The mechanisms that cause the world’s most common chronic liver disease — Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) — to develop and progress are not still fully understood. Now, a study by the University of Barcelona has identified a new factor involved in the development of the disease: the protein ENT1, which allows the transport of small molecules essential for the functioning of liver cells into the cell. The results of the study, carried out with patients and animal models, open the door to exploring future therapies.
The research, published in the journal Metabolism, is led by Professor Sandra Pérez-Torras, member of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biomedicine at the UB’s Faculty of Biology, the Institute of Biomedicine of the University of Barcelona (IBUB) and the Sant Joan de Déu Research Institute (IRSJD). The study also involved significant contributions from Professor Marçal Pastor-Anglada (UB, IBUB and IRSJD); postdoctoral researcher Aida Mata-Ventosa (UB, IBUB and IRSJD), one of the paper’s co-first authors; and researcher Maria Isabel Hernández-Alvarez (UB and IBUB).
Sonia Fernández-Veledo, from the Southern Catalonia Biomedical Research Institute (IRB CatSud), the Universitat Rovira i Virgili and the CIBER Area for Diabetes and Associated Metabolic Diseases (CIBERDEM), also co-leads the study carried out together with experts from other national and international institutions.
Protection against fat, inflammation and fibrosis
This chronic disease, which is not caused by alcohol consumption but by metabolic disturbances such as obesity, is characterized by the excessive accumulation of fat in the liver and can progress to more severe forms, such as advanced fibrosis or liver cancer.
To uncover the liver mechanisms that contribute to the early stages of the disease, the researchers focused on ENT1, a transporter protein that regulates the entry of small molecules called nucleosides across the plasma membrane. Thus, the team studied the expression of ENT1 — that is, the extent to which the gene responsible for producing this transporter is active — and its impact on liver and whole-body metabolism.
Experiments in mice with and without ENT1 have established a link between this transporter, nucleoside levels — particularly adenosine, a nucleoside involved in regulating inflammation and in cells’ response to stress — and the development of the characteristic alterations associated with the disease.
The results show that ENT1 deficiency reduces adenosine levels in the liver and protects animals against inflammation, fibrosis and excessive fat accumulation in this organ. Moreover, mice lacking ENT1 show improved glucose tolerance and increased insulin sensitivity, suggesting that the transporter’s effects may extend beyond the liver and affect the organism’s overall metabolism.
A different role according to the stage of the disease
Analysis of liver biopsies from patients and gene expression databases has complemented the results of animal models, showing that hepatic ENT1 expression varies throughout the course of MASLD. In the early stages, expression levels are higher in humans and mice, but decrease as the disease progresses. This suggests that this transporter is regulated differently depending on the stage of the pathology.
“The increased expression of ENT1 in the early stages could contribute to transport and uptake of adenosine in the liver, which would be consistent with the onset and early progression of the disease,” the authors explain.
Patient data also reinforce the possible involvement of ENT1 in whole-body metabolism. In individuals with early-stage MASLD, higher ENT1 expression in the liver is associated with elevated insulin levels and a higher HOMA-IR index, an indicator of insulin resistance.
“Overall, these findings identify ENT1 as a regulator of systemic nucleoside metabolism and metabolic homeostasis, and highlight nucleoside transport as a hitherto underappreciated axis contributing to the development and progression of MASLD,” the researchers emphasize.
A therapeutic approach with great potential The results of this study identify this transporter as a potential target for exploring new therapeutic strategies. Moreover, ENT1 is of particular interest because drugs capable of inhibiting its activity already exist, and some of these compounds are already in various phases of clinical development. “Therefore, ENT1 is not an unknown pharmacological target, although its potential use in MASLD still requires much more research, particularly in humans and with larger cohorts,” the researchers conclude.
References
Mata-Ventosa, Aida et al. «Equilibrative nucleoside transporter 1 deficiency protects against diet-induced MASLD and is stage-associated in human liver disease». Metabolism: Clinical and Experimental, 2026. DOI: 10.1016/j.metabol.2026.156710.
