Person:

Hu, Frank

Multiple dietary patterns have been associated with different diseases; however, their comparability to improve overall health is yet to be determined. In 205,852 healthcare professionals from three US cohorts followed for up to 32 years, we prospectively assessed two mechanism-based diets and six diets based on dietary recommendations in relation to major chronic disease, defined as a composite outcome of incident major cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and cancer. We demonstrated that adherence to a healthy diet was generally associated with a lower risk of major chronic disease (hazard ratio [HR] comparing the 90th to 10th percentile of dietary pattern scores: 0.58–0.80). Participants with low insulinemic (HR 0.58, 95% CI 0.57, 0.60), low inflammatory (HR 0.61, 95% CI 0.60, 0.63), or diabetes risk-reducing diet (HR 0.70, 95% CI 0.69, 0.72) had the largest risk reduction for incident major cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and cancer in composite and individually. Similar findings were observed across sex, and diverse ethnic groups. Our results suggest that dietary patterns that are associated with markers of hyperinsulinemia and inflammation and diabetes development may inform on future dietary guidelines for chronic disease prevention.

Human microbiome science has advanced rapidly and reached a scale at which basic biology, clinical translation, and population health are increasingly integrated. It is thus now possible for public health researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to take specific action leveraging current and future microbiome-based opportunities and best practices. Here, we provide an outline of considerations for research, education, interpretation, and scientific communication of the human microbiome and public health. This includes guidelines for population-scale microbiome study design; necessary physical platforms and analysis methods; integration into public health areas such as epidemiology, nutrition, chronic disease, and global and environmental health; entrepreneurship and technology transfer; and educational curricula. Particularly in the near future, there are opportunities both for the incorporation of microbiome-based technologies into public health practice, and a growing need for policymaking and regulation around related areas such as prebiotic and probiotic supplements, novel live cell therapies, and fecal microbiota transplants.