A high school student-athlete with a potentially life-threatening heart defect had no symptoms and only learned of his condition through a screening required by Florida law.

The state’s Second Chance Act went into effect July 1 ahead of the 2026-2027 school year and requires students in grades 9 through 12 to undergo at least one electrocardiogram (ECG) screening the first time they participate in or try out for interscholastic athletics, with certain exceptions, affiliate FOX 13 Tampa Bay reported.

An ECG, also called an EKG, is a simple, noninvasive test that measures the heart’s electrical signals and can help identify irregular rhythms or other signs of heart trouble.

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For Cameron Crider, a sophomore football and basketball player at Calvary Christian High School in Clearwater, which requires ECGs for all student athletes, the screening led doctors to discover an atrial septal defect (ASD), a congenital heart defect involving an opening in the wall between the heart’s two upper chambers.

If a significant ASD is left untreated, the extra blood flow can strain the heart and lungs over time and may lead to complications such as pulmonary hypertension (high blood pressure), heart failure and, in some cases, stroke.

"I’ve been playing [sports] my whole life and didn’t notice anything, so I was surprised because I haven’t felt anything," Cameron told FOX 13.

"[Cam was] going to a three-hour football practice and then a two-hour basketball practice back-to-back and never having fatigue or shortness of breath, or, you know, anything that you would think would be a warning sign," his mother, Laura Crider, told the station. "So, we were completely shocked."

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Crider is scheduled for surgery to fix the ASD in October and is expected to be able to play sports again next season.

The mandatory ECG is "a gift from God that has been given to us, truly," Laura Crider said.

"We were able to find this out in a doctor’s office with an explanation and a clear plan that says we can help you, and so many of these other parents who are advocating for these screenings, they had to find out through a tragedy," she continued.

Up to 80% of young athletes who suffer sudden cardiac arrest (SCA), the leading cause of death during exercise, don’t have any warning symptoms prior to their arrest, Dr. Jonathan Drezner, director of the University of Washington Medicine Center for Sports Cardiology, told Fox News Digital.

Because intense physical activity places additional stress on the heart, undetected heart conditions can become dangerous during sports, the American Heart Association (AHA) told Fox News Digital.

"Sudden cardiac arrest is not the only concern," the AHA said. "These conditions can also lead to other serious heart-related complications and may require monitoring, treatment or restrictions on athletic participation to keep students safe."

The AHA does not recommend mandatory ECG screenings for every student athlete.

"A heart assessment that includes a review of a student's personal and family history along with a physical examination is the best way to identify serious heart conditions that can lead to cardiac events in student athletes," the AHA said. 

"If the comprehensive heart assessment raises concerns, health care professionals can order appropriate follow-up testing, such as an ECG, echocardiogram, heart monitor or other advanced imaging based on the suspected diagnosis."

The AHA and American College of Cardiology support what they say is an "evidence-based, layered approach to identify heart issues so they can be diagnosed, monitored and treated as early as possible."

According to Drezner, an ECG screening, when interpreted properly, is one of the best screening tools in medicine.

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"An ECG greatly increases our ability to detect conditions associated with SCA in the young," he said. 

"A standard sports physical by history and physical alone will miss 80-90% of kids with at-risk heart conditions. An ECG can suggest or detect about 80% of the conditions that put young persons at risk. It is not perfect, but it is far better than the standard sports physical."

Though healthy athletes and young people can have a potentially lethal heart condition and not know it, Drezner said chest pain, passing out and a racing heart are symptoms that should not be ignored.

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"Make sure your child feels well when they exercise," he advised. "If you have a family history of genetic heart conditions or SCA, you should bring this up with your child’s doctor. And get your child a proper heart screen with an ECG."

Two Navy veterans recently reunited to complete a great expedition across America.

Jim Serger, 55, of Cincinnati, Ohio, and Cory Hardy, 51, of Ennis, Montana, hadn’t seen each other in 30 years since serving together overseas.

On July 14, the two friends embarked on a bike ride across the country, from California to New York City, in honor of the upcoming 25th anniversary of 9/11.

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After writing three books for the nonprofit Tunnel to Towers, Serger said he felt he needed to challenge himself "with something bigger."

"And why not wrangle in my old Navy buddy, who I hadn’t seen for 30 years, that I knew was a tremendous bicyclist," he told Fox News Digital. "Back in January, I said, ‘Would you like to go on this trip?’ And he said, ‘Absolutely, Jimmy, count me in.’"

Hardy said he’s always viewed himself as "incredibly patriotic" because he’s been granted "so many opportunities" through the military to see the world and get an education.

"When Jim approached me about the idea of doing this, I was like, ‘Wow, this is awesome. This is something that I can do,’" Hardy shared.

"It's the 250th anniversary of our country and the 25th anniversary of 9/11, and I don't want to forget. And I want people to keep it at the forefront of their minds."

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Serger trained for 10 months, logging 5,000 miles on an indoor trainer. When spring came, he hit the trails around Cincinnati.

A few months later, the duo began their journey in San Diego and headed east. They were met with 20 road closures, a fire and flooding in Colorado, two flat tires, three bike shop visits and lots of backroad maneuvering.

Serger and Hardy focused on staying hydrated, especially in the California and Arizona heat, with a collective three gallons of water each day, sometimes including electrolytes. They snacked on energy waffles, protein bars and "salt gummy bears" and ate lots of carbs at meals.

Hardy said he took 10-minute ice baths "every single day." Serger reported losing six pounds by the end of the mission, which he gained back by eating "good food" in New York.

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While Hardy was already accustomed to the elevation after living in mountainous Montana, Serger said the altitude posed a physical challenge.

"It was grueling ... so hard," he told Fox News Digital. "Cory had to take the mountains in Colorado. I stayed on flat ground. That was our game plan."

Serger and Hardy met up with some of their old Navy buddies along the way. One fellow veteran, an Arizona state trooper, drove from Phoenix to Flagstaff to meet them on the route. Others opened their homes for the pair to stay the night.

The friends stopped at about 25 firehouses to hand out Tunnel to Towers books and to introduce themselves.

"Sometimes we were there for an hour, sometimes we were there for four hours," Serger said. "Talking about Tunnel to Towers, where they were on 9/11 … how much they train … it was just very heartwarming."

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Serger said he and Hardy both foster the "patriotic mentality" of "what we can do for others." Hardy serves on city council and Serger's wife cooks for the fire department every month. These types of efforts were reciprocated on their journey.

"Every fire station, EMS, police station, they're all involved in the communities. We got patches. We got hats. we got pins. We got T-shirts," Serger said.

Hardy added that, at every firehouse, everybody was there to help, "regardless of their state’s political affiliation."

"They're just another American out there willing to put their life on the line to save people," he said. "I thought it was super awesome to get to meet firefighters from East Coast to West Coast.

"The closer we got to Shanksville and the Pentagon and New York, it became very emotional, because then people said, ‘My mom was there’ or ‘My aunt was there' ... and then a firefighter said, ‘Three of our brothers went up there.’

"The closer we got, we knew we had hit the epicenter of how people responded to those terrorist attacks, and it really hit home."

At the Pentagon, Serger and Hardy got a police escort from the Pentagon Police and Pentagon Fire Department before receiving a five-hour tour, including the 9/11 memorial.

Clocking about 170 miles a day, the pair made it to Lower Manhattan in 20 days.

They were welcomed by the FDNY, Port Authority and NYPD Honor Guard at FDNY Ten House, across from Ground Zero and the 9/11 Memorial & Museum.

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"I started crying," Serger said. "My wife was there. She flew in. We had Sal Cassano, the [former] FDNY fire commissioner, there. Fire Station 10 had firemen, civilians were there. It was very, very moving."

Serger and Hardy’s cause has so far raised more than $17,000 for Tunnel to Towers.

In addition to raising funds for the organization, Serger said the expedition aims to generate continued awareness for those who sacrificed and risked their lives on 9/11 as the 25th anniversary approaches.

"We never forget 9/11," Serger said. "We never forget the sacrifice of our heroes, of our military, our first responders and gold star families," he said. "We never want 9/11 to fade away."

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Serger described the bike ride as a "surreal" and emotional experience.