A study concludes that environmental contaminants capable of altering the hormonal system, also known as endocrine disruptors, do not affect the immune system equally. In fact, they can reduce the viability of immune cells and even modify the signals that activate inflammation. These chemical substances are present in numerous everyday objects, such as food packaging and textiles, furniture and even industrial products. A study led by the Southern Catalonia Biomedical Research Institute – IRB CatSud, entitled Immunomodulatory effects of Bisphenol A, perfluorooctanoic acid, and tris(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate on THP-1-derived macrophages, published in the scientific journal Environment International, analysed the effect of three environmental contaminants, bisphenol A (BPA), tris(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TDCPP) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), and their effect on cells of the immune system. The research shows that not all endocrine disruptors affect the organism in the same way, but rather that each one triggers different biological responses.
The results of the study, carried out by the Environmental, Food and Toxicology Technology Center (TecnATox) and Environmental Analysis and Management using Computer Aided Process Engineering (AGACAPE) research groups at IRB CatSud, show specific effects for each of the compounds studied when they encounter cells that are essential in the first line of defense of the immune system (macrophages).
Among the compounds analysed, a substance used to make certain furniture, fabrics and industrial products more fire resistant (TDCPP) was the one that showed the highest toxicity. Exposure to this substance reduced cell viability and caused a decrease in certain immune responses, which points to a possible immunosuppressive effect.
Regarding the chemical compound known as PFOA, present in coatings resistant to water, stains or grease, the researchers observed that it activates the body’s defenses very intensely. However, this activation did not translate into an increase in the levels of key molecules involved in communication between immune cells (cytokines). In other words, the cells appeared to activate certain defence mechanisms, but without generating the full response that the researchers expected to observe. This result points to possible mechanisms of action that are still poorly understood and that will require further investigation.
In contrast, BPA, a compound used in some plastics and food packaging coatings, had almost no effects in the tests. The researchers observed that it neither harmed cell health nor altered our defenses, nor did it prevent cells from communicating with one another. In any case, the research team points out that additional studies will be needed to better understand its impact on the immune system under other experimental conditions.
Overall, the results highlight that compounds classified within the same group of contaminants can have very different effects on immune cells. This knowledge may contribute to improving the assessment of the risks associated with endocrine disruptors and to gaining a better understanding of how environmental exposure influences human health.
Researchers from the Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV) and from the German Federal Institute in Berlin (Germany) participated in the study. Furthermore, the study is part of the European PARC project (Partnership for the Assessment of Risks from Chemicals), a Horizon Europe initiative and co-funded by the European Union focused on the assessment and management of risks from exposure to chemical substances in order to protect human health and the environment.
Bibliographic reference
Sabuz, O., Blanco, J., Deepika, D., Schuhmacher, M., & Kumar, V. (2026). Immunomodulatory effects of Bisphenol A, perfluorooctanoic acid, and tris(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate on THP-1-derived macrophages. Environment International, 213, 110321. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2026.110321
The Castell del Cambrer in Reus hosted, this past Monday, September 21, a new edition of the informative micro-talks ‘Research for change’, organized within the framework of the European Research Night by the IRB CatSud and with the collaboration of the Rovira i Virgili University and the Reus City Council. The session brought together nearly 80 people, who were able to discover in an enjoyable and accessible way some of the research projects that are carried out in the territory.
Throughout the afternoon, researchers from IRB CatSud, ICIQ, ICAC, IPHES and the Rovira i Virgili University offered short talks on topics as diverse as cardiovascular health, heritage, sustainability and nanoscience, bringing research closer to the public with plain and understandable language.
The activity is part of the European Research Night program in Tarragona, an initiative that aims to bring science and its protagonists closer to society as a whole and show the impact of research on everyday life.
Sarcopenia is a syndrome associated with aging that is characterized by a progressive loss of strength, muscle mass and physical performance. Its development is multifactorial and involves aspects such as age, level of physical activity, diet and changes in body composition throughout life. Among the latter, the amount and distribution of body fat can play a relevant role.
