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A vaccine that can prevent shingles

The best way to avoid shingles and long-lasting pain that may result from it is to get the shingles vaccine (Shingrix), given in two doses. The vaccine contains a protein from a dead varicella-zoster virus. The shot is 90% effective and is recommended for adults ages 50 or older, even those who have had shingles before, received an older shingles vaccine called Zostavax, or don’t recall having had chickenpox. People should avoid the vaccine if they currently have shingles, are allergic to components of the vaccine, or are pregnant or breastfeeding.

Can a daily scoop of collagen powder really improve your skin?

Manufacturers tout collagen supplements as a way to improve signs of skin aging and skin quality. There is some research that shows they may bring skin benefits, reducing wrinkles, speeding wound healing, and improving skin hydration and elasticity. But because supplements aren’t regulated, quality may be highly variable. While collagen supplements are believed to be safe, there aren’t any long-term safety studies to date.

CDC initiative aims to prevent injuries in older adults

The CDC’s Still Going Strong initiative aims to raise awareness about accidents that lead to injury in adults over age 65 and strategies to prevent them.

Look inside your heart

The traditional measures to gauge heart disease risk don’t always tell the whole story. Sometimes more medical information is needed. An increasingly used test to predict a person’s risk for heart attack or stroke is a coronary artery calcium scan. It measures the amount of calcified plaque in the heart’s arteries, high levels of which suggest higher overall plaque buildup. The number can determine if people should begin statin therapy and make additional lifestyle changes.

Green leafy vegetables offer a leg up on muscle strength

Eating high amounts of nitrate-rich green leafy vegetables may improve leg muscle strength and increase walking speed and reduce fatigue.

Battle of the bulges

A majority of people over 60 have diverticulosis, a condition in which tiny bulges (called diverticula) appear in weak areas of your colon’s inner wall. The bulges themselves don’t cause symptoms, but they can lead to bleeding or diverticulitis, which occurs when a diverticulum becomes inflamed or infected. People can reduce their risk by eating more fiber and staying physically active.

Postpartum anxiety is invisible, but common and treatable

It's not unusual for women to feel down or depressed after giving birth, but if the feelings persist or become debilitating, it's cause for concern. Many of the symptoms overlap between postpartum depression and postpartum anxiety, but some women do not respond as well to some treatments for depression, so it's important to establish the correct diagnosis.

Ready for your routine medical checkup?

Before the pandemic did you schedule a routine, in-person health checkup every year? Is this necessary or can you safely skip a year or consider a telehealth visit or a combination of in-person and virtual care? There are pros and cons to these options and no single solution will work for everyone.

Nicotine addiction explained — and how medications can help

Addiction is now understood to be a neurological disorder that results from changes to the brain's reward center caused by addictive substances. Ideally, treatment for nicotine addiction combines medication to suppress cravings with counseling to help patients reprogram their behavior.

Misgendering: What it is and why it matters

For people who are transgender or nonbinary, being misgendered may be a daily occurrence. When this happens, people feel invalidated and unseen, and the burden can negatively affect their mental health. Making the effort to use the right names, pronouns, and honorifics when addressing a person shows respect and support for those around you and how they identify themselves.

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