Longtime "Dancing with the Stars" judge Carrie Ann Inaba is spreading awareness about a condition she’s been living with for decades.

The dancer and TV personality has recently been transparent about her journey with Sjogren’s disease – an autoimmune condition that can start with seemingly small symptoms but has the potential to become debilitating.

Inaba, 58, was rushed to the hospital last week after her condition triggered a medical emergency mid-flight while traveling to New York City.

'DWTS' JUDGE CARRIE ANN INABA RUSHED TO HOSPITAL AFTER MID-FLIGHT MEDICAL EMERGENCY

In an Instagram post featuring a video of Inaba being transported in an ambulance, she described how she "suddenly felt quite ill."

"And while it seemed like food poisoning, I also suddenly broke out into a cold sweat, got dizzy and my arms went numb," she wrote.

"Like many people who live with autoimmune disease, I travel with a health tool kit and am prepared for the worst, but this scared me."

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In an interview with Fox News Digital, Inaba revealed that she’s been silently struggling with the disease for years, since first developing eye problems when she was younger.

"My eyes were really, really dry and I kept having injuries to my corneas," she said.

After consulting her ophthalmologist, who brushed off her symptoms, Inaba met with a rheumatologist who directed her to a Sjogren’s specialist.

Following extensive bloodwork and a dry-eye test, Inaba was diagnosed with Sjogren’s disease in 2013 – more than 10 years after she first experienced symptoms.

Sjogren’s is a chronic, systemic autoimmune disease that can affect different parts of the body. If left untreated, the condition can worsen over time, in some cases causing damage to the lungs, kidneys and other organs, according to medical experts.

An estimated four million people in the U.S. are living with Sjogren’s, 90% of whom are women.

In a survey of more than 3,500 adults living with the disease, 48 different symptoms were reported over the course of a year, per data from Sjout for Sjogren’s.

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Sjogren’s can show up differently for everyone, making it difficult to diagnose.

In Inaba's case, after the initial dry-eye symptoms, she began suffering from "a lot of pain" in her neck and shoulders. As a dancer, this was difficult to differentiate from the normal aches and pains, she shared. Extreme fatigue was another symptom she experienced.

"I had no energy to move forward with things, which is unlike me," she said. "I've always been a go-getter ... I was physically active my whole life. And during this chapter, when I was starting to figure out something was wrong, there were all these symptoms, and I didn't understand how they were related."

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Other symptoms can include dry mouth, brain fog, anxiety, swollen glands and lymph nodes, skin rashes, fevers and night sweats. People may also notice numbness, tingling or burning in the hands or feet. Internal organ complications can also occur.

Inaba said she relies on a variety of practices to manage her symptoms, including keeping her eyes and environment moist.

"I always have a lot of drinks. I'm always spraying things in the air to get moisture in the air. I have a humidifier I sleep with," she told Fox News Digital.

"I also do lots of meditation and reiki and body work to make sure I don't get too flared up, because pain is always with me. I live with pain 24/7."

Inaba said she’s learned how to listen to her body to tap into what it needs, especially taking time to rest surrounding big events.

"I know that more than likely, I might be sick and I might have a few down days afterwards, and it's worth the risk," she said. "If I don't have to be in a crowd, I won't, because I want to take care of my health and prioritize myself."

For others who are living with Sjogren’s or experiencing symptoms, Inaba’s advice is to keep "careful track" of the warning signs, to recognize when something doesn’t feel right and to advocate for proper care.

This is the message behind the Sjout for Sjogren’s campaign, an awareness movement that Inaba hopes will help spread more knowledge about the disease and reduce stigma.

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"We want people to respect that it is a complicated systemic autoimmune disease that needs care," she said. "There is no FDA-approved treatment at this time, so it's about managing symptoms."

"It’s important to also have a community – and part of this campaign is about building a community."

The most important thing Inaba wants people to know about Sjogren’s is that "it’s real."

"It's an invisible illness," she said. "I know when I'm out there doing whatever show I'm doing, you don't think I'm sick, but I pay a price for doing that."

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"It's sometimes a lonely and isolating disease – and so I want people to know they can reach out … I want people to feel confident enough to shout about what they're going through."

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She added, "Don't let people tell you it's not real. And have patience for the friends who are trying to understand, but can't quite. Because, most likely, you don't believe it unless you're actually experiencing it."

Fox News Digital’s Stephanie Giang-Paunon contributed to this report.

Riley Gaines, host of her podcast "The Riley Gaines Show," discussed in a recent episode how to make room for wellness even during life changes, and offered advice for others trying to stick to a routine.

Hosted by OutKick, a Fox News Media brand, the podcast features the former collegiate swimmer’s commentary on culture, politics and women’s sports, along with interviews spotlighting women advocating for their rights.

"I don't see anything wrong with wanting to achieve the healthiest version of yourself no matter what stage of life you're in," said Gaines, who gave birth to her first baby in September 2025.

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Focusing on health in the first 60 minutes after waking up helps ensure that your health doesn't get pushed to the bottom of the to-do list, according to Gaines.

Even with her background as a competitive swimmer, "there's just always something that needs to be done or there's something that somebody needs from you," she said.

Carving out an early-morning window of time helps with building a mental edge before the world begins making demands, according to Gaines.

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"I love the concept of already doing so many things, so many hard things, before most people even hit snooze on their alarm clock," she said.

To make this sustainable, Gaines suggests a simple preparation: laying out your gear the night before. "That way, in the morning when you wake up, all you have to do is throw it on."

Many people struggle with the natural loss of muscle mass and energy as they age. Gaines said her approach to nutrition isn't about dieting in the traditional sense, but about providing the body with the "brick and mortar" it needs to stay durable.

She was quick to bust the common myth that high protein leads to an unwanted bulky appearance.

"It's not true, myth busted. It will keep you lean, you will feel fuller for longer."

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Gaines' rule of thumb is to aim for 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight.

"If you don't have enough protein, then your body cannot effectively repair the tiny tears that happen during strength training, which is the good kind of damage that leads to stronger, more lean muscles," she said.

Gaines advocates for building a strong core through any movement, even during ordinary day-to-day activities.

"Every single time my car stops at a red light, I engage my core ... I contract and flex my abs," she said in the episode. "It's almost like you're training your muscles to contract without having to do the crunches or the planks or the sit ups."

Fitness is significantly harder when done in a vacuum, Gaines shared, noting that solo motivation "fades really, really fast," especially when life gets busy or energy is low.

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She recommends finding an accountability partner, such as a spouse, friend, or family member, who can celebrate your wins and check in on your progress. 

"Find something or someone or some way to keep you accountable," Gaines advised, noting that her family frequently works out together.

"Without consistency, you're just repeatedly starting over," Gaines warned.

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"How many times have you guys said, '[the] diet starts Monday,' and maybe you make it to Wednesday, and then you're back ... You're really not doing anything, actually. You're confusing your body."

By showing up when you don't want to, you stop negotiating with yourself, she said.

"It's consistency that builds discipline, which turns into confidence," Gaines added. "You stop negotiating with yourself and start identifying as someone who follows through."

"That identity shift is really powerful, and it carries into every area of life."

"Drinking your calories" is typically discouraged where weight loss is concerned, as sweeteners in soda, coffees and other beverages are known obesity drivers.

A new review by researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz suggests that fructose alone may drive metabolic disease via sugar consumption.

The study, published in Nature Metabolism, took a closer look at the role of certain sweeteners, like table sugar and high-fructose corn syrup, in obesity and metabolic disease. Both types contain glucose and fructose.

