Today we have published a Priority Pathogen Families reference tool, highlighting 24 pathogen families where we believe further research is most needed in the interests of biosecurity.
Priority Pathogens: The disease families which require urgent scientific research Read More »
The links between blood pressure, diet, exercise, or smoking and heart disease risk have been well established.
Yet new research indicates these risk factors may significantly impact women’s heart health more than men’s.
The findings, being presented at the American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Session (ACC.25) on March 29-31 in Chicago, suggest that a person’s sex should be considered during routine screenings, which could provide a clearer assessment of cardiovascular risk.
Researchers say understanding sex-based differences in heart disease risk factors could also help inspire people to make heart-healthy changes. The research has not yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal.
The researchers examined data from over 175,000 adults who participated in the Ontario Health Study between 2009 and 2017, with females making up 60% of the group.
At the start of the study, none of the participants had been diagnosed with heart disease. The study focused on eight established cardiovascular risk factors:
Each participant received an assessment for these factors and was categorized as having either ideal or poor health in each category.
Using these individual classifications, the researchers created an overall health profile, ranking participants as having poor, intermediate, or ideal cardiovascular health depending on the number of positive and negative risk factors they exhibited.
Follow-up evaluations occurred over a median period of just over 11 years. The study tracked major cardiovascular events such as:
Findings showed that females tended to have more favorable risk profiles than males. They were more likely to maintain an ideal overall health status, with 9.1% achieving a perfect score across all eight factors, compared to only 4.8% of males.
Conversely, fewer women (21.9%) fell into the poor health category compared to males (30.5%).
Regarding specific risk factors, females were more likely than males to have optimal diet, blood glucose, cholesterol, and blood pressure levels. However, they were slightly less likely to reach ideal physical activity levels.
Despite having generally better health metrics, females who did accumulate more negative risk factors faced a significantly higher risk of severe cardiovascular events than males with comparable risk profiles.
After adjusting for age, the data revealed that both males and females with poor or intermediate cardiovascular health were at greater risk for heart disease compared to those in ideal health. However, the impact was more pronounced in females.
Females classified as having poor health faced nearly five times the risk of heart disease compared to those with ideal health, whereas males with poor health had 2.5 times the risk.
Females in the intermediate health group had 2.3 times the risk, while their male counterparts had 1.6 times the risk.
The researchers emphasized the need for further investigation to determine how biological and sociocultural factors may contribute to these differences in cardiovascular outcomes between males and females.
They also plan to analyze whether the effects of risk factors vary across racial and ethnic groups or in females before and after menopause.
While the study itself couldn’t explain why sex-based differences appear to impact cardiovascular risk, Daniel Atkinson, MD, clinical lead at Treated, suggested a few reasons behind this phenomenon. Atkinson wasn’t involved in the study.
“It’s not fully understood why this is the case, but some research has suggested it might be because of physiological differences between men and women,” Atkinson said.
“Outdated approaches to managing heart disease in women might also be contributing to the issue because, as the study points out, screenings are rarely gender specific,” he noted.
“Heart disease symptoms might present differently in women and could manifest differently at specific stages in their life if hormonal changes do impact things,” Atkinson continued.
Atkinson added that while hormonal birth control doesn’t cause heart disease, some types can trigger high blood pressure or cholesterol, which might contribute to a greater risk in females who already have other cardiovascular risk factors.
Rohit Vuppuluri, DO, an interventional and vascular cardiologist at Chicago Heart & Vascular Specialists, told Healthline it’s “important for women to understand that although cardiovascular disease is higher in men, cardiovascular disease is still a leading cause of death for both women and men.”
However, women are often underdiagnosed, he said, because their symptoms are atypical.
According to the American College of Cardiology, while both females and males exhibit the more typical heart attack symptom of chest pain, females are more likely to experience additional symptoms such as nausea and shortness of breath.
“After menopause, women can have [a] greater risk of cardiovascular disease, and close monitoring of risk factors should occur for women as they become older,” said Vuppuluri.
This includes doing regular blood pressure checks, cholesterol testing, and glucose monitoring.
“Women must also be proactive in managing their lifestyle,” he advised.