"It started off with, we're going to raise money for Tunnel to Towers, and I think our final [takeaway] was there's a lot of love and pride and patriotism in this country, from far west all the way to the east," he shared. 

"Everybody welcomed us with open arms. That's all we talked about."

Sitting all day at a desk is the norm for millions of American workers, but it can take a toll on the body.

As long hours spent in the same position can contribute to poor posture, stiffness and other physical issues, experts say regular movement and stretching can help prevent joint pain and muscle weakness.

"Many people sit every day for most of the day, and this can cause so many problems in the body," certified fitness and yoga instructor Hilaria Baldwin told Fox News Digital. "We've all heard of tech neck, carpal tunnel – most of that has to do with the alignment of our spine."

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Baldwin shared the following simple stretches that can be done in a desk chair, while cautioning people to "be the judge of what’s appropriate" for their workspace before trying the techniques.

Sitting in a desk chair, bring the arms up into a "goal post" position, with the elbows in alignment with the shoulders.

Pull the core in, squeeze the shoulder blades together and pull the chin back. Imagine that the back of the head is pressing up against a wall.

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Keeping the arms in position, start bringing both elbows in front, touching them together. Open again and squeeze. Repeat this about 10 times.

"This, for me, feels really good," Baldwin said. "Check in with your body during the day. I'm going to do maybe a few at 10 a.m. and then maybe again at 11:30. You can't do too many of these."

"You also develop an incredible back if you want to wear those backless dresses, but it also makes you feel better," she added.

From the previous position, take the arms down until the palms of the hands are facing the floor. Start to squeeze the shoulder and back muscles.

Bring the arms forward to cross over each other and stop once the elbows are aligned.

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As the arms cross, round the head down, bringing the forehead toward the elbows. Open the arms up and repeat about 10 times, practicing the set consistently throughout the day.

"As I'm rounding, I’m pulling the shoulder blades away from the spine as a bit of a hug, and then I open again and squeeze the shoulder blades together," Baldwin described.

"It's going to help remind you that you need to be sitting up with your shoulders back, chin back," she added.

Interlace the fingers behind the head and bring the elbows toward one another.

Slowly drop the chin to the chest, lightly pulling down through the spine.

In the opposite direction, open the elbows wide, arching the back and lifting the chin to the sky.

"Focus on your breath here as well, especially if you have a stressful job," Baldwin said. "We stop breathing and that just puts tension in our body, so try to take deep breaths. Inhale, exhale."

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"If you're about to write that email that maybe you shouldn't write, maybe just tap into your breath, do a few of these."

Although subtle, Baldwin calls this exercise "extremely important," as it focuses on engaging the core while seated.

Sit up straight and pull the belly button toward the spine, noticing if you can feel where the sit bones are pressing into the chair.

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Rock back and forth, pulling in the belly button. Think about pulling in the "seatbelt muscle," in the lower gut area, maintaining proper posture.

"This is actually a really good ab exercise," Baldwin noted.

For those who are able to stand, Baldwin encourages employees to rise from their chair and "stretch a little bit," since sitting for long periods of time can "shorten the hip flexors."

"Anything where you can stretch it out is going be really great for you," she said. "I like to mix it with a calf stretch as well."

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Stand up and step one foot out in front of the other in a slight lunge, bending the front knee. Open through the back of the leg and press the heel down.

Press forward and bring the hips to center, making sure to maintain the same posture practiced while sitting. Switch the legs and stretch on the other side.

An experimental skin cancer vaccine significantly reduced the risk of melanoma returning or spreading in a late-stage clinical trial from Merck and Moderna.

The results mark the first positive Phase 3 trial of an mRNA-based personalized cancer therapy, according to the companies.

Known as INTerpath-001, the study evaluated 1,137 patients globally who had surgery to remove high-risk (Stage IIB through Stage IV) melanoma. Patients were randomly assigned to receive either Keytruda, plus the personalized vaccine, or Keytruda, plus placebo.

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Patients who received the combination experienced significantly better "recurrence-free survival," meaning their cancer was less likely to return than in those who received Keytruda alone.

The combination also significantly improved "distant metastasis-free survival," a measure of how long patients remained alive without the cancer spreading to distant parts of the body.

"These phase 3 findings represent a pivotal moment for the field of cancer research," Stéphane Bancel, CEO of Moderna, said in the press release. "For many years, the idea of creating an mRNA treatment designed specifically for an individual patient's cancer was aspirational. We are now helping turn that vision into a reality."

Unlike traditional vaccines that protect against external viruses, the custom-tailored mRNA vaccine (intismeran autogene) is a therapeutic vaccine given after surgery to train the body to hunt leftover cancer cells.

After a patient undergoes surgery to remove a tumor, doctors sample both the cancerous tissue and healthy cells. Then, advanced algorithms analyze the tumor's genetic sequence to select up to 34 tumor-specific neoantigens to encode in the personalized treatment.

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Dr. Murad Alam, chief of dermatology at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago, noted that not all melanomas are the same.

"They're slightly different in every patient, which is why traditional chemotherapies often stop working or don't work in a particular patient," he told Fox News Digital. "This is almost individualized immunotherapy, where you're finding specific issues in a particular patient."

The individualized approach is designed to direct the immune system toward tumor-specific targets, Alam noted. 

"It doesn't hit normal cells, and it hits the cancer cells very effectively because it's not just a generic vaccine. It's one that specifically knows the signs of your cancer and can find it," he said.

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The goal of this particular vaccine, according to the doctor, is to extend the lives of people who "already have a bad case of the disease."

It is not intended to prevent melanoma in people who do not have the disease, even if they have a family history that may put them at greater risk, nor is it intended for those with a very small melanoma.

"This is designed for people where the melanoma has grown to the point where it's threatening not just the local area of the skin, but their whole lives," Alam said.

Alam also spoke about the role of artificial intelligence in determining which antigens to include in the vaccine so that it is most effective.

"These things are difficult, and, historically, [they] took a lot of time, and it just wouldn't be feasible to do this for every individual patient without the power of AI," he said. "And I'm sure that will become better and better in the future.

"Here, AI is a tool that allows you in a reasonable amount of time, with a reasonable amount of resources ... to come up with a vaccine for that individual person."

After the successful Phase 3 outcome, Merck and Moderna announced plans to engage with regulatory authorities worldwide, including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, about potential regulatory filings.

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Plans are in the works to test the vaccine technology against other hard-to-treat cancers, including lung, bladder and kidney cancers.

"I think the underlying concept of targeting a particular tumor with the specific markers on that tumor is generalizable, meaning you could do this with different kinds of skin cancer or different kinds of cancer in general," Alam agreed. "It's very exciting."

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Although the companies said the results were significant and meaningful, the findings are still early and did not reveal how long patients remained cancer-free. 

The Phase 3 announcement also did not establish whether the treatment ultimately helps patients live longer.

The recurrence-free survival results were also based on investigator assessments rather than an independent central review, the release noted.

The study only looked at people with specific stages of skin melanoma who had surgery and no prior drug treatments, so the results may not apply to other types or stages of cancer.

Merck said the treatments’ side effects were similar to those seen in earlier studies, with no new safety concerns identified.

Alam reiterated that the vaccine seems to have both a "tremendous benefit [and] good side effect profile."

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"When you're getting very strong cancer medications, even when they work, the toll on the patient is often terrible," he said. "It alters their life during the course of treatment where there's tremendous suffering.

"The nice thing about this, because it's so targeted, it doesn't damage many of your normal cells ... so the side effects are really mild — a little fatigue, a little chills, some injection side pain."

Even as new data shows cancer’s continuing toll in the U.S., a surgical oncologist says some simple lifestyle measures could help lower the likelihood of developing the disease.

An estimated 2,114,850 new cancer cases will be diagnosed in the U.S. in 2026 — about 5,800 per day, according to the American Cancer Society.

Dr. Loren Rourke, a Texas-based breast surgical oncologist and author of "Real Talk, Real Hope: Breast Cancer Your Way," emphasized that while no lifestyle choice can guarantee cancer prevention, healthy habits can help reduce certain risk factors.

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From maintaining a healthy weight to staying active, Rourke shared the following five everyday strategies that support the body and improve overall health.