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Glucose ingestion may lead to obesity by stimulating insulin secretion, but fructose has "unique metabolic effects that promote triglyceride synthesis and fat accumulation," according to the study authors.

Triglyceride synthesis is the process by which the body builds triglycerides, the main form of stored fat.

"Under modern conditions of overnutrition, chronic excess fructose drives features of metabolic syndrome," the authors wrote. "Emerging evidence further links fructose to cancer and dementia." (In this context, "overnutrition" means the body is consistently getting more calories and nutrients than it needs.)

In a university press release, lead study author Richard Johnson, MD, professor at the University of Colorado Anschutz, confirmed that "fructose is not just another calorie."

"It acts as a metabolic signal that promotes fat production and storage in ways that differ fundamentally from glucose," he wrote.

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The report suggests that fructose may contribute to disease because it skips important steps in how the body processes energy. This can lead to more fat production, lower cellular energy, and the buildup of a compound associated with metabolic dysfunction.

"Over time, these effects may contribute to metabolic syndrome, a cluster of conditions that includes obesity, insulin resistance and cardiovascular risk," the researchers confirmed.

The authors added that fructose can also be produced internally from glucose, which suggests that its role in disease may be bigger than previously assumed.

"This review highlights fructose as a central player in metabolic health," Johnson commented. "Understanding its unique biological effects is critical for developing more effective strategies to prevent and treat metabolic disease."

As this research is a review, it only interprets existing evidence instead of proving a new result, posing a limitation to the findings.

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In an interview with Fox News Digital, certified holistic nutritionist Robin DeCicco shared that fructose is processed differently than other sugars, as it is mostly pushed through the liver, placing more of a burden on the organ.

"Unlike glucose, fructose metabolism … [can] make the liver turn the sugar into fat more easily, which is why the study said that it can lead to triglyceride regeneration," said the New York City-based expert. "Triglycerides are fat deposits in the arteries."

Another reason fructose may contribute to insulin resistance, blood sugar spikes and diabetes is that increased fat buildup in the body can interfere with insulin signaling, according to the nutritionist.

"Your pancreas doesn't know how to keep up with the signaling of insulin, so it has to produce more and more insulin, and that's what turns into diabetes," she said.

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DeCicco noted that fructose can be found in processed sugars, as well as natural foods like fruits and vegetables. The healthy qualities of whole foods — like high-fiber apples or asparagus — help promote fullness and are less likely to spike blood sugar.

Some natural sweeteners, like stevia and monk fruit, do not contain fructose. These may serve as better alternatives for people keeping a close eye on their metabolic health, such as those with diabetes or obesity.

Sweetening recipes with natural sugar byproducts, like apple sauce or apple juice, is another healthy alternative, DeCicco noted.

"Yes, there's fructose because it is derived from apples, but you're also getting antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and fiber," she said.

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Maple syrup also has less fructose than honey, DeCicco added, and rice malt and glucose syrup have zero fructose.

"I'm not saying someone should go out of their way to use those, but if they already have a bad liver, if they're overweight, if they're diabetic … and if they need to bake or have something sweet, I would use one of those alternatives," she said.

A highly contagious digestive virus is surging across the U.S., experts warn.

Rotavirus, a double-stranded RNA virus, causes acute gastroenteritis — inflammation of the stomach and intestines — which can lead to severe diarrhea, vomiting, fever and stomach pain.

The virus primarily affects infants and young children, but there have also been outbreaks in elderly populations, such as nursing homes.

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Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that in the week ending April 4, out of 2,329 rotavirus tests, 7.3% were positive for the infection. Last year’s highest infection rate was 6.77% as of the week ending April 19.

"We’re seeing a lot of rotavirus in the wastewater right now," Dr. Marc Siegel, Fox News senior medical analyst, confirmed to Fox News Digital. "Testing for rotavirus is way down, but the percentage of positive tests is up."

While the virus typically peaks in the spring, it is not currently slowing down, he noted.

Patricia Pinto-Garcia, M.D., a medical editor at GoodRx who is based in California, said there are several possible reasons for the rotavirus spike.

"Vaccine rates are down overall among young children, as they decreased during COVID," she told Fox News Digital. "This means there’s a growing number of infants and young children who are vulnerable to infection."

The rotavirus vaccine series must be completed by the time a child is 8 months old, she noted.

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As a result of the declining vaccinations, herd immunity isn’t protecting vulnerable children, according to Pinto-Garcia. "Children who haven’t finished the vaccine series yet, are too young to get vaccinated, or can’t get the vaccine due to medical illness are more likely to get exposed to the illness because other children aren't vaccinated," she said.

Siegel noted that before the vaccine became available, rotavirus resulted in 55,000 to 70,000 in the U.S. per year.

"I am concerned that the vaccination rate has been declining over the past seven years and is continuing to decline in the current climate of vaccine skepticism," he said.

Surveillance methods are also much better than they used to be, Pinto-Garcia noted, which means public health experts are able to pick up and track cases better than ever before.

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"But we see that rotavirus-related healthcare visits are also up, so improved detection is not the only reason we are seeing this spike," she said.

The COVID pandemic also disrupted the pattern of infections, according to Pinto-Garcia, so it’s "tricky" to compare the current levels against older cycles.

"It’s possible that what we are seeing is still some post-pandemic rebound, but it’s unlikely that this year’s pattern is fully explained by just this factor," she added.

Dr. Zachary Hoy, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at Pediatrix Medical Group based in Nashville, Tennessee, often sees young patients with rotavirus.

"Rotavirus is spread via the fecal-oral route, meaning that a person comes into contact with virus droplets from contact with other children or adults, or from contact with objects such as toys that have been contaminated with the virus from someone who is sick," he told Fox News Digital. "This can lead to outbreaks, especially at schools where many young children share the same toys."

Rotavirus is associated with many dehydration cases in the hospital due to the degree of diarrhea, according to Hoy.

In some severe cases, the virus can lead to seizures due to electrolyte imbalances from dehydration and loss of electrolytes in the stool.

"Younger children do not have the reserves that older children and adults have, so they can become more dehydrated quicker and develop more severe electrolyte imbalances, leading to more severe infections," Hoy said.

"Patients with problems with their immune systems or on medications that can decrease their immune systems can have more severe and prolonged infections, too."

Because rotavirus is a viral infection, antibiotics are not effective against it. There is no specific antiviral treatment for the condition, with doctors typically recommending supportive care.

"The mainstay of treatment is hospitalization for rehydration via intravenous (IV) fluids," Hoy told Fox News Digital. "Sometimes it can take up to two to three days of IV fluids to help get patients rehydrated."

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Blood draws are often necessary to evaluate patients' electrolyte levels, such as sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium, according to the doctor.

"If these electrolyte levels are significantly low, sometimes patients need special IV solutions or individual electrolyte medications," he added.

Dr. Daniel Park, medical director of the Pediatric Emergency Department at UNC Health in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, noted that most children recover with supportive care, but parents should seek medical attention if a child shows signs of dehydration. Those include decreased urination, lethargy or inability to keep fluids down.

"While rare, rotavirus can be life-threatening in vulnerable populations, especially very young infants or children with underlying medical conditions," Park told Fox News Digital.

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Given the lack of antiviral medications for rotavirus, doctors emphasize the importance of prevention, primarily the vaccine.

There are two rotavirus vaccines – Rotateq (a three-dose series) and Rotarix (a two-dose series). They are given starting at age 2 months as oral drops, not injections, according to Hoy.

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"It's important to get the rotavirus vaccines on schedule, because these younger infants are at greatest risk if they get rotavirus," he advised.

Other recommended prevention methods include handwashing with soap and water.

