Latest COVID vaccine may have unexpected health benefit, study suggests

The latest COVID-19 vaccine (2024-2025) has been linked to fewer serious heart-related events among U.S. veterans.

New research confirmed a small reduction in COVID-related cardiovascular events, or COVID-19-associated MACE, due to the vaccine.

MACE (major adverse cardiovascular events) is a composite measure of serious heart-related outcomes. It typically includes cardiovascular death, heart attack and stroke, and may also include hospitalization for heart failure.

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Using health records from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the researchers compared two groups of veterans — one that received the COVID and flu vaccine on the same day (nearly 350,000 people) and another group that received only the flu vaccine (nearly 700,000 people).

Out of more than one million veterans studied, the average age was about 70 and 92% were male, according to a press release.

Within about eight months, the results showed that those who received the 2024-2025 COVID vaccine had a lower risk of COVID-associated major cardiovascular events, with a relative vaccine effectiveness of 37.7%.

The COVID vaccine was linked to a 57.9% lower risk of cardiovascular death, 38.5% lower risk of heart attack and 41.9% lower risk of hospitalization for heart failure, the researchers stated. The result for stroke was not statistically significant.

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The benefit was greatest among adults ages 75 and older and those with underlying health conditions. In people over 75, the vaccine was 50.7% effective at preventing COVID-associated MACE.

As the study was observational, it could not prove cause and effect between the COVID-19 vaccine and lower risk of cardiovascular events, but only highlighted an association.

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Dr. Glenn Hirsch, cardiologist at National Jewish Health in Denver, Colorado, called these results "not overall surprising" in an interview with Fox News Digital.

"This result is consistent with previous studies of the COVID-19 vaccine and other vaccines against infectious diseases [in] preventing cardiovascular events, including heart attack, cardiovascular cause of death or hospitalizations," he said.

Acute inflammation in the body from infections like COVID-19 increases the risk of cardiovascular events and can cause further complications, according to the doctor.

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"This can lead to a higher risk of blood clotting, but can also make arterial plaques susceptible to rupture, which then leads to clot formation to heal a ruptured plaque," he said. "This clotting can cause a near-total or complete occlusion of an artery, leading to these cardiovascular events."

"Vaccines either prevent infection or reduce the severity of infection and subsequent inflammation, lowering the cardiovascular risk."

Despite the positive outcome, the overall benefit of the vaccine in this study was less than in previous studies, according to Hirsch, who was not involved in the research.

This could be due to the lower severity of illness seen in more recent COVID-19 variants, as well as immunity from prior infections among unvaccinated people, he noted. There has also been a decline in COVID testing, making it more difficult to link cardiovascular events to the virus.

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"The bottom line [is] that there is still evidence of benefit from COVID-19 vaccination like many other infectious disease vaccinations, and people should be encouraged to discuss these with their healthcare team annually," Hirsch advised.

"This is an observational trial and there can always be some confounding after necessary statistical adjustments and other potential benefits or harms, including adverse effects from vaccines that were not investigated in this study," he added.

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Former reality star opens up about new diagnosis after years-long health ordeal

A former "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" star is speaking out about a fresh wave of health issues.

Brandi Glanville, 53, has been speaking publicly about ongoing swelling, lumps and paralysis of her face since 2023.

At the time, the reality star shared that she believed she had been infected with a parasite during a trip to Morocco, Fox News Digital previously reported. 

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After the initial diagnosis, she suspected she contracted a parasite in Morocco and said she could feel it moving within her face.

Glanville was first diagnosed with stress-induced angioedema, a sudden swelling of the deeper layers of the skin and mucous membranes, according to Cleveland Clinic.

Angioedema "is a reaction similar to hives that affects deeper layers of the skin. It can appear with hives or alone," Mayo Clinic states.

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Most recently, in a June 18 episode of her podcast "Brandi Glanville Unfiltered," Glanville revealed that doctors discovered a "benign tumor" in one of her facial lymph nodes.