Being obese or overweight is associated with an increased risk of at least 13 types of cancer, according to the National Cancer Institute.

Rourke estimates that excess body weight is likely the third-biggest risk factor for breast cancer, after female gender and aging.

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Growing research suggests glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) medications — including Ozempic and Wegovy — may be associated with a lower risk of cancer diagnoses and recurrence.

Rourke said one possible reason GLP-1s could prove beneficial for cancer risk is that the drugs promote weight loss and reduce chronic inflammation.

"We know that a lower BMI equals a better prognosis with breast cancer," she told Fox News Digital. "So if the secondary effect of taking a GLP-1 means that you’re going to lose weight, that’s a benefit, because we know you’re going to do better with breast cancer."

GLP-1 drugs are not yet approved to prevent cancer, and more research is needed to determine whether they independently reduce disease risk.

The American Cancer Society states that physical activity is linked to a lower risk of several cancers.

The official guideline recommends 150–300 minutes of moderate activity or 75–150 minutes of vigorous activity per week for adults.

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"I think people underestimate overall fitness," Rourke said. "We tend to think about it for heart health, but it’s not just heart health — it’s mental health and reducing your risk of having lots of chronic medical problems that span from one end to the other, in addition to other cancers."

Even if staying physically fit doesn’t keep cancer at bay, it may help improve outcomes if the disease develops, she noted.

"One in eight women get breast cancer. So if it comes knocking, you want to be ready," she said.

"Women come to me and say, ‘I’ve done everything. I’ve exercised every day. I’ve eaten a healthy diet, and here I am sitting in your office.’ And I say, ‘Well, that healthy body is now ready for this fight.’"

"If you can bring a healthy body and a healthy mind to the disease, you are going to do better."

To lower the risk of cancer and premature death, the American Cancer Society recommends sticking to a diet rich in vegetables, whole fruits, whole grains and legumes, while limiting red/processed meats, sugary drinks and highly processed foods.

Rourke agrees with these guidelines, but noted that even people who follow healthy eating patterns can face cancer diagnoses.

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"I have vegans sitting in my office. I have people who don’t eat any sugar in my office. They’re all getting breast cancer," she said.

"What I say is, [eat] a healthy, balanced diet, limited processed foods, as close to farm-to-table as you can get," the doctor advised. "Just healthy eating, reasonable portions … nothing in excess."

"If you practice that, that’s going to suit you for so many things in your future."

The doctor added that it’s not necessary to take an extreme approach to dietary choices: "Do you need to give up all sugar? No. Do you need to go to the extreme? No."

Cigarette smoking is responsible for about 20% of all cancers and about 30% of cancer deaths in the U.S., according to the American Cancer Society. The habit can cause cancer in numerous parts of the body, and quitting can reduce cancer risk at any age, experts say.

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Meanwhile, alcohol consumption has been linked to an estimated 5% of U.S. cancer cases and 4% of cancer deaths in 2019, according to the National Cancer Institute.

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The U.S. surgeon general issued guidance last year following research that linked alcohol to at least seven types of cancer, naming it as the "third leading preventable cause of cancer" in the country, after tobacco and obesity.

Rourke advised that alcohol should only be consumed in moderation, although even light drinking has been shown to raise the risk of certain cancers.

"Too many Americans are living with an outdated assumption that some amount of alcohol is not only harmless, but also good for you," Fox News senior medical analyst Dr. Marc Siegel previously told Fox News Digital. "Increasing evidence shows that isn't true."

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"Even though traditional advice has been up to one drink a day for women and two drinks per day for men, in fact, no amount of alcohol is healthy," he added.

Early detection programs have enabled doctors and patients to detect disease earlier than ever before, which increases survival rates, Rourke noted.

"I think now there’s more awareness," she said. "People know if they have someone in their family and what kind of cancer they had."

"I think people are much more educated in general, and that is promoting wellness, health, early detection and screening."

Rourke also expressed concern about relying too heavily on artificial intelligence when investigating possible symptoms.

"If you are worried about something, call your primary care doctor [or] gynecologist," she advised. "If you feel like something’s wrong, follow through with it and get it checked out. Never ignore your inner voice."

Those who take oral glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) medications, such as Wegovy tablets, are advised not to take the medication with morning coffee or tea.

According to FDA prescribing information, Wegovy tablets should be taken on an empty stomach with up to 4 ounces of water — and no other liquids. Patients should wait at least 30 minutes before consuming food, other beverages or oral medications.

As the first FDA-approved oral medication for chronic weight management, the pill has different guidelines than the original injectable options, particularly because absorption through the digestive system can be affected by food and drink.

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Dr. Michael Hall, a board-certified physician, longevity specialist and author of "Infinite Youth," confirmed that oral Wegovy should be taken on an empty stomach, only with water.

"Coffee, tea, juice or other drinks should not be taken with the pill because they can interfere with how the medicine is absorbed," the Miami Beach, Florida-based doctor told Fox News Digital.

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For oral GLP-1 users, Hall recommends the following morning routine.

"Food and beverages other than water, and other oral medicines, can affect absorption if taken too soon," Hall said. "The safest rule is 30 minutes of nothing by mouth except water after the tablet."

The expert added that GLP-1 medications can also slow stomach emptying, which can impact how other oral medications are absorbed.

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Fox News senior medical analyst Dr. Marc Siegel agreed that a GLP-1 pill should not be taken with caffeine, but only on an empty stomach with water.

While drinking tea throughout the day generally does not interfere with oral GLP-1s or block their absorption, patients should consult their physicians, Siegel told Fox News Digital.

The doctor added that certain teas, like green, black and white teas, can help support digestion, while ginger and peppermint tea can help alleviate nausea.

Fox News Digital reached out to Wegovy maker Novo Nordisk for comment.

Consuming a sugary drink a day may significantly raise the risk of developing stomach cancer, according to new research from Mass General Brigham.

After accounting for other risk factors, the researchers found that one or more sugary drinks per day was linked to nearly triple the risk of gastric cancer compared with fewer than one serving per month.

Roughly two-thirds (63%) of U.S. adults report consuming sugar-sweetened beverages at least once a day, CDC data states.

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While earlier studies linked sugary drinks to higher rates of liver, breast and colorectal malignancies, their specific impact on gastric tissue remained unclear until now.

The new study analyzed data from more than 100,000 participants in the Nurses' Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-Up Study.

The long-term prospective cohort studies, which were managed by Harvard-affiliated researchers, analyzed links between lifestyle, diet and chronic disease among healthcare workers.

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"It's definitely a concern because we are seeing an increase in cancers of the gastrointestinal tract, particularly in young people [under] 50," senior author Andrew T. Chan, a gastroenterologist and epidemiologist with the Mass General Brigham Cancer Institute in Boston, told Fox News Digital.

"Our increasing consumption of sugary drinks and also ultra-processed foods is likely to be contributing to some of these cancer trends," he added.

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Gastric cancer is heavily linked to Helicobacter pylori bacteria, a type of bacteria that lives in the stomach lining. 

In a subset of study participants, there was no connection found between sugary drink intake and H. pylori, strengthening the hypothesis that sugar (fructose) plays a role.

The researchers defined sugar-sweetened drinks as regular sodas, fruit punches, lemonade and sports beverages, in which fructose is the main sweetener. Higher fructose consumption was associated with greater stomach cancer risk.

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Artificially sweetened drinks, including diet sodas and other low-calorie carbonated drinks, were not linked to an increased risk of gastric cancer among more than 100,000 subjects.

The research was observational, which means it could only show correlation and not direct causation.

The participants were predominantly White healthcare professionals, meaning the findings need to be confirmed across diverse populations, the team acknowledged.

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"The study is unable to really prove cause and effect," Chan said. "What we did see was an association. We certainly need to do more research to understand whether this association between sugary-sweetened beverages and stomach cancer is truly causal."

The study was published in the journal Gastro Hep Advances.

People who fly for a living could face a higher risk of certain types of cancers, a new Harvard study suggests.

Flight attendants and pilots in the U.S. face the highest risk of radiation-related cancer deaths out of a list of more than 500 occupations, the researchers concluded.

"As you get high up in the atmosphere, you're exposed to ionizing radiation from the sun. It's called cosmic radiation," study author Anupam B. Jena, M.D., Ph.D., told Fox News Digital.