A study from Harvard Medical School indicates natural selection has favored the red hair gene, resulting in a potential increase in the number of redheaded people as humanity continues to evolve.

By analyzing nearly 16,000 ancient genomes spanning 10,000 years, researchers identified a list of traits that nature is actively pushing forward. Among the most prominent were the genetic variants for red hair.

"Perhaps having red hair was beneficial 4,000 years ago, or perhaps it came along for the ride with a more important trait," the authors noted.

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The study, published in the journal Nature, relied on a large database of ancient DNA from West Eurasia. Using new computing methods, the team was able to filter out random fluctuations in DNA to identify what it called "directional selection."

Directional selection happens when a particular version of a gene gives an organism a strong survival or reproductive advantage, causing it to become more common in a population faster than it would by chance, according to experts.

Prior to this study, scientists only knew of about 21 such instances in human history, one of which was lactose tolerance. This new research uncovered hundreds more.

"With these new techniques and a large amount of ancient genomic data, we can now watch how selection shaped biology in real time," Ali Akbari, first author of the study and senior staff scientist in the lab of Harvard geneticist David Reich, said in a press release.

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The data showed that genetic markers for red hair are among 479 gene variants that have been strongly favored over the past 10,000 years. One likely explanation, the researchers said, is a major shift in human history: the transition to farming.

As humans moved away from hunting and gathering and settled into agricultural societies, their environment and behavior changed radically, triggering an evolutionary "acceleration."

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While the Harvard study provides the first definitive statistical proof that red hair was actively selected during the rise of farming, the researchers noted that the exact prehistoric benefit still requires more study.

However, scientists have long pointed to vitamin D synthesis as a likely driver for the rise of these light-pigmented traits in northern climates.

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While redheads remain a minority of the global population today, the Harvard study’s analysis suggests that they may not be an evolutionary accident.

Instead, the red hair trait was "boosted" by natural selection as humans adapted to the challenges of a modern world, according to the researchers.

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The researchers urged caution in how these findings are interpreted.

"What a variant is associated with now is not necessarily why an allele propagated," the authors noted.

Researchers at the University of Oklahoma have discovered a hormone that appears to reverse obesity in the body.

The new study, published in the journal Cell Reports, used mouse models to identify a naturally occurring hormone called FGF21 (fibroblast growth factor 21).

The hormone "appears to work by signaling to a brain region involved in metabolism and appetite regulation, the same area targeted by the popular GLP-1 drugs," according to a university press release.

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FGF21 is reportedly already involved in the development of a drug to treat metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), which is a form of fatty liver disease.

Lead study author Matthew Potthoff, PhD, a professor of biochemistry and physiology at OU College of Medicine and deputy director of the OU Health Harold Hamm Diabetes Center, said the study showed how the hormone sends "signals" to the lower back region of the brain.

"In our previous studies, we found that FGF21 signals to the brain instead of the liver, but we didn’t know where in the brain," he wrote.

"We thought we would find that it signaled to the hypothalamus (which is widely implicated in body weight regulation), so we were very surprised to discover that the signal was to the hindbrain, which is where the GLP-1 analogs are believed to act."

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The brain circuit behind these metabolic benefits appears to work by "mediating the effects of FGF21," Potthoff said — a process that can also be linked to side effects like gastrointestinal issues and, in some cases, bone loss.

"We hope that by identifying the specific circuit, it can help in the creation of more targeted therapies that are effective without negative side effects," he added.

The FGF21 and GLP-1 hormones act differently, although they target the same area of the brain, according to the researchers. While GLP-1 reduces food intake via appetite, FGF21 increases metabolic rate, burning energy and triggering weight loss.

Potthoff shared his hope for a new FGF21 drug that could target both weight loss and MASH, noting that additional studies are necessary to explore this potential.

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Dr. Peter Balazs MD, a hormone and weight loss specialist practicing in New York and New Jersey, said this discovery raises the possibility of targeting metabolic rate "directly," rather than relying only on calorie restriction.

"However, this is a preclinical [mouse] study using diet-induced obesity models, which is not fully relevant or similar to human obesity’s chronic metabolic adaptations," he told Fox News Digital.

FGF21 behaves differently in humans than in mice, as obese people have higher levels of the hormone in their blood, according to Balazs. This raises the question of how effective FGF21-based treatments would be.

"There are also important clinical concerns, such as whether FGF21 analogs can cause side effects like digestive issues and bone loss, which is especially risky since obesity already increases the chance of fractures," he cautioned. "The study doesn’t explain how these issues might be managed."

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Early human trials of FGF21 showed "modest weight loss" between 5% and 8%, according to Balazs, which is "less impressive" compared to GLP-1 treatments' average 15% weight loss.

It is also unclear whether the body could develop tolerance to FGF21 over time, which could reduce its effectiveness with long-term use, he added.

"The study is a nice first step toward alternative biochemical pathways for treating obesity," Balazs added. "However, clinical adoption will require safety trials that include bone density monitoring, along with confirmatory data in humans."

A distraught mother who thought she was having a heart attack was instead hospitalized with broken heart syndrome — otherwise known as takotsubo syndrome (TTS) — less than a year after her veteran son tragically took his own life.

Dawn Turner, 57, of the U.K., lost her son in August of last year. 

Just last month, the mom of three awoke with "unbearable" chest pains, she said — and called an ambulance, worried she was going into cardiac arrest. But when she arrived at the hospital, doctors told her she was suffering from the effects of grief caused by a broken heart, as news agency SWNS reported. 

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TTS is a temporary, reversible heart condition often triggered by extreme emotional or physical stress, such as grief, fear or severe illness, according to experts.

Symptoms usually mimic a heart attack, with sudden and severe chest pain and shortness of breath the most common — and it primarily affects women over the age of 50.

Turner, of Eckington in Worcester, said, "I was [sitting] downstairs earlier that night and thought I had a bit of indigestion. I went to bed and just couldn’t get comfortable — I was breaking out in a sweat and had heart palpitations.

"Then, around midnight, I had pain down my arm and in my jaw. I was still putting it down to indigestion... My partner Paul asked me if I was all right, and I said, ‘I think I'm having a heart attack.'"

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She said she couldn't catch her breath — "and my heart felt as though it was missing a beat and then [started] thudding again. For those moments, I truly believed I was having a heart attack."

She said her partner called emergency services, and an ambulance arrived within five minutes.

"They came in and linked me up to an ECG. They said, ‘Your heart is all over the place — there’s an extra beat, and it’s all over the place,’" she said, as SWNS reported. 

Turner was rushed to the hospital by ambulance.

In emergency care, Turner was also given blood tests.

She added, "They came back and said I didn’t have the enzymes produced from a heart attack in my blood. But they said there [was] something going on."

After undergoing more tests and seeing a cardiologist, Turner was told she had takotsubo syndrome.

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"I told [the doctor] that my heart feels broken. I told her about [my son] Rob, and she said it’s exactly that. She said it’s a real thing, and that I'd been under so much stress. The body can only take so much, and the grief and the stress can be quite physical."

Turner's son committed suicide in August 2025 after struggling to get help with his mental health.

He spent 10 years in the Royal Horse Artillery after joining in 2006, when he worked as an artilleryman.

He did two tours of duty in Afghanistan, she said, and returned to civilian life in 2016 before suffering several worsening health conditions.

Turner, who is also the CEO of a veterans charity called Stepway, "When he left the army, he got married, and they settled down in London. He walked straight into a job as a delivery driver. But then his health took a downward spiral, and he started having digestive troubles."

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He was eventually told he had PTSD — but those symptoms may be similar to those of mild traumatic brain injury, Turner said.