“Abdominal fat is not distributed in the same way in all people nor does it have the same characteristics depending on whether it accumulates under the skin or around the organs,” explains Anna Pedret, researcher in the Functional Nutrition, Oxidation and Cardiovascular Diseases (NFOC-Health) research group at the Rovira i Virgili University. The group is studying, together with researchers from the Institute for Biomedical Research in Southern Catalonia, and with the participation of the Sant Joan University Hospital in Reus and the University of La Rioja, the relationship between this fat distribution and different health indicators. In a previous work, its relationship with metabolic alterations had already been analyzed, and now it has studied its association with different parameters related to sarcopenia.
The new research, published in the journal Frontiers in Endocrinology , was carried out on 72 people aged between 60 and 74 from the Camp de Tarragona area, 49 of whom were women. The researchers studied the amount and distribution of abdominal fat using ultrasound, differentiating between visceral adipose tissue (VAT), located around the organs, and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT), which is located under the skin. Claudia Jiménez-ten Hoevel, first author of the article, highlights the advantages of ultrasound over conventional assessment methods: “Conventional measurements such as waist circumference or body mass index do not allow us to know how fat is distributed within the body. Thanks to the validation of ultrasound to make this type of measurement, we have much more precise information at our disposal.”
To evaluate the muscular condition and functional capacity of the people in the sample, the researchers measured three aspects: muscle mass, hand grip strength and physical performance, with the walking speed test.
The results show that the distribution of abdominal fat is associated differently with parameters related to sarcopenia according to sex. In both men and women, a greater amount of visceral fat (VAT) was associated with greater muscle mass, but also with lower muscle strength. In women, in addition, subcutaneous abdominal fat (SAT) was the only type of fat that was associated with worse physical performance.
These results highlight that, beyond the amount of fat accumulated, its distribution is also important, especially in the context of aging and muscle health. Therefore, the team argues that taking into account the distribution of abdominal fat provides relevant information for evaluating the different components of sarcopenia.
An accessible way to study abdominal fat
One of the interests of the study is the use of ultrasound to determine the distribution of abdominal fat. Currently, in routine clinical practice, the risk associated with abdominal fat is assessed using waist circumference. However, this measurement is as simple as it is limited, since it does not allow distinguishing between subcutaneous and visceral fat. Imaging techniques such as magnetic resonance imaging or computed tomography offer this information with great precision, but they are expensive, require specialized equipment and are not easily accessible in primary care.
Ultrasound, on the other hand, is a non-invasive and more accessible technique that allows us to estimate visceral and subcutaneous fat: “It allows us to differentiate the compartments of abdominal fat in a non-invasive and more accessible way than other imaging techniques. This information can complement common measures such as waist circumference or body mass index, which do not allow us to know where fat accumulates,” says Jiménez-ten Hoevel.
Reference: Jiménez-ten Hoevel C, Gironès I, Nicolás-Marzo J, Besora-Moreno M, Queral J, Valls RM, Pérez-Matute P, Motilva MJ, Llauradó E, Solà R and Pedret A (2026) Ultrasound-assessed abdominal fat distribution and its relationship to sarcopenia parameters in the community young older adults: a cross-sectional study . Front. Endocrinol. 17:1888492. doi: 10.3389/fendo.2026.1888492
During menopause, significant biological changes occur that can influence cardiovascular health. Do you know what they are? And have you ever wondered if we could learn the trick that plants use to generate energy? These and other questions will be addressed by researchers from the four research centers in the region and the Rovira i Virgili University (URV) next Monday, September 21 at the Castell del Cambrer in Reus, starting at 6 p.m.
All of this will take place during another edition of the ‘Research for Change’ micro-talks, one of the previous events for the European Research Night in 2026. This session of short interventions is organized by the Institute for Biomedical Research in Southern Catalonia (IRB CatSud) in collaboration with the URV and the Reus City Council. The speakers who will participate in the meeting represent the research centers IRB CatSud, ICIQ, IPHES and ICAC, and there will also be some from the URV.
