May 27, 2025
The Community Health Corner
Submitted by Stephanie Gutierrez
The National Extension Framework for Health Equity and Well-being recommends using community development strategies and health literacy programs for everyone’s health. From urban, metro, suburban, rural and frontier locations, Extension works in partnership with communities to deliver meaningful and relevant programs and initiatives to keep health closer to home. The following resources help us improve well-being for all and achieve Healthy People 2030 objectives.
New Biomarker Score Could Transform How We Measure Ultra-Processed Food Intake:
A recent NIH study has developed a promising new tool for objectively assessing diets high in ultra-processed foods by analyzing patterns of metabolites in blood and urine. This poly-metabolite score could significantly reduce our reliance on self-reported dietary data and improve research into how processed foods impact chronic disease. Learn more here.
FDA and NIH Launch Joint Initiative to Advance Nutrition Regulatory Science:
Last week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced a new, joint innovative research initiative on nutrition regulatory science. Under the new Nutrition Regulatory Science Program, the FDA and NIH will implement and accelerate a comprehensive nutrition research agenda that aims to provide critical information to inform effective food and nutrition policy actions to help make Americans’ food and diets healthier.
Tracking Biological Age: A New Tool for Predicting Health Outcomes
Researchers supported by the NIH have developed the Health Octo Tool, a new method for measuring biological age based on organ-specific health metrics rather than chronological age. Drawing from data on over 40,000 individuals, the tool uses disease severity across 13 organ systems to calculate a “Body Clock” that better predicts physical function, disability, and mortality. This approach outperforms existing tools like the Frailty Index and may guide earlier lifestyle and healthcare interventions. Learn more here.
For more information, contact Elaine Johannes, ejohanne@ksu.edu; and Stephanie Gutierrez, smgutier@k-state.edu