https://medicalxpress.com/healthy-aging-news/ en-us Latest health news and information about Healthy Aging UCLA researchers have identified a rogue population of immune cells that quietly accumulates in aging tissues and in the livers of people with fatty liver disease. Clearing these cells, they found, dramatically reduced inflammation and reversed liver damage in mice—even while the animals remained on an unhealthy diet. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-hidden-army-zombie-immune-cells.html Thu, 16 Apr 2026 05:00:14 EDT news695464057 Drugs that target amyloid beta proteins in the brain likely have no clinically meaningful positive effects, while increasing the risk of bleeding and swelling in the brain, a new review in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews has found. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-anti-amyloid-alzheimer-drugs-clinically.html Wed, 15 Apr 2026 20:00:06 EDT news695456425 New research published in The European Journal of Endocrinology shows that increased total body fat mass and abdominal fat mass from late adolescence to early 20s, but not from the childhood period before this, predicts progressively worsening cardiac structural and functional outcomes by young adulthood. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-future-heart-health-body-fat.html Wed, 15 Apr 2026 17:00:03 EDT news695476947 Home is often where recovery begins after being hospitalized for a serious illness. But for some people, it may also be where gaps in care arise. In a recent study, Yale School of Medicine's Snigdha Jain, MD, MHS, and colleagues found that social factors, such as income and education, can be associated with whether an older adult receives home-based rehabilitation services after an intensive care unit (ICU) stay. The findings are published in Annals of the American Thoracic Society. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-icu-older-adults-home-based.html Wed, 15 Apr 2026 16:40:05 EDT news695483154 Cognitive decline not only affects a woman's quality of life but also her ability to lead an independent lifestyle later in life. A new large-scale study suggests that a longer reproductive lifespan, resulting in greater exposure to endogenous estrogen, is associated with better cognitive health. Results of the study are published in Menopause. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-longer-reproductive-span-linked-slower.html Wed, 15 Apr 2026 15:40:01 EDT news695482382 A study led by the National Dental Centre Singapore (NDCS), in collaboration with researchers from Duke-NUS Medical School, has found that maintaining more natural teeth is associated with significantly more years of independent living among older adults, especially among those who do not use removable dental prostheses. The study, published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, assessed how tooth retention influences the number of years lived with and without limitations in daily activities (Activities of Daily Living [ADLs], such as bathing, dressing and eating and physical function such as walking and climbing stairs). https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-teeth-years-independent.html Wed, 15 Apr 2026 14:40:08 EDT news695476873 Menopause has long been treated as something private, but the silence surrounding it is increasingly at odds with demographic reality. Women over 50 are the fastest-growing group in the workforce in many countries, and most will experience menopause during their working lives. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-women-menopause-symptoms-workplaces.html Wed, 15 Apr 2026 12:40:02 EDT news695472241 New research from Edith Cowan University (ECU) has found that higher sodium intake may negatively affect episodic memory, the type of memory used to recall personal experiences and specific events from one's past such as where you parked your car or your first day of school. The findings suggest that diets high in salt could have broader cognitive impacts than previously understood, highlighting the importance of dietary choices in supporting brain health. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-high-salt-diet-linked-faster.html Wed, 15 Apr 2026 11:20:02 EDT news695469361 Most tools used to assess the risk of fractures and osteoporosis rely on bone density alone, but these may miss a large number of women who still go on to break bones. A technology developed at Ohio University outperformed the current standard bone density test in detecting fracture risk for older women, according to a study recently published in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-fracture-women-bone-density.html Wed, 15 Apr 2026 11:00:02 EDT news695468118 Northwestern University psychologist Andrea Russell sees older adults with early cognitive impairment riddled with anxiety. Some worry a missed word or forgotten appointment could signal Alzheimer's disease. Others fear making a mistake in public. Some are too afraid to ask their doctor. