Health Highlights: Sept. 17, 2021

Here are some of HealthDay's top stories for Friday, Sept. 17:

FDA advisory panel meets on need for COVID-19 booster shots. Presented with evidence seemingly pro and con, an advisory committee to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration will convene Friday to decide whether or not Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine booster shots are warranted for the American people. Read more

Drug may prevent or reverse heart damage tied to sickle cell disease. Among the many harms from sickle cell anemia, dangerously enlarged hearts can prove deadly. But new research shows that the drug hydroxyurea could prevent or reverse this cardiac condition. Read more

Child obesity rose sharply during pandemic. U.S. trends for child overweight and obesity were already bad before COVID-19 arrived. But the lockdowns, snacking and sedentary behavior that occurred during the pandemic have caused weight gain among kids to soar even higher, new CDC data shows. Read more

Could common eye conditions raise dementia risks? New data shows a link between common vision issues that come with age -- macular degeneration, cataracts and diabetes-linked eye conditions -- and an increased risk for dementia. It's not clear though whether eye trouble helps cause brain decline. Read more