized exercise guidance, dietary counselling, and daily consumption of yogurt containing Bifidobacterium longum BB536 could influence DNA methylation-based biomarkers of ageing in overweight men aged 50 years and older.

The randomized controlled trial enrolled 48 participants, who were assigned either to the intervention group or to a control group that continued their usual lifestyle. Participants receiving the intervention were provided with dietary counselling to reduce overeating, exercise guidance encouraging regular walking or stepper-based activity, and a daily serving of probiotic yogurt containing Bifidobacterium longum BB536. Before and after the intervention, investigators measured several DNA methylation-based biomarkers, including DunedinPACE, an epigenetic indicator that estimates the current pace of biological ageing rather than chronological age.

The intervention group experienced a modest but statistically significant reduction in DunedinPACE compared with the control group, corresponding to an estimated 2.2% slowing in the pace of biological ageing over the 12 weeks. Exploratory analyses also identified a significant reduction in DNAmCystatinC, a DNA methylation-based biomarker associated with kidney-related physiological processes. Although most other epigenetic ageing clocks did not remain statistically significant after correction for multiple comparisons, the overall findings suggest that selected molecular markers of ageing may respond to coordinated lifestyle interventions over a relatively short period.

Interestingly, the observed improvements in biological ageing markers were not significantly associated with weight loss alone, suggesting that the combined effects of exercise, dietary guidance, and probiotic supplementation may have contributed to the changes. The authors propose that improvements in metabolic regulation, inflammation, and gut microbial function may underlie these findings. They concluded that a practical, multimodal lifestyle intervention may be associated with short-term improvements in selected DNA methylation-based measures of biological ageing.

The authors caution that the study was exploratory and had several limitations, including a small sample size, a relatively short intervention period, and inclusion of only overweight Japanese men. Larger and longer-term studies involving more diverse populations will be needed to confirm these findings and determine whether changes in biological ageing biomarkers translate into lasting health benefits. Nevertheless, the study provides encouraging preliminary evidence that combining regular physical activity, healthy dietary practices, and targeted nutritional interventions may help slow aspects of biological ageing and support healthier ageing.

More information: Tatsuki Nishimura et al, Short-term responsiveness of DNA methylation–based aging biomarkers to a multimodal intervention comprising exercise and dietary guidance involving daily consumption of yogurt containing Bifidobacterium longum BB536: an exploratory randomized controlled trial, Aging-US. DOI: 10.18632/aging.206386

Journal information: Aging-US Provided by Impact Journals LLC