Brandon Luu, MD
@brandonluumd.bsky.social
Evidence-based protocols to improve health. Internal Medicine Resident Physician at the University of Toronto.
Views are my own, not medical advice.
#ExerciseIsMedicine
Views are my own, not medical advice.
#ExerciseIsMedicine
20% of global type 2 diabetes cases are estimated to be related to air pollution.
A 10 μg/m³ increase in long-term PM2.5 exposure was linked to a 15% higher risk of type 2 diabetes.
This Lancet review highlights how air pollution drives inflammation, oxidative stress, and insulin resistance
A 10 μg/m³ increase in long-term PM2.5 exposure was linked to a 15% higher risk of type 2 diabetes.
This Lancet review highlights how air pollution drives inflammation, oxidative stress, and insulin resistance
January 14, 2025 at 9:36 PM
20% of global type 2 diabetes cases are estimated to be related to air pollution.
A 10 μg/m³ increase in long-term PM2.5 exposure was linked to a 15% higher risk of type 2 diabetes.
This Lancet review highlights how air pollution drives inflammation, oxidative stress, and insulin resistance
A 10 μg/m³ increase in long-term PM2.5 exposure was linked to a 15% higher risk of type 2 diabetes.
This Lancet review highlights how air pollution drives inflammation, oxidative stress, and insulin resistance
Cutting back on smartphone use improves mental health and life satisfaction
A study compared 7 days without a smartphone to reducing use by 1 hour/day:
🧠 Lower depressive & anxiety symptoms
📈 Greater life satisfaction
🏃♀️ Increased physical activity
📊 Decreased smartphone use intensity
A study compared 7 days without a smartphone to reducing use by 1 hour/day:
🧠 Lower depressive & anxiety symptoms
📈 Greater life satisfaction
🏃♀️ Increased physical activity
📊 Decreased smartphone use intensity
January 10, 2025 at 10:35 AM
Cutting back on smartphone use improves mental health and life satisfaction
A study compared 7 days without a smartphone to reducing use by 1 hour/day:
🧠 Lower depressive & anxiety symptoms
📈 Greater life satisfaction
🏃♀️ Increased physical activity
📊 Decreased smartphone use intensity
A study compared 7 days without a smartphone to reducing use by 1 hour/day:
🧠 Lower depressive & anxiety symptoms
📈 Greater life satisfaction
🏃♀️ Increased physical activity
📊 Decreased smartphone use intensity
Don’t ignore heart attack symptoms during the holidays ❤️🩹
Cardiac deaths peak on Christmas and New Year's Day, potentially from delays in seeking care
Cardiac deaths peak on Christmas and New Year's Day, potentially from delays in seeking care
December 23, 2024 at 9:10 PM
Don’t ignore heart attack symptoms during the holidays ❤️🩹
Cardiac deaths peak on Christmas and New Year's Day, potentially from delays in seeking care
Cardiac deaths peak on Christmas and New Year's Day, potentially from delays in seeking care
“Information is a beacon, a cudgel, an olive branch, a deterrent--all depending on who wields it and how.”
December 10, 2024 at 11:43 AM
“Information is a beacon, a cudgel, an olive branch, a deterrent--all depending on who wields it and how.”
“You could never convince a monkey to give you a banana by promising him limitless bananas after death in monkey heaven.”
December 10, 2024 at 11:43 AM
“You could never convince a monkey to give you a banana by promising him limitless bananas after death in monkey heaven.”
“A person's success in life can usually be measured by the number of uncomfortable conversations he or she is willing to have.”
December 10, 2024 at 11:43 AM
“A person's success in life can usually be measured by the number of uncomfortable conversations he or she is willing to have.”
“Don't aim at success. The more you aim at it and make it a target, the more you are going to miss it. For success, like happiness, cannot be pursued; it must ensue, and it only does so as the unintended side effect of one's personal dedication to a cause greater than oneself"
December 10, 2024 at 11:43 AM
“Don't aim at success. The more you aim at it and make it a target, the more you are going to miss it. For success, like happiness, cannot be pursued; it must ensue, and it only does so as the unintended side effect of one's personal dedication to a cause greater than oneself"
“You are in danger of living a life so comfortable and soft, that you will die without ever realizing your true potential.”
December 10, 2024 at 11:43 AM
“You are in danger of living a life so comfortable and soft, that you will die without ever realizing your true potential.”
