Losing weight in your 40s can help you fit back into your favorite-but-increasingly-snug-jeans. Beyond flattering your figure, however, midlife weight loss carries a host of other benefits — like adding years to your life.

A recent study found even modest weight loss in your 40s can significantly reduce your risk of developing serious health issues and increase life expectancy. Researchers tracked more than 23,000 adults in their 40s for up to 35 years, gaining insight into the effects of midlife weight loss. Participants who went from overweight to a healthy weight saw a 48% reduced risk of chronic disease and a 19% lower risk of death.

Notably, even modest weight loss was shown to significantly reduce the risk of developing serious health issues while still conveying the benefits of a longer life.

The study was conducted before many of today’s newest surgical and medicinal weight loss interventions were available. That means the study results apply to those who lost weight the old-fashioned way — via diet and exercise.

Losing weight and keeping it off can be a challenge, but researchers emphasized the benefits of putting in the work. As an added incentive, the study found that those who lost weight also typically had lower blood pressure and cholesterol compared with those who remained overweight.

But patience is key. Researchers noted that realizing the full benefit of even modest weight loss in your 40s can take decades to be realized.

So, if you’ve noticed your jeans fitting a bit tighter, know that losing weight could be more than just a cosmetic improvement. It just might be a step toward a longer, healthier life — and it’s never too late to get in shape.

This is a story of tomb curses and a deadly fungus. It’s also a lesson in how science, funded by the federal government, provides hope in the search for new treatments against a cancer that can strike anyone, leukemia.

The fungus is Aspergillus flavus (Pronounced ASS-per-JILL-us FLAY-vus), or A. flavus (A FLAY-vus). It grows worldwide, even in the inky darkness of the tomb.

In the 1920s, a series of untimely deaths by the team that opened the tomb of King Tutankhamun (TOO-tan-KAH-mun) created the myth of a curse that followed anyone entering Tut’s burial chamber.

Decades later, some suggested the curse was actually the work of A. flavus, which is toxic and sometimes deadly.

Then, in the 1970s, a group of 12 scientists entered the tomb of the 15th Century Polish king, Casimir IV (KAZ-uh-meer the Fourth), in Kraków after receiving permission from the local archbishop. Within months, 10 were dead. Again, talk turned to a deadly curse. But scientists found A. flavus around the king’s remains.

More recently, a team led by University of Pennsylvania scientists on the hunt for cancer-killing compounds had a look at this fungal villain. Not a bad idea, considering mold gave us penicillin.

The team’s recent study shows that compounds in the fungus can be modified to enhance its anticancer properties.

Essentially, these modified compounds might block the uncontrolled cell division that is cancer’s signature. The molecules identified were shown to affect leukemia cells.

The researchers say they’re explorers, learning how to defeat disease from nature’s pharmacy. While it’s no supernatural solution, there is poetic justice in working toward a possible cure for the future from a (debunked) curse of the past.

You’ve flossed your teeth and are putting final touches on your makeup when you get an alert letting you know your stress is off the charts.

In a brilliant twist on multitasking, scientists at Tufts University say they have created a dental floss with that can sense and measure the stress hormone cortisol in saliva.

And it does so with extreme accuracy. Down to forty-eight thousandths of picograms (PEE-koh-gram) per milliliter. A picogram, in case you were wondering, is one-trillionth of a gram.

While the product is in its infancy, smart floss could be a game-changer in stress testing. Chronic stress is a big health problem. It contributes to heart disease, mental health issues and weakens immunity.

Doctors typically measure a patient’s stress with psychiatric tests or questionnaires. But some become nervous around doctors and the results aren’t necessarily scientific.

For a more exact measure, the gold standard recommendation is for a patient to take a blood test. While accurate, that’s hardly convenient.

Here’s how the floss works: The FDA-approved suture thread contains tiny molecular templates designed to recognize cortisol. When cortisol binds to them, it alters the sensor’s electrical signal.

In its current state, the signal goes to a small portable device for analysis. For consumers, a much smaller version of the device must be developed. And it needs to be tested by home users, rather than in a lab.

Still, the researchers believe smart floss could someday be used to screen for a host of health issues from the comfort of our bathroom. And that kind of convenience is a stress buster.

Papa and Nana may be lighting up, and they aren’t the only ones.

