Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine provides surprisingly robust protection against the highly infectious Delta variant of COVID-19 — but only if you’ve gotten both doses. Fresh data out of England shows that two doses of the messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine is 88% effective in protecting people against the Delta variant, compared with about 94% effectiveness against the…  read on >  read on >

Before you sign your young pitcher up to play baseball in multiple leagues, familiarize yourself with guidelines that can protect them against overuse injuries. Sound obvious? A new survey shows it isn’t, because most parents have no idea what those guidelines are. Players under age 18 are pitching more and more frequently, often for several…  read on >  read on >

Thinking of starting a family? Start getting your heart in shape. New research suggests that how healthy a woman’s heart is before conception affects outcomes in her pregnancy. Study author Dr. Sadiya Khan said the findings make a case for more comprehensive heart assessments prior to pregnancy rather than focusing on isolated individual risk factors,…  read on >  read on >

Here’s yet another reason to limit screen time and get moving: Boosting your activity levels could reduce your risk of sleep apnea, according to a new study. Compared to the most active people in the study, those who spent more than four hours a day sitting watching TV had a 78% higher risk of obstructive…  read on >  read on >

Dementia is largely a disease of old age, but a new study finds that up to 5% of all cases are among people in the prime of their lives. Looking at 95 international studies, researchers estimated that nearly 4 million people worldwide are living with young-onset dementia — cases that strike between the ages of…  read on >  read on >

Eating beef, lamb, pork and processed meats spells trouble for your heart, and the more you eat, the worse it gets, new research warns. The meta-analysis — an overview of data from a large number of studies — included more than 1.4 million people who were followed for 30 years. It found that for each…  read on >  read on >

Coffee delivers the boost that many people need to start their day. Now, new research suggests this breakfast powerhouse may also provide some protection against COVID-19. Consuming vegetables and having been breastfed might also reduce your COVID-19 risk, according to the new study from Northwestern University in Chicago. Conversely, processed meats may increase your susceptibility…  read on >  read on >