https://medicalxpress.com/cardiology-news/ en-us Latest medical news and research in Cardiology An estimated 10 million Americans have atrial fibrillation (AFib), according to the National Institutes of Health's National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. AFib is a condition in which the upper chambers of the heart beat out of rhythm with the lower chambers, leading to less efficient blood flow. It is usually the result of age and the lifelong cardiovascular strains on an older heart, but some families carry a rare mutation that puts them at high risk for AF much earlier in life, raising the risk of complications such as stroke or even sudden death. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-irregular-heartbeat-years-early-people.html Fri, 31 Jul 2026 08:40:06 EDT news704705641 Many people who survive a heart attack will later develop heart failure due to the scarring that occurs as the heart heals. Researchers at Uppsala University are now presenting a new type of biological treatment that is administered directly into the damaged blood vessel and stimulates healing. In the study, they also demonstrate how a new PET (Positron Emission Tomography) method can be used to identify patients with ongoing scarring and, ultimately, enable personalized treatment. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-exosome-treatment-curb-heart-scarring.html Thu, 30 Jul 2026 16:40:08 EDT news704647921 The prevalence of stroke risk factors such as high blood pressure and diabetes are higher and increasing faster among black African and Caribbean groups, compared to people from white backgrounds. People from Black African backgrounds are also around twice as likely to experience stroke without a prior risk factor diagnosis, compared with people from white backgrounds. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-widening-ethnic-socioeconomic-inequalities-year.html Wed, 29 Jul 2026 15:20:08 EDT news704552341 Specialized cells in the human body make biological trade-offs to perform certain jobs. To support the large, hardworking hearts that power other organs, heart cells have evolved to be extremely efficient and resilient. Because the adult human heart cannot repair itself the way skin does, scientists have studied ways to "reprogram" heart cells to regenerate after heart attacks. Heart cells have very stable identities, however, and are resistant to reprogramming. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-mechanism-reveals-heart-cells-resist.html Wed, 29 Jul 2026 13:00:04 EDT news704548622 Wearable health monitors have grown increasingly capable, but most are still limited by the fact that tracking different types of body signals requires separate sensors, each with its own circuitry and patch of skin. That leads to bulkier devices, higher power consumption and greater discomfort for anyone who needs round-the-clock monitoring. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-patch-merges-multiple-physiological-simpler.html Tue, 28 Jul 2026 16:40:04 EDT news704467561 Traumatic injuries, whether on a battlefield or in a car accident, often involve damaged blood vessels that require immediate repair. New research from Harvard bioengineers aims to make these critical, time-sensitive medical treatments faster and more personalized, with the potential to save lives and advance biomedical technology. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-minutes-custom-blood-vessel-grafts.html Tue, 28 Jul 2026 10:00:24 EDT news704450258 St. Jude Children's Research Hospital scientists have uncovered a regulatory mechanism for signaling of Sonic Hedgehog (SHH), a pathway essential for embryonic development. The findings, published in Nature Communications, provide insight into how this pathway may be modulated in diseases such as cancer. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-lipid-sonic-hedgehog-heart-lung.html Tue, 28 Jul 2026 09:40:02 EDT news704449921 Different varieties and doses of GLP-1 medications can have meaningful differences in how they address heart and metabolic health issues, according to new research led by the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Through an analysis of data from 19 randomized controlled trials, the researchers believe their work points to possible precision medicine applications of GLP-1s beyond weight loss. Their work is published in Diabetes, Obesity, and Metabolism. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-glp-therapies-tailored-patients-individual.html Mon, 27 Jul 2026 16:20:08 EDT news704386441 A Cleveland Clinic-led study shows a connection between elevated blood levels of TMAO (trimethylamine N-oxide)—a byproduct of gut bacteria digestion of nutrients found in red meat and other animal products—and a higher risk of atrial fibrillation. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-red-meat-gut-byproduct-higher.html Fri, 24 Jul 2026 12:00:01 EDT news704107995 Cardiovascular conditions such as strokes or heart attacks are among the most common causes of death in Germany. Today, treatment and prevention are primarily based on so-called platelet aggregation inhibitors and anticoagulants—types of medication commonly referred to as blood thinners. They inhibit or prevent blood coagulation, which in turn prevents the formation of blood clots and life-threatening medical emergencies such as strokes or heart attacks. However, by intervening directly in the hemostasis process, they increase the risk of dangerous bleeding. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-natural-clotting-day-reliance-blood.html Thu, 23 Jul 2026 18:00:06 EDT news704043781 Congenital heart disease is the most common birth defect, affecting approximately 1 in 100 babies born each year. One of the many causes of this disorder is having only one functional copy of the gene TBX5, rather than the two healthy copies inherited from parents. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-misfolded-dna-blueprint-genetic-disease.html Thu, 23 Jul 2026 17:40:09 EDT news704041982 Researchers from the University of California San Diego have created the most detailed map to date of how gene regulation breaks down in human heart failure, revealing how genes are controlled in specific cell types as the disease develops and pointing to potential new therapeutic targets. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-gene-reveals-treatment-heart-failure.html Thu, 23 Jul 2026 15:40:09 EDT news704034721 Predicting an individual's risk of ischemic stroke is difficult because thrombosis embolization—the process of a blood clot detaching from the area where it formed, traveling and then sticking in another blood vessel—is based on factors unique to each person. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-artery-chip.html Thu, 23 Jul 2026 11:00:03 EDT news703925701 For years, scientists have known that the heart has its own network of nerves, the intrinsic cardiac nervous system (ICNS), sometimes called its "little brain." Exactly how it functions has remained something of a mystery, but a new paper published in the journal Cell sheds light on how these heart nerves work to keep the heart beating steadily. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-heart-brain-function-stress.html Thu, 23 Jul 2026 10:28:55 EDT news704021309