Vaccinating Oldest First for COVID Saves the Most Lives: Study

• Robert Preidt
• March 1, 2021
• Full Page

Putting the oldest people near the front of the line for COVID-19 shots will save more lives and may extend their lifespan, too, researchers say.

The new study findings challenge the view that older people should be lower on the list for shots because they have a shorter...

A Third of COVID Survivors Have Long-Haul Symptoms, Even After Mild Cases

• Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
• February 19, 2021
• Full Page

Many patients with mild to moderate COVID-19 could become "long haulers," suffering symptoms months after they clear their non-life-threatening infection, new research shows.

About 33% of COVID-19 patients who were never sick enough to require hospitalization continue to...

Not the Flu: COVID Death Risk Is 3.5 Times That of Influenza

• February 15, 2021
• Full Page

The risk of death from COVID-19 is more than triple that from seasonal flu, researchers in Canada say.

Their findings are similar to recent studies from the United States and France. The study was published Feb. 10 in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

Does 'Prediabetes' Lead to Full-Blown Diabetes? Age May Be Key

• Robert Preidt HealthDay Reporter
• February 10, 2021
• Full Page

Few older adults with prediabetes will actually go on to develop type 2 diabetes, new research concludes.

The surprising finding suggests that while prediabetes is a useful predictor of diabetes risk in young and middle-aged adults, that's not the case in older folks.

After Long Decline, Breast Cancers in Young U.S. Women Are On the Rise

• February 9, 2021
• Full Page

Breast cancer death rates are inching up in American women under age 40 again, after more than two decades of decline, researchers say.

The study authors said they hoped their new report would lead to a deeper look at reasons for the change.

"Our hope is that thes...

Being Frail Greatly Raises COVID-19 Death Risk: Study

• Robert Preidt
• February 9, 2021
• Full Page

Severe frailty significantly increases the risk of death in COVID-19 patients, British researchers say.

In their new study, the investigators analyzed data from more than 5,700 COVID-19 patients at 55 hospitals in 12 countries. They found that those who were severely fra...

How Dangerous Is Coronavirus to the Middle-Aged?

• Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
• January 26, 2021
• Full Page

Middle-aged folks' risk of dying from a COVID-19 infection is higher than they might think, a new study reports.

The risk of death from COVID increases with age, but researchers have found that the upward curve grows exponentially steeper with every extra decade.

O...

Vasectomy Reversal Just as Successful in Men Over 50

• Robert Preidt
• December 23, 2020
• Full Page

Vasectomy reversal is as viable in men over 50 as in those who are younger, a new study says.

About 20% of American men who have a vasectomy want to father children in the future, and about 6% will seek a vasectomy reversal, previous research shows.

However, it's b...

Esophageal Cancer on the Rise Among the Young: Study

• Robert Preidt
• December 22, 2020
• Full Page

Esophageal cancer is increasing among young Americans, and they're more likely to be diagnosed with advanced disease, according to a new study.

Esophageal cancer accounts for about 1% of U.S. cancer diagnoses, and just over 18,000 cases are expected to be diagnosed natio...

Pandemic Putting Americans Under Great Mental Strain: Poll

• Steven Reinberg
• October 20, 2020
• Full Page

COVID-19, health care, the economy, systemic racism and the presidential election are a threat to the nation's mental health, according to an American Psychological Association (APA) poll.

Seventy-eight percent of adults polled said the pandemic is causing major str...

Cancer Takes Heavy Toll on Women's Work and Finances: Study

• Steven Reinberg
• October 12, 2020
• Full Page

Young women with cancer are at a high risk for employment and financial consequences, a new study finds.

"Our study addresses the burden of employment disruption and financial hardship among young women with cancer -- a group who may be at particular risk for poor f...

Study Sheds Light on Why COVID-19 Hits Elderly Hardest

• Robert Preidt
• September 30, 2020
• Full Page

Elderly people who get COVID-19 have lower levels of important immune cells, which may explain why they are more likely than younger patients to have severe symptoms or die, new research suggests.

For the study, the researchers analyzed blood samples from 30 people w...

Immune System Clues to Why COVID Is Easier on Kids

• Robert Preidt
• September 25, 2020
• Full Page

Kids and adults have different immune system responses to infection with the new coronavirus, which may help explain why severe COVID-19 is more common in adults, researchers report.

