Health

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! Older adults who avoid meat in their golden years may be less likely to reach age 100 than their meat-eating counterparts, new research suggests.Researchers tracked more than 5,000 adults aged 80 or older who were enrolled in the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey.Between 1998 and 2018, data showed that those who did not eat meat were less likely to reach their 100th birthday than those who consumed animal products regularly.The findings seem to contradict previous studies that have linked vegetarianism and plant-based diets to lower risks of heart disease, stroke, diabetes and obesity.Most evidence supporting the benefits of plant-based diets comes from studies tracking younger populations, the researchers noted.  The findings ...

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! Quote of the week"If you're not sleeping, everything else tends to fall apart."→ Dr. Mary Claire Haver, certified menopause specialist and founder of The 'Pause Life, on making simple lifestyle changes for a longer lifeTop stories→ Food pyramid backlash: Low-fat era may have fueled obesity, says doctor→ Eating oatmeal for two days has unexpected impact on heart health→ Your bedroom temperature could be putting your heart in serious dangerOn the lookout→ State confirms outbreak of sexually transmitted fungal infection→ Hundreds of wild bird deaths spark bird flu warnings→ Common respiratory bacteria detected in eyes of Alzheimer’s patients Country music star Jessie James Decker promoted "marriage body" over "revenge body" in a viral post. (...

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! A newly discovered virus hiding inside common gut bacteria may be linked to colorectal cancer, according to new research.Scientists in Denmark found that colorectal cancer patients were about twice as likely to carry a previously unidentified virus within Bacteroides fragilis, a bacterium that normally lives in the human gut, according to the study published in Communications Medicine earlier this month.Researchers say the discovery could help scientists better understand the role of the gut microbiome in cancer development."These findings highlight the importance of the microorganisms in the gut and their relation to our health," Dr. Flemming Damgaard, PhD, of the Department of Clinical Microbiology at Odense University Hospital and the Un...

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! Some surveys find that about 75% of U.S. adults have used supplements, while federal survey data shows that 58% used one in the past 30 days — but some groups should exercise caution, experts say.There are many different supplements — including vitamins, minerals, herbs, amino acids and probiotics — designed to fill nutrient gaps and support overall wellness. Some target specific functions, such as immune support, muscle recovery and bone health, according to multiple medical sources.Unlike prescription drugs and over-the-counter medications, supplements usually aren’t FDA-approved before they are marketed, but the FDA does regulate them and can take action against unsafe or misbranded products.For people with diabetes, the following supple...

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! A simple blood test could predict not only a person’s risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, but also the year symptoms will begin.Researchers at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis set out to determine if levels of a specific protein in the blood could be used as a "biological clock" to predict when signs of the disease will emerge.The specific protein, known as p-tau217, forms "tangles" in the brain that disrupt communication between nerve cells. In a healthy brain, tau helps to stabilize the structure of nerve cells.In some cases, brain scans can be used to detect these tangles when diagnosing Alzheimer’s. Preliminary studies have suggested that the same method could be used to determine a progression timeline.As t...

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! Scientists have discovered that a bacterium trapped in an ice cave for 5,000 years is resistant to several modern antibiotics.The bacterium was found in Scarisoara Ice Cave in Romania, where researchers drilled a 25-meter ice core representing about 13,000 years of frozen history.The research was published in the journal Frontiers in Microbiology.To prevent contamination, the ice samples were carefully stored and transported to the lab while still frozen. From the ice, scientists isolated a strain of bacteria called Psychrobacter SC65A.3.  Inside the cave seen here, scientists uncovered bacteria preserved for thousands of years that can resist modern treatments. (iStock)Although it is thousands of years old, the strain was found to resist ...

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! In addition to travel and logistical challenges, heavy snowfall  can be detrimental to people's health.As the northeast faces historic snow accumulation this week, experts are warning of the physical risks of shoveling heavy snow, particularly for those who do not exercise regularly or have pre-existing health conditions."The combination of the wet, heavy snow and the heavy winds make it more of a health risk because it’s much harder to get around," Fox News senior medical analyst Dr. Marc Siegel told Fox News Digital."In the aftermath of the storm, as the temperatures drop, the heavy, wet snow forms ice, which makes walking and driving treacherous."Heavy, wet snow can get inside clothes and cause "more of a chill," potentially leading to h...

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! As people age, vision naturally declines and the risk of eye conditions increases. That includes age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a condition that typically occurs in patients older than 50.AMD is one of the leading causes of vision loss among adults over 60 and impacts millions of Americans, according to the American Macular Degeneration Foundation.The condition degrades the ability to read, drive and recognize faces. AMD has no cure, so experts advocate for early detection and prevention.In more advanced stages of AMD, patients may notice wavy straight lines, dark spots in their vision, or blurred central vision, according to ophthalmologist Dr. Vaidehi Dedania at NYU Langone Health.Vision loss can be particularly difficult for sen...

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! Living at high altitudes may lower the risk of diabetes, and scientists believe they have finally figured out why.A new study from the Gladstone Institutes in San Francisco examined how red blood cells behave in low-oxygen environments. The findings, published in the journal Cell Metabolism, reveal that at high elevations, red blood cells begin absorbing large amounts of glucose from the bloodstream, acting as a "sponge" for sugar.When oxygen levels drop, these cells then alter their metabolism to deliver oxygen more efficiently. This shift also lowers circulating blood sugar, which researchers say explains the lower diabetes risk seen in mountain-dwelling populations.A previous study of over 285,000 adults in the United States found that p...

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! Health experts are warning that the 2025-26 flu season isn't over yet. In fact, people should prepare for the virus to linger well into the warmer months, according to Dr. Michael Glazier, chief medical officer and pediatrician at Bluebird Kids Health in Florida.The current season is tracking with historical trends, the doctor said, as influenza A typically strikes first and most aggressively."The 2025-26 flu season has followed this pattern, with influenza A cases presenting earlier in the season and causing the majority of illnesses," Glazier told Fox News Digital."Now, however, in the middle of February, we are seeing the emergence of influenza B cases, in addition to the continued predominant presence of influenza A, which is not unusua...