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-alzheimer-patients-blood.html Wed, 15 Apr 2026 07:00:01 EDT news695381641 Adults who reported feeling lonely had a higher risk of developing degenerative heart valve disease, even after accounting for traditional heart disease risk factors and genetics, according to new research published in the Journal of the American Heart Association. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-loneliness-linked-degenerative-heart-valve.html Wed, 15 Apr 2026 05:00:08 EDT news695395141 Older Chinese immigrants living in neighborhoods with greater access to community amenities, services, and supportive infrastructure experienced slower cognitive decline over time, according to Rutgers Health researchers. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-neighborhood-amenities-infrastructure-cognitive-decline.html Tue, 14 Apr 2026 19:00:03 EDT news695377429 Scores from neuropsychological assessments (in-depth, standardized evaluations of how a person's brain functions in various cognitive areas) are widely used to identify underlying cognitive abilities. However, a single score representing a specific cognitive domain often obscures the diverse strategies individuals may employ to complete the test. Additionally, reliance solely on scores can hide subtle cognitive changes, which are especially critical for early detection of cognitive disorders. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-people-approach-problems-dementia.html Tue, 14 Apr 2026 17:40:03 EDT news695400721 A national study led by investigators from Cedars-Sinai Health Sciences University found that transcatheter tricuspid valve replacement, or TTVR, delivered strong early results in real-world practice. Patients treated with TTVR experienced near elimination of tricuspid regurgitation, low rates of stroke, and meaningful improvements in symptoms and quality of life within 30 days. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-invasive-heart-valve-strong-early.html Tue, 14 Apr 2026 11:20:01 EDT news695383621 Restricting calories has long been recognized as a powerful way to live longer, with periods of intermittent fasting proving more effective than a steady diet. However, the mechanism behind this phenomenon has been unclear. Research led by UT Southwestern Medical Center scientists and published in Nature Communications suggests it's not the fast itself that extends life, but how the body metabolically pivots during refeeding after fasting. Although the findings were made in Caenorhabditis elegans, a roundworm often used as a lab model, they could eventually lead to new ways to boost health in humans. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-fasting-longer-lifespan.html Tue, 14 Apr 2026 09:20:01 EDT news695375356 A single episode of delirium—a state of confusion and agitation—in hospitalized older adults is a significant risk factor for other serious health complications including fractures, stroke and sepsis, a University of Queensland study has found. Delirium is often triggered by infection, surgery, pain, dehydration or medication, which affects up to 1 in 4 older adults during a hospital stay. However, many of its long-term health impacts have not been fully understood. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-hospital-delirium-red-flag-severe.html Tue, 14 Apr 2026 09:00:03 EDT news695374861 Loneliness affects the memory of older adults but does not speed up mental decline over time, suggests data from a major European study tracking more than 10,000 people over seven years. Participants who reported high levels of loneliness performed worse on memory tests at the start of the research period. However, the ability of lonely people to recall information declined at a similar rate over the time course monitored as that of participants who did not feel alone. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-loneliness-memory-early-doesnt-brain.html Tue, 14 Apr 2026 01:00:01 EDT news695281525 Researchers from the German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke (DIfE) and other partner institutions of the German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD) have now identified a previously unknown function of the PICALM protein in skeletal muscle: The protein responds sensitively to physical activity and intermittent fasting. It also plays a decisive role in the formation of new muscle fibers. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-picalm-links-intermittent-fasting-muscle.html Mon, 13 Apr 2026 19:00:07 EDT news695309161 Scientists at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging, along with collaborators at UC San Francisco, have discovered that APOE4, the most common genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease, causes bone quality deficits specifically in female mice, through a mechanism that is invisible to standard imaging and can emerge as early as midlife. The findings, published in Advanced Science, reveal an unexpected biological link between Alzheimer's risk and skeletal health, and identify a new molecular pathway that could one day inform earlier diagnosis of cognitive decline or guide treatment for bone quality loss in women who carry the APOE4 gene. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-apoe4-alzheimer-gene-silently-undermines.html Mon, 13 Apr 2026 18:20:02 EDT news695318042 In a study involving over 600,000 people, researchers at Lund University in Sweden have investigated how changes in weight between the ages of 17 and 60 are linked to the risk of dying from various diseases. The results show a clear pattern: weight gain early in adulthood has the greatest impact. The work is published in the journal eClinicalMedicine. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-weight-gain-20s-health-impact.html Mon, 13 Apr 2026 12:20:08 EDT news695300761 Osteoarthritis affects around 600 million people globally. It causes pain, stiffness, and reduced joint function—most commonly in the knees, hands, and hips. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-steroid-joint-pain.html Mon, 13 Apr 2026 10:40:03 EDT news695293982 Marriage, it turns out, may come with a side-effect no one puts in the vows: people who have been married seem less likely to develop cancer than those who have never married at all. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-marriage-cancer-benefits.html Mon, 13 Apr 2026 10:20:02 EDT news695293682 Heart failure is common in people who have atrial fibrillation detected during screening, according to a presentation today at EHRA 2026 the annual congress of the European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA), a branch of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-heart-failure-common-people-atrial.html Mon, 13 Apr 2026 03:20:01 EDT news695042866 A new study has found that combining the current medications for Alzheimer's disease with small molecules derived from micronutrients found in grapes, berries, peanuts and turmeric is a safer and more effective way to treat the disease. The work is published in the journal ACS Chemical Neuroscience. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-drug-combination-alzheimer-treatments.html Sat, 11 Apr 2026 15:00:01 EDT news694960332 U.S. medical organizations are looking to reduce deaths caused by heart disease, the nation's No. 1 killer, with new guidelines that reframe prevention as a lifelong battle that begins with testing in childhood. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-heart-disease-qa-specialist-shift.html Sat, 11 Apr 2026 14:00:06 EDT news695042464 Injectable peptides are the new anti-aging trend sweeping the beauty industry. These compounds are promoted on social media as tools for skin repair, collagen production and "cellular rejuvenation." They are widely available online from overseas sellers, despite many peptides being unregulated in Australia. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-peptides-antiaging-trend-evidence-theyre.html Sat, 11 Apr 2026 09:00:04 EDT news694950542 Madison professors suggest longevity gains across all states and regions for people born between 1941 and 2000, in contrast to previous estimates suggesting a century of stagnation or even declines in parts of the South. Published in the journal BMJ Open, the study by Héctor Pifarré i Arolas and Jason Fletcher of the La Follette School of Public Affairs, along with José Andrade of the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, challenges recent estimates that portrayed progress on extending longevity in the United States as sharply divergent across states and regions. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-bleak-picture-state-gaps-longevity.html Fri, 10 Apr 2026 16:00:01 EDT news695047544 Statistics show clear differences in the population's immune system according to sex: men are more susceptible to infections and cancers, while women have stronger immune responses, which translate, for example, into better responses to vaccines. Even so, with a more reactive immune system, the probability of the body attacking itself also increases, causing 80% of autoimmune disease development to occur in women. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-women-immune-bigger-age-men.html Fri, 10 Apr 2026 11:20:04 EDT news695038681 The American Cancer Society recommends screening for colorectal cancer in adults beginning at age 45 and continuing through age 75. However, adults over the age of 75 with a history of precancerous polyps—also known as adenomas—are often subject to follow-up colonoscopies. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-people-colonoscopies.html Fri, 10 Apr 2026 07:40:01 EDT news695020081 A population-based study, published in Clinical Microbiology and Infection and due to be presented next week at ESCMID Global 2026, has found that influenza was detected in 11% of winter deaths, yet only 17% of these infections were diagnosed before death. The study tested 857 deceased persons across four influenza seasons in Spain, regardless of the reported cause of death. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-influenza-frequently-winter-deaths.html Thu, 09 Apr 2026 18:00:01 EDT news694966076