For their new study, they examined blood and cell samples from patients admitted wit...

America's COVID Pandemic Is Now Skewing Younger

• Dennis Thompson
• September 24, 2020
• Full Page

Young adults in their 20s now account for more cases of COVID-19 than any other age group, according to a new study from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

From June through August, people in their 20s accounted for more than 20% of all COVID infe...

Fewer U.S. Women Aware of Their Heart Risks

• Amy Norton
• September 23, 2020
• Full Page

Fewer U.S. women these days are aware that heart disease is the number-one threat to their lives -- especially younger and minority women, a new study finds.

Historically, heart disease was seen as a "man's disease," partly because men tend to suffer heart attacks at...

Common Heart Defect Limits Exercise Ability: Study

• Steven Reinberg
• September 23, 2020
• Full Page

People born with a hole in their heart may lose 20% or more of their exercise capacity as they age, even if the defect is repaired.

A ventricular septal defect is a hole in the wall separating the heart's pumping chambers. It can be surgically closed or left alo...

Almost 90,000 Young American Adults Will Get Cancer This Year: Report

• E.J. Mundell
• September 18, 2020
• Full Page

Nearly 90,000 Americans between 15 and 39 years of age will be diagnosed with cancer this year and more than 9,200 will die, a new report projects.

One hematologist who deals with younger cancer patients said the shock of a diagnosis at this point in their lives can...

Don't Wait to Lose Weight: Shedding Obesity in Youth Extends Life

• Cara Roberts Murez
• August 17, 2020
• Full Page

Obesity can kill, contributing to the development of cancer, heart disease and diabetes. But losing weight before middle age arrives can help prevent early death, a new study shows.

The researchers tracked health data for more than 24,000 people, considering obesity...

Mammograms in 40s Can Save Women's Lives, Study Finds

• E.J. Mundell
• August 13, 2020
• Full Page

Adding to an ongoing debate over the timing of mammography, a new British study finds that screening women aged 40 to 49 for breast cancer saves lives, with only small increases in overdiagnosis.

"This is a very long-term follow-up of a study which confirms that scre...

Early Periods Tied to Worse Menopause Symptoms

• Robert Preidt
• August 6, 2020
• Full Page

Women whose periods started at an early age are more likely to have hot flashes and night sweats during menopause, researchers say.

"The risk of the women who menstruated early experiencing both symptoms was greater than having either [hot flashes] or night sweats al...

Are Baby Boomers Less Sharp Than Previous Generations?

• Amy Norton
• August 6, 2020
• Full Page

Aging baby boomers may not be as mentally sharp as their parents were, a new study suggests -- raising questions about what the pattern could mean for future dementia rates.

Looking at two decades' worth of data on U.S. adults, the study found generational difference...

Obesity Ups Odds for Severe COVID-19, But Age Matters

• Dennis Thompson
• August 5, 2020
• Full Page

If you're younger than 65 years old and obese, COVID-19 poses a special danger to you.

A new study reports that the more obese you are, the more likely you are to either die from infection with the new coronavirus or require lifesaving mechanical ventilation to survi...

Nearly a Third of Young Black Americans Have High Blood Pressure

• Amy Norton
• August 3, 2020
• Full Page

High blood pressure is often seen as a condition of old age, but a new study finds that it's common among young Americans -- especially young Black adults.

The study, of 18- to 44-year-olds in the United States, found that high blood pressure was prevalent across all...

America's Progress Against Early Cardiovascular Death Is Slowing

• Serena McNiff
• July 29, 2020
• Full Page

From the 1960s to the 2010s, the United States experienced a major reduction in heart disease-related deaths among younger adults -- often called premature cardiac death.

But that decline has slowed significantly since 2010, and the risk of premature cardiovascular d...

Many Older Americans Face Ageism Every Day, Survey Finds

• Serena McNiff
• July 16, 2020
• Full Page

Age-based job demotions, forced retirements and other overt examples of age discrimination can be harmful to older adults.

But what about more subtle forms of ageism -- like jokes about "senior moments," or assuming an older person can't use technology, or the const...

Under 50 and Had a Heart Attack? Quit Smoking, and You'll Live Longer

• Robert Preidt
• July 16, 2020
• Full Page

If you're a smoker under 50 and you suffer a heart attack, new research suggests kicking the habit may be the best thing you can do to still be around years later.