Cardiovascular health, nutrition, microbiota, nanoscience, archaeology and heritage will be the main topics of this year’s interventions. The talks, lasting around 10 minutes, have an agile format, and the speakers use plain, informative and accessible language. This approach gives the event a close, relaxed and participatory character, as the audience is encouraged to intervene, share opinions and ask questions.
The objective of the meeting is for the different participating research centers to bring the science they develop closer to the public, making their studies and projects known in a way that is more understandable and accessible to everyone.
The speakers and topics of the talks will be the following:
1. Menopause and cardiovascular health: understanding the changes to gain health – Olivia Burton (IRB CatSud).
2. The diet that made us human – Marina Lozano Ruiz (IPHES-CERCA).
3. Reinventing photosynthesis with nanoscience – Carla Casadevall Serrano (URV, ICIQ).
4. Seeds that explain landscapes: agriculture and daily life in ancient Greece – Marina Daniel Pena (ICAC).
5. The uses of memory and heritage: the heritage management of Francoist monuments – Berta Pla Romero (URV).
6. An archaeologist sifting through the trash – Maria Joana Gabucio Vilarrasa (URV).
7. Metabolites, microbiota and circadian rhythms: the three vertices of a vicious circle that promotes health (or disease) – Aleix Ribas Latre (IRB CatSud).
European Research Night events
The European Research Night is an informative initiative that has its central activity with the scientific workshop fair, which will take place in Plaça Corsini in Tarragona on the afternoon of Friday 25 and the morning of Saturday 26 September . Between the two days, 50 workshops will make available to attendees highly experimental proposals from different fields of knowledge, to bring science, in its variety of disciplines, closer to young and old in a fun and accessible way.
The European Research Night is a public scientific dissemination event that takes place simultaneously every year in 300 cities in 30 countries on the European continent. Since 2018, the URV has been organizing this initiative in the Tarragona region, which has been growing and consolidating over the past nine years and which in the previous edition had the participation of thousands of people throughout the region. The aim of the European Research Night is to bring research and its protagonists closer to audiences of all ages and to publicize research and innovation in plain and understandable language.
Detailed information with all the activities of the European Research Night can be consulted on the website tarragona.nitdelarecerca.cat
A study led by researchers from the clinical area of the Sant Joan University Hospital in Reus and the Autoimmunity, Infection and Thrombosis Group of the IRB CatSud and the Rovira i Virgili University, identifies the lipid profile, determined during the first 24 and 48 hours after admission to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), as a potential prognostic marker of mortality in patients with sepsis who have required early invasive control of the infectious focus.
The study, recently published in the journal BMC Infectious Diseases (2026) with the title “Admission lipid profile and outcomes in sepsis requiring early invasive source control” , is the first to specifically evaluate the value of the lipid profile in the evolution of patients with sepsis. Lipids, which include cholesterol and other fats present in the blood, play an important role in regulating the inflammatory and immune response and the study analyzes this role in patients who had received early control of the infection through invasive procedures. The study included patients with different types of serious infections, such as urinary tract, abdominal and skin infections.
Admitted to the ICU between 2016 and 2023
The observational and retrospective research was conducted on patients admitted to the ICU of the Sant Joan University Hospital in Reus between 2016 and 2023. In total, data from 150 adult patients who met the diagnostic criteria for sepsis and had lipid profile measurements during the first 24-48 hours of admission were analyzed. The results show that patients who did not survive had a more unfavorable metabolic pattern, characterized by lower concentrations of HDL-C, LDL-C and total cholesterol, as well as higher levels of triglycerides and hypoalbuminemia.
