New research suggests that a thyroid medication often prescribed to older Americans may be linked to a common problem in old age — bone loss. Levothyroxine is a synthetic hormone often prescribed to treat hypothyroidism. People with the condition don’t make enough thyroxine on their own, which can cause weight gain, fatigue, hair loss and… read on > read on >
For many, the holidays are a time when you connect with others and share time with loved ones. But for some, the holidays are a painful exercise in loneliness. While a Northwestern Medicine study published last spring found loneliness is more prevalent in both younger and older adults, those feelings intensify around the holidays, said Eileen Graham,… read on > read on >
Worn down by pandemic-era vaccine overload, many Americans are ignoring pleas by health officials to get immunized against the flu and COVID-19, new data shows. According to U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data for immunizations as of Nov. 9, only about a third (34.7%) of U.S. adults say they’ve gotten the influenza vaccine,… read on > read on >
.jpg)
How long Americans can expect to live varies dramatically — and the gap continues to widen. A new report says health inequalities have, in essence, created 10 Americas. These mutually exclusive populations are divided along familiar fault lines, including race, ethnicity, income and address. While life expectancy rose in nine of 10 Americas between 2000… read on > read on >
A 57-year-old woman with COPD has received the world’s first fully robotic double lung transplant. The breakthrough surgery was performed in October at NYU Langone Health in New York City by Dr. Stephanie Chang. Just a month before, Chang performed a fully robotic single lung transplant — the nation’s first. “This latest innovation is a… read on > read on >
Three out of four times, your Facebook friends don’t read past the headline when they share a link to political content. Experts say that’s somewhat surprising — and downright scary. People who share without clicking may be unwittingly aiding hostile adversaries aiming to sow seeds of division and distrust, warned S. Shyam Sundar, a professor… read on > read on >
Two conditions common during women’s childbearing years may increase their odds for serious illness and premature death, a large study shows. Drawing on data from close to 111,000 women and three decades of monitoring, researchers linked endometriosis and uterine fibroids to a greater likelihood of dying early, especially from cancer. “These findings highlight the importance… read on > read on >
Think of it as collateral damage: Millions of Americans say they have been harmed by a loved one’s drug or alcohol use. One in 3 adults who responded to a new nationwide survey said they had suffered “secondhand harm” from another person’s drinking. And more than 1 in 10 said they had been harmed by… read on > read on >
People whose genes put them at high risk for dementia may be able to fight Mother Nature and win, new research out of Sweden suggests. The weapon: Working out on a regular basis to improve cardiorespiratory fitness, also known as CRF. CRF is the capacity of the body’s circulatory and respiratory systems to supply oxygen… read on > read on >
A wearable patch the size of a postage stamp that can monitor blood pressure continuously could soon help people manage their hypertension. Researchers at the University of California, San Diego, who developed the wearable ultrasound patch report Nov. 20 in the journal Nature Biomedical Engineering that it has worked well in tests with more than… read on > read on >
-300x200.jpeg)
