Belly Fat Linked To Heart Failure Risk

Want to figure out your heart health risk?

Look at your belly fat, not your body mass index, a new study says.

Excess fat stored around the waist is more strongly associated with heart failure risk than BMI, an estimate of body fat based on height and weight, researchers will report at a meeting of the American Heart Association.

Ultra-Processed Foods Linked To Heart Attack, Stroke, Cardiac Arrest

Munching down loads of ultra-processed foods can increase your risk of suffering or dying from a heart attack, stroke or heart disease, a new study says.

Each additional daily serving of ultra-processed foods increases a person’s risk of a major cardiac event by 5%, researchers reported March 17 in the journal JACC Advances....

The Sunshine Vitamin and COVID: New Study Finds Mixed Results for Recovery

Since the pandemic’s early days, many people have looked to vitamin D as a possible shield against the worst effects of COVID-19. 

Studies have yielded mixed results, with no clear benefit to vitamin D supplementation when it comes to COVID.

But a new major clinical trial suggests that while the supplement may not be a mir...

White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles Diagnosed With Early Breast Cancer

White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles says she will keep working as she undergoes treatment for early-stage breast cancer.

The diagnosis was shared publicly Monday, with President Donald Trump saying Wiles has an "excellent" prognosis and will remain "virtually full time at the White House."

Wiles said she feels encouraged about her...

Too Much Smartphone Use Linked to Disordered Eating in Teens

For many teenagers, a smartphone is essentially an extra limb. 

But new research suggests that spending too much time peering into that digital world might be altering how young people view their bodies and their relationship with food.

A comprehensive review from King’s College London has identified a troubling link betwe...

Shingles Vaccine Protects Heart Failure Patients From Heart Attack, Stroke

Getting the shingles vaccine can be an insurance policy for better health among people who develop heart disease, a new study says.

Heart disease patients who got a shingles jab have nearly half the rate of heart attacks, strokes and other serious heart emergencies than those who weren’t vaccinated, researchers will report at an upco...

E. Coli Outbreak Tied To Raw Cheddar Cheese Sickens 7 People

Federal health officials are investigating an ongoing E. coli outbreak linked to raw cheddar cheese, with several cases involving young kids.

As of March 14, seven infections have been confirmed across three states: Five in California, one in Florida and one in Texas, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and th...

Norovirus Sickens Close to 200 People on Caribbean Cruise

A Caribbean vacation took an unpleasant turn for dozens of cruise passengers after a stomach virus spread across their ship.

Nearly 200 people aboard a Princess cruise vessel became sick with norovirus during a recent trip, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The agency said 193 people fell ill dur...

Federal Judge Pauses Kennedy’s Changes to Childhood Vaccine Schedule

A federal judge has stopped a major effort to change the nation’s childhood vaccine schedule.

The ruling, issued Monday in Massachusetts, blocks U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s plan to revise vaccine recommendations for children. 

The decision stems from a lawsuit brought by several medical groups again...

Listening to Music for 24 Minutes May Ease Anxiety, Study Finds

A short music session may help ease anxiety and researchers say there’s a "sweet spot" for how long to listen.

A clinical trial found that listening to specially designed music for 24 minutes can significantly reduce anxiety symptoms. The music was paired with auditory beat stimulation (ABS), a type of sound pattern meant to influenc...

Cream Cheese Recall Upgraded Over Listeria Risk, FDA Says

Health officials are warning consumers about a cream cheese recall that has been raised to the most critical level due to possible bacterial contamination.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said certain cream cheese products made by Made Fresh Salads Inc. may contain Listeria monocytogenes, a bacteria that can cause seve...

New Moms Need Weeks Of Monitoring To Catch Post-Pregnancy Complications, Study Argues

New mothers need to be monitored weeks after delivery for pregnancy complications, a new study suggests.

About 40% of pregnancy complications would have been missed had doctors not kept tabs on new moms for six weeks following delivery, researchers reported March 16 in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

Typically, hea...