"He was deaf in one ear from using the guns," she said. "He realized he was putting so much pressure on his marriage, so he moved back up with me. He started to build himself up — then COVID hit."

Turner said there were unfortunate delays as her son tried to get access to various services and facilities.

"When people lose loved ones, you’re obviously distraught, but you eventually find closure," she said, per SWNS. "I found peace when I lost my sister in 2015. But with Rob, I can't find closure because there’s no justice there."

Turner is now on the mend and hopes to be fully recovered in a couple of weeks, SWNS reported. 

"Until that moment, I had never really understood that a person could become so overwhelmed by stress and grief that it physically affects the heart," she shared. "Broken heart syndrome can look and feel like a heart attack. It was a warning sign for me, and for anyone. It can change the shape of one of your heart chambers … it can cause some serious damage."

She added, "The cardiologist told me that thankfully, my heart itself is healthy and there was no damage, but that it will take around two weeks to a month for my heart to reboot itself."

Turner was told she needed to rest, seek counseling and make lifestyle changes to reduce stress.

"Things have settled down, and I’m taking things easy — I’m pacing myself now, and I feel a lot better. Paul said, 'Maybe the extra beat is for Rob. You are carrying on living for him.'"

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Turner said, "That broke me and healed me a little bit all at once."

Fox News Digital previously reported that broken heart syndrome, which causes the heart to temporarily weaken, has been linked to the brain’s reaction to stress, as studies have found. 

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In an article published in the European Heart Journal in March 2019, Swiss researchers said they found that the syndrome is linked to the way the brain communicates with the heart.

Caused by intense emotional events, TTS is a rare, temporary condition that weakens the left ventricle and disrupts its normal pumping function.

The syndrome causes the heart's main pumping chamber to change shape and get larger. The heart muscle becomes weaker, and its pumping action loses strength. 

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Symptoms include sudden, intense chest pain, pressure or heaviness in the chest, along with shortness of breath. 

It is treated with beta blockers and blood-thinning medicine to reduce risks of clots and other flareups.

Eating too much salt has long been linked to high blood pressure, but new research suggests it could trick the immune system into prematurely aging the blood vessels.

A preclinical study recently published in the Journal of the American Heart Association has identified a biological chain reaction that links a salty diet to cardiovascular decay.

Scientists at the University of South Alabama observed that mice on a high-salt diet experienced rapid deterioration in their blood vessel function.

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After just four weeks of high sodium intake, the small arteries responsible for regulating blood flow lost their ability to relax, according to a press release.

The team found that the cells lining these vessels had entered a state of cellular senescence, a form of premature cellular aging in which cells stop dividing and release a mix of inflammatory signals that can damage surrounding tissue.

The researchers tried to replicate this damage by exposing blood vessel cells directly to salt in a laboratory dish, but the cells showed no harmful effects.

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This suggests that salt isn’t directly causing damage to the vascular lining but that the real culprit may be the body’s own defense mechanism, the researchers noted.

Excess salt may trigger the immune system to release a molecule called interleukin-16 (IL-16), which acts as a messenger that instructs blood vessel cells to grow old before their time, according to the study.

Once these cells age, they fail to produce nitric oxide, the essential gas that tells arteries to dilate and stay flexible.

To test whether this process could be reversed, the team turned to a class of experimental drugs known as senolytics.

Using a cancer medication called navitoclax, which selectively clears out aged and dysfunctional cells, the researchers were able to restore nearly normal blood vessel function in the salt-fed mice, the release stated.

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By removing the decaying cells created by the high-salt diet, the drug allowed the remaining healthy tissue to maintain its elasticity and respond correctly to blood flow demands.

The study did have some limitations. The transition from mouse models to human treatment remains a significant hurdle, the team cautioned.

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Senolytic drugs like navitoclax are still being studied for safety, and the team emphasized that previous trials have shown mixed results regarding their impact on artery plaque.

Additionally, the researchers have not yet confirmed whether the same IL-16 pathway is the primary driver of vascular aging in humans.

Excessive daytime napping is associated with higher mortality risk in older adults, according to new research from Mass General Brigham.

Between 20% and 60% of older adults take naps, according to the researchers.

While occasional naps have been shown to be refreshing, frequent or prolonged daytime napping in this group has been associated with a variety of health concerns.

The study followed 1,338 older adults for up to 19 years, tracking the timing and duration of their daytime napping habits using a wrist-worn tracker. They then examined all-cause mortality rates.

Taking longer, more frequent naps — or napping in the morning — were all associated with increased mortality risk and may be early warning signs of underlying health decline, according to a press release from Mass Brigham.

Morning naps were linked to about a 30% increase in mortality risk, and each additional hour of daily napping was associated with about a 13% higher risk, the study found. Each additional nap per day increased risk by roughly 7%.

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"Excessive napping later in life has been linked to neurodegeneration, cardiovascular diseases and even greater morbidity, but many of those findings rely on self-reported napping habits and leave out metrics like when and how regular those naps are," lead author Chenlu Gao, Ph.D., an investigator in the department of anesthesiology at the Mass General Brigham, said in the press release. 

"Our study is one of the first to show an association between objectively measured nap patterns and mortality and suggests there is immense clinical value in tracking napping patterns to catch health conditions early."

There were some limitations to the study. Because it was observational in design, it only showed that napping may reflect underlying illness but did not prove that it caused mortality.

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The research did not take into account any contributing health conditions, and the sleep trackers only measured movement and not brain activity. This means rest could be misclassified as sleep in some cases.

Also, because the study population was limited to older, White adults in the Midwest, the results may not apply to other groups.

"It is important to note that this is correlation, not causation. Excessive napping is likely to indicate underlying disease, chronic conditions, sleep disturbances or circadian dysregulation," said Gao.

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"Now that we know there is a strong correlation between napping patterns and mortality rates, we can make the case to implement wearable daytime nap assessments to predict health conditions and prevent further decline."

The study was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health and affiliated research programs.

Eating a diet high in fruits and vegetables was found to have a surprising link to lung cancer among younger non-smokers, early research suggests.

The observational study, led by Jorge Nieva, M.D., of the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center at Keck Medicine, was presented this month at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) annual meeting in San Diego. It has not yet been peer-reviewed. 

Researchers looked at dietary, smoking and demographic data for 187 patients who were diagnosed with lung cancer at age 50 or younger. 

PANCREATIC CANCER PATIENT SURVIVAL DOUBLED WITH HIGH DOSE OF COMMON VITAMIN, STUDY FINDS

They found that among non-smokers, there was a link between healthier-than-average diets – rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains – and the chance of lung cancer development.

Young lung cancer patients ate more servings of dark green vegetables, legumes and whole grains compared to the average U.S. adult, the researchers found.

The researchers hypothesized that pesticides applied to conventionally grown produce could be a possible factor in the disease association.

"Commercially produced (non-organic) fruits, vegetables and whole grains are more likely to be associated with a higher residue of pesticides than dairy, meat and many processed foods," according to Nieva. He also noted that agricultural workers exposed to pesticides tend to have higher rates of lung cancer.

HIDDEN VIRUS INSIDE GUT BACTERIA LINKED TO DOUBLED COLORECTAL CANCER RISK, STUDY FINDS

"There is a large subset of lung cancer patients whose disease is not caused by smoking," Nieva told Fox News Digital.

The disease is becoming more common in non-smokers 50 and younger, especially women – despite the fact that smoking rates have been falling for decades, the researcher noted.

"These patients tend to have eaten much healthier diets before their diagnosis than the average American," he went on. "We need to support research into understanding why Americans – and women in particular – who no longer smoke very much are still having lung cancer," he said.