"These results are definitive: among young people who have had a heart attack, quitting smoking is asso...

COVID-19 Death Risk Twice as High in New York City as Some Countries

• Robert Preidt
• July 2, 2020
• Full Page

New York City's COVID-19 death rate was more than double that of some countries, and the city's oldest people had the highest risk of death, researchers report.

They used a computer model to analyze over 191,000 lab-confirmed COVID-19 cases along with more than 20,00...

Amid Pandemic, Fears That Older Americans Are Feeling 'Expendable'

• Amy Norton
• June 25, 2020
• Full Page

From the start of the coronavirus pandemic, it's been clear that older adults are especially vulnerable to serious illness.

Now, experts are concerned that older Americans are falling victim to ageism and messages that they are "expendable" amid the crisis.

Signs of Developing Adult Diabetes Seen as Early as Age 8: Study

• Robert Preidt
• June 24, 2020
• Full Page

Kids as young as age 8 can show signs of being at increased risk for diabetes in adulthood, a British study finds.

Researchers analyzed blood samples collected from more than 4,000 participants at ages 8, 16, 18 and 25, looking for patterns specific to early stages o...

More Young Americans Developing Unhealthy Predictors of Heart Disease

• Serena Gordon
• June 23, 2020
• Full Page

A new study finds that 1 in 5 people under age 40 now have metabolic syndrome, a group of risk factors that together increase the odds for many serious conditions, including diabetes, heart disease and stroke.

The rate of metabolic syndrome is rising in all age grou...

'Body Clock' Might Play Role in Risk for Parkinson's

• Serena McNiff
• June 19, 2020
• Full Page

It often seems the older a person gets, the less they sleep, but new research suggests that inconsistent sleep patterns might predict a future diagnosis of Parkinson's disease.

Researchers who studied 2,930 older men for more than a decade found that those with a par...

Navy Ship Outbreak Shows Most Young Aren't Spared COVID Symptoms

• HealthDay staff
• June 9, 2020
• Full Page

When COVID-19 strikes the young, the lion's share of patients still show symptoms, a new report on a coronavirus outbreak aboard a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier suggests.

In late March, the U.S.S. Theodore Roosevelt arrived in Guam after numerous sailors on the ship de...

Coronavirus Pandemic Spurring Mental Health Crisis, Especially in the Young

• Steven Reinberg
• June 2, 2020
• Full Page

The coronavirus pandemic is taking its toll on Americans' mental health, with more than 88,000 people developing anxiety or depression as a result, according to Mental Health America (MHA), a U.S. community-based nonprofit organization.

Also, more than 21,000 Americ...

Asthma Ups Ventilator Needs of Younger Adults With COVID-19: Study

• Steven Reinberg
• May 20, 2020
• Full Page

WEDNESDAY, May 20, 2020 (HealthDay News) Young to middle-aged asthmatics who are hospitalized for COVID-19 are likely to be on a ventilator longer than patients without asthma, new research reports.

Patients with asthma who were between 20 and 59 years of age nee...

Menopause May Someday Disappear as Women Postpone Pregnancy: Study

• Robert Preidt
• April 24, 2020
• Full Page

As more women postpone childbirth, evolution may start to delay menopause or do away with it altogether, Canadian researchers predict.

"Menopause is not a disease. It's a medical condition that arises simply because of human behavior," and can end with a change in be...

Ask Grandma to Dance to Boost Her Mood And Strengthen Your Bonds

• Robert Preidt
• April 17, 2020
• Full Page

If you're a grandparent, shaking a leg with your grandchild might benefit both of you.

That's the upshot of a new study from Israel, where researchers examined how dancing together affected 16 grandmas and granddaughters. The takeaway: It can encourage exercise and d...

Obesity Ups Odds for Severe COVID-19 in Younger Patients

• Steven Reinberg
• April 15, 2020
• Full Page

It's clear that age and chronic disease make bouts of the pandemic coronavirus more severe -- and even deadly -- but obesity might also put even younger people at higher risk, a pair of new studies suggest.

The researchers suspect that inflammation throughout the bo...

