Heart Disease News and Research

Latest Heart Disease News and Research

Study finds oral hormone replacement therapy increases venous thromboembolism risk

Current use of oral menopausal hormone therapy (commonly known as hormone replacement therapy or HRT) is associated with an increased risk of blood clots in legs / lungs regardless of dose or treatment duration, finds a large Danish study published by The BMJ today.

23 Sep 2026

Semaglutide’s heart benefits may extend beyond weight loss

Semaglutide is known to reduce the risk of serious heart disease. However, a new study published in the European Heart Journal today (Thursday) suggests that this effect cannot not be entirely explained by patients losing weight on the drug.

23 Sep 2026

Nearly 60% of hypertension cases remain undetected in England

Researchers from Oxford Population Health analyzed clinic blood pressure measurements collected by Our Future Health, the UK's largest health research programme, from participants who enrolled between 2022 and 2025.

23 Sep 2026

Frailty linked to greater cognitive impairment risk in men with chronic kidney disease

New research from the University of Colorado Anschutz Department of Medicine is shedding light on how women and men with chronic kidney disease (CKD) may fare differently as they age and their disease progresses.

23 Sep 2026

Stroke rates nearly doubled among younger adults over three decades

Stroke is becoming more common among younger adults, according to a study published September 23, 2026, in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

23 Sep 2026

WSU study reveals acute effects of cannabis on physiological stress-related outcomes

Cannabis is often used as a stress reliever, but a new study suggests that some of the body's stress response systems don't get the message.

23 Sep 2026

Parental plastic exposure harms offspring through multiple biological routes

Microplastics and nanoplastics are increasingly found throughout aquatic environments, raising concern about whether these tiny particles can move from exposed parents into their offspring.

23 Sep 2026

What links smoking, body fat, mental health, genes, and heart risk? Inflammation may be part of the answer

In a large UK Biobank study, higher levels of the chronic inflammation marker GlycA were associated with smaller heart chambers, thicker heart walls, impaired diastolic function, reduced stroke volume, and a 43% higher risk of major adverse cardiovascular events in the highest versus lowest GlycA group. Genetic susceptibility also modified the associations between environmental exposures, inflammation, and cardiovascular risk, while inflammatory proteins in the IL-1, TNF, and IL-6 pathways statistically mediated several of these associations.

23 Sep 2026

Higher ultra-processed food intake linked to multiple health risks

A higher ultra processed food (UPF) intake is linked to a heightened risk of several major chronic health issues, such as digestive diseases, high blood pressure, and metabolic syndrome/diabetes, as well as death, finds a pooled data analysis of the available evidence, published in the open access journal Family Medicine and Community Health.

22 Sep 2026

Higher BMI linked to brain differences in preschool children

Children as young as 4 with a higher body mass index (BMI) showed differences in several brain regions involved in reward, taste and hunger, according to a new study from Florida International University.

22 Sep 2026

Loneliness and social isolation cost people years of healthy life

The numbers paint a grim picture. Roughly half of all U.S. adults are lonely, according to a 2023 report, and nearly as many feel socially isolated.

22 Sep 2026

Childhood trauma linked to risky health behaviors in late adolescence

Experiencing childhood trauma appears to increase a young person's likelihood of smoking, substance use and developing unhealthy eating habits by contributing to behavioral problems during adolescence, such as impulsivity and poor self-control.

22 Sep 2026

New spin-out launches technology to revolutionize hormone disorder diagnosis

The University of Birmingham and Imperial College London have announced the launch of Intelligent Mass Spec Solutions Ltd (IMS Solutions), a new spin-out that is set to revolutionize diagnosis of conditions featuring disordered steroid hormone metabolism.

22 Sep 2026

Siemens Healthineers and Novo join forces to advance care for people living with MASLD and MASH

Siemens Healthineers and Novo have announced a collaboration focused on advancing care for people living with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and its progressive form, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH).

From Siemens Healthineers 22 Sep 2026

Children who ate healthier plant foods had slightly lower blood pressure later

Researchers followed 3,990 Dutch children for an average of 1.6 years and found that higher healthful plant-based diet scores were associated with modestly lower blood pressure and total cholesterol. Children with higher unhealthful plant-based diet scores had lower estimated food costs and distinct metabolite profiles, while healthful scores showed no clear cost association.

22 Sep 2026

Several cups of coffee a day showed no clear diabetes link over 10 years

Researchers followed 1,158 adults in Italy for 10 years, comparing those who drank at least two to three cups of coffee daily with those who drank none. They found no statistically significant difference in new cases of impaired fasting glucose or type 2 diabetes, but the small non-consumer group limits how confidently the study can rule out a difference in risk.

21 Sep 2026

New digital system helps young cancer survivors manage late treatment effects

For a young person, completing cancer treatment can mark a long-awaited return to everyday life - education, work, relationships and plans for a family.

21 Sep 2026

New international standard creates unified health data across Europe

Every breath we take contains tiny particles that are invisible to the naked eye and can harm our health. Air pollution alone contributes to heart disease, stroke, lung cancer, and other chronic illnesses.

21 Sep 2026

New mRNA vaccine expands flu protection options for older adults

Every fall, millions of Americans heed the call to get their annual flu shot. Getting vaccinated reduces the risk of severe illness, hospitalization, and death from influenza.

20 Sep 2026

Study identifies brain mechanism behind pregnancy-related food cravings

Why do food cravings become so strong during pregnancy? Researchers at LSU's Pennington Biomedical Research Center, in collaboration with colleagues, have identified a brain mechanism that may help explain how pregnancy changes the motivation to seek certain highly palatable foods.

18 Sep 2026