https://medicalxpress.com/ en-us Medical Xpress internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. New research from CU Anschutz scientists suggests that staying physically active after heart rhythm treatment may significantly reduce the risk of atrial fibrillation (AF) returning, offering patients a simple, low-cost way to support long-term heart health. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-minutes-weekly-ablation-linked-atrial.html Fri, 06 Feb 2026 16:00:01 EST news689608069 A research team led by the Department of Medicine, under the School of Clinical Medicine, LKS Faculty of Medicine of the University of Hong Kong (HKUMed), has synergized the impacts of worldwide clinical trial data through a series of meta-analyses on GLP‑1 receptor agonists, an emerging cardiometabolic drug, offering in-depth insights into its safety profile and novel therapeutic potential in treating cardiovascular diseases. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-synergizing-global-clinical-trials-glp.html Fri, 06 Feb 2026 14:40:01 EST news689583837 Dementia is a term used to describe memory loss, impaired reasoning, difficulties communicating and other mental impairments that can be caused by Alzheimer's disease, other neurodegenerative disease, strokes, severe infections, head injuries or various other conditions. While most past studies investigating the causes and underpinnings of dementia focused on the brain, a growing body of research suggests that these mental impairments could sometimes be linked to diseases that affect other parts of the body, referred to as peripheral diseases. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-dementia-cases-linked-brain-diseases.html Wed, 04 Feb 2026 06:50:01 EST news689257603 By determining the structure of the deposits responsible for transthyretin amyloidosis through a simple skin biopsy, scientists at UNIGE are paving the way for a new diagnostic method for neurodegenerative diseases. Transthyretin amyloidosis (ATTR) is a rare, progressive, and highly aggressive degenerative disease caused by the misfolding of a specific protein, leading to its toxic accumulation in the form of filamentous deposits in various organs. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-skin-biopsy-rare-neurodegenerative-disease.html Mon, 26 Jan 2026 09:13:54 EST news688641181 Smartwatches with both PPG and ECG functionality improve the detection of atrial fibrillation in comparison with standard care. Researchers from Amsterdam UMC have analyzed the data from 437 patients and detected heart arrhythmia four times more often in those who wore an Apple Watch. These results are published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-smartwatch-heart-arrhythmias-quality.html Thu, 22 Jan 2026 01:00:01 EST news688233943 Having an ischemic stroke during pregnancy or three months after pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular events like heart attack or second stroke, heart disease and depression later in life, according to a new study published on January 21, 2026, in Neurology. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-pregnancy-linked-higher-heart-disease.html Wed, 21 Jan 2026 16:00:01 EST news688231500 Atrial fibrillation is one of the most common kinds of arrhythmia, causing the heart not to contract properly in order to pump the blood, which can lead to the formation of thrombi (blood clots) and the consequent associated risks (heart attack, stroke). Normally, patients with atrial fibrillation take anticoagulants, but the dose must be adjusted and kept as low as possible, because these drugs have negative side effects, especially as they increase the risk of heavy bleeding. If bleeding is internal, it can lead to hemorrhagic strokes, embolisms or abdominal bleeding. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-heart-doctors-patients-arrhythmia.html Sun, 18 Jan 2026 11:20:03 EST news687626372 Prof. Liu Cong from the Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, along with collaborators, has revealed the high-resolution structures of amyloid fibrils directly extracted from biopsy samples of living patients with systemic light chain (AL) amyloidosis, providing new molecular insights into how patient-specific protein sequences and tissue environments shape amyloid architecture. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-biopsy-derived-cryo-em-reveal.html Tue, 13 Jan 2026 11:40:01 EST news687526265 Knowledge graphs are a powerful tool for bringing together information from biological databases and linking what is already known about genes, diseases, treatments, molecular pathways and symptoms in a structured network. Until now, they have lacked detailed, individual-level information about how the affected organ actually looks and functions. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-12-ai-powered-knowledge-graph-links.html Mon, 29 Dec 2025 11:10:01 EST news686227031 There is increasing evidence that gum disease is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular events, including heart attack, stroke, atrial fibrillation, heart failure and cardiometabolic health conditions. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-12-gum-disease-linked-plaque-buildup.html Tue, 16 Dec 2025 13:19:38 EST news685113541 Twinkling lights, family gatherings and holiday cheer often come with indulgent meals and celebratory drinks. But cardiologists at Houston Methodist are sounding the alarm on a little-known condition that can turn festivities into a health scare: Holiday Heart Syndrome. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-12-heart-holiday-overdrive-cardiologist-seasonal.html Tue, 16 Dec 2025 10:57:35 EST news685105021 Atrial fibrillation, also known as AF or Afib, is one of the most common cardiovascular diseases. In fact, one in three individuals can expect to be diagnosed with the condition, which increases the risk of serious complications such as heart failure and stroke. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-12-social-inequities-atrial-fibrillation-survival.html Wed, 10 Dec 2025 14:38:34 EST news684599881 Sudden cardiac arrest may occur in various conditions when someone, while active (playing basketball or walking with friends), collapses and passes out. Their blood pressure drops, and often their heart stops. This may be caused by a lethal arrhythmia, which is when the heart beats abnormally and does not efficiently pump anymore. If the heart is not pumping, blood is not getting to the brain, and that's what causes the collapse. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-12-cardiac-heart.html Wed, 10 Dec 2025 06:09:26 EST news684569342 Exercise is one of the best things we can do for a healthy heart. Yet research shows that endurance athletes have up to a four times higher risk of atrial fibrillation (an irregular or fast heartbeat) than non-athletes. This heart condition increases risk of both heart failure and stroke. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-12-athletes-higher-irregular-heartbeat.html Thu, 04 Dec 2025 13:25:48 EST news684077101 Obstructive sleep apnea and atrial fibrillation (AFib) are two conditions that share a potentially deadly link. Having one increases the odds of developing the other, and together, the breathing difficulties of sleep apnea combined with the irregular heartbeat of AFib can result in life-threatening cardiovascular risks. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-12-overturns-assumptions-afib-treatment-apnea.html Tue, 02 Dec 2025 04:52:41 EST news683873521 Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) is independently associated with incident cardiovascular disease (CVD), according to a study published online Nov. 10 in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-11-myelodysplastic-syndromes-incident-cardiovascular-disease.html Tue, 25 Nov 2025 14:00:01 EST news683301013 A research group led by Assistant Professor Megumi Aimoto and Professor Akira Takahara at the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Toho University, revealed that pyrazole-3 (Pyr3), a selective inhibitor of the transient receptor potential canonical-3 (TRPC3) channel, a calcium-permeable channel in the heart, prevents the persistence of atrial fibrillation. Atrial fibrillation is a tachyarrhythmia that occurs in the atria and is a major cause of stroke and heart failure. This study demonstrated that the TRPC3 channel is a promising new therapeutic target for atrial fibrillation. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-11-trpc3-channels-atrial-fibrillation.html Thu, 20 Nov 2025 17:30:01 EST news682876541 Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University have applied ideas from polymer physics to illuminate the mechanism behind a key pathology in Alzheimer's disease, the formation of fibrils of tau proteins. They showed that fibril formation is preceded by the birth of large protein clusters, mirroring the crystallization of polymers. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-11-polymers-alzheimer-disease.html Mon, 17 Nov 2025 08:55:26 EST news682592122 A joint study by the University Medical Center Göttingen (UMG) and the University Hospital Würzburg provides new insights into why heart muscle cells lose their rhythm in atrial fibrillation. Disrupted calcium signaling between key cellular structures in the heart may be a critical underlying mechanism. The findings are published in the journal Circulation Research. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-11-disrupted-calcium-heart-rhythm.html Thu, 13 Nov 2025 10:00:01 EST news682250179 New research from Intermountain Health in Salt Lake City finds that patients diagnosed with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) who also have atrial fibrillation (AFib) face a significantly higher risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE). https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-11-patients-peripheral-arterial-disease-afib.html Mon, 10 Nov 2025 14:00:01 EST news681989067 People with atrial fibrillation (AFib) and obesity may have fewer episodes of AFib after ablation if they take the diabetes medication metformin in addition to standard care, according to a preliminary, late-breaking science presentation Sunday at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2025. The meeting, held Nov. 7–10 in New Orleans, is a premier global exchange of the latest scientific advancements, research and evidence-based clinical practice updates in cardiovascular science. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-11-diabetes-drug-irregular-heartbeat-events.html Mon, 10 Nov 2025 09:36:06 EST news681989761 New research found a simplified clot-preventing medication regimen following stent placement in adults with atrial fibrillation was just as safe and effective in preventing strokes, heart attack and death, when compared to a standard year-long treatment regimen, according to a preliminary late-breaking science presentation Saturday at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2025. The meeting, held Nov. 7–10 in New Orleans, is a premier global exchange of the latest scientific advancements, research and evidence-based clinical practice updates in cardiovascular science. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-11-month-clot-stent-effective-year.html Mon, 10 Nov 2025 09:12:04 EST news681988322 For older people with irregular heart rhythms who are at high risk of stroke and bleeding, standard care (including the use of blood thinners when indicated) was found to be the better choice compared to a promising, catheter-based procedure, according to a preliminary late-breaking science presentation Saturday at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2025. The meeting, held Nov. 7–10 in New Orleans, is a premier global exchange of the latest scientific advancements, research and evidence-based clinical practice updates in cardiovascular science. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-11-medication-procedure-irregular-heartbeat-conditions.html Mon, 10 Nov 2025 09:07:04 EST news681988022 Drinking coffee can protect against atrial fibrillation (A-Fib), a common heart rhythm disorder that causes rapid, irregular heartbeat and can lead to stroke and heart failure. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-11-advice-coffee-atrial-fibrillation.html Sun, 09 Nov 2025 14:37:08 EST news681921417 A hidden atrial dysfunction may raise stroke risk in people with transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM); however, a noninvasive assessment tool may help identify those at increased risk, according to a preliminary study to be presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2025. The disease is a progressive condition that stiffens the heart muscle and may raise the risk of stroke, even when the heart rhythm appears normal. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-10-heart-glitch-adults-muscle-disease.html Mon, 03 Nov 2025 05:00:14 EST news681060361 Despite growing evidence that sleep apnea contributes to cardiovascular disease and can even make it worse, about 50% to 77% of hospitalized patients remain undiagnosed, according to a West Virginia University expert on sleep disorders. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-10-medicine-expert-hospitalized-patients-apnea.html Thu, 30 Oct 2025 08:26:03 EDT news681031561 A multi-institution research effort led by Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health's Center for Climate, Health, and the Global Environment reports that short-term exposure to both low and high ambient temperatures was associated with increasing cardiovascular mortality among Swedish patients with heart failure, with heat-related risk strengthening in 2014–2021. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-10-swedish-links-temperature-extremes-higher.html Wed, 29 Oct 2025 11:10:01 EDT news680954930 Early detection of Alzheimer's disease has come a step closer thanks to a new measurement method developed by chemists at Utrecht University. For the first time, they have made the growth of the notorious protein clumps involved in dementias such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and Huntington's directly measurable—even in blood. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-10-dementia-linked-proteins-door-diagnosis.html Tue, 28 Oct 2025 18:50:01 EDT news680888260 Restricted sugar intake during early life is linked to lower risks of several heart conditions in adulthood, including heart attack, heart failure, and stroke, finds a study published by The BMJ using data from the end of UK sugar rationing in 1953. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-10-early-life-sugar-restriction-linked.html Wed, 22 Oct 2025 18:30:09 EDT news680344141 Neuroscientists at Columbia and McGill have discovered that high levels of a brain chemical cause depression and suicidal thoughts in people who experienced trauma or adversity during childhood. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-10-brain-chemical-linked-suicide-childhood.html Wed, 15 Oct 2025 13:20:04 EDT news679752601