Jayne Morgan, MD, a cardiologist and vice president of medical affairs at Hello Heart, pointed to several lifestyle factors that females should seek to manage to promote cardiovascular health. Morgan wasn’t involved in the study.
Finally, Morgan noted the importance of being aware that women’s heart disease risk rises during perimenopause. She suggested speaking with your physician about any additional steps you may take to protect your heart.
Women’s Heart Health More Affected by Lifestyle Risks Than Men, Study Finds Read More »
On World TB Day 2025, we look at the most recent data, which showed a rise of 13% in reported numbers of cases in England between 2023 and 2024.
With tuberculosis (TB) on the rise again, how can we prevent further spread? Read More »
Arnold Schwarzenegger is known for his successful bodybuilding career, his service as Governor of California, and his starring roles in action-packed films like “The Terminator” franchise, “Predator,” and “Total Recall.”
His next move? Earlier this year, Schwarzenegger and the medical technology company Zimmer Biomet announced the launch of “You’ll Be Back.”
The campaign invites people living with limited mobility due to hip, knee, shoulder, or other joint pain to share their stories for an opportunity to meet the illustrious actor and be featured in a motivational docuseries, which will launch later this year.
Members of the You’ll Be Back online community will have access to resources and a “Find a Doctor” tool to connect with local physicians and explore whether joint replacement is right for them.
“It’s important to take joint pain — either hip, knee, or shoulder — seriously because it decreases the quality of life of millions of people,” Schwarzenegger, who joined Zimmer Biomet in 2024 as its Chief Movement Officer, told Healthline.
In the United States, about 53 million adults live with arthritis. Additionally, approximately 1.71 billion people across the world live with musculoskeletal conditions, including:
When people are in pain, they tend to move less, said Leslie Bottrell, MD, a sports medicine physician at Northwell Lenox Hill Hospital. When a known injury causes pain, taking caution with movement is important until a doctor can determine what is causing the pain.
However, pain doesn’t always mean there is a physical injury, she told Healthline.
“Pain is managed by memory and emotions, and oftentimes, stopping completely and not moving can have a detrimental effect and lead to weakening of the muscles and stiffness, which leads to more pain and limited movement and the inability to keep moving,” Bottrell said.
Movement is medicine, Bottrell noted, and helps the body in the following ways:
“Also, as we get older, we worry about breaking bones, but if you’re muscles are engaged and you’re strong, you are less likely to fall compared to if you are weak and atrophied,” said Bottrell.
Schwarzenegger relates to this sentiment. He is determined to motivate people to move safely despite fears and past injuries.
“I get it. It is scary. I’ve had my own health issues — shoulder surgery, hip replacement, and all of my heart surgeries for my congenital valve issue, and I think it’s very important that I’m open about it, because I see how it inspires people to act, and not just give in to their pain,” he said.
Schwarzenegger believes life is too short to let pain, fear, or uncertainty hold people back from feeling better. “I believe in the phrase, ‘If you rest, you rust,’” he said.
Healthline got more insight from the legendary actor and former bodybuilder to learn more about his dedication to joint pain and mobility awareness.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity and length.
Schwarzenegger: I have had to deal with joint pain throughout my life. Whether I’m riding my bike, working out at Gold’s Gym, or skiing every winter, I’m a very active person.
My joints have taken a beating from all the heavy lifting and stunts through the years. I’ve had my fair share of injuries, but being active is important to me, and I wouldn’t change what I’ve done.
I knew when it was time to seek help, and I did.
Schwarzenegger: I have dedicated my life to fitness, so I know the power of movement. My priorities have changed, but my need to never stop moving hasn’t.
Even when I was competing in Mr. Universe, I was taking ballet lessons to perfect the way I moved my body. Now I’m focused on skiing every year with my family, playing with my grandchildren and my animals on the weekends or riding my bike and lifting, but I’ve never wanted to stop moving.
As I’ve gotten older, I have thanked myself for all the work I did in my body in the past because I see how other people who are 78 are moving, and I can tell that the foundation I built has protected me. But I have to keep pushing myself and moving every year so I don’t rust.
I never want to get to a point where I can’t do the things that bring me happiness.
You have to fuel your body so it moves properly — and if there’s something wrong, make an appointment with your doctor. Only you know when changes are happening. Don’t put off these important conversations because you’re afraid.