The reality star, who has previously speculated that a parasite may be contributing to her facial symptoms, said the finding could help explain the swelling and fluid buildup she has experienced and noted that she has had a lump in her face for "years."

"I don't know what's wrong with me, guys. I thought I was fixed, and then it happened again and now it's sinking in again," Glanville said in another June podcast.

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"It could be why the fluid is going around my face and why I'm having a hard time," she added.

While benign tumors of the face have been known to arise from fat tissue, blood vessels, skin structures, salivary glands or lymphatic tissue, Glanville has not publicly disclosed the specific type of diagnosis she received.

Prior to learning of the tumor, Glanville said she saw dozens of doctors and spent over $100,000 trying to pinpoint the source of the issue.

The reality star emphasized that the tumor is "not cancerous."

"I haven't had a face lift yet!" she added.

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Glanville also said she suspected her ruptured breast implants could have played a role in her health issues, claiming the leaking silicone had clogged her lymph nodes.

Fox News Digital reached out to Glanville for comment.

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One common type of fat may increase diabetes risk, while another helps fight it

A new review suggests that the type of fat you eat may affect your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Saturated fats rich in palmitic acid – the most common saturated fatty acid in U.S. foods – appear to make it harder for the body to respond to insulin.

Meanwhile, monounsaturated fats rich in oleic acid — such as those found in olive oil — may help protect against insulin resistance, the review concluded.

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"Palmitic acid is found in meats, dairy products, cocoa butter and in the form of palm oil in foods, including margarine, cereal, sweets, baked goods and fast foods," Tanya Freirich, a registered dietitian nutritionist in Charlotte, North Carolina, told Fox News Digital. She was not involved in the review. 

"Oleic acid, on the other hand, is in higher concentration in foods like olive oil, canola oil, nuts, sunflower seeds, eggs, olive, avocados and also in meats (beef, chicken, pork), milk, cheese and pasta."

The review, which was published in the journal Trends in Endocrinology & Metabolism, was led by researchers from the University of Barcelona and the CIBER Area for Diabetes and Associated Metabolic Diseases (CIBERDEM) in Spain.

The findings suggest that fat quality may be more important than total fat quantity when it comes to metabolic health and diabetes risk.

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This appears to support the idea that diets rich in monounsaturated fats, such as the Mediterranean diet, may contribute to lower rates of type 2 diabetes.

"Palmitic acid promotes several molecular processes that impair insulin action," study investigator Dr. Manuel Vázquez-Carrera, from the Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Therapeutic Chemistry at the University of Barcelona, told Fox News Digital. 

Too much palmitic acid can cause harmful fat byproducts to build up in the body, which can impair the body's ability to respond to insulin, he warned. This makes it harder to control blood sugar and increases the risk of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.

"It also promotes inflammation, oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction and cellular stress responses, which contribute to insulin resistance and β-cell dysfunction," Vázquez-Carrera added.

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By contrast, oleic acid – a hallmark of the Mediterranean diet – does not have these harmful effects, according to the researcher.

"In fact, oleic acid can counteract many of the detrimental effects triggered by palmitic acid, by promoting the storage of fatty acids in relatively inert triglycerides, preserving mitochondrial function and reducing inflammation," he said.

Freirich confirmed that the review is consistent with previous research supporting the use of olive oil in the diet for metabolic benefits.

"Also confirming previous research, the consumption of saturated fats is associated with some negative metabolic changes," she told Fox News Digital.

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Given the complexity of foods and diets, there is an overlap between foods that contain both types of fatty acids, the nutritionist noted. 

"Palmitic acid and oleic acid can both be found in olive oil, baked goods and fast foods, in differing amounts," she said. "All sources of fat in our diet contain a mix of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids."

Vázquez-Carrera noted that these findings come from a review of numerous experimental, clinical and epidemiological studies rather than a single clinical trial.

"One important limitation is that much of the mechanistic evidence comes from cell culture and animal studies," he said. 

