A comprehensive eye exam could be the key to determining if you have glaucoma, a silent thief of sight. Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that affect the optic nerve, and the leading cause of preventable blindness, according to The Glaucoma Foundation. But most people are unaware of their risk. Glaucoma affects about 80 million people worldwide, and that number is expected to reach almost 112 million by 2040. The condition can run in families. It disproportionately affects people of color. Most people are diagnosed after age 40, and at least half of glaucoma patients had no symptoms until their vision was already significantly damaged. As many as 1.5 million Americans are unaware that glaucoma is silently damaging their optic nerves right now, according to the foundation. High-risk factors for glaucoma include a family history of the disease and being over age 40. Having a family member with glaucoma doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll get the disease, however. The most important risk factor is having abnormally high intraocular pressure (IOP), the foundation explained in a news release. Being of African, Hispanic and Asian descent also increases the risk. People with African and Hispanic ancestry have a greater tendency for developing primary open-angle glaucoma. People of Asian ancestry are more apt to develop angle-closure glaucoma and normal-tension glaucoma. Other risk factors include diabetes, nearsightedness, previous eye…  read on >  read on >

It’s safe for kids to take the COVID-19 vaccine after they’ve suffered a rare complication from a prior COVID infection, a U.S. National Institutes of Health-supported study has concluded. Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) affects about 1 in every 3,000 to 4,000 kids who contract COVID-19, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The complication, which occurs a few weeks after COVID-19 infection, involves an intense immune response that can lead to life-threatening organ failure. Seventy-four deaths in the United States have been linked to MIS-C during the pandemic, the CDC says. A lingering question of COVID vaccine safety is how it might affect the more than 9,000 children and adolescents who’ve been diagnosed with MIS-C, the researchers noted. To figure that out, 22 North American medical centers enrolled 385 children aged 5 and older who’d had MIS-C from an earlier COVID infection but were now eligible to receive the vaccine. Of the group, about half received at least one vaccine dose. The average length of time between MIS-C diagnosis to the first vaccine dose was 9 months. The average age of participants in the study was 12 years old, and about 74% were boys. Participants were racially diverse. The report was published online Jan. 3 in JAMA Network Open. Mild side effects like arm soreness and fatigue occurred in 49%…  read on >  read on >

Giving up cigarettes can be excruciating, with cravings and withdrawal symptoms lingering for weeks, especially if you aren’t strongly motivated. Yet, just minutes after that first smoke-free breath, your body starts to change for the better. And with all the healthy breaths you take in the weeks and months that follow, the benefits only multiply. The health benefits of quitting smoking is the first and biggest reason to quit, according to the American Lung Association (ALA). “Even persons who have smoked for many years or who have smoked heavily can realize health and financial benefits from quitting smoking,” Dr. Robert Redfield, then director of the U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, wrote in a forward to the 2020 U.S. Surgeon General’s report on smoking cessation. “Although the benefits of quitting are greater the earlier in life that an individual quits, this report confirms that it is never too late to quit smoking,” he added. Quitting will be hard, but worthwhile Here’s what happens when you stop smoking: Withdrawal symptoms of quitting smoking include cravings, irritability and restlessness. Some will also have issues with concentration, trouble sleeping, hunger, weight gain and feelings of depression, anxiety or sadness, according to the CDC. The health benefits of quitting smoking start about 20 minutes after the last drag. That’s when a smoker’s heart rate and blood pressure both…  read on >  read on >

Could hydration hold the key to longevity? Maybe, suggests new research that discovered older adults who are properly hydrated may be healthier and live longer than those who aren’t, having less incidence of conditions like heart and lung disease. “Staying well-hydrated may slow down aging, prevent or delay development of chronic diseases, and therefore prolong disease-free life,” said lead investigator Natalia Dmitrieva, a researcher from the Laboratory of Cardiovascular Regenerative Medicine at the U.S. National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. “The best way for people to keep well-hydrated is to be aware of the amount of fluids they drink without engaging in intensive sports activities or [spending] a long time in a hot environment,” Dmitrieva said. The current recommendations vary from 2 to 3 liters of fluid daily — for women, that’s 6 to 9 cups of fluids like water each day, while men need around 8 to 12 cups, she said. “Worldwide population surveys estimate that more than 50% of people drink less fluid than recommended and therefore have an opportunity to decrease their risk of developing chronic diseases by increasing water intake to the recommended levels,” Dmitrieva said. Samantha Heller, a senior clinical nutritionist at NYU Langone Health in New York City, agreed that being well-hydrated is essential for healthy living. “Our bodies work hard to maintain a healthy fluid balance, which includes…  read on >  read on >