One of the most striking results of the study is that patients who had lower levels of HDL-C cholesterol (good cholesterol) during the first hours of admission to the ICU had a higher risk of dying during hospitalization. This association was maintained even after taking into account other clinical factors and despite the fact that the focus of infection had been adequately and early controlled. In addition, HDL-C cholesterol was the parameter that showed the greatest ability to identify patients with a worse prognosis. This result reinforces its potential as a tool to help healthcare professionals detect cases at higher risk early and adapt their monitoring and treatment.
According to the researchers, these results provide a new perspective on the metabolic alterations associated with sepsis and suggest that early determination of the lipid profile could contribute to better risk stratification and more accurate identification of patients with a worse prognosis, even when the infectious focus has been effectively controlled.
This study opens the door to future research aimed at validating these biomarkers in larger cohorts and exploring new therapeutic strategies based on the modulation of lipid metabolism in sepsis.
A study led by the URV concludes that a diet rich in fibre and whole grains reduces the risk of death, especially from cancer, in people with high cardiovascular risk
For years, much of the debate surrounding carbohydrates has focused on the amount consumed. However, there is growing evidence that the quality of the foods providing them may be decisive for health. An international study by the Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV), the Institut de Recerca Biomèdica Catalunya Sud (IRB CatSud) and CIBEROBN concludes that people who consume higher-quality carbohydrates have a lower risk of mortality, especially from cancer. The research, published in the journal Food & Function, highlights the importance of prioritising fibre-rich foods such as fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts and whole grains over products made with refined flours or sugary drinks.
The research team worked with data from 7,210 participants in the PREDIMED project, one of the most important clinical trials on the Mediterranean diet and cardiovascular health. All participants, men aged between 55 and 80 years and women aged between 60 and 80 years, were at high cardiovascular risk and were followed for an average period of six years. During this time, 425 deaths were recorded, of which 169 were due to cancer and 103 to cardiovascular disease.
Beyond the quantity of carbohydrates
To assess the quality of carbohydrates in the diet, the research team used the Carbohydrate Quality Index (CQI), which combines four characteristics of carbohydrate-rich foods: fibre content, the proportion of whole grains relative to refined grains, glycaemic index, that is, how quickly a food raises blood glucose levels, and the proportion of carbohydrates coming from solid foods compared with sugary drinks. The aim was to evaluate the overall quality of the diet rather than simply count the grams of carbohydrates consumed.
The results reveal that participants who followed a poorer-quality diet in terms of the carbohydrates they consumed had a 28% higher risk of dying from any cause and a 48% higher risk of dying from cancer than those whose carbohydrate intake was of higher quality. “Traditionally, a great deal of attention has been paid to the quantity of carbohydrates in the diet, but our results indicate that their quality may be even more relevant for preserving health and increasing life expectancy,” highlights Jordi Salas-Salvadó, Distinguished Professor of Nutrition at the URV, ICREA researcher and co-author of the study.
Fibre and whole grains account for the benefits
The analysis also made it possible to identify which components of high-quality carbohydrates carry the greatest weight in this association. The benefits are mainly explained by a higher intake of fibre and whole grains. In fact, people with the lowest fibre intake had a 51% higher risk of dying from any cause and a 72% higher risk of dying from cancer. An increased risk was also observed among participants who consumed fewer whole grains, whereas the glycaemic index, analysed in isolation, showed no significant relationship with mortality.
According to the researchers, these benefits could be explained by the fact that fibre-rich plant foods also provide vitamins, minerals and other bioactive compounds that contribute to improving metabolic health and reducing the risk of chronic diseases. Therefore, they conclude that a simple strategy to improve health is to prioritise fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts and whole grains, while reducing the consumption of sugary drinks and products made with refined flours.
Reference: Vázquez-Lorente H, Nishi SK, Shyam S, Martínez-González MA, Corella D, Estruch R, Ros E, Gómez-Gracia E, Fiol M, Lapetra J, Serra-Majem L, Esteve-Luque V, Babio N, Fitó M, Toledo E, Sorlí JV, Zazpe I, Salas-Salvadó J. Carbohydrate quality index and mortality risk in older adults at high cardiovascular risk. Food & Function. 2026;17:4404-4414.