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"Although these studies provide valuable insights into how specific fatty acids affect insulin signaling, further human intervention studies are needed to confirm the extent to which these mechanisms operate in everyday dietary settings."

In addition, many of the human studies in the review relied on self-reported dietary intake, which can introduce inaccuracies. 

"Another challenge is that people consume foods containing complex mixtures of fatty acids and bioactive compounds rather than isolated fatty acids," Vázquez-Carrera added. "Therefore, it remains difficult to fully disentangle the specific contribution of individual fatty acids in free-living populations."

The review’s findings appear to support current dietary recommendations that emphasize replacing part of the saturated fat intake with unsaturated fats, according to Vázquez-Carrera.

"This means favoring dietary patterns rich in foods such as extra-virgin olive oil, nuts, seeds, legumes, vegetables, fruits and fish, while limiting excessive consumption of foods rich in saturated fats, especially highly processed foods," he advised.

The review does not suggest that a single nutrient alone determines diabetes risk, the researcher pointed out.

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"Rather, maintaining a healthy body weight, engaging in regular physical activity and following an overall healthy dietary pattern, such as the Mediterranean diet, remain fundamental strategies for preventing insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes."

Type 2 diabetes develops over many years, with genetics, lifestyle and environmental factors all playing a role, Vázquez-Carrera noted.

"Future research should move beyond simply classifying fats as ‘good’ or ‘bad’ and instead focus on understanding how specific fatty acids, their dietary sources and their interactions within whole dietary patterns affect metabolic health," he said.

Improving the quality of dietary fat intake could prove to be an effective strategy for reducing type 2 diabetes risk, according to the researcher.

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"A simple takeaway for consumers is to swap out foods high in saturated fat more often with foods rich in heart-healthy fats, like olive oil, nuts and avocados, to better support blood sugar and metabolic health," advised New Jersey-based registered dietitian Erin Palinski-Wade, who was also not involved in the review.

Anyone at a higher risk for type 2 diabetes should consult a healthcare provider for personalized guidance on nutrition, exercise and other preventive measures, experts say.

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Want to age better? Researchers say 4-minute routine may help prevent dangerous falls

Just four minutes of daily strength exercises can dramatically improve mobility, balance and leg strength in older adults, per new research from the Penn State College of Medicine.

Standard public health guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week. However, the study suggests that fewer than one in five older adults meet the recommended muscle-strengthening guidelines.

The research team designed a home-based program called Functional Activity Strength Training, or FAST-2. They evaluated 97 sedentary participants 65 and older, with an average age of 74.

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Before entering the study, these individuals were averaging just 18 minutes of total physical activity each week.

The older adults were randomly split into two groups, with one group performing the daily exercise routine and the other serving as a control group that received no intervention, according to the study's press release.

Participants performed four basic movements for 30 seconds each, separated by 30-second rest intervals. The entire routine lasted exactly four minutes. The circuit consisted of push-ups, chair stands, two-arm resistance-band rows and stair stepping.

To keep the routine accessible, researchers provided written explanations and simple modifications. For example, participants could perform push-ups against a kitchen counter or wall, or use their hands on their knees for support during chair stands.

Participants were also given four elastic resistance bands and an adjustable step platform.

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"Exercise is actually really complicated, because you have to decide how many repetitions, how far, how many sets, how much rest and how many times per week," co-author Smita Dandekar, associate professor of pediatrics at Penn State College of Medicine, said in the press release.

"It's hard work ... so if we can make it short, we’re part [of the] way there."

As the participants grew stronger, they were encouraged to progress to higher levels of difficulty, such as transitioning away from modifications or increasing the height of the stepper.

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After 12 weeks, the results suggested that a tiny dose of regular exercise could yield noticeable physical benefits. In a 30-second chair-stand test, the exercise group performed an average of 4.2 more repetitions than the control group.

The adults doing the exercises also shaved 2.3 seconds off their time during a test measuring how they could stand up and sit down five times consecutively. Furthermore, they extended their one-legged balance time by an average of 3.6 seconds.