DEATHS FROM ONE TYPE OF CANCER ARE SURGING AMONG YOUNGER ADULTS WITHOUT COLLEGE DEGREES

The study did have some limitations, Nieva acknowledged, primarily that it relied on survey data and was limited by the participants’ memories of their food intake.  

"Also, the survey participants were self-selected, and this could have biased the findings," he told Fox News Digital.

The researchers did not test specific foods for pesticides, relying instead on average pesticide levels for certain types of food. Looking ahead, they plan to test patients’ blood and urine samples to directly measure pesticide levels, Nieva said.

Although the study shows only an association and does not prove that pesticides caused lung cancer, Nieva recommends that people wash their produce before eating and choose organic foods whenever possible.

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"This work represents a critical step toward identifying modifiable environmental factors that may contribute to lung cancer in young adults," said Nieva. "Our hope is that these insights can guide both public health recommendations and future investigation into lung cancer prevention."  

Dr. Marc Siegel, Fox News senior medical analyst, said the study is "interesting," but that it "raises far more questions than it answers."

"It is a small study (around 150) and observational, so no proof," the doctor, who was not involved in the research, told Fox News Digital.

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"It is possible that the increased lung cancer risk could be due to pesticide exposure in whole farmed foods, but it is by no means certain," Siegel went on. "How much exposure is needed? How much of it gets into food and in which areas? This requires much further study."

Kayla Nichols, communications director for Pesticide Action & Agroecology Network, a distributed global network, said the organization agrees with the study's conclusion that more research should be done on the rise in lung cancer, particularly in individuals eating diets higher in produce and fiber.

"There is a bounty of existing research that already links pesticide exposure to increased risk of multiple types of cancers," Nichols, who was also not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital. She called for more research on chronic, low-level exposures to pesticides, as well as more effective policies to protect the public from pesticide residues on food.

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The study was supported by the National Institutes of Health and the National Cancer Institute, as well as industry partners including AstraZeneca and Genentech, among others.

Fox News Digital reached out to several pesticide companies and trade groups for comment.

Colorectal cancer, once considered a disease of older age, is becoming a crisis for younger adults. New research shows one group getting hit the hardest – those without a college degree.

A recent study from the American Cancer Society analyzed data from over 101,000 adults aged 25 to 49 who died from colorectal cancer between 1994 and 2023.

While death rates remained stable for college graduates, they climbed significantly for those without a bachelor’s degree, the findings showed.

WIDESPREAD HABIT MAY RAISE COLORECTAL CANCER RISK MORE THAN YOU THINK

For young adults with a high school education or less, the mortality rate rose from 4.0 to 5.2 per 100,000 people, while the rate for those with at least a bachelor’s degree stayed flat, at approximately 2.7 per 100,000.

This does not mean that a degree offers some kind of biological protection, researchers cautioned.

The difference is likely driven by the conditions in which people live and work, which often correlate with education levels, the researchers noted.

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The study suggests that the higher death rates are likely driven by differences in the prevalence of risk factors, including obesity, physical inactivity, smoking and diet, which are "known to be elevated among children and young adults with lower [socioeconomic status]."

Because the study relied on death certificates, researchers couldn't say exactly why college graduates had better outcomes.

Certificates typically list the cause of death, age, race and education level, but they do not include a person’s full medical history.

RED FLAGS FOR COLORECTAL CANCER THAT WARRANT SCREENINGS BEFORE 45 YEARS OF AGE

Because the researchers didn't have the patients' actual medical records, they couldn't see things like frequency of screenings or treatment options, which would impact survival outcomes.

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Colorectal cancer is now the leading cause of cancer death for men under 50 and the second leading cause for women in the same age group, according to recent statistics.

Because the disease is highly treatable when caught early, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) lowered the recommended screening age from 50 to 45 in 2021.

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Common signs and symptoms of colorectal cancer can include a change in bowel habits, such as diarrhea, constipation or narrowing of the stool, that lasts for more than a few days, according to the American Cancer Society.

Other signs that warrant seeing a doctor include blood in the stool or a persistent feeling of needing to go to the bathroom but being unable to go.

The research was published in JAMA Oncology.

Common and treatable ear conditions may be associated with a higher risk of dementia, according to new research.

A study from Columbia University investigated how middle-ear problems that may cause conductive hearing loss are linked to the brain disorder.

The research, published in the Journal of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, analyzed a large dataset from the National Institutes of Health, including more than 300,000 U.S. adults.

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The study focused on three hearing loss conditions: cholesteatoma (an abnormal skin growth in the middle ear), eardrum perforation (a hole in the eardrum), and otosclerosis (abnormal bone changes in the middle ear), according to a press release.

After comparing dementia diagnoses in people with these conditions, the researchers found that cholesteatoma was linked to 1.77 times the odds of the cognitive disorder, and eardrum perforation was linked to more than twice the risk.

Otosclerosis was not found to be significantly associated with dementia.

Dementia risk associated with cholesteatoma and eardrum perforation slightly decreased when surgical treatment was performed, according to the study.

These findings add to existing evidence that "cognition is impacted by sensory deprivation," but also suggest that some of the causes are treatable, which could reduce dementia risk, the authors wrote.

Study co-author Dr. Justin S. Golub, MD, associate professor at Columbia's department of otolaryngology, echoed that age-related hearing loss has a known link to worsening cognition later in life.

"In this study, we show that correctable causes of hearing loss are also related to dementia, and if surgery is performed to treat it, the risk of dementia goes down," he said in an interview with Fox News Digital. "While we need more studies to confirm, it shows that surgery to treat hearing loss may have an effect not only on your hearing, but also on your mind."

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The study was observational in design, meaning it shows an association between ear conditions and dementia, but cannot prove that one causes the other.

Fox News senior medical analyst Dr. Marc Siegel noted that dementia is not the cause of hearing loss, but that there appears to be a "strong association the other way around."

Siegel noted that these findings coincide with previous evidence revealing that the more a person is "engaged in the world" socially, the less likely they are to develop dementia.

"It's almost as if the brain is a social muscle that needs to be exercised," the doctor, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital. "Without the ability to hear, you are more shut off from the world and more likely to develop dementia as a result."

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Fox News Digital reached out to the study authors for comment.

A young woman who started vaping at the age of 15 has been given just 18 months to live — after being diagnosed with lung cancer in her early 20s. 

Kayley Boda, 22, of Manchester, in the United Kingdom, was engaging in heavy vaping on a regular basis when she started coughing up a brown substance with "grainy bits" in it in January 2025, news agency SWNS reported. 

The retail assistant said doctors turned her away eight times, telling her she had a chest infection — until she began coughing up blood.    

SMOKING AND VAPING MAY BE BANNED AT ONE STATE'S MOST POPULAR BEACHES AND PARKS: HERE'S WHY

After seven biopsies, Boda was diagnosed with lung cancer. She underwent surgery to remove the lower lobe of her right lung, as well as chemotherapy — and in February 2026, got the all-clear, the same source reported.

Two months later, though, doctors said the cancer had come back in the pleural lining. Now she's been given 18 months to live.

The young woman has now issued a warning to others to be aware of the dangers of vaping.

Boda said she smoked a bit as a young teenager. She took up vaping after that. 

Then, "a few months after I switched from reusable vapes to disposable ones, I started coughing up brown, grainy mucus," as SWNS reported.

TOURISTS MAY FACE STEEP FINES AND JAIL TIME FOR VAPES AT THIS VACATION HOT SPOT

"Doctors turned me away eight times with a chest infection.... Then I started coughing up blood, so they did an X-ray and found a shadow on my lung," she added.

