AHA News: Family's Hereditary Heart Condition Discovered After Her Father and Two Sisters Died Young

DeAnn Bartram was 16 when her father felt like he had a virus he couldn't shake.

Doctors said he had cardiomyopathy, a condition where the heart muscle can thicken, interfering with normal blood flow. Make a will, they said. Then they recommended he get a heart transplant.

Nicholas Cirino was 37 and owned a landscaping business in Cl...

You Can Take Too Much Vitamin D -- One Man Found Out the Hard Way

Vitamin D supplements are often touted for their health benefits, from boosting the immune system to guarding against cancer. But as one British man found out, it is possible to get too much of a good thing.

Vitamin D overdosing -- clinically called hypervitaminosis D -- is linked to a range of potentially serious health issues, s...

About 1 in 7 U.S. Kindergarten Kids Now Obese

Despite reports that rates of childhood obesity are decreasing, kids seem to be packing on pounds at younger ages.

In 1998, just under 73% of children entering kindergarten in 1998 had a normal body mass index (BMI), while 15.1% were overweight, and 12% were obese.

However, fast forward 12 years and just 69% of kids started kinderga...

FDA Temporarily Suspends Ban on Juul E-Cigarettes

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday temporarily suspended its ban on e-cigarettes sold by Juul Labs while the company while appeals the agency's action.

The FDA Center for Tobacco Products wrote on Twitter that "the agency has determined that there are scientific issues unique to the Juul application that warrant additional re...

Teens Have Triple the Odds of Misusing Marijuana Compared to Adults

In yet another report that illustrates the dangers pot poses to the young, developing brain, a new British study finds teenagers are much more likely than adults to develop an addiction to marijuana.

"We found that teenagers are three and a half times more likely to have severe cannabis use disorder, which is essentially cannabis addiction...

Age Big Factor in COVID Vaccine Views

Your age may play a huge role in whether you'll decide to get a COVID vaccine, new research finds.

Though vaccine hesitancy due to personal politics has drawn a lot of media attention, a University of Georgia study reveals it's not the only consideration.

The link between vaccines and politics is "not so much true as people get older...

Do Preteens Think About Booze, Pot? Survey Says Yes

Exactly when do your kids become curious about smoking or alcohol? Earlier than you think, new research shows.

Children as young as 9 and 10 start to wonder about tobacco, booze and even marijuana, and many may have easy access to these substances at home, mostly because their parents have not forbidden their use yet.

Broken down fur...

A-Fib After Any Surgery Raises Odds for Heart Failure

WEDNESDAY, July 6, 2022 (HealthDay News) – The risk of being hospitalized for heart failure after surgery is higher in patients who develop an abnormal heart rhythm, a new, large study shows.

Of more than 76,000 heart surgery patients, about 18.8% developed post-operative atrial fibrillation (A-Fib). Researchers found their risk of hospi...

High Heat, Heavy Smog a Deadly Combo: Study

Heat coupled with smog can be a particularly lethal mix, especially for older adults, a new study finds.

Unfortunately, both hot temperatures and air pollution are going to increase as the planet warms, and so will deaths, researchers report.

"We are experiencing more and more frequent wildfires, which cause pollution, and wildfires ...

COVID Vaccine Saves Lives Regardless of Body Weight

COVID vaccination is highly protective against severe disease in people of all body weights, new British research finds.

The study of over 9 million adults found that those who'd received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine were strongly protected against hospitalization or death from the disease. And the effectiveness was just as great for ob...

COVID Was a Leading Cause of Death for 2020, 2021

COVID-19 has officially joined heart disease and cancer as a leading cause of death in the United States for two years in a row.

The virus was the third-leading cause of death for the period between when the pandemic began in March 2020 and October 2021, according to an analysis of national death certificate data by researchers at the U.S...

AHA News: Fuzzy and Full of Nutrients, Peaches Are a Summertime Staple

Typically in season from July to September, peaches are a staple of summertime salads, meals and desserts. They're also a popular choice for nutritionists, who say their sweet taste makes it easier for people to add them to their diet.

"They're in season for a fairly short time, so enjoy them as a fruit choice when locally grown peaches ar...

Poll Finds Many Diabetes Caregivers Exhausted, Lacking Support

Diane Kondyra knows a lot about the hidden dangers of diabetes.

Both she and her husband have been diagnosed with the blood sugar disease, and her husband suffered one of its devastating complications in 2018 when he developed a staph infection that cost him part of his leg. Uncontrolled diabetes can restrict blood flow to the legs, m...

Deadly Listeria Outbreak Linked to Ice Cream

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has linked a recent Listeria outbreak to ice cream made by Florida-based Big Olaf Creamery.

One person has died in the outbreak involving 10 states, while 22 have been hospitalized.

The agency said that health officials interviewed 17 of those those who got sick and 14 reported eat...

Biggest Weight Gain Now Comes Early in Adulthood

The obesity epidemic isn't slowing down anytime soon, and new research delivers even worse news: Most American adults have not only gained more weight, but they gained most of it earlier in life.

The statistics were grim: More than half of Americans in the representative sample had gained 5% or more body weight during a 10-year period. Mor...

Only 7% of American Adults in Good Cardiometabolic Health

Less than 7% of U.S. adults are in good cardiometabolic shape, and new research warns the trend is only getting worse.

Cardiometabolic health is an umbrella term that includes blood pressure, blood sugar, blood cholesterol, weight and/or the presence of heart disease.

"While we know that cardiometabolic health among Americans is a si...

Most U.S. Kids Score Low on Heart Health

Most U.S. children and adults have poor scores for heart health, according to a new assessment tool called "Life's Essential 8."

Fewer than 30% of 2- to 19-year-olds had high scores for cardiovascular health on the new American Heart Association scoring tool. And their scores got lower with age. Just 14% of 12- to 19-year-olds had high sco...

What Drives Doctors to Take Their Own Lives

Doctor burnout and suicide are a growing concern, a new study finds.

“We often overlook the physical health of our health care workers, but poor health can lead to difficulty performing tasks at work, which then leads to job stress and mental health issues,” said corresponding author Dr. Kristen Kim, a resident in psychiatry at UC San ...

Scientists Track the Microbiomes of Stray & Pet Dogs Around the World

Whether they're household pets in South Africa, strays in India or living in rural Laos, dogs have similar microbes colonizing their digestive tracts.

That's the key takeaway from a new study that built upon existing research into the canine microbiome — the collection of bacteria that live inside dogs' guts.

Researchers noted tha...

Vitamin D Deficiency Common in Young Black, Hispanic Americans

Vitamin D, the "Sunshine Vitamin," boosts the immune system and helps prevent cancer, among other health benefits, but a significant number of Black and Hispanic teens have low levels of this nutrient, according to a new study.

"This paper calls attention to the need to raise awareness among clinicians regarding social determinants of heal...