Type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance affect millions of people worldwide and significantly increase the risk of developing cardiovascular disease and other chronic conditions. However, the biological mechanisms that explain why these metabolic alterations are associated with a lower survival rate are still not fully understood. An international study led by researchers from Rovira i Virgili University, the Institute for Research in Biomedicine of Catalonia South (IRB CatSud), and the CIBER Network for Obesity and Nutrition (CIBEROBN) has identified a series of molecular patterns present in the blood that allow for the detection of individuals at higher risk of mortality.
The research, published in the journal Metabolism , was conducted within the framework of the PREDIMED project and is based on metabolomics, a discipline that analyzes hundreds of molecules in the body to obtain a detailed picture of its function. These molecules, called metabolites, are products of the body’s metabolic processes and contain information about genetic factors, diet, lifestyle, and a person’s health status.
The research team analyzed plasma samples—the liquid fraction of blood in which blood cells float—from nearly 700 elderly individuals with a high cardiometabolic risk. Using advanced mass spectrometry techniques, they examined hundreds of metabolites and identified 31 associated with type 2 diabetes and 105 related to insulin resistance.
Using this data, the researchers constructed two metabolomic signatures—two biological fingerprints that reflect metabolic changes when type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance develop. The results show that people with a more pronounced presence of these signatures had a significantly higher risk of dying during the follow-up period.
More specifically, participants with a metabolic signature associated with type 2 diabetes had a 52% higher risk of mortality from any cause. In the case of insulin resistance, this increase was 33%. Furthermore, the researchers identified several metabolites common to both conditions, which were also associated with a worse prognosis.
To test the robustness of the results, the research team replicated the analysis in three large, independent US cohorts containing data collected over decades: the Nurses’ Health Study I , Nurses’ Health Study II , and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study . This external validation confirmed the associations initially observed in the Mediterranean population of PREDIMED.
“These results help us better understand the biological mechanisms that link alterations in glucose metabolism with mortality risk,” explains Jesús F. García Gavilán, a researcher in the Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology at the URV. The researcher, first author of the article, also highlights the potential of metabolomics: “If we gather enough evidence, metabolites can be a powerful tool for determining a patient’s risk level, and could even pave the way for adopting precise and personalized prevention strategies.”
The study is the result of extensive international collaboration between institutions in Spain and the United States, including the URV, IRB CatSud, CIBEROBN, the University of Navarra, the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and the Broad Institute. The research was led by researchers from the ANUT-DSM group at the URV, IRB-CatSud, and CIBEROBN, and is part of a metabolomics research line supported by a National Institutes of Health project, coordinated by researchers Jordi Salas-Salvadó (URV) and Frank Hu (Navarra).
Reference: García-Gavilán JF, Paz-Graniel I, Pérez-Acosta JA, Ruiz-Canela M, Li J, Clish C, et al. Metabolomic profiles of type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance and their associations with all-cause mortality . Metabolism. 2026;156599.
Research carried out by investigators from the Institut de Recerca Biomèdica Catalunya Sud (IRB CatSud), the CIBER CIBERobn network (Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de la Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición) and the Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV) has focused, within the framework of a study published in the scientific journal Andrology, on diet quality in relation to sperm quality. The study concluded that men who regularly consume nuts have better sperm quality.
The study worked with a sample of up to 222 healthy men aged between 18 and 40 years who were participants in the international project called Led-Fertyl. This was a cross-sectional study focused on dietary and lifestyle factors related to semen quality. To analyse the relationship between nut consumption and sperm quality, the researchers collected detailed information on the participants’ eating habits through validated nutritional questionnaires and compared it with the results of their semen analyses, the clinical test used to assess parameters such as sperm concentration, count, and motility.
Participants with a higher consumption of nuts were less likely to show abnormalities in sperm motility, one of the factors that may affect male fertility. More specifically, the research team points out that men who consumed one portion per day were 75% less likely to present sperm motility problems and had a 69% lower risk of having any abnormality in their semen analysis.