“The paradox is that hedonism, the pursuit of pleasure for it's own sake, leads to anhedonia. Which is the inability to enjoy pleasure of any kind.”
December 10, 2024 at 11:43 AM
“The paradox is that hedonism, the pursuit of pleasure for it's own sake, leads to anhedonia. Which is the inability to enjoy pleasure of any kind.”
“The more we remember, the better we are at processing the world. And the better we are at processing the world, the more we can remember about it.”
December 10, 2024 at 11:43 AM
“The more we remember, the better we are at processing the world. And the better we are at processing the world, the more we can remember about it.”
The first key to leadership was self-control, particularly the mastery of pride, which was something more difficult, he explained, to subdue than a wild lion and anger, which was more difficult to defeat than the greatest wrestler. He warned them that "if you can't swallow your pride, you can't lead
December 10, 2024 at 11:43 AM
The first key to leadership was self-control, particularly the mastery of pride, which was something more difficult, he explained, to subdue than a wild lion and anger, which was more difficult to defeat than the greatest wrestler. He warned them that "if you can't swallow your pride, you can't lead
“Above all, don't lie to yourself. The man who lies to himself and listens to his own lie comes to a point that he cannot distinguish the truth within him, or around him, and so loses all respect for himself and for others. And having no respect he ceases to love.”
December 10, 2024 at 11:43 AM
“Above all, don't lie to yourself. The man who lies to himself and listens to his own lie comes to a point that he cannot distinguish the truth within him, or around him, and so loses all respect for himself and for others. And having no respect he ceases to love.”
“Americans no longer talk to each other, they entertain each other. They do not exchange ideas, they exchange images. They do not argue with propositions; they argue with good looks, celebrities and commercials.”
December 10, 2024 at 11:43 AM
“Americans no longer talk to each other, they entertain each other. They do not exchange ideas, they exchange images. They do not argue with propositions; they argue with good looks, celebrities and commercials.”
📚 10 books that changed my life —shaping me as a doctor, athlete, and person.
The quotes that stood out to me the most 🧵
The quotes that stood out to me the most 🧵
December 10, 2024 at 11:43 AM
📚 10 books that changed my life —shaping me as a doctor, athlete, and person.
The quotes that stood out to me the most 🧵
The quotes that stood out to me the most 🧵
Building muscle and exercising regularly are crucial for metabolic health
Skeletal muscle regulates over 75% of insulin-mediated glucose disposal, helping control glucose and lipids while reducing the risk of metabolic diseases like type 2 diabetes
Skeletal muscle regulates over 75% of insulin-mediated glucose disposal, helping control glucose and lipids while reducing the risk of metabolic diseases like type 2 diabetes
December 9, 2024 at 4:11 PM
Building muscle and exercising regularly are crucial for metabolic health
Skeletal muscle regulates over 75% of insulin-mediated glucose disposal, helping control glucose and lipids while reducing the risk of metabolic diseases like type 2 diabetes
Skeletal muscle regulates over 75% of insulin-mediated glucose disposal, helping control glucose and lipids while reducing the risk of metabolic diseases like type 2 diabetes
Having trouble coming up with new ideas? Try going for a walk.
A Stanford University Study found:
📈 Walking boosted creative output by ~60%
🌳 Outdoor walks sparked the most novel, high-quality analogies
A Stanford University Study found:
📈 Walking boosted creative output by ~60%
🌳 Outdoor walks sparked the most novel, high-quality analogies
December 8, 2024 at 8:08 PM
Having trouble coming up with new ideas? Try going for a walk.
A Stanford University Study found:
📈 Walking boosted creative output by ~60%
🌳 Outdoor walks sparked the most novel, high-quality analogies
A Stanford University Study found:
📈 Walking boosted creative output by ~60%
🌳 Outdoor walks sparked the most novel, high-quality analogies
Mindfulness has the potential to help transform many aspects of health and well-being.
This study shows its new potential to help us face the facts—and make the most of them 15/15
This study shows its new potential to help us face the facts—and make the most of them 15/15
December 5, 2024 at 2:22 PM
Mindfulness has the potential to help transform many aspects of health and well-being.