Schwarzenegger: I talk about this in my Pump Club newsletter and my podcast all the time. Movement is medicine.
When you stop moving, you put yourself at risk for a lot of health conditions, including osteoarthritis. But inactivity is also a symptom of osteoarthritis because joint pain and stiffness discourage movement. That means many people with osteoarthritis are already inactive, and their pain keeps them inactive. It’s a vicious cycle.
Listen, I’m not a doctor and can’t give medical advice. What I do know is that you have to be honest with yourself about how pain is affecting your life and the lives of those around you. And sometimes, that means putting pride or fear aside and talking with your doctor.
I also know that some mornings, I feel pain and stiffness in my body and all my brain wants me to do is lie in bed —but I get up and do my daily routine of a bike ride and a workout, and 99% of the time, I feel the stiffness melt away. Movement does make us better.
Schwarzenegger: I’m always moving, moving, moving! I ride my bike, and I train at the gym for 45 minutes every day when I’m at home in Los Angeles.
Consistency is important. You have to have a routine.
On top of my lifting and biking, I ski every winter for as many days as I can. I have been intense about getting my steps in every single day since we shared studies about the power of movement in Arnold’s Pump Club. I realized that even with a bike ride and a workout, inactivity the rest of the day can set you back.
Schwarzenegger: My situation is unique because I have replaced heart valves, and after my first heart surgery, the doctor told me to stop the heavy weights to protect those new valves.
That wasn’t an excuse to stop, though. I used lighter weights, with more reps and less rest between sets. I’m not setting any records anymore, but I can still wear out people half my age with my training and leave ‘schvitzy’ and huffing and puffing.
Schwarzenegger: Vision is important to me and has been since the beginning of my fitness journey 50 years ago.
If I don’t have a vision — a purpose — then I will fail. I think about the person I want to be and why I want to be that person. If I simply say, “I want to be healthy,” that’s not enough.
I have to know why I’m doing it and what I want to accomplish. I have to see it. That’s the key to having anything stick long term, even through challenges. Being active is part of who I am now because I take this approach. And I always feel better after moving. I’ve had my own setbacks, but I see them as opportunities.
I won’t lie. There are some mornings where I feel off; I want to just stay in bed. But I get on my bike and ride to the gym. And almost every time, by the time I’m riding back from the gym, the world starts to turn to color. I don’t know if it is from the movement or the sense of accomplishment when I didn’t want to do it and did it anyway, but there is something magic about that.
Most people want to be healthy. They want to move, but there are so many obstacles that it’s easy to get overwhelmed. That’s why having a vision is so important — it helps you take the next step.
If your obstacle is pain, I challenge you to envision your life without it. What would you be able to do? How would it affect your work, your hobbies — your life? Use that vision to overcome fear and uncertainty about talking to a doctor. Don’t wait, act! That’s my message.
I want anyone with pain in their joints to know they are not alone and get the information they need to fuel their comebacks.
It’s also important for me to be useful and use my platform to encourage people to take ownership of their health and to never stop moving.
If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together. I want to create a community with the You’ll Be Back platform so people don’t feel alone.
Schwarzenegger: Fitness is self-care. If you aren’t training your body, you aren’t taking care of it. Don’t ever convince yourself otherwise.
Arnold Schwarzenegger is raising awareness about prioritizing joint health and mobility.
The famed actor and experts agree that regular movement and physical activity help you stay healthy and prevent frailty.
Regular exercise can also help reduce the risk of various chronic health conditions.
Arnold Schwarzenegger Talks Joint, Mobility Health: ‘If You Rest, You Rust’ Read More »
Irregular menstrual cycles during midlife, or changes in the amount and duration of menstrual flow, is often a telltale sign of perimenopause.
This phase before menopause, known as the menopause transition, typically affects females in their mid to late 40s and early 50s, though the age of onset may vary significantly.
Unlike menopause, which is confirmed when a person has gone 12 months without a period, perimenopause is often characterized by abnormal menstrual bleeding.
Heavy menstrual bleeding during perimenopause can significantly impact quality of life.
A recent study found that heavy or prolonged menstrual bleeding may lead to fatigue, which helps explain why females are two to four times more likely to experience syndromic fatigue during midlife, which can be debilitating, researchers say.