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The finding was based on analysis of data from the National Vital Statistics System, specifically, nearly 13 million U.S. death certificates between 2020 and 2024. Out of those records, 14,000 were pilots and 7,000 were flight attendants.

Across all occupations, the team analyzed mortality from radiation-related cancers, including breast cancer, multiple myeloma, leukemia (except chronic lymphocytic leukemia), lymphoma, central nervous system cancers, thyroid cancer, prostate cancer, melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers.

They did not include lung cancer to prevent confounding the results with any smoking-related risk.

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Pilots and flight attendants were found to have "statistically significantly" higher mortality rates linked to breast cancer, central nervous system cancers, prostate cancers and melanoma. Pilots were also more likely to die from leukemia.

Among all flight attendant deaths, 6.9% were linked to radiation-related cancers, as were 6.7% of pilots’ deaths. This was higher than the rates for any other occupations, the researchers found.

For cancers not related to radiation, the rates were comparable to other occupations.

"It's not just lifestyle factors or factors about these individuals that are making them more likely to develop cancer at large," Jena added.

The study was published Aug. 17 in JAMA Internal Medicine.

"The risk increase is meaningful enough for the group," Jena said. "Our study doesn't speak to the individual pilot or flight attendant, but more so to the two groups as a whole."

Each year, airline workers receive about 3 to 6 millisieverts of cosmic radiation, compared to 0.4 millisieverts for someone who takes 10 round-trip cross-country flights, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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That means airline workers may receive roughly eight to 15 times the annual cosmic radiation exposure of someone taking 10 cross-country round trips.

"It is thought that this would be a cumulative risk, so the more time that you're exposed to that cosmic radiation, the greater the increase in risk that you might experience," Jena pointed out.

The findings could also raise questions about whether U.S. pilots and flight attendants should receive additional or earlier cancer screenings.

"I think the level of screening may need to be higher," Jena said, noting that approaches differ between the U.S. and other countries.

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"Just making sure that these individuals are screened regularly, that they may be screened earlier in life than other folks — I think that's totally on the table."

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For people who fly frequently for business or pleasure, Jena said the findings should be less concerning, noting that very few passengers accumulate flight time comparable to pilots and flight attendants.

He added, "This is really sort of a consideration for people who spend their life in the air."

The study has several limitations. Because it was observational, the findings cannot establish that cosmic radiation caused the elevated cancer mortality among pilots and flight attendants, only that the two were associated.

The researchers also did not have access to data on individual workers’ radiation exposure, which means they could not determine whether those with greater exposure faced greater risks.

Other occupational or lifestyle factors could also potentially contribute to the findings.

Bud Leavell, 72, suffered from severe tremors for years after his Parkinson's diagnosis, making it impossible for him to enjoy his favorite pastime of repairing radios in his garage.

But within minutes of receiving a newly approved ultrasound treatment, his tremor was completely gone.

Leavell, a retired salesman and Air Force veteran in Arlington, Texas, experienced the dramatic before-and-after result at UT Southwestern Medical Center.

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The focused ultrasound targeted precise areas deep in Leavell’s brain. Unlike deep brain stimulation, which requires opening the skull, this new treatment is non-invasive.

At his latest follow-up, Leavell's tremor remained as well-controlled as it was immediately after the procedure, according to his doctor. When asked how the tremor was doing, Leavell responded with, "What tremor?"

Leavell was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2017, immediately following surgery for thyroid cancer.

"My voice was weak and gravelly, and within a few days, a tremor set into my right hand," he shared with Fox News Digital. "Before this time, I was experiencing a slow loss of my sense of smell."

The tremors made it "frustratingly difficult" for Leavell to perform certain functions, especially anything that required fine motor skills in his dominant hand, such as using his binoculars or clicking a computer mouse.

NEUROLOGIST REVEALS WHY PARKINSON'S SYMPTOMS ARE OFTEN MISTAKEN FOR OTHER CONDITIONS

Dr. Bhavya Shah, a neuroradiologist at UT Southwestern Medical Center, introduced Leavell to the option of a focused ultrasound treatment that was approved by the FDA in January 2026 to treat the primary motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, including stiffness and slowness.

"High-energy ultrasound waves are focused across the skull onto discrete brain targets," Shah told Fox News Digital. "The ultrasound energy heats up these nuclei, or nerve bundles, and removes them. This stops the pathologic transmission of electrical activity causing tremors or other symptoms."

Patients who have been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease are typically treated with medications, the doctor noted.

"Interventional options are discussed when the medications become less effective or patients develop side effects," he said. "These options include deep brain stimulation and now, focused ultrasound."

Parkinson's disease can affect patients differently, Shah pointed out.

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"The beauty of focused ultrasound is that before we permanently remove the tissue, we can use low-energy ultrasound waves to see if the patient's symptoms respond to the particular target," he said. "This is very important, as the optimal target may vary in patients."

UT Southwestern also uses advanced imaging to map a patient's brain before the procedure, which gives doctors a clearer picture of the ultrasound’s intended target, according to Shah.

In Leavell's case, his tremor responded strongly even to the initial low-energy ultrasound, giving the team confidence that they had identified the right target.

"Although the cardinal symptoms of Parkinson's disease are slowness and stiffness, Bud’s most bothersome symptom was tremor, so getting rid of the shaking was our primary goal," Shah added, noting that doctors can select different brain targets based on which symptoms are most troublesome.

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Leavell was eager to try the new therapy – but he did have some concerns about what the outcome would be.

"The entire team working this procedure was very professional and demonstrated considerable flexibility in making sure this was an easy process for me," he told Fox News Digital.

Immediately after receiving the ultrasound therapy on April 13, Leavell said his tremor was gone.

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"I can hold my hand still with or without a tool in my hand or while working on a project," he said. "I can also get a fork or spoon with food on it into my mouth with ease. But, this may turn into another problem, as I love to eat!"

Leavell has also been able to return to his hobby of repairing antique radios.

There are some potential risks associated with the treatment, Shah noted. Those include numbness and tingling around the mouth and fingertips, trouble walking, talking or swallowing, sometimes weakness in the upper or lower extremity, balance issues or struggles with episodic memory.

"Side effects occur approximately 20% to 30% of the time and generally improve over time," the doctor added.

There is also one key tradeoff compared with deep brain stimulation, he noted – DBS can be adjusted if symptoms return or worsen, but with focused ultrasound, there is no device that can be reprogrammed.

That means if symptoms return after the focused ultrasound, the patient could potentially require another treatment.

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Although the therapy has shown short-term effectiveness, because it is a newer technology, there is not yet long-term data available.

"For patients seeking an alternative to an implantable device, focused ultrasound represents a promising alternative," Shah said. "A patient considering these options should have a thorough discussion with their movement disorder neurologist to really understand the pros and cons of each treatment."

Shah expressed optimism for the future of Parkinson’s disease therapies, with the potential for other applications of focused ultrasound.

While he expressed appreciation for the procedure, Leavell emphasized that "God is in control of the circumstances in my life and will continue to be."

"However, anytime an opportunity comes along like this one, I will jump on it to see if I can experience an improvement in my circumstances."

To anyone who may be a candidate for the focused ultrasound, Leavell recommends getting an appointment with a specialist.

"Don’t let any grass grow under your feet," he advised. "While this is not a panacea for Parkinson’s, it is a dramatic and life-changing procedure."

Wait times between a cancer diagnosis and the start of treatment grew by nearly two weeks over the past decade in the U.S., according to a recent study published in JAMA Surgery.

Researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles and Massachusetts General Hospital analyzed national data from more than two million patients diagnosed between January 2012 and December 2023.

The study tracked adults with early to locally advanced stages of six common cancers (breast, colon, lung, pancreatic, stomach and esophageal) who received surgery as part of their initial care.

WHERE YOU LIVE COULD SHAPE YOUR RISK OF CANCER MORTALITY, STUDY SUGGESTS

Researchers measured wait times from the day of the diagnosis to the first treatment, whether that was a surgery or pre-surgical therapy designed to shrink a tumor.

Across all six cancer types, median wait times grew by more than 10 days over the study period, regardless of whether surgery came first or followed other treatments.

