Cardiovascular Disease News and Research

Latest Cardiovascular Disease News and Research

Reducing sodium in common foods could prevent heart disease and stroke

Lowering sodium in packaged and prepared foods could significantly improve cardiovascular health and prevent many cases of heart disease, stroke and deaths in the general population in France and the U.K., according to two new research studies published today in Hypertension, an American Heart Association journal.

26 Jan 2026

New role for GLP-1 drugs: Improving survival in people with severe psychiatric disorders

This editorial argues that GLP-1 receptor agonists could substantially improve healthspan and reduce premature mortality in people with serious mental illnesses by targeting cardiometabolic risk rather than psychiatric symptoms alone. It highlights emerging evidence, safety considerations, and equity challenges that position GLP-1 RAs as a promising public health strategy for this high-risk population.

25 Jan 2026

Why the age you start smoking matters as much as how much you smoke

Starting smoking at a younger age is associated with substantially higher risks of myocardial infarction, stroke, and death, even after accounting for cumulative smoking exposure. Early initiation also amplifies the cardiovascular harm of heavier smoking, indicating increased vulnerability when smoking begins in adolescence.

25 Jan 2026

Tips for staying heart-safe during cold weather

While grocery store shelves may be empty, firewood piles filled and cell phones charged, there may be a few more items to check off on your prep list for the upcoming winter storms.

24 Jan 2026

Wildfire smoke in late pregnancy may raise autism risk

Prenatal exposure to wildfire smoke in late pregnancy may modestly raise autism risk in children, emphasizing the importance of safeguarding pregnant women.

23 Jan 2026

Nearly half of adults now live with heart disease as obesity and diabetes surge

The 2026 American Heart Association Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics report shows that nearly half of adults are living with cardiovascular disease, with cardiometabolic risk factors projected to rise substantially by 2050. Despite progress in smoking reduction and cholesterol control, worsening obesity, diabetes, hypertension, sleep health, and persistent inequities threaten future cardiovascular health.

22 Jan 2026

Exercise variety, not just volume, is tied to longer life

Researchers analysed nearly three decades of data from more than 111,000 adults to examine whether the variety of physical activities people perform is linked to long-term survival. They found that engaging in a broader range of activity types was associated with lower all-cause mortality, independent of total exercise volume.

22 Jan 2026

Menopausal hormone therapy linked to greater weight loss with tirzepatide

A new study led by Mayo Clinic found that postmenopausal women receiving menopausal hormone therapy lost 35% more weight while taking tirzepatide, a Food and Drug Administration-approved drug for the treatment of overweight and obesity.

22 Jan 2026

See through the skin: New technology spots early heart disease warning signs

Researchers from Helmholtz Munich and the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have developed "fast-RSOM", a new imaging technology that can capture detailed images of the smallest blood vessels directly through the skin – without the need for invasive procedures.

22 Jan 2026

Study reveals immune traffic controller hijacked by common virus

In a major scientific breakthrough, researchers from Monash University and the Lions Eye Institute have discovered a tissue protein that acts as a central 'traffic controller' for immune cells and can be hijacked by a virus to weaken immune responses.

21 Jan 2026

More urban trees associated with fewer heart disease cases

A multi-institutional study led by the University of California, Davis, finds that living in urban areas with a higher percentage of visible trees is associated with a 4% decrease in cardiovascular disease.

21 Jan 2026

Long-term air pollution exposure raises motor neuron disease risk

Long-term exposure to ambient air pollution was associated with a higher risk of developing motor neuron disease and poorer prognosis after diagnosis in a large nationwide Swedish study. Higher particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide exposure were also linked to faster functional decline and increased likelihood of invasive ventilation.

21 Jan 2026

Shingles vaccination is linked to slower biological aging in older adults

This population-based study of U.S. adults aged 70 and older found that shingles vaccination was associated with slower epigenetic and transcriptomic aging, as well as lower systemic inflammation. No significant associations were observed for neurodegeneration or cardiovascular biomarkers, highlighting domain-specific molecular effects rather than broad clinical changes.

21 Jan 2026

Tracing the decline in American heart disease mortality

Following a five-year upward trend likely impacted by the COVID pandemic, the number of heart disease and stroke deaths has declined, yet, heart disease and stroke still kill more people in the U.S. each year than any other cause, according to data reported in the 2026 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics: A Report of U.S. and Global Data From the American Heart Association.

21 Jan 2026

Rice’s SynthX Center leads interdisciplinary effort to tackle rare lymphatic disorders

Rice University's SynthX Center, directed by Han Xiao, has received an up to five-year, $18 million award from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) Lymphatic Imaging, Genomics and pHenotyping Technologies (LIGHT) program to develop innovative solutions for lymphatic diseases.

20 Jan 2026

Diverse exercise routines associated with reduced risk of death

Regularly doing a mix of different types of physical activity may be best for prolonging the lifespan, but the associations aren't linear, pointing to a possible optimal threshold effect, suggests research published in the open access journal BMJ Medicine.

20 Jan 2026

Lifestyle prevention of diabetes may halve carbon footprint associated with treating complications

Preventing high blood glucose (pre-diabetes) from turning into type 2 diabetes with lifestyle changes could more than halve the carbon footprint associated with treating the complications of the disease, suggests a modelling study, published in the open access journal BMJ Open.

20 Jan 2026

COVID-19 severity is linked to changes in mitochondrial DNA methylation

This study examined mitochondrial and nuclear-encoded mitochondrial DNA methylation in Indian patients with severe COVID-19 and found region-specific differential methylation linked to disease severity. Pathway analyses and protein assays implicated disrupted mitochondrial metabolism and dynamics, suggesting a role for mitochondrial epigenetic regulation in COVID-19 pathophysiology.

20 Jan 2026

Algae may help meet future protein demand without straining the planet

This narrative review evaluates clinical evidence on algae and algal proteins as sustainable, nutrient-dense food sources with high protein quality and bioactive compounds. Findings suggest potential benefits for muscle protein synthesis, cardiometabolic markers, immune modulation, and antioxidant status, while emphasizing heterogeneity, short-term data, and the need for longer clinical trials.

20 Jan 2026

Scientists discover why patients with chronic kidney disease die of heart problems

Scientists have discovered an answer to the longstanding mystery of why more than half of patients with chronic kidney disease ultimately die of cardiovascular problems: Their kidneys produce a substance that poisons the heart.

20 Jan 2026