Top Ten Health Stories of 2025
Following our own holiday tradition, each year Intelligent Medicine compiles a list of the most consequential health stories of the past year. There were so many, but we’ve winnowed it down to these selections:
1) Heart attack risk halved in adults with heart disease taking tailored vitamin D doses: At the meeting of the 2025 American Heart Association, a study was presented that showed that, when heart victims were prescribed individualized doses of vitamin D, their risk of a subsequent heart attack was reduced by more than half. This contrasts with previous studies showing that standard dosing of vitamin D—say a paltry 800 or 1000 IU per day—had a negligible impact on heart disease risk. 52% of the vitamin D cohort required administration of more than 5000 IU of vitamin D per day to achieve optimal blood levels. The researchers concluded:
“Previous clinical trial research on vitamin D tested the potential impact of the same vitamin D dose for all participants without checking their blood levels first . . . We took a different approach. We checked each participant’s vitamin D levels at enrollment and throughout the study, and we adjusted their dose as needed to bring and maintain them in a range of 40-80 ng/mL.”
2) Lithium orotate for Alzheimer’s Disease: Previous studies have found that individuals with deficiencies of lithium, an often-ignored essential trace mineral, are more likely to progress to cognitive decline; it’s also been noted that patients treated with lithium carbonate for bipolar disease have a somewhat lowered risk of dementia. Landmark research found that lithium orotate—long available as an over-the-counter supplement—was the most bio-available form of lithium—and outperformed prescription lithium without its side effects. The study authors tested it on mice and concluded:
“In a mouse model of AD, a low-dose lithium salt in the diet reversed memory loss and prevented cognitive decline in aging mice. While more study is needed, lithium replacement could be a potential approach to prevent and treat AD.”
3) Vagus nerve stimulation to treat rheumatoid arthritis: Rheumatoid arthritis sufferers are often consigned to years-long prescriptions of immunosuppressive drugs to halt disease progression. With a new paradigm dubbed “bio-electronic medicine”, it was demonstrated that an implantable vagal nerve stimulation (VNS) device could improve symptoms and achieve remission in a considerable percentage of patients, obviating the need for drugs. On a recent podcast episode, we interviewed the developer, Dr. Kevin Tracey.
VNS was recently approved by the FDA for treatment of RA, and may offer significant potential for the treatment of other autoimmune and inflammatory disorders, including MS and inflammatory bowel disease.
4) Eliminating synthetic dyes, preservatives from foods and beverages: Following a push from the Administration, retail giant Walmart announced that it is removing synthetic dyes and more than 30 other ingredients — like certain preservatives, artificial sweeteners and fat substitutes — from its U.S. private brand foods. While the bans are not comprehensive, it’s a start, certain to be followed by other major retailers and food producers. The science is now indisputable that these ingredients have adverse health effects, especially for kids, and only serve to augment the addictive properties of ultra-processed foods, whose harms are now well-documented.
5) Landmark lawsuit against makers of ultra-processed foods: Taking a cue from tobacco litigation decades ago, San Francisco is targeting food conglomerates for “flooding the country with addictive ultra-processed foods with little nutritional value, knowing they would make Americans sick”. They contend that UPFs, like cigarettes, are vehicles for delivering disease-causing ingredients, deliberately made addictive to stoke profits. The City Attorney contends:
“Ultra-processed foods include candies, chips, processed meats, sodas, energy drinks, boxed macaroni and cheese, breakfast cereals, and other products made using industrial methods that cannot typically be replicated in a home kitchen. These foods are a combination of chemicals designed to stimulate cravings and encourage overconsumption.”
Like Lexington and Concord, this represents merely the opening salvo in what promises to be a long and protracted battle against a formidable foe, armed with a huge war chest to defend its prerogative to sicken Americans.
6) Microplastics and human health: We’ve long known about the adverse health effects of plastic compounds—bisphenol A, phthalates, and PFAS to name but a few. But it’s newly been recognized that plastic decomposes into tiny particles—microplastics—that are taken up by human tissues. They are found in brains, atherosclerotic plaque, and even placentas. And their body burden may be as high as a teaspoonful for each of us. Their harms are only recently being appreciated. Meanwhile, it behooves us to reduce our dependency on, and exposure to, plastic products.
7) SNAP reform: In a long overdue move, Secretary of Agriculture Brook Rollins issued orders to enable states to limit availability of junk foods, candy, and sugary beverages to SNAP recipients. Originally designed to alleviate hunger, the SNAP program has morphed into a massive subsidy for makers of ultra-processed foods; studies show that SNAP recipients are more prone to obesity and metabolic disorders than comparable low-income consumers not enrolled in the program.
8) Statin use and sarcopenia: There’s a big push to get more people on statins. Tens of millions of Americans dutifully take them. While statins undeniably reduce risk for people who have established cardiovascular disease, obesity, or sky-high cholesterol, their benefit-risk balance when used merely for prevention remains debatable.
Its long been recognized that in a small percentage of individuals, statins are poorly tolerated, because they cause muscle pain. Blood tests occasionally reveal markers of muscle damage, necessitating discontinuation. But short of these obvious manifestations of harm, people are encouraged to keep taking them.
It now emerges that, even in the absence of muscle pain or abnormal blood test evidence, statins may be wreaking a silent toll on lean body reserves. Since progressive muscle loss—called sarcopenia—is a major contributor to frailty in seniors, this adverse effect of statins may be very consequential. Researchers recently reported:
“Our study indicates that continuous statin use is associated with a decline in muscle function and mass . . . Muscle function and mass are closely linked to mobility, physical performance and health outcomes in aging populations. Preserving muscle health with age is essential for maintaining independence in daily activities and reducing the risk of frailty and falls. As statins are typically prescribed to individuals over 40, the long‐term preservation of muscle function and mass is essential for maintaining independence in daily activities, preventing frailty and reducing the risk of falls in older adults.”
Substituting one health risk (sarcopenia) for another (high cholesterol) may not be in the long-term interest of people at low-to-moderate risk of heart disease. Lifestyle measures—like adequate protein and resistance exercise—should take precedence over a drug fix.
9) Scientists find dark chocolate ingredient that slows aging: In a discovery that’s bound to brighten our holiday season, researchers have added to the list of dividends conferred by dark chocolate, which has already demonstrated cognitive, circulatory, mood and athletic performance benefits:
“Individuals with higher amounts of theobromine [a cocoa constituent] in their bloodstream tended to have a biological age that appeared younger than their chronological age.”
10) Majority of world’s population doesn’t get enough omega-3: Science Daily reports:
“A global review shows that 76% of people fall short of recommended omega-3 intake and often need supplements to meet healthy levels . . . Omega-3 consumption supports a healthy lifestyle throughout all stages of life — from reducing the chance of pre-term birth and supporting visual and cognitive development in infants, right through to improving cardiovascular health and immune function. It is also associated with reduced risk of depression and cognitive decline, including Alzheimer’s disease.”
There may be additional benefits for prevention and management of cancer, autoimmunity and allergic disease.
Eating a “healthy diet”—even when incorporating fish—may not be enough for most people. Judicious supplementation with high quality fish oil delivering ample long-chain fatty acids makes sense.
Thanks for making Intelligent Medicine your go-to health resource in 2025, and best wishes to you and your loved ones for the coming year!