The longest increases occurred in stomach cancer, where wait times rose from 35 days to 49 days, and lung cancer, which increased from 41 days to 53 days. Breast cancer wait times grew from 34 to 45 days, while colon cancer delays increased from 20 to 31 days.

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Pancreatic cancer waits climbed from 23 to 32 days, and esophageal cancer delays grew from 38 to 48 days. The researchers also found that a growing share of patients waited 60 days or longer to begin treatment.

"This is part of our healthcare system that needs fixing immediately," Dr. Marc Siegel, Fox News senior medical analyst, told Fox News Digital.

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The delays were even seen at high-volume academic medical centers, noted Siegel, who was not involved in the study.

"The waiting times for basic cancer operations in non-metastatic diseases is high and increasing since 2012," he added.

After adjusting for factors like age and underlying health, researchers found the delays did not affect all groups in the same way.

Longer wait times were seen for Black patients, people on Medicaid, individuals in lower-income areas, patients traveling longer distances for care, and those treated at academic medical centers or high-volume hospitals.

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The West experienced longer delays than other regions, and for non-breast cancers, the use of robotic surgery was linked to longer wait times.

The study authors cautioned that delays in surgical treatment have been tied to higher death rates and worse long-term survival in previous medical research.

In supporting commentary published along with the study, Lia D. Delaney, M.D., and Sherry M. Wren, M.D., both of the Stanford School of Medicine in Palo Alto, California, emphasized that cancer care has become increasingly sophisticated over the last two decades.

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However, "as cancer care continues to regionalize, efforts to improve quality may inadvertently create barriers to timely treatment unless capacity and coordination evolve in parallel," they wrote.

The authors noted several limitations to their study. Because the analysis relied on retrospective data from the National Cancer Database, it could not determine the exact reasons behind individual treatment delays, such as scheduling issues, logistical hurdles or personal patient preferences.

The database also lacked information on when patients first developed symptoms or sought medical advice prior to diagnosis.

After seven years of sobriety, Brad Pitt has revealed that he resumed drinking alcohol in moderation — an approach that has raised concerns among some addiction experts.

In an Esquire interview published on Aug. 10, the actor said, "I was sober for seven years. And then I got back off the wagon."

Pitt shared that he now drinks "in a more restrained manner," saying that he doesn’t consume "big quantities" of alcohol.

BRAD PITT ADMITS HE BEGAN DRINKING AGAIN AFTER YEARS OF SOBRIETY

"I got overconfident a couple times, went, ‘Yep, nope, not good for me,’" he acknowledged. "I have to be professional about it."

Pitt once spoke about his sobriety in a 2019 New York Times interview, disclosing that he’d spent 18 months in Alcoholics Anonymous. "I had taken things as far as I could take it, so I removed my drinking privileges," he said.

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Jessica Steinman, a Los Angeles addiction specialist and chief clinical officer for No Matter What Recovery, generally advises against people returning to alcohol after a problematic relationship with it, warning that "testing the waters" can potentially be "dangerous."

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) defines alcohol use disorder (AUD) as an impaired ability to stop or control alcohol use despite adverse social, occupational or health consequences. The condition can range from mild to severe.

"There are people who struggle with substances and take a very large break, have a long period of sobriety and recovery, and they may choose to integrate it back into their lives," Steinman, who was not diagnosing Pitt with AUD, told Fox News Digital.

"As an addiction professional, as someone who's been in this field for a very long time, I don’t see a whole lot of success with that."

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Although some people do successfully return to substances after needing to stop, Steinman considers them "anomalies and exceptions to the rule."

"People think, ‘Oh, I've gone this long. I think I'm going to be able to manage it – I have the skills now. I have tools,’" she said.

Addiction can alter the brain’s reward system, she said, making it highly responsive to the dopamine release associated with drinking or substance use.

"And that doesn't go away – it lays dormant," Steinman said, comparing it to a bear in hibernation. "If you wake that bear … life can quickly become unmanageable. So they want to be very mindful of that happening."

The NIAAA notes that alcohol addiction involves changes across multiple brain systems related to rewards, stress, decision-making and learned responses to alcohol-related cues, and that some of those changes can continue even after drinking stops.

For those struggling with substance-use issues and mental health issues, it's a "lifelong issue" that must be managed like any other chronic illness, according to Steinman.

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"I liken it to diabetes or heart disease – you have to manage this health issue," she said. "And it's the same thing for alcoholism and substance use issues."

While NIAAA acknowledges that alcohol addiction can leave some people vulnerable to relapse, the agency notes that each recovery trajectory is unique.

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For someone who has returned to drinking after a period of sobriety, Steinman said there are certain warning signs that can indicate the return of problematic patterns. Those might include escalating consumption, erratic behavior, drinking alone, secretly drinking and drinking during the day.

Moderation can also mean different things to different people, she noted.

"Is it one drink a day? Is it a drink at dinner only? I've had people try out moderation by not having liquor at all and just sticking to beer and wine," Steinman said. "So it's all these different trials that they're doing when someone starts seeing an escalation."

Anyone who is noticing problematic behaviors with alcohol or drug consumption should speak with an addiction counselor, she advised.

For people with alcohol use disorder, the NIAAA says it is generally recommended to abstain from drinking for the "greatest chance of long-term success."

However, the agency also notes that some people can return to occasional drinking without resuming problematic use, and says specific treatment goals should be decided between the patient and a doctor or addiction specialist.

A person's waist size may reveal more about their heart health than the number on the scale, according to new research.

A study found that waist measurements can identify potential cardiovascular risks that may be missed when doctors rely on body mass index (BMI) alone.

Researchers from the Cross-Cohort Collaboration analyzed data from nearly 260,000 adults enrolled in 15 long-term health studies, following participants for about 20 years.

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The findings, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, showed that some people considered a normal weight based on BMI still carried higher levels of fat around their midsection.

Among participants in the normal and overweight BMI ranges, those with larger waist measurements or higher waist-to-hip ratios generally faced a 15% to 50% greater risk of several heart-related problems and death during the study period, according to the study.

The results suggest that looking at how weight is distributed across the body may provide a more complete picture than BMI alone.

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"BMI only tells us weight relative to height, it doesn't tell us where fat is stored, and that matters," Erin Palinski-Wade, a New Jersey-based registered dietitian, certified diabetes educator and author of the book "The Sleepdemic Solution," told Fox News Digital.

Fat carried around the abdomen can pose different health concerns than fat stored elsewhere on the body, said Palinski-Wade, who was not involved in the study.

"Where you carry fat matters more than how much you carry, because visceral fat, the fat wrapped around abdominal organs, is metabolically active tissue that drives inflammation, insulin resistance, and artery damage in a way that fat under the skin elsewhere on the body doesn't," she said.

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Palinski-Wade said the research highlights why BMI alone may not provide a complete picture of a person's heart health.

"BMI doesn't tell the whole story, where you carry fat may matter more than the number on the scale," she said.

Researchers examined several health outcomes over the course of the study, including heart attacks, strokes, heart failure, atrial fibrillation and cardiovascular-related deaths.

In addition, the researchers noted several limitations of the study, including that they did not have information on participants' physical activity, diets or genetic risk for obesity, all of which can play a role in cardiovascular disease.

The study also measured waist circumference and waist-to-hip ratio only once, limiting researchers' ability to determine how changes in abdominal fat over time may affect heart disease risk.

A study of over 135,000 adults found that a surprising number of individuals feel lonely often — and that some of the loneliest people live in urban areas, shocking the researchers. Not only that — but the COVID pandemic made it worse. 

Professors at Imperial College London conducted the study. They recruited a total of 135,725 volunteers aged 16 and older to complete an online survey in England throughout a five-month period in 2023.

Almost one in six adults reported feeling lonely "often or always" — and more than one in five people frequently felt a lack of companionship or had feelings of being left out or isolated, news agency SWNS reported.

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The findings of the study, called INTERACT, surprised those involved.

When the researchers dug deeper into the data, they found that some of the loneliest people were clustered in urban environments and cities, including London, Birmingham and Manchester.

Austen El-Osta, Ph.D., public health researcher and study lead for INTERACT, said, "The key message is not simply that many people feel lonely, but that loneliness is strongly influenced by people’s surroundings, social network and their environment."