The results, published online on March 12 in Menopause, the journal of The Menopause Society, note that 1 in 3 perimenopausal females experienced abnormal uterine bleeding.
Despite this prevalence, few studies have examined the issue nor have they explained the link between abnormal uterine bleeding during the menopause transition phase and fatigue or decreased quality of life.
Heavy bleeding may cause iron deficiency anemia (low red blood cell count), which, while treatable, is a well-known cause of fatigue.
“This study highlights the need for greater clinical awareness of abnormal uterine bleeding, particularly given the increased frequency during the menopause transition and its association with low energy or fatigue symptoms,” said Stephanie Faubion, MD, director of the Mayo Clinic Center for Women’s Health and medical director for The Menopause Society, in a news release.
“Educating women about the possibility of prolonged or heavy menstrual bleeding during the menopause transition and the potential health consequences is also needed,” she noted.
Perimenopause onset begins with declining ovarian function and reproductive hormone shifts, resulting in a drop in estrogen production and leading to various menopause-like symptoms, such as:
In this new study, researchers examined menstrual tracking calendars for 2,300 midlife females to determine whether they experienced heavy or prolonged menstrual bleeding over the course of six months.
They assessed feelings associated with fatigue (i.e., feeling tired, worn out, low energy).
After adjusting for other possible causes of fatigue, they found a strong link between heavy and prolonged menses and fatigue.
The researchers suggest that more awareness of abnormal uterine bleeding during perimenopause is needed.
“Changes in menstrual bleeding are common in perimenopause, Faubion told Healthline. “Periods can become lighter or heavier. This relates to fluctuations in ovarian function and subsequently in brain neurochemicals, such that the brain is trying to get the ovary to respond.”
“When that happens, the ovary is being ‘flogged’ by the brain, which can result in higher levels of estrogen than a woman usually has in her reproductive years. This can lead to thickening of the uterine lining and heavier menstrual blood flow,” Faubion added.
Signs of midlife menstrual changes, such as heavy or prolonged bleeding, may include:
Heavy menstrual bleeding is not always related to hormone changes during perimenopause, however.
Abnormal uterine bleeding may also be related to other causes not associated with menopause transition, such as uterine cancer, Faubion noted.
“It’s always important that abnormal uterine bleeding be evaluated because bleeding could be a sign of something more serious,” Faubion said.
The new study’s authors say clinicians should assess energy levels when patients report bleeding changes to determine the right course of treatment, especially if there is a risk of anemia.
“If a woman is experiencing heavy menstrual bleeding in perimenopause, it should be evaluated and treated,” Faubion said.
If you’re concerned about midlife menstrual changes, ask your doctor for guidance to help you navigate this transition.
Treatments for heavy menstrual bleeding may include:
Your doctor might also advise certain self-care strategies to help ease discomfort, such as:
“There are many options for reducing bleeding during this time,” Faubion said. “In other words, they shouldn’t just ‘put up with it.’”
Heavy Periods During Perimenopause Linked to Fatigue. Here’s How to Cope Read More »
Information about attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, is abundant on social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram, fueling concern about mis- and self-diagnosis.
This isn’t a new phenomenon. For the past few decades, public discussions about the neurodivergent condition have centered on arguments about whether it is overdiagnosed or overmedicated.
Social media has only enhanced the debate. As many young adults turn to platforms like TikTok and Instagram to gather information about ADHD, medical professionals often remain critical of any form of self-diagnosis.
A new analysis, published March 19 in PLOS One, found that most of the popular content about ADHD on TikTok is medically inaccurate and that insights provided by some content creators do not mirror those of mental health professionals.
Vasileia Karasavva, a co-author of the research and a PhD student at the University of British Columbia, told Healthline the study highlights an issue for many young people: they just don’t have the resources to get answers.
“I don’t think there’s anything more human than trying to understand your own experiences and your own self and how you feel. And I think what we’re tapping into is people struggling, but then not having access to places that they can get good support and help. And so they have to rely on themselves. They have to rely on whatever is easily available to them, and that’s social media,” Karasavva said.