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The researchers emphasized that these specific measurements are critical medical indicators of an older adult's future health.

"These indicators predict your future ability to go into a nursing home, your future likelihood of falling and of developing difficulty walking," noted lead author Christopher Sciamanna, professor of medicine and of public health at Penn State College of Medicine, in the press release.

"They give you a sense of whether or not you're going to be able to be active in the future."

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While traditional home exercise programs generally see low engagement, the participants in this study successfully completed their workouts on 81% of the tracked days, according to the researchers.

The study had several noted limitations. As it tracked a relatively small sample size of fewer than 100 individuals over a brief 12-week time frame, it is unknown whether these mobility gains can be sustained long-term.

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Additionally, the researchers did not specify the exact dropout rates or detail how the routine might affect seniors who already relied on assistive devices like walkers or canes.

Because the final trial results reflected a specific group of participants who met the entry criteria, further investigation is required to determine whether the short routine can safely benefit older adults facing more severe physical limitations or cognitive decline.

The study was published in the journal PLOS One.

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Popular mommy blogger dies at 48 two years after devastating cancer diagnosis

Jill Smokler, founder of Scary Mommy, has died at age 48 after a battle with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer.

The popular "mommy blogger" had been fighting the disease for the past two years, according to an announcement posted on ScaryMommy.com on Monday.

The stay-at-home mother of three launched the blog in 2008 as a place to share the "joys and pitfalls" of parenting, according to the article.

As Scary Mommy expanded from a personal blog into a major parenting brand, Smokler built a following with her honest, often self-deprecating take on motherhood. She went on to speak at blogging conferences, author bestselling books, appear on national television programs and earn three Webby Awards, her biography states.

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"Jill spent her life telling the truth about motherhood — that it could be wonderful and impossible in the very same breath — and in doing so, she gave millions of women permission to stop pretending and feel a little less alone," her family shared in a statement following her passing.

"She was funny, fearless, generous and entirely herself. More than anything she built, Jill was proudest of her three children, Lily, Ben and Evan. We are heartbroken to lose her, and endlessly proud of the mark she left on the world."

Smokler's first sign of the disease was in April 2024, when she experienced a sudden seizure. She then underwent surgery to remove a brain tumor, after which she didn't recognize her own children, she previously shared with Today.

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"I am definitely grateful that I don’t remember the looks on their faces when I didn’t recognize them," she said. "That must have been gutting."

Smokler was diagnosed with glioblastoma, the most common malignant primary brain tumor in adults and one of the deadliest forms of brain cancer. There is currently no cure.

Following surgery, the blogger underwent radiation and chemotherapy, during which she was open about her treatment side effects, including fatigue and hair loss. Additional surgeries and clinical trials followed, according to previous interviews.

"Thank you, Jill, for everything. May you rest in peace," the Scary Mommy post concluded.

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About 13.9% of all brain tumors are glioblastomas, according to the American Brain Tumor Association. More than 12,000 new cases are diagnosed in the U.S. each year.

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Median survival is approximately 12 to 18 months after diagnosis, even with treatment. Only about 5% to 7% of patients survive five years after diagnosis, data shows.

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8 common food preservatives linked to higher risk of high blood pressure and heart disease

Common food preservatives may contribute to higher risks of high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease, according to a large French study.

Researchers analyzed data from 112,395 adults averaging 42 years of age, assessing their detailed dietary intake with an average follow-up of nearly eight years.

Among the participants, 5,544 developed hypertension during the follow-up period, and 2,450 experienced cardiovascular disease events.

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Higher consumption of total non-antioxidant preservatives was associated with a 29% greater risk of hypertension and a 16% higher risk of cardiovascular disease.

Higher consumption of total antioxidant preservatives was linked to a 22% spike in hypertension risk.

Out of the 17 preservative additives consumed by at least 10% of participants, eight in particular were associated with higher rates of hypertension, including the following.