Record numbers of older adults are getting high on marijuana. A recent New York University analysis of survey results found that in 2023, 7% of adults 65 and older reported using marijuana in the past month.

That number is up almost 46% from 2021, when just 4.8% reported using cannabis.

Back in 2006 and 2007, only about 1% of older adults reported using the drug in the past month.

The trend is hardly surprising: Most Americans now live in a state that has legalized marijuana use for medical or recreational use. Or both.

It’s important because many adults with chronic diseases, including heart disease, diabetes, cancer and high blood pressure, reported using marijuana, which can complicate the management of those diseases.

The study relied upon answers from more than 15,000 people who took part in the National Survey on Drug Use and Health.

The NYU researchers noted sharper increases in marijuana use by white, married, college-degree holders and those with an income of at least $75,000 a year.

Older women also saw a steep increase in use, although older men remain more likely to use the drug.

The researchers made no judgment about whether older adults’ increasing marijuana use is good or bad. But they noted that the physiological changes accompanying aging can include more sensitivity to psychoactive substances, so using the drug can be dangerous if the user isn’t aware of the risks.

Also important to know: Marijuana can also interact with prescription medicines in a way that may cause unwanted side effects or make them less effective.

An unorthodox combination may someday help relieve cancer patients’ depression and anxiety.

A treatment with one dose of psilocybin [sai-luh-sai-bin] — a psychedelic, natural chemical found in mushrooms — along with therapy, gave cancer patients relief from depression and anxiety for more than two years.

In the phase 2 clinical trial in Maryland, 28 patients with cancer and major depression had supervision and support from a therapist before, during and after one “trip” on a 25-milligram dose of psilocybin. The study was published in the journal Cancer.

That dose is enough to cause hallucinations and other effects, such as altered consciousness, visual distortion and deep introspective thoughts, for several hours.

Cancer is a life-threatening diagnosis. Estimates of how many cancer patients also then live with anxiety or depression, or both, range between 20 and 50%.

Of the patients in the study, 54% showed a significant reduction in their depression, as noted in clinical interviews two years later. And 50% saw a  sustained reduction in their depression and were in remission. Forty-three percent of the patients reported reduced anxiety after two years.

An ongoing randomized, double-blind trial is now evaluating how two 25-milligram doses of psilocybin work against depression and anxiety versus a placebo.

The mental strain of depression and anxiety can affect how well one follows medical treatment as well as quality of life. Other studies have found that being depressed results makes dying from cancer more likely.

So, while it may feel like a throwback to the 1960s, the method may be a modern way to help cancer patients.

The New World screwworm (NWS) is forecast to reach the United States later this year. Eradicated from the country in 1966, this flesh-eating parasitic fly affects all warm-blooded mammals and animals, has the potential to cause massive harm to the livestock industry, and would cost millions, potentially billions, of dollars to eradicate again. Animal owners throughout the southern U.S. are urged to stay vigilant to identify potential cases. In this episode, Dr. Sally Denotta, UF Veterinary Medicine equine medicine specialist, and Dr. Ted Burgess, UF/IFAS veterinary entomologist, discuss the NWS, what to look for in identifying a screwworm infection and who to call if they suspect their animals or livestock may be affected.

Baseball, hot dogs and apple pie. Does it get any better?

Perhaps unsurprisingly, these American summertime staples aren’t the best for your health — especially when it comes to the humble hot dog.

A study published in Nature Medicine emphasizes that there is no safe amount of processed meat to eat. In fact, nutrition experts say that the habitual eating of processed meat leads to an elevated risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, ischemic heart disease and colorectal cancer.

The cost of eating one hot dog a day is a steep one, equaling an 11% greater risk of Type 2 diabetes and a 7% increased risk of colorectal cancer compared with those who don’t eat any.

The fizzy companion of most processed meat meals is no stranger to health complications, either. Even one 12-ounce soda per day can be linked to an 8% increase in Type 2 diabetes risk.

There are several reasons why these foods are associated with health issues. Sugary beverages and processed meat, which includes bacon, salami and burgers, can increase inflammation, which plays a big part in a variety of chronic diseases.

These foods can also contain trans fatty acids, which reduce your good cholesterol and increase the bad type. This leads to the risk of plaque buildup in your arteries and heart disease.