The new analysis includes two studies. During the first stage, the researchers recorded the first 100 videos listed in order of view count under the hashtag #ADHD. Those videos were then assessed by two authors, both longtime clinical psychologists who sought to determine the accuracy of the claims made in the videos, who then rated them.
The other two authors, PhD students, noted the number and nature of claims made in the videos and the video metrics for each video and also identified when content creators mentioned selling services or asking for money.
At this stage, the psychologists found that fewer than half (48.7%) of the claims being made about ADHD were accurate and that the majority of the inaccurate claims (68.5%) better described a “normal human experience.”
During the second study, 843 participants — some with a formal ADHD diagnosis, some who were self-diagnosed, and some who did not have ADHD — were asked to watch and rate the top five and bottom five rated videos from the first study.
They were then asked a number of questions, including how they experienced this sort of content on TikTok. They were also asked to rate how much they would recommend these videos to others.
The results show that the participants, all young adults, rated the accurate videos significantly lower and the less accurate videos higher significantly than the psychology professionals involved in the study.
The study also showed that, of the 100 videos, none of the creators listed shared a credential at the doctoral level, and only 1.6% of creators shared a Master’s level of education. The vast majority of creators (83.6%) cited lived experience as the foundation of their content.
Karasavva said the research team was surprised that half of the content creators making these videos incorporated some form of sales tactic via links to sites like Venmo and Amazon.
“While some of these product requests may be legitimate, I think it also raises some important questions about how ADHD has been commercialized online, on social media, and we also have to question if viewers are getting reliable and science-backed information, or [if] they are just being seen as potential customers, encouraged to buy things that might not actually help them,” she noted.
Don T. Galbadage, PhD, MPH, an associate professor at Texas Christian University whose work focuses on public health education, said the study highlights the need for social media consumers to use formalized informational resources from organizations like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institute of Mental Health.
He told Healthline the article provides a key question for those in public health to ask themselves as they work to provide the best information about conditions like ADHD.
“How can we help empower our consumers to know what is good content [and] what is reliable content? This study helps show there is a disconnect between good information versus more popular information,” Galbadage noted.
Ashwini Nadkarni, MD, an assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and the faculty’s interim vice chair of faculty development, said those who rely on ADHD-related content online could have other symptoms that are missed or not attended to by a physician.
“I think what the study tells us is that what people see on TikTok probably should not be experienced as gospel,” Nadkarni told Healthline.
“You know, it’s ultimately anecdotal content, and it can lead to people misattributing normal behaviors or behaviors that can be explained by other conditions to be signs of ADHD.”
Jess Rauchberg, PhD, a digital media scholar and former social media content creator who is now an assistant professor at Seton Hall University, noted the study’s findings reflect a social media algorithm shaping what users continue to see.
“TikTok’s algorithmic recommendation system is saying, this person wants to hear about ADHD or diagnosis and self-diagnosis,” Rauchberg told Healthline.
“I think it [the study] shows that self-diagnosis is really, really complicated. It’s an important moment to think about media literacy. Media isn’t reality but can shape our understanding of what’s real. And so I think that’s an important thread in this panic about self-diagnosis and digital platforms that is often missing from the media hype around these conversations or debates.”
If social media users are inundated with inaccurate ADHD-related content, how can they best educate themselves?
Rauchberg, who authored a research article on TikTok and autism, suggested looking to creators who have professional credentials and also understand the platform’s nuances (e.g., using the green screen feature or stitching from another person’s video) to help inform without disregarding other people’s lived experiences.
“I think medical professionals can use the affordances of these platforms and they have a responsibility to utilize them to help people understand information,” Rauchberg said.
“Because I want to clarify that TikTok isn’t necessarily the problem; it’s how you’re using TikTok to create content that can tell people about diagnosis or these ideas. And what this study shows is that there’s a role that these practitioners can play in helping young people… understand what they can find and information that they can empower themselves with.”
Nadkarni said those who see their experiences reflected in this content could seek support from a medical professional who can help sort fact from fiction. This could help distinguish between anecdotal evidence on social media and science-backed diagnostic procedures.
“If you’re really curious or concerned about something, the key next step is to make an appointment to see your doctor and really ask them the question,” Nadkarni said.
ADHD Misinformation on TikTok Skewing Young Adults’ Perceptions About the Condition Read More »
