Walking and health | Heart valve replacement | Microbiome and preterm birth

June 11, 2019 Edition How many steps for better health? Researchers found that older women who took more steps per day had a lower risk of dying until 7,500 steps a day, beyond which the benefit leveled off. Technique lowers risk of complications in heart valve replacement Researchers devised a technique to avoid a fatal complication during a procedure to replace the heart’s mitral valve. Microbiome influences risk of preterm birth Researchers found that the vaginal microbiome changes substantially during pregnancy. Patterns of changes early in pregnancy may help identify women at high risk for preterm birth. Popular Stories Blood test may detect myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome Eating red meat daily triples heart disease-related chemical Eating highly processed foods linked to weight gain Understanding rheumatoid arthritis at the cellular level Understanding recurrent tonsillitis