Higher levels of trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) are independently associated with a greater prevalence of atrial fibrillation (AF), according to a study published in The Journal of Clinical Investigation. Researchers found that TMAO, a metabolite produced by gut microbes from nutrients like choline, may trigger AF by inhibiting muscarinic receptor 2 signaling and disrupting autonomic regulation … Read more
A 20-year study of more than 65,000 postmenopausal women found that higher adherence to the Planetary Health Diet was associated with a lower risk of overall cardiovascular disease, coronary heart disease, stroke, and heart failure, according to findings from the Women’s Health Initiative. Cardiovascular Risk Reduction Among Postmenopausal Women Researchers following 66,892 participants in the … Read more
Cardiovascular risk calculators currently used by doctors to predict heart attacks and strokes can also estimate a patient’s risk of developing certain cancers, according to a study published in the European Journal of Cancer. Researchers at University College London (UCL) found that tools like QRISK3—widely used in the UK—performed with comparable accuracy to specialized cancer … Read more
Caffeine Consumption and Heart Health: What the Latest Science Says Moderate caffeine intake—defined as up to 400 mg daily, or roughly three to five 8-ounce cups of black coffee—is generally safe for most adults and may be linked to a lower risk of cardiovascular conditions like stroke and heart failure, according to a recent scientific … Read more
Living in a socially vulnerable neighborhood significantly impacts a woman’s cardiovascular health, according to a 20-year study published in Circulation: Population Health and Outcomes. Researchers at the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute found that women in these areas score 6 to 10 points lower on heart health metrics, with faster health declines observed as they … Read more
Stanford Medicine researchers have identified a primary driver of biological aging: the failure of tissue-resident macrophages to clear senescent, or “zombie,” neutrophils from the body. According to a study published July 16 in Science, blocking a specific pro-inflammatory receptor, EP2, on these immune cells rejuvenated organ function and reduced age-related frailty in mice. This discovery … Read more
Regularly sleeping nine to 10 hours or more per night is linked to higher levels of p-tau181, a blood-based protein marker for Alzheimer’s disease, according to a study from UT Health San Antonio. Researchers found that the association becomes most pronounced beyond 10 hours of sleep, suggesting long sleep may be an early indicator of … Read more
Researchers at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) have developed a wearable microneedle patch capable of continuously measuring drug concentrations in interstitial fluid and transmitting that data to a smartphone in real time. The device, which weighs 6.7 grams, aims to explore whether continuous monitoring could provide a more complete picture than periodic … Read more
New research suggests that the cardiovascular health benefits of semaglutide may be more closely tied to the drug’s dosage than to the amount of weight a patient loses. A retrospective study published in npj Cardiovascular Health found that patients reaching higher maximum doses of semaglutide—1.7 mg or greater—experienced significantly lower risks of heart failure, cerebrovascular … Read more
Bioengineers at the University of California San Diego have created the first genome-scale reference map detailing how individual genes influence the behavior and identity of human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). Published in Nature Biotechnology, the study utilized CRISPR technology to systematically switch off 11,692 genes, providing a reference atlas for researchers to predict how … Read more