Heavy Drinking Into Old Age Ups Health Risks: Study

• Robert Preidt
• April 7, 2020
• Full Page

Long-term heavy drinking may lead to significant weight gain and an increased risk of heart disease and stroke in older adults, British researchers warn.

They analyzed data from more than 4,800 U.K. civil servants who were 34 to 56 years old when the study began in t...

Certain Health Conditions Up Risks for Severe COVID-19

• Robert Preidt
• April 1, 2020
• Full Page

New research suggests that having an underlying health condition might be one of the most significant risk factors for developing a severe case of COVID-19.

Scientists at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention took a look at a group of U.S. adult COVID-1...

Do Gene Mutations Explain COVID-19 Cases in the Young?

• Robert Preidt
• March 30, 2020
• Full Page

Genetic mutations that put some younger people at high risk for severe illness from the new coronavirus will be investigated in an international study.

Plans call for enrolling 500 patients worldwide who are under age 50, have been diagnosed with COVID-19 and admitte...

Weight-Loss Surgery Works, No Matter How Long Patient Was Obese

• Kayla McKiski
• February 28, 2020
• Full Page

Weight-loss surgery is as effective for people who became obese before age 20 as for older patients, new research shows.

For the study, researchers from the University of Gothenburg, in Sweden, analyzed data from just over 4,000 obese adults. Half had undergone weigh...

Patients Care Little About ER Doctors' Race or Sex: Study

• Robert Preidt
• February 24, 2020
• Full Page

Americans don't seem to care about the race or sex of emergency room doctors, a new study shows.

Participants were asked to rate their satisfaction with a simulated ER visit and the scores were the same whether their doctor was white or black, or a man or a woman.

With Macular Degeneration, 1 Missed Visit to Eye Doc Can Mean Vision Loss

• Robert Preidt
• February 7, 2020
• Full Page

Missing just one eye doctor appointment can result in vision loss in older adults with macular degeneration, a new study warns.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of vision loss in the elderly, and these findings show the need for patients to k...

Pregnancy, Breastfeeding May Guard Against Early Menopause

• Robert Preidt
• February 3, 2020
• Full Page

Both pregnancy and breastfeeding may protect women against early menopause, new research suggests.

The risk was lowest among those who breast-fed exclusively, meaning the baby received breast milk only -- no liquids or solid foods. Early menopause is the end of menst...

New Study Supports Lowering Age of First Colonoscopy

• Amy Norton
• January 31, 2020
• Full Page

The rate of colon cancer among Americans spikes sharply between the ages of 49 and 50, a new study finds -- supporting the case for earlier screening for the disease.

Researchers say the uptick between those two ages does not reflect an actual increase in the occurre...

Ageism Affects People Around the Globe

• Steven Reinberg
• January 30, 2020
• Full Page

Discrimination based on age -- ageism -- is widespread throughout the world, and it takes a toll, new research reveals.

The study of more than 7 million people aged 50 and older in 45 countries found that age affected whether or not they got medical treatment and, ...

Life Expectancy in U.S. Increases for First Time in 4 Years

• Steven Reinberg
• January 30, 2020
• Full Page

After four years of declines, life expectancy in the United States increased in 2018, health officials reported Thursday.

The jump in longevity comes as deaths from opioid overdoses dropped for the first time in 28 years, as did deaths from six of the 10 leading caus...

Millennials Most Likely to Skip Flu Shot, Believe 'Anti-Vaxxer' Claims: Poll

• Robert Preidt
• January 16, 2020
• Full Page

Millennials are less likely to have had a flu shot this season and are more likely than other American adults to agree with some false anti-vaccination information, according to a new nationwide survey.

The results also showed that nearly one-third of adults polled d...

A Lifetime of Fitness Helps Women's Muscles in Old Age

• Steven Reinberg
• January 13, 2020
• Full Page

Women who exercise throughout life may keep their muscle power as they age, a new study suggests.

For the study, researchers from Ball State University in Muncie, Ind., examined muscle strength, power and the size and type of muscle fibers in the thighs of three gro...

Stomach Cancer Appears Different in Younger Patients

• Steven Reinberg
• December 31, 2019
• Full Page

Stomach cancer among many people under 60 appears more deadly than when it occurs to older people, a new study finds.

This new form of cancer is genetically different from other stomach cancer and grows and spreads faster. It is also resistant to the usual chemother...