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Only one of the preservatives – ascorbic acid, which is the food additive form of vitamin C – was significantly associated with higher cardiovascular disease risk.

The finding does not mean that dietary vitamin C itself causes cardiovascular disease, the researchers noted. The study examined ascorbic acid in the form used as a food additive in processed foods, not vitamin C from fruits, vegetables or supplements.

The findings were published in the European Heart Journal.

"This is a very important study that puts together what we already know – that preservatives of all kinds raise blood pressure and contribute directly to heart disease and stroke over eight years," Dr. Marc Siegel, Fox News senior medical analyst, told Fox News Digital.

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"Whereas potassium itself can lower blood pressure, the additive potassium sorbate has previously been found to be associated with hypertension in a large study in the European Heart Journal," the doctor, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital. "Potassium metabisulphite was also found to raise pressure in the same study."

The same was found for sodium nitrite in the new study, Siegel noted, with 73% of participants consuming it regularly – "mostly in processed foods like hot dogs, ham, bacon and deli meats."

"This has been found in previous research for many years," he added.

Siegel also discussed the 22% increased risk linked to ascorbic acid. "I am dubious about this association, as it has not generally been found before, but perhaps the risk is when it is used as a chemical preservative."

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"For all the sodium additives, this is expected, but surprising with extracts of rosemary and citric acid – the key to both of these ingredients is when they are used as preservatives (chemicals)," he added.

As this was an observational study, it could not prove that the additives caused the health conditions.

Also, the participants who volunteered for the study were generally healthier, more educated and more often female than the general French population, the researchers noted.

There was also the chance that hypertension was underdiagnosed in some participants.

While the researchers estimated people's dietary intake as accurately as possible, there was a chance that some consumption was inaccurately reported.

The authors emphasized that these findings need to be confirmed in further research of other populations.

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If the results are replicated in future research, some food preservatives may face additional safety reviews focused on their effects on the cardiovascular system, the researchers suggested.

"The take-home is to use natural ingredients as much as possible, and especially beware of sodium chemical preservatives when it comes to risk of heart disease and stroke from associated hypertension," Siegel concluded.

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This one question may reveal whether your body is getting the rest it needs, study finds

Feeling older than your actual age could be a sign that you're not getting enough quality sleep, according to new research.

A study led by researchers at the National Sleep Foundation and published in the journal Sleep found that adults who felt older than their chronological age were more likely to report insomnia symptoms, irregular sleep patterns and daytime fatigue.

The study involved more than 3,100 adults, who were asked a simple question: "How old do you feel?"

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Researchers then compared participants' answers with measures of sleep quality, sleep consistency and daytime functioning.

People who felt older than their actual age consistently reported poorer sleep and greater sleep-related impairment than those who felt younger or closer to their chronological age.

Researchers also found that people who felt older than their age were more likely to report poorer physical health.

Jonathan Alpert, a New York-based psychotherapist and author who was not involved in the research, told Fox News Digital that the findings align with what he frequently sees in his practice.

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"I've worked with many people who come in saying they feel older than they are. They're exhausted, mentally foggy, less patient, less motivated and generally not functioning at their best," Alpert said. "Poor sleep is often a major part of the picture."

Inadequate sleep can make everyday responsibilities feel more difficult and leave people struggling to concentrate, manage stress and maintain their usual energy levels, Alpert said.

Over time, he said, those challenges can contribute to a feeling of premature aging.

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"Many people assume feeling older is just an inevitable part of aging, but sometimes the issue is simply that they're chronically sleep-deprived," Alpert said.

For that reason, he suggested looking at sleep habits before assuming fatigue and low energy are simply consequences of getting older.

For now, Alpert said the findings offer a reminder that fatigue should not automatically be blamed on getting older.

While the findings were notable, there are several limitations to consider.

The study relied on self-reported survey responses, meaning participants provided information about both their perceived age and sleep habits. The observational design also means the research cannot determine whether poor sleep influences how old a person feels or vice versa.

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