Cardiometabolic News and Research

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Cardiometabolic diseases remain leading cause of excess American mortality

Between 1999 and 2022, the US had substantially higher death rates than other wealthy nations, largely due to cardiovascular disease, metabolic diseases (including diabetes), Alzheimer's disease and related dementias, and drug and alcohol complications.

8 May 2026

AI-powered MRI scans predict diabetes and heart disease risk

Research shows AI-enhanced MRI body composition metrics can predict diabetes and heart disease risks, offering insights for better health screening practices.

8 May 2026

Postpartum diabetes monitoring remains low among many new mothers

Few women with postpartum-onset diabetes meet recommended A1C monitoring guidelines, highlighting a need to improve routine diabetes care-particularly among Black women-according to new research at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.

8 May 2026

Bariatric surgery offers greater long-term health protection for seniors than GLP-1 drugs

Metabolic and bariatric surgery offers significantly greater long-term protection against heart attack, stroke and death than widely-used GLP-1 drugs in older adults with obesity and diabetes, according to new real-world analysis study presented today at the annual meeting of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.

6 May 2026

Muscle fat levels on MRI linked to cardiometabolic risk

Using a deep learning model to analyze the composition of large muscles on MRI, German researchers found that the proportions of intermuscular fat and lean muscle mass were associated with high blood pressure and unhealthy lipid and blood sugar levels.

5 May 2026

AI creates detailed map of fat and muscle distribution to predict major health risks

Researchers used AI to analyze whole-body MRI scans from more than 66,000 participants to create the most detailed reference map to date of how fat and muscle are distributed in the human body across age, sex and height.

5 May 2026

Blood tests years before pregnancy predict risk of hypertension

Pre-pregnancy blood biomarkers linked to hypertension risk highlight the potential for early intervention in managing hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.

5 May 2026

Child health experts launch GenHEART to tackle Australia's obesity crisis

Heart health, diet, exercise and sleep will be targeted under a multi-pronged strategy by child health experts to address Australia's obesity crisis.

4 May 2026

Five-target drug beats GLP-1/GIP therapy in obese diabetic mice

A Nature study reports a single-molecule GLP-1–GIP–lanifibranor quintuple agonist that targets incretin receptor-expressing cells while activating PPARα/γ/δ pathways. In obese and insulin-resistant mice, the compound reduced body weight, food intake, and hyperglycaemia more effectively than semaglutide or GLP-1R–GIPR co-agonism, while remaining a preclinical finding.

30 Apr 2026

Eliminating animal products reshapes metabolic health and environmental impact

A new randomized clinical trial provides some of the clearest evidence to date that what we eat can meaningfully reshape both human health and the health of the planet.

30 Apr 2026

Routine blood tests years before conception may predict pregnancy risks

Small abnormalities in blood sugar, blood lipids and inflammation several years before pregnancy are linked to an increased risk of high blood pressure during pregnancy and pre-eclampsia, according to a new study from Karolinska Institutet published in JAMA Network Open.

30 Apr 2026

Maternal weight before pregnancy may shape toddlers’ development

A nationwide Korean cohort study of 258,367 mother-child pairs found that maternal pre-pregnancy BMI was associated with developmental delay risk in children aged 18 to 36 months. Children of underweight mothers showed modest early risks that later attenuated, while obesity-related risks persisted across developmental domains.

29 Apr 2026

AHA calls for lifelong brain health strategy to prevent cognitive decline

The AHA scientific statement calls for a life-course approach to brain health that integrates cognitive, emotional, behavioral, vascular, environmental, inflammatory, sleep, microbiome, and social factors. It highlights how early-life exposures, mental health, pollution, chronic inflammation, poor sleep, gut dysbiosis, and socioeconomic adversity may shape brain resilience and later-life cognitive decline.

29 Apr 2026

Lipid pathways driving diabetes and heart disease risk in South Asians

Identifying lipid-linked genetic pathways in Asian Indians offers insights into diabetes and heart disease, crucial for developing ancestry-specific therapies.

28 Apr 2026

Ultra-processed foods linked to poorer attention and higher dementia risk scores

Research shows that higher ultra-processed food consumption may impair attention and elevate modifiable dementia risk, highlighting concerns for brain health.

28 Apr 2026

GLP-1 weight loss is driven mainly by fat loss, not muscle loss

GLP-1-based therapies helped adults with overweight or obesity lose weight mainly by reducing fat mass and visceral adipose tissue, while lean body mass losses were generally modest. The findings suggest these treatments can support higher-quality weight loss when paired with individualized care, nutrition, and resistance training.

27 Apr 2026

NIH awards five year grant for cardiovascular epidemiology training

Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine researchers Vanessa Xanthakis, PhD, FAHA, associate professor of medicine and director of research training, and Mathew Nayor, MD, MPH, associate professor of medicine, have been awarded a five-year, T32 grant from the National Institutes of Health's National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute

27 Apr 2026

Estrogen loss after menopause impacts heart health through gene regulation

Virginia Tech scientists at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute say the increased risk of cardiovascular disease after menopause may stem not only from declining hormone levels, but also from how those changes influence gene activity.

27 Apr 2026

Yoga to help manage obesity-related heart and metabolic risks

The impact of yoga on heart health in obesity is modest, suggesting it as a complementary approach for improving metabolic outcomes in high BMI populations.

27 Apr 2026

Scientists will probe whether processing itself makes ultra-processed foods harmful

A randomized controlled trial protocol will test whether the cardiometabolic risks linked to ultra-processed foods stem from industrial processing, poor nutrient composition, or both. Using four controlled diets, researchers will separate the effects of UPF content from saturated fat, added sugar, and sodium on LDL cholesterol, insulin resistance, and blood pressure.

26 Apr 2026