To characterize ultra-processed food (UPF) circulating metabolic signatures associated with Crohn's disease (CD) and to localize key metabolic mediators linking UPF intake to CD risk. Prospective coho Show more
To characterize ultra-processed food (UPF) circulating metabolic signatures associated with Crohn's disease (CD) and to localize key metabolic mediators linking UPF intake to CD risk. Prospective cohort study. Two large multi-center cohorts (UK Biobank [UKB] and Whitehall II [WHII] study) across the UK and an Eastern multi-center cohort ONE-IBD Study from China. UK Biobank discovery cohort (n=10,229) for signature derivation, internal validation cohort (n=91,306), external validation cohort Whitehall-II (n=7,893), and three additional cohorts (two Western and ONE-IBD) for validation of key metabolic drivers. Primary outcomes were UPF-related circulating metabolic signatures and their associations with CD risk; secondary outcomes included evidence supporting causal roles of candidate metabolites and genetic pathways assessed by Mendelian randomization, colocalization, and gene-environment analysis. A UPF metabolic signature of 73 metabolites was constructed and validated across cohorts (Spearman ρ: 0.20-0.25). More pronounced UPF metabolic signature was associated with increased CD risk (HR The adverse effects of UPF on CD risk may be driven by a relative deficiency of protective metabolites such as DHA, apart from additive harm to metabolic depletion. This reframes UPF-related risk and highlighting potential targets for precision nutrition in CD prevention. Show less
COVID-19 is associated with cardiometabolic complications, including lipid abnormalities, but its effect on lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] remains unclear. This pilot cohort study was conducted at an academic Show more
COVID-19 is associated with cardiometabolic complications, including lipid abnormalities, but its effect on lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] remains unclear. This pilot cohort study was conducted at an academic tertiary hospital and a primary healthcare facility (6 July-31 August 2021). It included a cross-sectional baseline comparison of patients hospitalised with COVID-19, diabetic controls, and healthy controls, with COVID-19 patients additionally followed for three months post-discharge. The study evaluated the relationship between lipid profiles, Lp(a), disease severity, and recovery. Among 169 participants, patients with COVID-19 ( The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1038/s41598-026-37439-5. Show less