Living in tight-knit communities where neighbors are connected to one another helped improve health outcomes for older Chinese Americans, a new study found. Rutgers University researchers used data from a study of more than 3,100 elderly Chinese people in the Chicago area to investigate whether the perception of trust and connection among neighbors had an…  read on >  read on >

Insured Black patients are less likely to undergo minimally invasive heart valve replacement or repairs — relatively safe procedures — than their white counterparts, new research shows. Black patients who need a mitral valve replacement are more likely to have operations that involve opening the chest and cutting through the breastbone to reveal the heart,…  read on >  read on >

While getting a COVID-19 vaccine provides antibodies against the coronavirus, getting a booster shot creates a longer-lasting antibody response, according to new research. “These results fit with other recent reports and indicate that booster shots enhance the durability of vaccine-elicited antibodies,” said senior researcher Dr. Jeffrey Wilson of the University of Virginia (UVA) Health division…  read on >  read on >

For people with heart disease, new research suggests loneliness, social isolation and living alone can shave years off your life. This trio puts people with established cardiovascular disease at greater risk of premature death, according to the international study. Cardiovascular disease refers to heart disease and stroke. “Social health factors such as loneliness and social…  read on >  read on >

If you struggle with urinary incontinence and worry that diet drinks may make matters worse, new research suggests they may not have a significant effect. “This study is important in that it may guide clinicians counseling women with urinary incontinence to focus more on behavioral modifications, such as total volume intake, rather than on the…  read on >  read on >

U.S. communities with higher Hispanic, American Indian or Black populations also have the highest concentrations of metal in public water systems, new research reveals. Researchers from Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health in New York City found significantly higher arsenic and uranium levels in public drinking water in Hispanic and American Indian/Alaska Native communities…  read on >  read on >