Shingles can strike anyone who had chickenpox when they were young, and the intense pain that can accompany this body rash has sidelined many a senior. Here, one expert explains how and why shingles can surface, and what you can do to treat it, or better yet, avoid it. Shingles can happen at any age,… read on > read on >
Americans are falling farther behind the rest of the developed world when it comes to health and life expectancy, a new study shows. Life expectancy in the United States is expected to increase to 79.9 years in 2035 and 80.4 years by 2050, up from 78.3 years in 2022, researchers reported. That sounds good, but… read on > read on >
The advent of GLP-1 weight-loss medications such as Wegovy and Zepbound has spurred debate as to whether the drugs’ cost should be covered by Medicare, Medicaid and private insurers. Late last month, the Biden administration proposed that the drugs be covered by Medicare and Medicaid, a move that would have to be approved by the… read on > read on >
Hospitals across America are shuttering their obstetric units, and the issue is most acute for women served by rural hospitals, a new study finds. By 2022, a majority (52%) of rural U.S. hospitals no longer had any maternity ward, compared to 36% of urban hospitals, according to a study from the University of Minnesota. Study… read on > read on >
Access to psychotherapy has increased substantially among Americans, particularly young adults, a new study has found. About 12% of young adults received psychotherapy in 2021, followed by 8% of the middle-aged and 5% of seniors, researchers found. Overall, the percentage of U.S. adults receiving psychotherapy rose from about 7% in 2018 to 9% in 2021,… read on > read on >
About a third of America’s pharmacies have closed since 2010, amounting to an “unprecedented decline” in neighborhood drug stores, a new study finds. The drop began in 2018, primarily driven by store closures among chain pharmacies during a period of consolidation in the industry, researchers found. This has made it much more difficult for people… read on > read on >
Decades of lead exposure from car exhaust altered the mental health of millions of Americans, making them more prone to depression, anxiety and ADHD, a new study claims. Lead was first added to gasoline in 1923 to help keep car engines healthy, researchers said. But lead is toxic to brain cells, and there’s no safe… read on > read on >
American seniors still pay more for health care than their counterparts in most other wealthy countries do, despite coverage by Medicare, a new study finds. They are also more likely to postpone or skip needed care because of cost concerns. “In the U.S., nearly all older adults are covered by Medicare and can access, at… read on > read on >
People who smoke and vape are less able to break free of their nicotine addiction than folks who only have one of those habits, a new review concludes. Instead, these “dual users” are more likely to eventually drop vaping and continue smoking tobacco, results show. The findings point to the insidious pull of nicotine and… read on > read on >
Moving away from meat to plants as a main source of protein will do wonders for your heart, new research finds. The 30-year study found that folks with the highest ratio of plant-based protein to animal-based protein cut their odds of developing cardiovascular disease by 19%. They also had a 27% lower risk for coronary… read on > read on >
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