Divorcees and the widowed may face a higher risk of death than those who are still coupled up, a new study reveals.

Researchers in Norway analyzed long-term national health data to weigh mortality risk among those who were divorced, ended situations where they lived with a partner or became widowed.

The study, published in the journal BMJ Public Health, looked at three groups of about 20,000 people each, from 1984 to 2019, who were married or living with a partner at the time.

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During the next wave of the study, these individuals were categorized into three groups: still married or cohabiting, divorced or moved out and widowed. Death records were then checked through January 2020, according to a press release.

The researchers used statistical models to gauge whether this relationship loss was associated with death later.

Divorces or breakups were consistently linked with higher mortality across all groups compared to couples who stayed together. This was the case even after accounting for factors such as age, gender, health habits, self-rated health and loneliness.

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Being widowed was also linked to about a 14% higher mortality risk, though the association was strongest in the earliest period studied.

During the second study period, the link between breakup and mortality was stronger, with a statistically significant association observed only among women.

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Although this research displays an association between living alone and mortality risk, it does not define a direct cause, the team acknowledged.

The authors commented that these findings “highlight the importance of addressing social disconnection in public health and in clinical practice to reduce preventable mortality.”

M. David Rudd, a University of Memphis professor of psychology and director of the Rudd Institute for Veteran & Military Suicide Prevention, reflected that these findings underscore what has been known for decades.

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“Loneliness has significant and severe consequences for individual physical health and emotional well-being,” said Rudd, who was not involved in the study. “We’re social beings, and relationships are essential to health, happiness and survival.

“These findings are particularly salient during this period of exponentially increasing isolation, secondary to the influential role of digital technologies.”

While limitations always exist in studies of this kind, Rudd pointed out that this longitudinal research, spanning almost four decades, offers “remarkably important contributions to understanding human behavior.”

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Divorcees and those who are widowed should understand that relationships and social engagement are “critical,” Rudd said. While these relationships don’t necessarily have to be romantic, human connection is important.

“It’s really simple,” he added. “Developing, nurturing and maintaining relationships is critical to health, well-being and happiness.”

A parasitic tapeworm known as Echinococcus multilocularis — often called the “fox tapeworm” — has been detected for the first time in West Coast wildlife. 

University of Washington researchers discovered the tapeworm, which can cause a rare but potentially deadly disease in humans, in 37 out of 100 coyotes sampled near Puget Sound in Washington State. The findings were published in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases earlier this year.

Researchers noted that the presence of the parasite in wildlife does not mean human infections are common, and that the risk to the general public remains low.

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“The reason that [cases are] so high in coyotes is because they are regularly eating raw rodents, and that is the primary way for them to get infected,” said lead author Yasmine Hentati, who recently graduated from the UW with a doctorate in environmental and forest science, in a press release.

The study’s genetic testing showed the coyotes carried a newer, more infectious European variant that has become the predominant strain in the U.S. and Canada.

Prior to the 2010s, the parasitic tapeworm was extremely rare in North America, with cases largely confined to the remote islands in Alaska, the authors said.

Over the last 15 years, the parasite has expanded its range, with dog and human infections increasing across the Midwestern U.S. and Canada, according to past reports.

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Cases in coyotes have been spreading west from the upper Midwest for several years, and infected animals have been found on the West Coast, according to Dr. Linda Yancey, an infectious disease specialist at Memorial Hermann in the Houston area.

While Eastern Europe has some cases, the infection is very rarely seen in the U.S., Yancey noted.

Most cases of echinococcosis are diagnosed in patients who immigrated from or traveled to Central and East Asia, the Middle East and North Africa.

“Worldwide, the area with the highest prevalence of human infections with the fox tapeworm is western China,” Yancey added.

How do humans get infected?

The tapeworm is transmitted among wild animals known as canids — typically cycling from foxes to rodents and back to foxes — and is often referred to as the “fox tapeworm,” Yancey told Fox News Digital.

Humans can get sick from accidentally ingesting worm eggs after handling contaminated soil or eating contaminated food. They can also get the infection by handling a pet that has the tapeworm and then touching their mouth, according to Cleveland Clinic.