This reflected the "urban paradox" theory, the study said — where those in major cities that offer greater economic, cultural and social advantages often report lower life satisfaction, connectivity and happiness, compared to people in rural areas.

The team also found a significant lasting effect of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Nearly 44% of respondents said the pandemic increased their feelings of loneliness — while 48.2% reported increased feelings of isolation.

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Senior author of the study, Dr. Azeem Majeed of the National Health Service, said, "As an NHS GP, I see how loneliness affects both the mental and physical health of my patients. It contributes to problems such as anxiety and depression, increases the risk of long-term conditions, and often leads to more frequent GP consultations."

He said that "by strengthening community connections and social capital, we can help prevent loneliness and enable people to live healthier, happier and more connected lives."

Whether people were in relationships or not didn’t seem to impact their loneliness levels.

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The research found that 45% of respondents were married or in a civil partnership — while almost 20% were single.

El-Osta said, "Loneliness is often treated as a private experience, but our findings reinforce that it is also a public health and community issue."

He added that "public health responses need to look beyond individual resilience and consider the environments, services and community assets that help people feel connected, supported and able to participate."

The team believes that this is "one of the world’s largest dedicated studies of loneliness and the largest of its kind conducted in a single country," according to Imperial College London. 

The group also cautioned that while the findings offer an important snapshot, "the study cannot be used to estimate the scale of the problem at the population level."

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In addition, the researchers noted several limitations of their study, including that it overrepresented highly educated individuals and underrepresented minority ethnic groups. 

They also highlighted the "inherent self-selection bias of this type of online survey, where those more interested or affected by an issue are more likely to take part." 

Recently, another study found that feeling lonely may take a toll on older adults' memory — though it may not speed up cognitive decline.

Researchers from Colombia, Spain and Sweden analyzed data from more than 10,000 adults ages 65 to 94 across 12 European countries. 

They found those who reported higher levels of loneliness did worse on memory tests at the start of the study, according to research published in the spring in the journal Aging & Mental Health.

The researchers also suggested that screening for loneliness be incorporated into routine cognitive assessments as one way to support healthy aging.

Deirdre Bardolf of Fox News Digital contributed reporting. 

Physical intimacy isn’t a regular occurrence for every married couple in America, research suggests.

Recent data from the General Social Survey, conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago, shows that 32.5% of married adult respondents said they have not had sex "at all" during the last 12 months. Just 4.1% reported that they have sex more than three times a week.

Dr. Anna Elton, a licensed marriage and family therapist and clinical sexologist in Massachusetts, told Fox News Digital that although sexual frequency varies by couple, the national standard is about once a week. The expert defined a "sexless marriage" as being physically intimate 10 or fewer times per year.

HOW OFTEN ARE MARRIED PEOPLE HAVING SEX? WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE INTIMACY STANDARD IN AMERICA

Decline in intimacy can be caused by a variety of factors, from juggling busy families to hormone imbalances, she noted. In most cases, however, the original relationship spark has faded.

Elton, author of the book "The Formula of Desire," shared some tips and exercises for livening up a relationship, with the goal of reigniting intimacy in the bedroom.

For couples who may be struggling with their marriage or sex life, Elton suggested that the first step should be to focus on what is going well.

"If there are too many resentments built up, the wall is too high," she said. "And then partners can't just be intimate. They need to start with emotional connection."

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For one week, Elton recommended focusing on the positive aspects of the relationship, making mental notes and sharing them with your partner. This exercise can "shift the whole relationship," she said.

"A lot of conversations in long-term relationships end up being just logistics," she said. "So, think about [avoiding] the neutral conversations or negative conversations."

In her own practice, Elton said she’s seen many women who lack any desire to be intimate due to stress and a lost connection to their partner.

"When they started checking in, expressing gratitude, it actually shifted the climate of the relationship," she said.

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"You need to find time, you need to be intentional, because unfortunately, we always find time to be on our phones, to play little games, to scroll on social media, but we don't find time to be with our partners."

Choosing one night as a "tech-free" night can be a great way to re-connect with your partner, Elton recommended.

Couples struggling with intimacy often have one thing in common, according to Elton’s experience with clients.

When they were asked what they had at the beginning of their relationship that was now missing, the answer was unanimous: fun.

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"If we don't have fun, what's the point?" Elton asked. "We need to bring fun back into the relationship."

The sexologist recommended another exercise — A-to-Z date nights, where couples choose an activity that starts with a different letter of the alphabet for each date.

For example, the letter A might be axe-throwing or an art gallery, while B could be bowling or the beach.

"M is my favorite – movie and massage," Elton said. "My husband picks a movie; I get a massage. I pick a movie and still get a massage... This definitely helps to bring back that connection, and also novelty brings desire back to couples."

With fun comes flirting, Elton added, which typically fades as a relationship ages.

"When couples have been together for a long time, I ask them, ‘So, how do you flirt with your partner? How do you let them know about your erotic intentions?’ And they say, ‘Oh, we don’t flirt.’"

Oftentimes, an attempt at flirting gets lost in translation, the expert noted, so creating a "new language of flirting" can help spice up the relationship and spark moments of intimacy.

A lack of self-desire as people age can also get in the way of accepting advances for intimacy from partners.

"With women, [with] changing bodies and aging and stress, sometimes we don't feel our best and we may think, ‘I don't know why my partner wants me. I don't want myself,’" Elton said.

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The expert shared small steps that can help produce the love and bonding hormone oxytocin, boosting connection both personally and between partners.

This includes intimate physical contact with your partner, such as a 20-second hug or a six-second kiss. 

Similarly, small acts of self-care, such as applying lotion or following a skincare routine, can help people "feel more connected with themselves," according to Elton.

A simple daily habit may be linked to a dramatically lower risk of premature death, particularly from heart disease — no gym membership required.

People who climbed stairs had a 39% lower risk of dying from cardiovascular disease and a 24% lower risk of dying from any cause than those who didn’t, according to an analysis led by researchers at the University of East Anglia and Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital.

People who climbed the stairs were less likely to develop major cardiovascular conditions such as heart attack, stroke and heart failure, UEA further reported.

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"Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide with cases nearly doubling between 1990 and 2019," Vassilios Vassiliou, from UEA’s Norwich Medical School, said in a news release.

After reviewing nearly 1,900 studies, the researchers analyzed data from more than 480,000 people across nine studies, which had a median follow-up period of 14 years. 

The participants included healthy people and those with a history of heart problems between the ages of 35 and 84.

The findings show an association between stair climbing and lower mortality risk but do not prove that taking the stairs directly helps people live longer.

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Stair climbing is a simple but powerful form of exercise because it requires the body to repeatedly work against gravity. 

The generally low-impact activity engages multiple muscle groups while providing both cardiovascular and strength-building benefits.

One large study included in the analysis suggested that climbing about six flights of stairs per day may offer the greatest benefit, though researchers said more work is needed to determine the optimal amount.

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"Some of the studies we looked at showed that the more stairs climbed, the greater the health benefits," said UEA’s Norwich Medical School researcher Sophie Paddock. "But even small changes had a measurable impact."

According to Vassiliou, more than a quarter of adults worldwide fail to meet recommended activity levels. A sedentary lifestyle, smoking, poor dietary habits and obesity all contribute to cardiovascular disease.

Climbing stairs is a cost-free form of exercise people can fit into their day at home, work and in public places and is a good option for people who don't have much time or easy access to exercise, the researchers said.

"Even brief bursts of physical activity have beneficial health impacts, and short bouts of stair climbing should be an achievable target to integrate into daily routines," Paddock said.

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The researchers cautioned that stair climbing may not be appropriate for everyone, particularly people with mobility issues or joint conditions.

They published their findings in the American Journal of Cardiovascular Drugs.

Kansas City Chiefs heiress Gracie Hunt recently opened up about her health philosophy on "The Riley Gaines Show," revealing that heavy strength training and a simple approach to nutrition keep her energized and confident.

Speaking on a recent episode of the podcast, the former Miss Kansas USA and marathon runner dispelled misconceptions about women's fitness, specifically the belief that lifting heavy weights leads to a bulky physique.

