For Monday, May 29, WGN’s Dana Rebik has the latest on new information, including the following:

Traumatic brain injuries require long-term care

Millions of American every year suffer traumatic brain injuries that can result in struggles with memory, mobility and mental health.

Researchers at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center say they’re ongoing study with more than two decades of data shows traumatic brain injuries do not stabilize after a couple of years as previously thought. Instead, they are dynamic and chronic conditions that require interventions, resources and ongoing care. 

Strong legs help you after a heart attack

The secret to recovering from a heart attack could be found in your legs. 

New research says having more strength in your legs can lower your risk of heart failure after a heart attack. The heart tends to enlarge after an attack, but exercise has shown to alter that and make the heart function better. 

Regular exercise and maintaining strength can be more important as we get older because muscle mass tends to diminish with age. 

Median U.S. age rises from 35 to 37

America is getting older. 

The Census Bureau reports the median age of the US population between 2000 and 2020 rose from 35 to 37. 

Census officials say it’s because baby boomers and millennials continue to age while fewer babies were born from 2010 to 2020. 

The population of adults 65 and older grew nearly five times faster than the total u-s population in the past century. 

That’s raising concerns about whether the country will be able to meet the public health needs of an aging population.