https://medicalxpress.com/healthy-living-news/ en-us Latest health news and information about Healthy Living People around the world are living longer than ever before but spending more of those additional years in poor health, according to a new Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study published in The Lancet Public Health. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-people-longer-years-poor-health.html Tue, 21 Jul 2026 18:30:03 EDT news703841701 A new study suggests what's flushed down the drain can offer a real-time snapshot of what communities are eating. Researchers at Duke University School of Medicine and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill analyzed tiny fragments of plant and animal DNA from wastewater samples from 19 North Carolina communities representing 2.1 million people to reveal how economics, immigration and geography influence what's on our plates. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-beer-beans-seafood-wastewater-exposes.html Tue, 21 Jul 2026 17:40:01 EDT news703864262 A new study by investigators from Mass General Brigham finds that nearly 1 in 3 U.S. adults without heart disease—and almost 4 in 5 of those who have already had a heart attack, stroke or other cardiovascular event—have LDL, or "bad," cholesterol levels above the goals set by the newly released 2026 American cholesterol guidelines. Additionally, among adults without heart disease who were above target, about 3 in 4 are not receiving any cholesterol-lowering medication. The results are published in JAMA. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-americans-heart-disease-cholesterol-goals.html Tue, 21 Jul 2026 14:40:02 EDT news703856161 Repeatedly losing and gaining weight may do more than frustrate dieters—it also accelerates muscle loss in middle-aged people, according to new UC San Francisco research that comes as weight-loss medications transform obesity treatment. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-fat-yo-dieting-muscle.html Tue, 21 Jul 2026 13:00:03 EDT news703855321 While everyone may benefit from a healthy diet, those with higher levels of Alzheimer's-related blood biomarkers may be more likely to benefit from a MIND diet intervention, according to a new study from the MIND trial. The biomarkers found in participants' blood measure two specific proteins central to Alzheimer's disease: beta-amyloid (or amyloid-β40) and phosphorylated tau (or p-tau181). https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-alzheimer-blood-markers-reveal-benefits.html Tue, 21 Jul 2026 12:40:09 EDT news703854001 A new neuroimaging study published in the journal Brain Imaging and Behavior provides some of the first evidence that strengthening your brain health through daily habits rewires its physical architecture. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-newly-mri-biomarkers-reveal-physical.html Mon, 20 Jul 2026 17:40:07 EDT news703786381 Most of us would like to hang around on the planet for as long as possible, and thankfully, lifespans in many countries are increasing. Scientists are also developing a new field known as longevity medicine, which aims to help people stay healthier for longer as they age. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-healthy-aging-born.html Mon, 20 Jul 2026 11:40:02 EDT news703763143 Collagen is a protein found in skin, hair, nails, tendons, cartilage and bones. Our bodies naturally produce collagen using the foods we eat. But in recent years, collagen peptides have gained popularity as a supplement to support joint, hair, skin and gut health. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-collagen-peptides-bone-health-female.html Mon, 20 Jul 2026 11:20:01 EDT news703755662 More than half of U.S. adults ages 30 to 79—about 87.5 million people—are now recommended for statins to prevent cardiovascular disease under newly updated clinical guidelines, according to a study by University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine researchers published today in JAMA. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-adults-eligible-statins-guidelines.html Mon, 20 Jul 2026 11:00:03 EDT news703505707 Previous studies have found that caffeine is the world's most popular stimulant and psychoactive substance, and coffee is the most common way people consume caffeine. The latest research supports the conclusion that, for most adults, consuming up to 400 mg of caffeine a day (or up to five 8-ounce cups of caffeinated coffee per day) is safe and appears to be linked to a lower risk of cardiovascular disease for some individuals. However, higher doses of caffeine, such as levels found in energy drinks including energy shots, may cause cardiovascular harm, according to a new American Heart Association scientific statement, "Caffeine and Cardiovascular Disease," published today in the journal Circulation. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-coffee-heart-health-cups-caffeinated.html Mon, 20 Jul 2026 05:00:01 EDT news703505779 "Turn off that TV, it'll rot your brain!" has been a household refrain for decades. While "rot" might be too strong a term, researchers are finding that the overall sentiment could have some merit. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-heavy-tv-smaller-brain.html Sun, 19 Jul 2026 14:00:01 EDT news703687543 Body Mass Index (BMI) has long been used in public health and clinical settings as a simple tool to classify an individual's physical status based on their height and weight. Originally developed in the 1830s by Belgian mathematician Adolphe Quetelet, BMI was designed to describe the characteristics of the average man rather than to assess an individual's health, and it did not account for age, sex, ethnicity or body composition. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-body-index-aims-bmi-babies.html Fri, 17 Jul 2026 07:50:02 EDT news703491612 New research published in The American Journal of Preventive Medicine and presented at this year's International Congress on Obesity (ICO 2026), hosted by the World Obesity Federation (WOF) in Mexico City, Mexico (July 15–17), suggests that 23%-38% of all cardiovascular deaths and 23%-37% of all cases of cardiovascular disease (coronary heart disease and stroke) are attributable to ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-heart-deaths-disease-due-ultraprocessed.html Thu, 16 Jul 2026 11:20:11 EDT news703407563 The common rationale for drinking water at meals is that it physically stretches the stomach, triggering fullness so you don't eat too much. But a new Cornell study found no support for that idea in practice. The paper is published in the journal Appetite. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-common-diet-intake-spicy-foods.html Thu, 16 Jul 2026 10:20:04 EDT news703407242 Women should ignore most of the exercise advice they see on social media, University of Otago – Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka researchers say. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-debunks-women-advice.html Wed, 15 Jul 2026 14:20:01 EDT news703338642 People who switch to cigarettes with dramatically reduced nicotine levels are unlikely to smoke more cigarettes or inhale more smoke to compensate for the lower nicotine content, according to a new study led by researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine and published in JAMA Network Open. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-smokers-nicotine-cigarettes.html Wed, 15 Jul 2026 11:00:11 EDT news703325673