Heart Disease News and Research

Latest Heart Disease News and Research

Virtual reality reduces anxiety among children awaiting surgery

Children who used a virtual reality (VR) headset before surgery showed reduced self-reported distress and fear, along with lower heart rate and blood pressure, according to a new study published November 5th in the open access journal PLOS Digital Health by Dayanjan Wijesinghe of Virginia Commonwealth University, US, and colleagues.

5 Nov 2026

The Mediterranean diet has a modern problem, and it isn't just about food

A narrative review published in Applied Sciences examined how urbanisation, time constraints, food costs, and changing lifestyles have contributed to declining adherence to the Mediterranean diet. Drawing on 116 references, the authors identified workplace and school interventions, nutrition education, physical activity, and Mediterranean-inspired convenience foods as potential strategies for adapting this dietary pattern to modern life.

5 Nov 2026

A simple salt swap could prevent nearly 3 million deaths a year, researchers estimate

A global modelling study covering 193 countries and territories estimated that replacing regular salt with a potassium-enriched substitute containing 25% potassium chloride could prevent 2.96 million deaths, 10.17 million new cardiovascular and chronic kidney disease cases, and 69.43 million disability-adjusted life years annually. Although the researchers projected an increased risk of hyperkalemia-related deaths among people with impaired kidney function, the estimated cardiovascular benefits substantially outweighed these potential harms.

5 Nov 2026

Review examines translational bottlenecks for plant-derived anti-inflammatory compounds

A review led by Professor Weidong Zhang at the School of Pharmacy, Naval Medical University, was published in Volume 2 of the journal Immunity & Inflammation on October 27, 2026. The article systematically examines the translational bottlenecks and potential solutions for plant-derived anti-inflammatory compounds.

5 Nov 2026

CIRM grant funds new stem cell therapy to heal hearts

A new $6.9 million grant from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) will support preclinical development of an investigational cell therapy for the heart created by USC Stem Cell scientists.

5 Nov 2026

Review explores intrinsic mechanisms driving right ventricular remodeling in pulmonary arterial hypertension

Announcing a new article publication for Cardiovascular Innovations and Applications. Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) comprises a group of progressive pulmonary circulatory diseases characterized by a persistent increase in pulmonary vascular resistance.

5 Nov 2026

Longer reproductive lifespan and hormonal history may influence brain vascular health

A longer reproductive lifespan and a history of using birth control pills or menopausal hormone therapy were associated with certain signs of blood vessel health in the brain, according to a study published November 4, 2026, in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

4 Nov 2026

Inherited high cholesterol linked to slightly higher pre-eclampsia risk

Women with the inherited cholesterol condition familial hypercholesterolemia may be at a slightly higher risk of developing pre-eclampsia, a pregnancy condition that can cause serious complications, according to a new study in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology.

4 Nov 2026

Pulse oximeter bias undercounts sleep apnea severity in Black patients

Sleep studies often use a pulse oximeter to determine the severity of sleep apnea. But a new study by investigators from Mass General Brigham reports that pulse oximeters may undercount breathing events in Black patients, potentially leading to inaccurate severity classifications.

4 Nov 2026

Multi-component nutritional supplement improves markers of vascular health

A multi-component nutritional supplement has been found to improve markers of vascular health, in a randomized controlled trial led by the University of Surrey.

4 Nov 2026

Switching to potassium-enriched salt could prevent millions of global deaths

Researchers from The George Institute for Global Health assessed the health benefits of switching the salt supply to potassium-enriched salt across 193 countries.

4 Nov 2026

Good sleep protects brain health in people with cardiometabolic disease

People with type 2 diabetes, heart disease or stroke who sleep well have better cognitive function and greater brain volume than people with the same conditions who sleep poorly, according to a new study from Karolinska Institutet.

4 Nov 2026

A three-drug diabetes pill outperformed dual therapy

Clinical trial results indicate that a fixed-dose combination of dapagliflozin, glimepiride, and metformin offers superior glycemic control in diabetes therapy.

4 Nov 2026

TAVR procedures increase ninefold among patients younger than 70

New research simultaneously published today in JSCAI and presented at TCT 2026 found that the annual number of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) procedures among patients younger than 70 increased nearly ninefold within one health system, rising from 15 in 2014 to 134 in 2024.

3 Nov 2026

A low-calorie diet and exercise helped 54% of younger adults achieve diabetes remission

In a randomized clinical trial involving 96 adults with early-onset type 2 diabetes and obesity, a 24-week program combining a low-energy diet with supervised exercise achieved diabetes remission in 54% of participants, compared with 4% receiving usual care. The intervention also reduced body fat, largely preserved muscle mass, and improved strength and body-mass-adjusted fitness, although the additional benefits attributable specifically to exercise remain uncertain.

3 Nov 2026

Heart disease and depression may affect brain aging in an unexpected way

A longitudinal study of 5,423 adults in England found that cardiovascular disease was associated with faster cognitive decline, with the strongest association observed among participants with consistently low depressive symptoms. Those with persistent moderate or high depressive symptoms generally experienced poorer cognitive performance and faster overall deterioration, despite showing a weaker additional association between cardiovascular disease and cognitive decline.

3 Nov 2026

Scientists use extracellular vesicles to track source of chronic inflammation

A new technique to diagnose chronic inflammation developed at Nagoya University can read information from the surface and within individual extracellular vesicles in blood and urine.

3 Nov 2026

FSU neuroscientist wins grant to study temperature's impact on salt taste

A Florida State University neuroscientist has received a new grant from the National Institutes of Health to investigate how a food or drink's temperature affects the way our brains process the taste of salt, a neural mechanism that plays a significant role in shaping eating behaviors and nutrition habits.

3 Nov 2026

Can pregnancy leave a lasting mark on biological aging?

A review examines how pregnancy spacing affects maternal aging, proposing that insufficient recovery may lead to cumulative biological aging and health risks.

3 Nov 2026

AI-powered heart MRI measurements better predict patients' survival

Artificial intelligence (AI) measurements of heart function from MRI scans are more strongly linked to how long patients live after their scan than measurements made by clinicians, suggesting that AI could provide a useful first-line approach to measuring heart function.

2 Nov 2026