If you’re worried about avoiding what we’ve come to know as the good stuff, there are plenty of tasty alternative options. Roasted vegetables pack a savory punch, and smoothies heavy on fruit are an easy way to visit some of the most nutrient dense tiers of the food pyramid.

An occasional hot dog won’t be the end of the world, but you might find you miss them less and less.

In the 1940s, comic book ads urged “97-pound weaklings” to spend 10 cents on bodybuilder Charles Atlas’ famed workout, bulk up and defend themselves against musclebound beach bullies.

Some 85 years later, it seems young men, especially, still feel intense pressure to sport a muscular physique.

A University of Westminster researcher wrote recently that a social media culture that pushes the idea of having a perfect body via exercise, diet and supplements is leading some to a new kind of disordered eating.

Muscularity oriented disordered eating, or Mode, is a set of problematic eating habits hyperfocused on building muscle. It mostly affects young men and, like anorexia or bulimia, can have serious negative consequences.

Social media produces endless “fitspiration” content, often made by those selling muscle-building supplements, diets or workouts.

Mode-disordered eating includes binging and orthorexia nervosa, a pathological focus on “healthy eating.”

One U.S. study from 2022 showed that more than 80% of male college students reported having used whey protein powders or shakes and more than 50% had used creatine monohydrate, a muscle-building supplement.

Other research estimates that between 3 and 4 million American men have used anabolic-androgenic steroids. That’s synthetic testosterone.

Not all workouts require a protein boost and not all protein supplements are good for you.

It’s a safe bet that most men who sent away for a Charles Atlas workout back in the day didn’t become bodybuilders. And likely, neither will most who guzzle protein shakes today.

Maybe the biggest threat isn’t a sand-kicking bully, but our own egos.

A fluffy, long-necked cousin of the camel might be the key to protecting against SARS-like viruses. Yes, you heard that correctly.

In a new study from researchers in Belgium, a team discovered a special antibody that could help protect against a wide range of SARS coronaviruses, including variants of COVID-19.

But what makes these antibodies different? For starters, they’re tiny. And they come from llamas — specifically, one named Winter.

These llama antibodies are much smaller than human antibodies. Appropriately referred to as nanobodies, the tiny protectors pack a big punch. Instead of going after parts of the virus that constantly mutate, like the receptor binding site of a spike protein, the part of the virus that enables it to infect human cells, these nanobodies take a different approach. They latch onto a hidden, essential section at the base of the spike protein. This section is vital because the virus can’t change it without weakening itself.

One way to think about it is to consider these nanobodies like clamps. Once attached, they lock the spike protein into a closed shape, stopping the virus from fusing with and entering human cells. Thus far, they have worked in lab animals at low doses, making it difficult for a virus needing to mutate to escape. Notably, the few successful variants that did escape were less infectious.

While most antibodies are outmaneuvered by new variants, these llama-derived nanobodies might just be one step ahead. By targeting a stable, hard-to-mutate region, researchers say they offer a promising path toward long-lasting antiviral therapies.

How’s that for interspecies collaboration?

Much like the belief that artists must suffer for their craft, the idea that left-handed people are born brimming with more creativity than their right-handed counterparts has endured for decades. Now, a new analysis from Cornell University suggests this urban legend is just that — more myth than fact.

After analyzing over a century of studies on handedness and creativity, researchers found no solid evidence that lefties have an edge in creative thinking. In fact, in some lab tests, right-handed individuals scored slightly higher. And when researchers looked at careers that demand the most creativity, like writing, architecture and design, righties were overrepresented.

So why has the lefty-creativity link held on for so long? Well, the study points to a few likely culprits. One is what researchers call “left-handed exceptionalism,” or the idea that rare traits, like being left-handed and being a creative genius, must somehow go together.

Another is the romanticized “tortured artist” stereotype. Since the study found lefties are more likely to work in the arts and to experience conditions like depression or schizophrenia, it’s tempting to connect the dots.

But like most things that come together too easily, those faulty links are a classic case of cherry-picking, according to the study. By focusing on a handful of left-handed painters and musicians and ignoring the broader data, people draw the wrong conclusion. When you zoom out and look at many kinds of jobs, study authors said, the supposed creative advantage disappears.

The takeaway? Being left-handed doesn’t make you more creative. It just makes you, well, left-handed. And sometimes, that’s all there is to it.