Health Highlights: Sept. 13, 2021

Here are some of HealthDay's top stories for Monday, Sept. 13:

Unvaccinated have 11 times the odds of dying from COVID-19. A series of three studies published Friday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention find that vaccination greatly reduces the odds of a severe case of COVID-19, but also that booster shots may be needed, especially for the elderly. Read more

Excess iron may harm aging brains; diet can change that. There's new research supporting the notion that the accumulation of iron in the brain could foster cognitive decline. Sticking to a diet rich in certain healthy foods could keep iron levels down, researchers say. Read more

Exercise your worries away. Good news for a high-anxiety age: A study in cross-country skiers finds that regular vigorous exercise appears to be a natural stress reliever. Read more

Opioid OD deaths are surging among Black Americans. Even as the number of tragic deaths lost to opioid abuse have held steady among white Americans, fatal overdoses jumped 40% among Black Americans during 2018-2019, new data shows. Read more