Study reference
Dávila-Córdova E, Babio N, Valle-Hita C, Fernández de la Puente M, Beltran-Arasa A, Cebrián-Puig M, Fambuena-Perez V, García-Serrano I, Murphy MM, Salas-Salvadó J, Salas-Huetos A. Nut Consumption and Sperm Quality in Healthy Men: Results From the Led-Fertyl Study. Andrology. 2026. https://doi.org/10.1111/andr.70204
Acting without sufficiently considering the consequences, making hasty decisions or being carried away by emotions of the moment are some of the behaviours associated with impulsivity. In the past, several studies have linked this psychological trait to unhealthy habits, such as tobacco consumption, harmful substances and unhealthy foods, among others. It has also been associated with mental health problems and poorer overall health status. However, there was no clear scientific evidence in older populations without any diagnosed psychiatric disorder.
Now, a research team from the Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV), the Institut de Recerca Biomèdica Catalunya Sud (IRBCatSud) and the Biomedical Research Networking Centre for the Pathophysiology of Obesity and Nutrition (CIBEROBN) has demonstrated that following a low-calorie Mediterranean diet, engaging in physical activity and receiving behavioural support reduce impulsivity. The results have been published in the journal Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, one of the scientific publications with the greatest international impact in the fields of psychology and psychiatry.
The team analysed data from 306 participants in the PREDIMED-Plus-Cognition study, which evaluates cognitive status and other factors related to the mental health of participants in the PREDIMED clinical trial. Volunteers were randomly assigned to two groups: one followed an intensive programme aimed at increasing adherence to a slightly calorie-restricted Mediterranean diet, increasing physical activity and reinforcing these changes through behavioural support; the other received only general recommendations to follow a Mediterranean diet. Impulsivity was assessed at the beginning of the study and during the three years of follow-up through personality questionnaires and cognitive tests.
Significant behavioural changes
After three years, participants who had followed the intensive lifestyle programme showed a significant reduction, between small and moderate, in impulsivity levels compared with the control group. More specifically, they improved impulsive personality traits, reducing tendencies such as acting without thinking about the consequences. Even more relevant was the change in their behaviour, as they improved their ability to make sound decisions, learning to prioritise long-term benefits over immediate rewards.
“This is the first time it has been shown that a multimodal intervention can regulate impulsivity in older adults, potentially helping to prevent the development of future chronic diseases,” states Carlos Gómez Martínez, postdoctoral researcher at Helse Vest and the University of Bergen (Norway). For Jordi Salas-Salvadó, Professor of Nutrition at the URV and co-leader of the study together with Gómez Martínez, adopting healthy habits not only improves physical health, but also promotes more reflective decision-making: “It could facilitate the maintenance of other healthy behaviours in the long term, contribute to preserving psychological well-being and foster a greater capacity for self-regulation.”
The study was carried out by researchers from the Human Nutrition Unit of the Universitat Rovira i Virgili, the Institut de Recerca Biomèdica Catalunya Sud (IRBCatSud) and the Biomedical Research Networking Centre for the Pathophysiology of Obesity and Nutrition (CIBEROBN). The research is part of the PREDIMED-Plus study, developed by several groups within the CIBER of the Instituto de Salud Carlos III, and has received funding from the European projects Eat2BeNice and PRIME, as well as from various competitive projects of the ISCIII.
Reference: Gómez-Martínez C, Shyam S, Camacho-Barcia L, Margara-Escudero HJ, Babio N, Forcano L, Corella D, Cuenca-Royo A, de la Torre R, Jimenez-Murcia S, Pintó X, Fitó M, Fernández-Carrión R, Matura S, Franke B, Haavik J, Fernández-Aranda F, Salas-Salvadó J. Three-year effects of a multidomain lifestyle intervention on impulsivity: Results from a randomized clinical trial. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics. 2026. doi: 10.1159/000550126.