Read AMA Morning Rounds®’ most popular stories in medicine and public health from the week of June 30, 2025–July 4, 2025.
Body fat percentage, waist circumference better predictors of 15-year mortality risk than BMI
HealthDay (6/27, Thompson) reported a study found that “a person’s body fat percentage provides a better estimate of their risk for early death than their body mass index (BMI).” Researchers observed that “people with a high body-fat percentage were 78% more likely to die within 15 years from any cause and 3.6 times more likely to die from heart disease.” In contrast, “BMI – an estimate of body fat based on height and weight – was not associated with a statistically significant higher risk of death from any cause, researchers found.” They noted that “waist circumference also proved another means of accurately predicting a person’s risk of death.” The findings “add to mounting evidence that BMI is not as accurate as other measures for reflecting the effect of a person’s weight on their health.” The study was published in the Annals of Family Medicine.
Maternal vaccination during pregnancy linked with reduced flu risk in young infants
MedPage Today (6/27, Henderson) reported a study found that “maternal flu vaccination was associated with a reduced risk of influenza infection during infants’ first 6 months of life, an age when they are too young to be vaccinated.” Researchers observed that “flu vaccination during pregnancy was associated with an adjusted 44.4% reduction in the risk of infant influenza infection, with protection strongest during the infants’ first few months of life.” According to the study, “reduction in risk was only significant when vaccination occurred during the second or third trimesters of pregnancy.” Researchers concluded, “Our study emphasizes that when you are vaccinating yourself in pregnancy, you are protecting yourself, but you are also protecting your infant at a crucial time.” The study was published in Obstetrics & Gynecology.
You may also be interested in: Medical experts back vaccination against respiratory viruses
Regular exercise reduces depression, anxiety symptoms in pediatric patients
HealthDay (6/30, Thompson) reports a systemic review and meta-analysis found that “both anxiety and depression decrease when kids take part in structured exercise programs,” which offer “an alternative to medications like antidepressants.” The review “pooled data from 375 prior clinical trials involving more than 38,000 kids 5 to 18.” Researchers observed that “anxiety improved through low-intensity resistance exercise, such as lifting light weights or gentle training using circuit weight machines.” Meanwhile, depression “improved most through moderate-intensity exercise in training that combines aerobic and strength programs.” Furthermore, they found that “the biggest improvements in depression symptoms occurred in programs lasting fewer than three months, suggesting that benefits of exercise can emerge relatively quickly.” In addition, the study found no significant difference between frequency or duration of exercise in improving mental health. The review was published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry.
IBS rates nearly doubled among U.S. adults during pandemic
HealthDay (7/1, Thompson) reports a study found that “gut disorders like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) increased significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic,” with rates of IBS nearly doubling among U.S. adults from “around 6% in May 2020 to about 11% in May 2022.” Researchers added, “Rates of digestive issues such as irritable bowel syndrome and chronic idiopathic constipation rose significantly.” The study was published in the journal Neurogastroenterology & Motility.
Increasing gallstone disease prevalence in U.S. linked to rising occurrence of metabolic disorders
Gastroenterology Advisor (7/2, Rao) reports a study suggests that “development of gallstones and metabolic disorders, including obesity, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), diabetes, and hypertension, are related.” Researchers found that “patients with vs without gallstone disease were more likely to have prior smoking (33.1% vs 25.2%) and low physical activity (13.2% vs 10.7%).” Furthermore, “patients with vs without gallstone disease had higher BMI (32.8 vs 29.3), waist circumference (107.8 vs 99.8 cm), controlled attenuation parameter (CAP; 279 vs 260 dB/m), and other metabolic indicators.” The researchers also “noted that presence vs absence of gallstone disease increased risk for MASLD (48.4% vs 33.9%), obesity (80.2% vs 59.1%), hypertension (60.2% vs 39.9%), and diabetes (24.0% vs 12.7%).” Results of the multivariate logistic regression analysis “showed a significant association between metabolic disorders and gallstone development.” The study was published in the Journal of Digestive Diseases.
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