"They told me they were 99% sure, [since I was] so young, that it wasn't cancer, so not to worry about it. When I got the results back, and they told me it was lung cancer, it felt so surreal."

Boda said she was "very naive" before her diagnosis and thought that "something like this would never happen to me."

She said that she had surgery to remove half of her right lung.

"After the surgery, I started chemo and I had a terrible reaction to it. I couldn't lift my head up. I was throwing up blood. I was urinating blood. I couldn’t eat. I couldn't sleep."

VACATION HOT SPOT CRACKS DOWN ON VAPING WITH JAIL THREATS AND HEFTY FINES

She said that when she got the "all clear [in Feb. 2026], it felt amazing, but just two months later I was told the cancer had come back, and I have 18 months to live."

She added, "I’m 22. This isn’t meant to happen to somebody my age."

She blames her cancer on vaping, she said.  

"My symptoms started a few months after I started disposable vapes, and there’s no lung cancer in my family," she said. "I haven’t vaped for three months, I’ve made my partner stop, I’ve made my mom stop, I’m urging all my friends to stop. Stay off the vapes," she continued, "because they will catch up with you."  

She said she'd been using reusable vapes since the age of 15 and began using disposable vapes a few months before her cancer symptoms started.

DISPOSABLE VAPES MORE TOXIC AND CARCINOGENIC THAN CIGARETTES, STUDY SHOWS

In November 2024, when she developed a rash all over her body, doctors said it could have been due to shingles, chicken pox or scabies, she told SWNS.    

"I got treated for all three, and nothing worked," Boda said. "It got to the point where I was cutting myself from scratching so hard." 

A few months after that, she began coughing up a dark brown mucus, with "grainy bits, the consistency of sugar, in it," she said. When the coughing continued, she visited the doctor's office, but was told it could be scarring from pneumonia or a chest infection, she also said.    

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It wasn't until March 2025 that she began coughing up bright red blood. At that point, doctors gave her a chest X-ray and told her they'd found a shadow on her lower right lung.    

Over the next four months, she had seven biopsies as doctors took samples from the "shadow." In August, when she went to get the results, she was told she had stage one lung cancer.

In September 2025, she had surgery to remove the lower lobe of her right lung, and the surrounding lymph nodes. During the surgery, doctors upstaged her cancer from stage one to stage three after finding cancer in six surrounding lymph nodes, she said.  

Following the surgery, Boda was unable to breathe properly and had to learn to walk all over again.  

After finishing chemotherapy in February 2026, Kayley was given the all clear, leaving her feeling elated. 

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However, just a month after that, she began experiencing extreme chest pains and was told by doctors she had a pleural effusion — a build-up of fluid in the lungs. She had the fluid removed, but when doctors tested it, they discovered her cancer had returned to the pleural lining of her lungs, giving her 18 months to live.  

"The oncologist said this is so rare, and usually something they see in patients that are 80 years old," she said, as SWNS reported.  

Boda claimed that doctors were unable to pin her cancer to a specific cause — but told her that smoking and vaping definitely didn’t help.

Since her diagnosis, she has stopped and is urging others to stop, too.    

She's hoping to raise the thousands of dollars needed for treatment to try to prolong her life, she said.  

Last year, Fox News Digital reported on the case of a Pennsylvania woman, 26, who said she vaped for just one year before her lungs collapsed. She was 22 when she took up the habit, she said in an interview. 

"Everybody warned me about it, but I didn't listen — I wish that I did," she said.

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Dr. David Campbell, clinical director and program director at Recover Together Bend in Oregon, told Fox News Digital at that time that signs of collapsed lungs include sharp chest or shoulder pain, shortness of breath and difficulty breathing.

Lung issues are just one of the many health issues linked to vaping, he warned. The habit can also increase the risk of heart disease and stroke, as well as exposure to harmful heavy metals.

Melissa Rudy of Fox News Digital contributed reporting. 

Excess salt intake has long been linked to higher blood pressure, but now a new study has also tied it to quicker cognitive decline in certain groups.

In a six-year study of more than 1,200 older adults 60 and older, Australian researchers found that higher baseline dietary sodium intake was associated with faster decline in "episodic recall" in men, but not in women. 

"Episodic recall is a type of memory used to recall personal experiences and specific events from one’s past, such as where you parked your car or your first day of school," according to study author Samantha Gardener, Ph.D., a research fellow in neuroscience at the School of Medical and Health Sciences at Edith Cowan University in Western Australia.

POPULAR DIET TIED TO LOWER DEMENTIA RISK FOR SOME GROUPS, STUDY REVEALS

"We did not see any relationship between the amount of sodium consumed and memory decline in females," she told Fox News Digital.

The finding suggests that sodium intake may be a modifiable risk factor for memory decline in older males.

While males did report consuming a greater amount of sodium than females, which could explain why the increased cognitive decline was only observed in males, it could also be due to their higher diastolic blood pressure, according to Gardener.

"Elevated blood pressure is a recognized risk factor for cardiovascular disease and Alzheimer’s disease, and sodium plays a key role in blood pressure regulation," she said.

COMMON VACCINE SLASHES ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE RISK WHEN DOSE IS INCREASED

The research relied on data from the Australian Imaging, Biomarkers and Lifestyle (AIBL) study of aging. The findings were published in the Neurobiology of Aging.

"This study adds to the evidence that high-sodium diets may affect more than blood pressure," New Jersey-based registered dietitian Erin Palinski-Wade, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital. 

"These study findings are a good reminder that sodium intake matters for brain and heart health, especially for adults who already eat more than recommended."

"While excess sodium may impact cognition, it is important to note that this was a longitudinal observational study, meaning it can show an association but cannot rule out other potential factors like overall diet quality, physical activity or other comorbidities," Palinski-Wade noted.

Also, the participants reported their sodium intake via a food frequency questionnaire, which could be subject to recall error, the researchers pointed out.

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As sodium exposure was measured only at baseline, changes in intake over time were not captured by the study. It also only included sodium content in foods and beverages, and did not include salt added during cooking or at the table.

The participants were mostly Caucasian, which means the results may not apply to other populations.

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"We were not able to identify why sodium intake is having this effect, and this will be researched in the future," Gardener told Fox News Digital.  

"These findings are preliminary, and further investigation is required to evaluate how sodium intake could be incorporated as one modifiable lifestyle factor aimed at delaying Alzheimer’s disease onset."

The current Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends less than 2,300 mg of sodium per day for adults, which is equivalent to roughly 1 teaspoon of table salt.

Typical high-sodium foods in the U.S. diet include pizza, sandwiches and burgers, deli meats, and chips, crackers and salty snacks. 

Other high-sodium foods in the grocery store include canned foods, salad dressings, deli meats, cheeses and condiments, according to Tanya Freirich, a registered dietitian and certified diabetes care and education specialist in North Carolina.

Up to 80% of sodium intake comes from processed foods, she noted.

"Replacing one processed snack – such as beef jerky, olives, salted nuts, pretzels and bagged potato or corn chips – with an unprocessed snack is a great place to start," Freirich, who also was not involved in the research, told Fox News Digital.

Healthier, unprocessed snacks include fruit, lightly salted nuts, carrots and hummus, or lower-sodium versions of chips, she said.

"Replacing a few fast food meals with food prepared at home is also an excellent way to reduce your sodium intake by thousands of milligrams," the expert advised.

Palinski-Wade echoed that the majority of sodium in the diet doesn’t come from the salt shaker, but from ultraprocessed and prepared foods. 

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"Read the labels, monitor your intake, and fill your diet with foods that promote heart health, including whole fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, legumes, and lean proteins," she advised.

