Pneumonia is a dangerous condition for older adults. They’re nearly five times more likely to be hospitalized with it and half won’t come out alive. New research has revealed a surprising insight as to why: It has as much to do with the gut as it does with the lungs…

Winter is here, and you know what that means: Your chances of getting sick and ending up with pneumonia are higher than at any other time of the year. And if you still haven’t gotten the message about the harms of a couch potato lifestyle, you’re missing out on the easiest intervention that works across all age groups.

If you already have risk factors for heart disease, including hypertension, high cholesterol and diabetes, a case of pneumonia will increase the stress on your heart even further and can lead to some serious heart health complications. But if your doctor gives you the go-ahead, you can start working to prevent that possibility now…

Respiratory infections are serious business. We knew that long before COVID-19. Even with the flu, the difference between a mild case and possible hospitalization is the development of pneumonia. Just in time, researchers have identified one more way to reduce your risks for a lung infection.

Since the pandemic began, we’ve been asking questions: Who will it strike? Why do some people suffer a severe case or loss of life? And most urgently, how can we stay healthy? Now, we learn that a heavy metal we’re commonly exposed to could cause not just COVID, but pneumonia and flu infection to escalate… […]

Living with diabetes puts you at greater risk of infection, including skin and respiratory infections. Why? High blood sugar weakens your immune system, leaving you a wide-open target for infectious bacteria. That means you must be vigilant about more than your blood sugar. You must know these signs of infection…