Healthy aging and longevity Archive

While the FDA has authorized the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5 to 11, and the CDC recommends it, parents are still likely to have questions about the vaccine and how COVID-19 affects younger children.

As the holiday season approaches again, the desire to gather is tempered by lingering concerns about COVID-19. Rapid COVID-19 tests could provide some reassurance if testing is done as guests arrive at a host's home, though it's important to be aware of the limitations of this approach, including cost, availability, reliability, and how results are obtained.

Body mass index (BMI) is determined by a combination of one's weight and height. A BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 represents a healthy weight, 25 to 29.9 is overweight, and 30 or greater is obese. BMI is a better measure of health than just weight, but it still has its flaws. It doesn't assess body fat as well in older folks as it does in younger adults. And it doesn't distinguish between fat that's in the belly from fat in other places, like the hips. For this reason, measurements comparing waist to hip size are also used.

Past research hinted at a link between heart disease and a high intake of calcium from supplements, but more recent analyses have not found a connection between the two.