As millions of Americans born in the baby boomer generation are already finding out, bone loss is a common sign of aging. And now experts at the American College of Physicians (ACP) — one of the leading groups representing primary care doctors — is issuing updated guidelines on how best to prevent and treat weakening bones. “Osteoporosis is a systemic skeletal disease characterized by decreasing bone mass and deterioration of bone tissue that leads to an increased risk for bone fragility and fracture, especially in the hip, spine, and wrist,” the ACP explained in a news release. The ACP estimates that over 10 million Americans older than 49 currently have osteoporosis, while another 43.3 million have low bone mass that could progress to full-blown osteoporosis. The new guidelines, published Jan. 2 in the Annals of Internal Medicine, were based in part on new data on the safety and effectiveness of a variety of newer classes of drugs. Those medicines include human parathyroid hormone-related peptides and sclerostin inhibitors, the group said. However, the guidelines maintain that the “first-line” treatment for postmenopausal women with diagnosed osteoporosis, as well as any men diagnosed with the condition, should involve a long-used class of drugs known as bisphosphonates. Bisphosphonates include well-known medicines such as alendronate (Fosamax), risedronate (Actonel) and ibandronate (Boniva). Using bisphosphonates first “had the most favorable balance between…  read on >  read on >

Wearing proper gear, watching out for snow and ice hazards, and “walking like a penguin” are just some of the tips that can help prevent winter accidents, one medical expert says. “A variety of injuries can occur during the winter,” cautioned Dr. Mahmood Gharib, a physiatrist at the University of Minnesota Medical School, in Minneapolis. “If someone slips or falls on icy surfaces, an injury can range from spine and musculoskeletal injuries — such as sprains and broken bones — to head and brain injuries — such as a concussion.” Winter sports are also a common cause of injury, Gharib added, while frostbite and hypothermia are additional concerns. People should be mindful of slippery or icy surfaces that may be hard to see. Use extra caution near water runoff areas such as downspouts, landscaping, parking ramps and outdoor stairwells because of the possibility of black ice. Stay on designated sidewalks and avoid taking shortcuts through grass and landscaping, Gharib advised. “Walk like a penguin,” Gharib said in a university news release. This looks like moving slowly and walking flat-footed. Use a wide stance, taking small, shuffle-like steps. Keep your center of gravity over your feet, using your arms for balance. Dress appropriately, wearing multiple layers for warmth. Wear appropriate footwear to limit slipping. Gharib suggests that a few gentle stretching techniques can get your body…  read on >  read on >

While getting a COVID-19 vaccine provides antibodies against the coronavirus, getting a booster shot creates a longer-lasting antibody response, according to new research. “These results fit with other recent reports and indicate that booster shots enhance the durability of vaccine-elicited antibodies,” said senior researcher Dr. Jeffrey Wilson of the University of Virginia (UVA) Health division of asthma, allergy and immunology, in Charlottesville. “Although only about half of the U.S. population that is eligible for a booster has received one, it is increasingly clear that boosters enhance the protection that is conferred by the primary series mRNA vaccines alone,” Wilson said in a university news release. In the study of almost 350 volunteers, getting an mRNA booster (from drugmakers Pfizer or Moderna) made for longer-lasting antibodies for all recipients, the investigators found. That was even true for those who had recovered from a COVID-19 infection. The researchers worked with 117 UVA employee volunteers who had a booster shot and another 228 volunteers who had just a primary vaccine series of two shots. The study results revealed similar antibody levels in both groups about one week to 31 days after their shots. The boosted antibodies then lasted longer. “Our initial thought was that boosters would lead to higher antibody levels than the primary vaccine series, but that was not what we found,” said co-author Samuel Ailsworth. “Instead,…  read on >  read on >