Successfully lowering sodium intake can reduce the risk of not only high blood pressure and cognitive decline, but also kidney and cardiovascular disease, the experts agreed.

The key to feeling better in a fast, overstimulated world might be surprisingly simple: Live a little more like your grandparents.

A growing social media trend, dubbed "nonnamaxxing," draws inspiration from the slower, more intentional rhythms associated with an Italian grandmother.

The lifestyle is often linked to activities like preparing home-cooked meals, spending time outdoors and making meaningful connections.

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"Nonnamaxxing is a 2026 trend that embraces the slower, more intentional lifestyle of an Italian grandmother (a Nonna). Think cooking from scratch, long family meals, daily walks, gardening and less screen time," Erin Palinski-Wade, a New Jersey-based registered dietitian, told Fox News Digital.

Stepping away from screens and toward real-world interaction can have measurable benefits, according to California-based psychotherapist Laurie Singer.

"We know that interacting with others in person, rather than spending time on screens, significantly improves mental health," she told Fox News Digital, adding that social media often fuels comparison and lowers self-esteem.

LONELINESS MAY BE SILENTLY ERODING YOUR MEMORY, NEW RESEARCH REVEALS

Living more like previous generations isn’t purely driven by nostalgia. Cooking meals from scratch, for example, has been linked to better nutrition and more mindful eating patterns.

Adopting traditional mealtime habits can improve diet quality and support both physical and mental health, especially when meals are shared regularly with others, Palinski-Wade noted.

There’s also a psychological benefit to slowing down and focusing on one task at a time. Anxiety often stems from unfinished or avoided tasks, Singer noted, and engaging in hands-on activities can counteract that.

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"Nonnamaxxing encourages us to be present around a task, like gardening, baking or knitting, or just taking a mindful walk, that delivers something 'real,'" she said.

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Palinski-Wade cautions against turning the trend into another source of pressure, noting that a traditional "nonna" lifestyle often assumes a different pace of life.

The key, she said, is adapting the mindset, not replicating it perfectly.

The goal is to reintroduce small, intentional moments that make you feel better.

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That might mean prioritizing a few shared meals each week, taking a walk without your phone or setting aside time for a simple hobby, the expert recommended.

Singer added, "Having a positive place to escape to, through whatever activities speak to us and make us happy, isn’t generational – it’s human."

A woman who got a dog to support her through a breast cancer diagnosis was later shocked when the pet was diagnosed with the same disease years later.

Vickie Doogan, 52, from England, said her dog Dolly, a poochon, became her constant companion during recovery from her second cancer diagnosis, news agency SWNS reported.

Doogan was first diagnosed with breast cancer at age 39 after noticing a dull pain and a lump under her arm, which doctors later confirmed was invasive breast cancer that had spread.

COMMON FRUIT FOUND IN AMERICAN KITCHENS MAY SLOW DEADLY FORM OF BREAST CANCER, STUDY SAYS

She underwent chemotherapy, surgery and radiation and was eventually declared cancer-free following an intensive course of treatment.

At 44, she was diagnosed again and underwent another round of treatment before opting for a double mastectomy after learning she carried a BRCA2 gene mutation, which increases the risk of breast cancer.

She got Dolly in 2018 while recovering at home, saying the dog provided comfort and companionship during a difficult period in her life.

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"She’s like my shadow," Doogan said. "She’s the most perfect little dog."

In February 2026, Doogan took Dolly to the vet for what she believed was an upset stomach, where a lump was unexpectedly discovered under one of the dog’s nipples.

"The vet said she needed to have a mastectomy. I was so shocked," Doogan said. "I didn’t even know dogs could have mastectomies."

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Dolly underwent surgery to remove the cancer, which was determined to be low-grade and did not require additional treatment, allowing her to recover relatively quickly.

"She bounced back just as well as I did," Doogan said. "People said it’s like she’s mirroring how I dealt with it."

Both Doogan and her dog are now cancer-free and focusing on moving forward after their shared experiences with the disease, SWNS noted.

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Doogan said she hopes their story offers encouragement to others facing a diagnosis and shows that recovery is possible.

"When I was first diagnosed, I was absolutely floored," she said. "Chemo was brutal, but thankfully I responded well."

"Now I’m living my best life again," she added. "I want people to know that although breast cancer is scary, you can still live a really full life."

As President Donald Trump backs efforts to advance psychedelic drugs, doctors are speaking out about how the move could impact mental health treatments.

On Friday, Trump signed an executive order to fast-track the research, funding and potential FDA approval of psychedelics like ibogaine, psilocybin, LCD and MDMA, primarily to treat PTSD, depression and addiction.

Psychedelics, psychoactive compounds that act largely through serotonin pathways, are being studied in controlled clinical settings for mental health treatment, experts say.

SINGLE DOSE OF POWERFUL PSYCHEDELIC CUTS DEPRESSION SYMPTOMS IN CLINICAL STUDY

Trump’s move is drawing mixed reactions, with supporters praising its potential to transform mental health treatment, particularly for veterans, while critics warn about limited evidence on safety and effectiveness.

"The president’s action today opens a pathway to research that will further open doors to expedited approval of this life-saving medicine as a treatment for our veterans — and society — who have suffered for decades from treatment-resistant PTSD, TBI (traumatic brain injury) and depression," Jay Kopelman, former Marine Corps lieutenant colonel and CEO of Mission to Live Foundation in San Diego, told Fox News Digital.

"This act will require the VA Health System to begin psychedelics research and clinical trials, making psychedelics available to veterans for whom the traditional modalities of care (SSRIs and talk therapy) haven’t worked."

Dr. Marc Siegel, Fox News senior medical analyst, agreed that psychedelics hold "big potential" for severe depression and PTSD, and said he supports Trump’s commitment to funding more research. 

PSYCHEDELIC DRUG POPULAR IN 1960S COULD EASE ANXIETY AS DOCTORS SHARE WARNINGS

"It changes brain chemistry in a way that can provide more modulation of dopamine, serotonin and other neurochemicals, making a patient less fearful," he told Fox News Digital. 

"At the same time, the psychiatric impact of psychedelics can be useful to change perception in a positive way."

Siegel emphasized, however, that these therapies need to be further researched, and that doses and exact indications must be carefully determined.

Juliana Mercer, a 16-year Marine Corps veteran and the executive director of New York-based nonprofit dedicated to advancing psychedelic-assisted therapy for veterans, applauded the presidents' move as a "meaningful step."

"The people who need this most are those who have already tried everything and found no real relief," she told Fox News Digital.

"I think about veterans I served with, people who have done years of therapy, cycled through medications, and are still carrying the weight of their service. Too many are still losing that fight at home."

Kevin A. Sabet, Ph.D., president and CEO of the Foundation for Drug Policy Solutions in Washington, D.C., expressed concerns about the executive order.

"While we support rigorous research for treatment discovery, President Trump’s executive order on ibogaine puts politics and hype ahead of science by suggesting that a dangerous, unapproved hallucinogen can somehow be a medical treatment," he shared with Fox News Digital. 

FOX NATION: WATCH ‘IBOGAINE: THE FIGHT OF A LIFETIME’

"Ibogaine remains a Schedule I substance with serious safety concerns, including documented cardiotoxicity and deaths. [The government] should not normalize unproven and risky drugs under the guise of helping those who have served our country."

Siegel also cautioned about the risk of improper prescribing of psychedelics by unqualified practitioners. "Unfettered recreational use and microdosing can increase the risk of psychosis and other anxiety disorders," he added.

Kopelman noted that the primary risk of ibogaine is its "cardiotoxicity properties."