This study shows its new potential to help us face the facts—and make the most of them 15/15
This study shows its new potential to help us face the facts—and make the most of them 15/15
Main Findings:
Mindfulness reduced information avoidance by ~0.25 standard deviations compared to the control group (non-significant), and significantly improved the effect of treatment on non-reacting 4/15
Mindfulness reduced information avoidance by ~0.25 standard deviations compared to the control group (non-significant), and significantly improved the effect of treatment on non-reacting 4/15
December 5, 2024 at 2:22 PM
Main Findings:
Mindfulness reduced information avoidance by ~0.25 standard deviations compared to the control group (non-significant), and significantly improved the effect of treatment on non-reacting 4/15
Mindfulness reduced information avoidance by ~0.25 standard deviations compared to the control group (non-significant), and significantly improved the effect of treatment on non-reacting 4/15
The Study
Researchers ran a randomized controlled trial with 261 participants:
🧘♂️ Treatment: 15 min/day mindfulness meditation for 2 weeks.
🎵 Control: 15 min/day relaxing music.
Outcomes: Information avoidance (via the Information Preference Scale) and emotion regulation 3/15
Researchers ran a randomized controlled trial with 261 participants:
🧘♂️ Treatment: 15 min/day mindfulness meditation for 2 weeks.
🎵 Control: 15 min/day relaxing music.
Outcomes: Information avoidance (via the Information Preference Scale) and emotion regulation 3/15
December 5, 2024 at 2:22 PM
The Study
Researchers ran a randomized controlled trial with 261 participants:
🧘♂️ Treatment: 15 min/day mindfulness meditation for 2 weeks.
🎵 Control: 15 min/day relaxing music.
Outcomes: Information avoidance (via the Information Preference Scale) and emotion regulation 3/15
Researchers ran a randomized controlled trial with 261 participants:
🧘♂️ Treatment: 15 min/day mindfulness meditation for 2 weeks.
🎵 Control: 15 min/day relaxing music.
Outcomes: Information avoidance (via the Information Preference Scale) and emotion regulation 3/15
What is information avoidance?
It’s the tendency to avoid information that might cause worry or regret (e.g., skipping a medical check-up, avoiding stock updates). This bias can lead to poor decision-making and missed opportunities.
Mindfulness may offer a solution. 🧠✨2/15
It’s the tendency to avoid information that might cause worry or regret (e.g., skipping a medical check-up, avoiding stock updates). This bias can lead to poor decision-making and missed opportunities.
Mindfulness may offer a solution. 🧠✨2/15
December 5, 2024 at 2:22 PM
What is information avoidance?
It’s the tendency to avoid information that might cause worry or regret (e.g., skipping a medical check-up, avoiding stock updates). This bias can lead to poor decision-making and missed opportunities.
Mindfulness may offer a solution. 🧠✨2/15
It’s the tendency to avoid information that might cause worry or regret (e.g., skipping a medical check-up, avoiding stock updates). This bias can lead to poor decision-making and missed opportunities.
Mindfulness may offer a solution. 🧠✨2/15
Avoiding tough truths? Mindfulness meditation might help face them head-on🧘♀️
Here’s how a 2-week mindfulness protocol helped people tackle difficult distressing information — and how you can try it too 🧵1/15
Here’s how a 2-week mindfulness protocol helped people tackle difficult distressing information — and how you can try it too 🧵1/15
December 5, 2024 at 2:22 PM
Avoiding tough truths? Mindfulness meditation might help face them head-on🧘♀️
Here’s how a 2-week mindfulness protocol helped people tackle difficult distressing information — and how you can try it too 🧵1/15
Here’s how a 2-week mindfulness protocol helped people tackle difficult distressing information — and how you can try it too 🧵1/15
In this study, daily cold showers ❄️ (vs. hot 🔥) significantly enhanced markers of humoral and cell-mediated immunity.
Future research will be key to see if this translates to protection against infections, autoimmune conditions, and chronic inflammation.
Future research will be key to see if this translates to protection against infections, autoimmune conditions, and chronic inflammation.
December 2, 2024 at 11:13 AM
In this study, daily cold showers ❄️ (vs. hot 🔥) significantly enhanced markers of humoral and cell-mediated immunity.
Future research will be key to see if this translates to protection against infections, autoimmune conditions, and chronic inflammation.
Future research will be key to see if this translates to protection against infections, autoimmune conditions, and chronic inflammation.