https://medicalxpress.com/healthy-living-news/ en-us Latest health news and information about Healthy Living Heart failure already affects more than 60 million people worldwide and is one of the leading causes of hospitalization among people 65 and older. Although it is commonly associated with advanced cardiovascular disease, it actually develops over many years, often without symptoms. Authors of a new expert statement published in the European Heart Journal argue that this is precisely why prevention may become the most effective weapon in tackling one of the greatest challenges of modern medicine. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-latest-evidence-factors-early-intervention.html Tue, 21 Jul 2026 21:20:04 EDT news703856966 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 Risk calculators that doctors use to estimate a person's risk of a heart attack or stroke work about as well for predicting certain cancers, according to a new study by UCL (University College London) researchers. The tools, used widely by primary care physicians and hospitals in the U.K., U.S. and Europe, estimate a person's percentage risk of having a heart attack or stroke over 10 years based on factors such as age, BMI and smoking status—factors also linked to a higher risk of cancer. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-heart-tools-cancers-disease.html Tue, 21 Jul 2026 16:00:03 EDT news703861021 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 New research finds that the sounds and sights of nature are associated with significant mental health benefits compared with loud urban environments. The study, by North Carolina State University researchers, compared the effects of hearing different types of sounds in natural and urban environments on listeners' emotions. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-birdsong-forest-significant-mental-health.html Tue, 21 Jul 2026 13:00:07 EDT news703856762 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 For many adults at risk of type 2 diabetes, knowing where to begin can be one of the biggest obstacles to prevention. A new study from the Healthy Hawaiʻi Evaluation Team (HHET) at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Thompson School of Social Work and Public Health and the Hawaiʻi State Department of Health (HDOH) found that a statewide media campaign helped encourage more adults to take that first step by enrolling in the National Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP). https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-hawaii-adults-diabetes.html Tue, 21 Jul 2026 09:20:01 EDT news703843381 Only about 1 in 20 Americans engage in arts or cultural activities on any given day, according to a new study analyzing two decades of national survey data—a surprisingly low figure for a behavior researchers increasingly associate with health and well-being. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-americans-engage-arts-typical-day.html Tue, 21 Jul 2026 08:00:03 EDT news703839301 A study by researchers at U.S. health insurance and medical services provider Kaiser Permanente, the Food is Medicine Institute at the Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University, and The George Institute for Global Health found that medically tailored grocery deliveries improved blood sugar control among adults living with type 2 diabetes who have public health insurance, compared with usual care. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-home-medically-tailored-groceries-diabetes.html Tue, 21 Jul 2026 05:00:06 EDT news703748676 New research presented at the International Congress on Obesity (ICO2026), hosted by the World Obesity Federation (WOF) in Mexico City, Mexico, July 15–17, shows how various sectors representing the ultra-processed food (UPF) industry use tactics to deny the health risks associated with these products, including attempting to reframe their particular UPFs as healthier and somehow different from others. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-ultra-food-firms-hoodwink-products.html Mon, 20 Jul 2026 23:20:01 EDT news703759433 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 Pregnant women who live in greener neighborhoods may have lower levels of long-term stress, according to a new study led by researchers from Bar-Ilan University. The study found that greater exposure to residential greenery during pregnancy was associated with lower levels of cortisol and cortisone—two key stress hormones that can affect both maternal and fetal health. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-green-neighborhoods-term-stress-pregnancy.html Mon, 20 Jul 2026 13:20:05 EDT news703766101 Globally, the number of people with type 2 diabetes (T2D) is escalating. In Australia, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are four times as likely to die from T2D or experience serious T2D-related disease as non-Indigenous Australians. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-tailoring-communication-aboriginal-people-diabetes.html Mon, 20 Jul 2026 12:00:01 EDT news703759401 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 Individuals with overweight or obesity can have a higher risk of heart disease despite appearing to be healthy, new research presented at the International Congress on Obesity in Mexico City (15–17 July) shows. Using waist-based measurements along with body mass index (BMI) to identify this hidden risk and intervene early could prevent hundreds of thousands from dying from heart attacks, strokes and other cardiac problems in the years to come, researchers from the University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK, said. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-weight-belly-predictor-heart-health.html Mon, 20 Jul 2026 07:40:03 EDT news703747681 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 Women who live in disadvantaged neighborhoods face worse heart health and experience faster declines as they approach menopause, according to a long-term study led by the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-women-heart-health-decades.html Sat, 18 Jul 2026 04:30:02 EDT news703566898 New research presented at this year's International Congress on Obesity (ICO2026), hosted by the World Obesity Federation (WOF) in Mexico City, Mexico (July 15–17), reveals that few of the world's 21 largest food retailers are taking significant voluntary action to create healthier food environments for children and families. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-aussie-supermarkets-healthier-diet.html Fri, 17 Jul 2026 21:40:02 EDT news703500918 Parts of the U.S. are experiencing smoke from Canadian wildfires drifting down and rising summer temperatures, creating a potentially deadly situation, according to the American Heart Association, a relentless force changing the future of health for everyone everywhere. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-message-wildfire-summer-heart-health.html Fri, 17 Jul 2026 08:00:06 EDT news703484702 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 A new daily pill will give people with stubbornly high cholesterol a cheaper, needle-free way to lower their levels. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-fda-cholesterol-pill-rival.html Thu, 16 Jul 2026 17:00:04 EDT news703427266 Do your hands hurt when you use your phone? All that texting and scrolling might be stressing out your fingers. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-thumb-pain-texting-scrolling.html Thu, 16 Jul 2026 15:40:04 EDT news703419063 When a dog smells of cigarette smoke, veterinarians immediately understand that the animal is breathing in secondhand smoke. Known as a "smoker's poodle," the pet "presumably sits on somebody's lap as they smoke, and we think, 'Oh, this is bad for the animal,'" says Elizabeth Rozanski, D.V.M., DACVIM (SAIM), DACVECC, a professor of small animal clinical sciences at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-chat-veterinarian-smokers-habit.html Thu, 16 Jul 2026 15:20:04 EDT news703424762 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 Heat-related deaths in the U.S. have surged more than 50% since 2000 as the climate warms and temperatures rise to record-breaking levels. This July alone, more than half of Americans were exposed to extreme temperatures as a heat dome descended across the country and the United Nations warned that a Super El Niño, which raises water temperatures in the Pacific, will also intensify temperatures. Yet, most Americans underestimate the dangers of extreme heat. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-qa-americans-underestimating-dangers-extreme.html Thu, 16 Jul 2026 11:20:07 EDT news703418143