"There's so much misconception out there that if you lift weights, you're going to be bulky and big," Hunt told host and women's sports advocate Riley Gaines. "That is not how it works."

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Hunt said that, over the past three years, her routine has changed significantly. She stepped back from long-distance running to focus more on heavy strength training.

"When you have enough muscle, you can sustain a healthy diet with lots of variety," the former pageant queen noted, adding that building muscle eliminates the need to track every calorie or macronutrient.

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Instead of relying on meal tracking, Hunt said she applies a sort of litmus test to determine whether a food fits into her clean-eating lifestyle.

"If I was a farmer, could I grow this or make this?" she asks herself. "If I don't know how to make it, maybe I shouldn't eat it."

Hunt's passion for physical fitness began early in life, she told Gaines. Originally, she planned to go into competitive soccer, but her athletic trajectory changed after she suffered multiple concussions. The injuries forced her to pivot away from soccer into pageantry, marathons and strength training.

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Reflecting on her shift away from competitive team sports, the football heiress emphasized how physical activity shaped her self-image and mental resilience.

"Sports empower women," Hunt said. "They teach you how to be healthy and also to not attach health and wellness to how you look and to vanity. It's more about, 'Am I healthy? How can I perform?'"

She said she believes that physical strength fosters body confidence, regardless of societal standards.

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"I'm strong. So, even if I don't look like what society idolizes as beauty, I'm confident in my skin because I know I'm strong."

For women seeking a healthy, strength-focused routine, Hunt recommends building workouts around consistent weightlifting, balanced with high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and a favorite form of cardio, whether that's hiking, walking or trail running.

Above all, physical fitness should be viewed as a long-term lifestyle aimed at overall well-being, not just a quick goal to hit, according to Hunt.

"Fitness isn't about reaching a certain aesthetic and calling it a day. It's about pursuing a life where you can be your best for everyone else around you," she said. "Find something that you love and can do for life."

Women who used estrogen-only menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) were less likely to develop Alzheimer’s-related brain changes or dementia, according to a large Stanford study published Aug. 12 in Neurology.

The researchers analyzed post-mortem data from 21,462 participants, comparing 258 women who reported estrogen-only MHT use with approximately 2,701 women who reported no MHT use.

The researchers examined the brains for signs of Alzheimer’s disease, including amyloid plaques, neurofibrillary tangles and amyloid-plaque density. Plaques and tangles are two hallmark brain changes associated with the common dementia.

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The women who took estrogen-only therapy — most of whom had likely undergone hysterectomies — were found to have a 35% lower chance of Alzheimer’s pathology and 39% lower odds of dementia over a lifetime.

Among some living participants, estrogen-only users also performed better on memory testing and were better able to function independently, the study found. Biomarkers in blood and cerebrospinal fluid supported these results.

The participants averaged 70 years of age.

Recent research indicates that menopausal hormone therapy may offer greater benefits when started during or shortly after menopause, the researchers noted.

HOW EATING HABITS COULD INFLUENCE PARKINSON’S DISEASE RISK, ACCORDING TO EXPERTS

Because the women in the study were generally older when they began treatment, the results may actually understate the potential benefits of earlier therapy.

These findings appear to contradict prior studies that linked menopausal hormone therapy to increased dementia risk.

"Estrogen has well-described neuroprotective effects in animal models," co-author Jennifer Bruno, PhD, an instructor in psychiatry and behavioral sciences, told Fox News Digital.

"Estrogen plays a role in shifting amyloid toward the non-amyloidogenic pathway and promoting tau dephosphorylation — both amyloid and tau are hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease."

DAILY EATING HABIT LINKED TO BETTER BRAIN HEALTH IN OLDER ADULTS, NEW RESEARCH SUGGESTS

"Additionally, estrogen supports synaptic plasticity, reduces neuroinflammation and supports blood brain barrier integrity. So, finding less AD pathology in estrogen-only users was consistent with this mechanism."

Memory can be impacted by many different conditions, which means clinical diagnoses can sometimes be unreliable, the researchers noted.

"Although there’s been great progress with bloodborne and cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers, they don’t tell you the amount and precise location of the brain damage," said senior author Hadi Hosseini, Ph.D., an associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford.

"By looking where the actual damage is done — the brain — you can see where the Alzheimer’s-associated defining features are and how many of them are there."

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The study did have some limitations, according to the researchers. As it was observational, it could only show an association but could prove that the hormone therapy reduced Alzheimer’s risk.

"It’s possible that women who used hormone therapy differed from non-users in ways we couldn't fully measure, such as baseline health status or engagement with healthcare," Hosseini told Fox News Digital. "We worked hard to adjust for known confounders and to account for who does and doesn't come to autopsy, but observational data can only take you so far."

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Alzheimer’s disease is the leading cause of dementia among older adults, with women comprising about two-thirds of diagnoses.

While the study findings don’t change current clinical recommendations, Hosseini said they highlight the need for well-designed clinical trials to confirm these observations and to determine whether menopausal hormone therapy has a protective cognitive effect.

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"These results add meaningful, first-of-their-kind pathological evidence to a genuinely controversial area — but they are a signal for further study, not a reason to start or stop MHT for brain health," Bruno added.

"We need prospective, biomarker-based trials that follow women before, during and after menopause to understand the effects of MHT on brain health."

The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health.

This story discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please contact the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

As the Lindsay Clancy murder trial spotlights the psychiatric care she received before the killings of her three children, the case has raised broader questions about the growing reliance on telehealth for mental health conditions.

Nearly half (48.3%) of American adults with serious mental illness now receive some type of mental health treatment via telehealth, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

Clancy reportedly had 14 virtual visits with her primary psychiatrist, Dr. Jennifer Tufts, over a five-month period, from September 2022 through Jan. 23, 2023, according to testimony reported by The Associated Press. The final appointment was on Jan. 23, the day before the killings. The two never met in person.

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During cross-examination, Clancy’s defense attorney, Kevin Reddington, questioned Tufts about her reliance on virtual appointments, per AP.

"Did you ever suggest to her that 'maybe you should come in and see me, rather than on the computer?'" Reddington asked.

"Talking to her over the video didn't seem like an issue," Tufts responded. "It didn't seem like there was something I was missing."

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Jonathan Alpert, a New York psychotherapist — who was not involved in Clancy's care and was speaking generally about telehealth rather than the specifics of her treatment — said virtual care can work very well, but that "there comes a point where a screen may not be enough."

"If someone is becoming suicidal, psychotic, manic, unstable or unable to function, the clinician has to consider whether that person needs to be seen in person or needs a higher level of care," Alpert, author of "Therapy Nation: How America Got Hooked on Therapy and Why It's Left Us More Anxious and Divided," told Fox News Digital.

"The priority has to be getting an accurate picture of what’s going on and keeping the patient safe."

Telehealth plays an important function in mental healthcare and offers many benefits, Alpert noted.

"As a provider, I can see far more people in a day doing virtual therapy than I could if I were doing in-office treatment," he told Fox News Digital.

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For the patient, it eliminates the commute to the therapist's office, which could be a limitation for those with busy schedules.

"So it does allow more and better access to care in many cases, but it does have its limitations if someone has a severe psychiatric disorder," Alpert said.

There are certain things about a patient’s appearance — such as hygiene, movements, agitation, intoxication or general behavior — that aren't as obvious on Zoom, he noted.

"Someone can pull themselves together for an appointment and look relatively fine for 30 minutes even though they're falling apart outside of it," he said.

If the patient keeps getting worse despite frequent appointments, that's a big warning sign, according to Alpert.

"More appointments aren't necessarily more treatment," he told Fox News Digital. "If someone is becoming more suicidal, paranoid, manic, disorganized, aggressive or simply unable to function, you can't just keep scheduling another video call and assume that's enough."

"At some point, the treatment plan has to change, whether that means seeing the person in person, getting an emergency evaluation or moving them to a higher level of care."

In cases where there is any concern about suicide or violence, Alpert said it’s important for the therapist to be direct and to ask the following questions.

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"If someone says they just want to die, that's one thing, and it's very concerning, but if they have a plan, say a weapon or pills, that brings it to the next level and would certainly warrant intervention, whether it's through the police or emergency services," he said.