"It can prolong the QT interval in the heartbeat, which can lead to arrhythmia or even heart attack," he told Fox News Digital, noting that this risk is mitigated by "rigorous medical examinations" and monitoring during treatment.

Mercer agreed that these treatments aren’t appropriate for everyone.

"They can have significant psychological effects and, in some cases, physiological risks, which is why they should only be administered in controlled clinical settings by trained providers," she told Fox News Digital.

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"Continued research is essential to better understand who these therapies are right for, and who they’re not, before broader implementation."

While Trump’s order is a step toward FDA approval for psychedelics, the substances still need to go through clinical trials and the standard regulatory pathway, including rescheduling, Mercer noted.

"Veterans and others will still be waiting unless we also build the systems to provide this safely at scale, trained providers, reimbursement pathways and clinical care models," she said. "This is the gap we’ve been highlighting for years, and it still needs to be closed."

Kopelman agreed that while the legislation paves a path for expedited study of these medications, it’s important to "do it the right way," warning that "one misstep could overturn and sink this entire effort."

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"Most important is the post-medicine integration work that requires multiple therapy sessions overseen by a trauma-informed psychedelic therapist," he told Fox News Digital. "It’s not like prescribing someone a Tylenol and sending them home — these medicines require medical oversight."

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"Psychedelics are not a panacea," Kopelman added. "They are a gateway to healing — but the real work begins after treatment."

Feeling lonely may take a toll on older adults' memory — but it may not speed up cognitive decline, according to a new study.

Researchers from Colombia, Spain and Sweden analyzed data from more than 10,000 adults ages 65 to 94 across 12 European countries and found those who reported higher levels of loneliness did worse on memory tests at the start of the study, according to research published this month in the journal Aging & Mental Health.

Over a seven-year period, however, memory decline occurred at a similar rate regardless of how lonely participants felt.

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"The finding that loneliness significantly impacted memory, but not the speed of decline in memory over time was a surprising outcome," lead author Dr. Luis Carlos Venegas-Sanabria of the School of Medicine and Health Sciences at the Universidad del Rosario said in a statement.

"It suggests that loneliness may play a more prominent role in the initial state of memory than in its progressive decline," Venegas-Sanabria said, adding that the findings highlight the importance of addressing loneliness as a factor in cognitive performance.

The findings add to debate about whether loneliness contributes to dementia risk. While loneliness and social isolation are often considered risk factors for cognitive decline, research results have been mixed.

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The study looked at data from the long-running Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE), which tracked 10,217 older adults between 2012 and 2019. Participants were asked to recall words immediately and after a delay to measure memory performance.

Loneliness was assessed using three questions about how often participants felt isolated, left out or lacking companionship.

About 8% of participants reported high levels of loneliness at the outset. That group tended to be older, more likely to be female and more likely to have conditions such as depression.

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Researchers found that those with higher loneliness had lower scores on both immediate and delayed memory tests at baseline. Still, all groups — regardless of loneliness level — experienced similar declines in memory over time.

The results suggest loneliness may not directly accelerate the progression of memory loss, though it remains linked to poorer cognitive performance overall.

Experts warn, however, that the findings should not be interpreted to mean loneliness is harmless.

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"The finding that lonely older adults start with worse memory but don't decline faster is actually the most interesting part of the paper, and I think it's easy to misread," said Jordan Weiss, Ph.D., a scientific advisor and aging expert at Assisted Living Magazine and a professor at NYU Grossman School of Medicine.

"It likely means loneliness does its damage earlier in life, well before people show up in a study like this at 65-plus," Weiss told Fox News Digital.

He suggested that by older age, long-term social patterns may already be established, making it harder to detect when the effects of loneliness first took hold.

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"By the time you're measuring someone in their late 60s, decades of social connection patterns are already baked in," he said.

Weiss, who was not involved in the research, added that loneliness may coincide with other health conditions, and noted that participants who felt more isolated also had higher rates of depression, high-blood pressure and diabetes. The link, he said, may reflect a cluster of health risks rather than a direct cause.

Amy Morin, a Florida-based psychotherapist and author, said the findings reflect a broader pattern in research on loneliness and brain health, and that the relationship may be more complex than it appears.

"The evidence shows there's a link between loneliness and cognitive decline but there's no direct evidence of a cause and effect relationship," she said. "So while they can go hand-in-hand, it's not clear that loneliness contributes to dementia."

Morin added that loneliness, which can fluctuate, may not be the root of the problem, but rather a symptom of other underlying mental or physical health issues.

She said staying socially and mentally engaged is crucial for overall brain health.

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"It's important to be proactive about social activities," Morin said. "Joining a book club, having coffee with a friend, or attending faith-based services can be a powerful way to maintain connections in older age."

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

Fox News Digital reached out to the researchers for comment.

Research continues to uncover new details on how fasting may help extend life.

A new study published in the journal Nature Communications investigated how intermittent fasting can boost longevity in small worms often used in aging research.

Researchers from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas compared worms that were fed normally to those that underwent a 24-hour fast in early adulthood and were then fed again, according to a press release.

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The scientists measured a variety of factors, including stored fat, gene activity related to fat metabolism and lifespan.

The results showed that the life-boosting benefit did not depend on the fasting itself but on the body’s behavior after eating again.

Study lead Peter Douglas, associate professor of molecular biology and a member of the Hamon Center for Regenerative Science and Medicine at UT Southwestern, suggested that these discoveries "shift the focus toward a neglected side of the metabolic coin – the re-feeding phase."

"Our data suggest that the health-promoting effects of intermittent fasting are not merely a product of the fast itself, but are dependent on how the metabolic machinery recalibrates during the subsequent transition back to a fed state," he said.

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"Our findings bridge a gap between lipid metabolism and aging research," he added. "By targeting aging, the single greatest risk factor for human disease, we move beyond treating isolated conditions toward a preventive model of medicine that enhances quality of life for all individuals."

Lauri Wright, director of nutrition programs at the University of South Florida's College of Public Health, called this a "high-quality" study that adds an "important nuance to how we think about fasting and longevity."

The benefits of the refeeding phase after fasting were "especially interesting," Wright, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital.

"The researchers showed that longevity was linked to the body’s ability to turn off fat breakdown after fasting, allowing cells to restore energy balance," she reiterated.

"From a scientific standpoint, that’s a meaningful shift because it suggests fasting is not just about burning fat, but about metabolic flexibility."

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Fasting may support longevity through triggering metabolic switching, enhancing cellular repair and stress resistance and improving markers like insulin sensitivity, research shows.

Although this study provides "important insight" on the power of refeeding, Wright noted that the findings should be approached with caution, as the study was done on worms and cannot always be translated to humans.

"Additionally, it explains how a process might work in a controlled lab condition rather than real-world eating behaviors," she added as a limitation. "Finally, the study is short-term and doesn't give us the long-term translation on lifespan outcomes."

Wright cautioned that fasting is "not a magic solution for longevity, and how you eat overall matters more than when you eat."

"I advise, first and foremost, to focus on diet quality, including a variety of fruits and vegetables, healthy fats and minimally processed foods," she said.

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For those who are considering fasting, it’s better to stick with a moderate plan — like a 12- to 14-hour overnight fast — rather than going to extremes, Wright said. After fasting, she recommends focusing on well-balanced meals.

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Several groups of people should be cautioned against fasting, according to Wright, including those with diabetes who are on insulin or hypoglycemic medications, those who are pregnant or breastfeeding, anyone with a history of eating disorders and older adults at risk of malnutrition.

Anyone considering intermittent fasting should consult with a doctor before starting.

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