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Symptoms to watch for

The hallmark of the infection is fluid-filled sacs called cysts, which contain thousands of very small, immature tapeworms that develop commonly in the liver but can spread to other parts of the body, according to Cleveland Clinic.

The infection often goes undetected for years, or even decades, because the cysts grow at a very slow rate.

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There are two main types of forms of the illness: cystic echinococcosis and alveolar echinococcosis, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

With cystic echinococcosis, cysts often develop in the liver and lungs. The body responds by building a protective wall around them as the cysts continue to grow slowly over years.

Symptoms can include abdominal pain or increased belly size (if it infects the liver) or coughing and shortness of breath (if the lungs are infected). These signs usually do not appear until the cysts grow large enough to press on healthy organs and tissues, according to the CDC.

The infection becomes dangerous when a cyst ruptures — most often due to trauma — and may even lead to death if cyst fluid is released into the body.

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Alveolar echinococcosis is a rarer, more lethal form of the infection. It grows into a tumor-like mass that invades and destroys surrounding tissue, typically in the liver, but can also spread to other parts of the body, including the brain. In severe cases, it can lead to liver failure and death, experts say.

“Symptoms of liver failure include fatigue, yellowing of the skin and eyeballs, and abdominal pain,” Yancey cautioned.

This form of the infection can mimic cancer, so it’s important to see a doctor if symptoms are noticed, she added.

Prevention tips

While the overall risk of infection is low, simple precautions can further reduce exposure.

“The most important way to protect yourself from the fox tapeworm is also the simplest: good hand hygiene,” Yancey advised.

She recommends washing your hands before eating and after you have been outside or have handled soil in areas where the tapeworm is endemic.

“For dog owners, prevent your animals from eating wild rodents and make sure all your pets get routine veterinary care,” Yancey added.

The CDC also recommends avoiding contact with wild animals that can carry the tapeworm, such as foxes, coyotes and stray dogs.

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“Routine testing and treatment for worms of all kinds keeps your pups healthy and [keeps] you safe,” Yancey noted.

Fox News Digital reached out to the lead authors of the study requesting comment.

A newly identified muscle protein may help explain why people who stay active as they age often remain stronger and healthier for longer, according to new research.

Scientists found that a protein called NOX4 naturally declines with age and inactivity. As levels dropped, researchers observed signs of frailty, muscle loss, insulin resistance and liver disease in mice.

The findings were published in the journal Science Advances.

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Researchers believe NOX4 helps muscles repair themselves and adapt to the physical demands of exercise.

When NOX4 was removed from the muscles of mice, the animals became weaker, lost muscle mass and developed health problems commonly associated with aging.

The researchers also found that exercise helped restore NOX4 levels in older mice.

Josephine Hunt, an educational leader, former group fitness instructor and founder of The Resilience Revolution based in New Jersey, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital that the findings help explain why exercise benefits so many aspects of health.

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“Movement is medicine,” Hunt said.

“The emerging NOX4 research is exciting because it helps explain something exercise scientists have observed for decades. Physical activity does far more than strengthen muscles.”

Hunt said many people view exercise as a way to improve appearance or fitness, but its effects reach much deeper.

“Exercise appears to activate biological signaling pathways that help the body adapt, repair and become more resilient over time,” she said.

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She said one of the study’s biggest takeaways is that physical activity helps the body maintain its ability to recover from challenges.

“Exercise does not simply help us look younger or stay physically fit,” Hunt said. “It appears to help the body maintain its ability to adapt, repair and respond to stress.”

Hunt added that healthy aging is about more than simply living longer.

“Healthy aging is not just about adding years to life,” she said. “It is about preserving strength, function, independence, cognitive health and overall quality of life.”

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Researchers stressed that additional studies are needed, but the findings may help explain why regular physical activity remains one of the most effective tools for maintaining health as people age.

The study was conducted in mice, meaning the findings do not necessarily translate directly to humans.

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While the team also examined muscle samples from younger and older men and found similar declines in NOX4, additional research is needed to better understand the protein’s role in human aging.