If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

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It’s also important for the therapist to know where the patient is located during the appointment so that if there is an emergency, they can take action, Alpert advised.

"And sometimes you need information from family or other people in the patient's life, because the patient may not be giving you the whole picture."

The expert also emphasized the distinction between postpartum depression and postpartum psychosis.

"With postpartum psychosis … there may be delusions, disorganized thinking, hallucinations — and if that's what's going on, that definitely warrants inpatient treatment."

Overall, Alpert said, telehealth itself is not the problem.

"It's helped a lot of people get care who otherwise might not," he said. "The bigger issue is whether the clinician is doing a thorough assessment and whether the level of care still fits the patient's condition."

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A good clinician can identify serious risk over video, he noted — but at the same time, someone can miss serious risk sitting across from a patient in an office.

"The sicker and more unstable someone becomes, the less comfortable I'd be relying exclusively on a screen," he added.

Heavy drinking has been shown to raise mortality risk, but, at lower levels, what’s in your glass may also matter, a new study suggests.

In recent research of data from 340,924 participants in the UK Biobank, wine was linked to lower mortality, while beer and spirits were tied to higher death risk.

Data were collected between 2006 and 2022, with more than 13 years of average follow-up. The findings were presented at the American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Session in New Orleans.

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In the study, participants reported their alcohol intake as never/occasional, low, moderate or high.

High consumption was defined as more than 40 grams per day for men (about three standard drinks) and more than 20 grams per day for women (about 1.4 standard drinks).

Participants with high alcohol consumption had a 24% higher risk of all-cause death, 36% higher risk of cancer death and 14% higher risk of cardiovascular death when compared to people who never or occasionally drank, according to the study findings.

With low or moderate alcohol consumption, however, the mortality risk appeared to differ according to the type of beverage.

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Spirits, beer and cider were associated with significantly higher mortality, the researchers found, while the same amount of wine intake was linked to significantly lower mortality. Moderate wine drinkers had a 21% lower risk of cardiovascular death than those who never or occasionally drank.

Conversely, those who drank low amounts of spirits, beer or cider were found to have a 9% higher risk of cardiovascular death.

"These results come from the general population, and in certain high-risk groups, such as people with chronic diseases or cardiovascular conditions, the risks could be even higher," Dr. Zhangling Chen, a professor at the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University in China and the study's senior author, said in a press release.

"These findings can help refine guidance, emphasizing that the health risks of alcohol depend not only on the amount of alcohol consumed but also on the type of beverage."

One potential reason for wine’s lower mortality association could be that it contains compounds such as polyphenols and antioxidants, which could have beneficial effects on blood vessels, inflammation and cardiovascular health, the researchers noted.

Jessica Steinman, a Los Angeles addiction specialist and chief clinical officer for No Matter What Recovery, said the study’s information is "helpful" but cautioned against broadly applying the findings to individuals, particularly those with a history of substance misuse.

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While certain ingredients or substances might help someone with a specific issue, she expressed her concern when it comes to mental health issues and addiction.

"When we hear these stories or get this research, it becomes a ‘black and white’ larger generalization for the population, and we want to be careful with that," Steinman, who was not involved in the research, told Fox News Digital.

"Not everybody should have daily consumption of an alcoholic substance, whether it's wine, beer or certain liquors. … If there's someone who’s struggling with substances, then they really shouldn't be having it at all."

Different substances have different levels of alcohol in them, and each person metabolizes alcohol uniquely, the expert noted.

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"All those kinds of things are so specific to one person or a small sect of people," she said. "So, we want to make sure anytime there's research given about something, that we're not taking it as a society and saying, ‘Let's do this,’ and not keeping it as black and white.

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"Overall, more is not better, but also the higher potency of alcohol and higher percentages of alcohol is going to affect people negatively as well."

Steinman recommended consulting with a medical professional for individual guidance.

The researchers acknowledged some limitations of the study. Because it was observational in design, the study could not prove that drinking wine led to lower mortality or that other alcoholic beverages directly caused higher mortality.

Also, the participants reported their baseline alcohol intake at the start of the study, which means any changes in drinking patterns during the follow-up period were not recorded.

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There was also the chance that wine drinkers may have different dietary or other lifestyle habits that could affect their health outcomes, the researchers noted.

The UK Biobank participants also tend to be healthier than the overall population, which could limit the ability for the finding to be generalized to wider populations.

The authors called for high-quality randomized studies to confirm the differences in how drinking habits reflect mortality risk.

One weekly routine could help foster better sleep and promote healthy weight loss, according to a New Jersey-based registered dietitian.

Erin Palinski-Wade, who is also a certified diabetes care specialist and author of "The Sleepdemic Solution," shared her "seven-day reset" in an interview with Fox News Digital.

The reset combines sleep, nutrition and lifestyle strategies into a five-part system represented by the acronym SLEEP.

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In a test panel conducted in connection with her seven-day program, Palinski-Wade said participants reported improvements in sleep, blood sugar and weight.

Experts recommend consulting a healthcare professional for individualized guidance before making significant changes to diet, sleep or lifestyle habits, particularly for those with underlying health conditions.

Palinski-Wade emphasized that results varied among participants with different sleep challenges. The panel included shift workers, mothers and people with long-term insomnia.

Despite those differences, within the first two to three days, the expert said people "across the board" reported falling asleep faster, getting higher-quality sleep and feeling more rested the next day.

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Panelists with pre-existing insulin resistance or type 2 diabetes also reported improvements in blood sugar levels, Palinski-Wade said.

"Once they were resting better and those stress hormones were reduced, and the body was getting the rest it needed, we were seeing better balanced blood sugar throughout the day," she noted.

Participants also reported improvements in hunger and satiety.

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"They weren't having those cravings, especially in the evening, especially those sugar cravings," Palinski-Wade said. "When they were eating, they were feeling more satisfied."

"I had a few test panel members who lost as much as seven pounds in the first seven days," she said, noting that some of the loss was water weight.

Participants reported reductions in weight and waist circumference and improvements in blood sugar, sleep and next-day energy.

Below, Palinski-Wade breaks down the five components of the SLEEP system.

Setting a rhythm involves timing meals consistently to help improve sleep. This means avoiding skipped meals, which can lead to blood sugar fluctuations throughout the day, Palinski-Wade said.

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"We want to be fueling our body all throughout the day so that our body is expecting to sleep in the evening," she said.

Skipping meals and consuming excess food and calories in the evening tells the body that it's time to burn energy, which is not going to be conducive to sleep, according to the expert.

Exposure to sunlight within the first hour of waking can help set the body’s circadian rhythm, Palinski-Wade noted.

"When your body gets that natural light, whether you go outside or put your desk by the window, that's helping your body get more in tune with that rhythm where you're awake," she said.

In the evening, Palinski-Wade recommends dimming the lights and avoiding electronics and bright overhead lighting, which helps the body wind down and prepare for restful sleep.

Eating with intention means choosing meals and snacks with nutrients that support healthy sleep, according to Palinski-Wade.

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"Whether it's serotonin and tryptophan, anti-inflammatory nutrients, we want to make sure that we're eating with intention, so we're giving our body the building blocks it needs to create sleep in the evening," she said.

Palinski-Wade recommends combining lean protein, healthy fats and fiber to help keep blood sugar steady throughout the day and support better sleep.

Powering down involves creating a consistent nighttime routine, including limiting electronics and caffeine and maintaining regular sleep and wake times, according to Palinski-Wade.

"That also applies to having a set bedtime and a set wake time ... in those seven days to reset that circadian rhythm, so we can have the best results moving forward," she said.

For those who are "trying everything," like diet and exercise, without seeing results, Palinski-Wade stressed that it is "not because you don’t have enough willpower."

"It could just be your biology working against you, and many times it's as simple as improving your sleep," she said. "If you start to improve your sleep within just a few days, you can see major changes in how you feel, how your body is processing food, in your metabolism, and then ultimately in your body weight."

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External research by the National Institutes of Health has also linked adequate sleep with appetite regulation and healthy weight management.

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute states that sleep helps regulate hormones involved in hunger and fullness, while sleep deficiency can affect the body's response to insulin and has been linked to a higher risk of obesity.