Heart Disease News and Research

Latest Heart Disease News and Research

U.S. bariatric surgery rates drop significantly amid GLP-1 surge

The number of metabolic and bariatric surgery procedures in the United States dropped below 200,000 in 2024 for the first time since 2020, a more than 20% decline from the prior year, according to new research presented today at the annual scientific meeting of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.

5 May 2026

Bariatric surgery improves outcomes for patients with obesity and chronic kidney disease

Metabolic and bariatric surgery, also known as weight-loss surgery, dramatically improves outcomes for patients with obesity and chronic kidney disease (CKD), significantly reducing the risk of kidney failure, major cardiovascular events and death, according to new research presented here today at the annual meeting of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.

5 May 2026

GLP-1 use surges as surgery rates drop for severe obesity

Drawing on electronic health records from nearly 20 million patients with severe obesity, researchers from University of California San Diego find that GLP-1 prescriptions have grown exponentially -- from less than 4,600 prescriptions in 2018 to more than 1.4 million in 2025 -- according to a new real-world analysis presented today at the annual scientific meeting of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.

5 May 2026

Bariatric surgery costs significantly less than GLP-1 drugs over two years

A new real-world analysis of more than 90,000 patients with obesity and type 2 diabetes finds metabolic and bariatric surgery is costs significantly less than weekly injections of GLP-1 drugs over a two-year period, according to a new research presented today at the annual scientific meeting of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.

5 May 2026

KIF13B protects heart function during sepsis by regulating lipid metabolism

Sepsis, a life-threatening condition caused by dysregulated host response to infection, remains a major cause of global mortality.

5 May 2026

Study reveals epigenetic adaptation of beta cells across lifespan and disease

As people age, most maintain normal blood sugar even as insulin resistance tends to rise. New research suggests that pancreatic beta cells help meet this demand through gradual epigenetic changes in regulatory regions of the genome that support beta-cell identity and function.

5 May 2026

GLP-1 drugs combined with surgery yield superior weight loss results

People who begin obesity treatment with glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1s) and then undergo metabolic and bariatric surgery achieve substantially greater weight loss than with the medications alone, according to new research presented today at the annual meeting of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.

5 May 2026

AI-driven model predicts type 1 diabetes risk with greater accuracy

Researchers use machine learning and genetic analysis to uncover type 1 diabetes risk factors, improving prediction accuracy and identifying patient subtypes.

5 May 2026

A new tool that predicts obesity-related disease risk beyond BMI

OBSCORE is a data-driven tool that identifies high-risk individuals for obesity-related diseases, enhancing treatment targeting beyond traditional BMI metrics.

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

New research identifies stress response as trigger for heart inflammation

After a heart attack, the body rapidly floods the injured heart with neutrophils - white blood cells that help repair damage but can also make it worse when too many arrive too quickly.

4 May 2026

Learn B.E. F.A.S.T. to recognize stroke signs and save lives

A stroke can change a life in an instant. In the minutes after symptoms begin, quick action can help protect the brain, reduce long-term disability and save a life, according to the American Stroke Association, a division of the American Heart Association.

4 May 2026

A more accurate tool for assessing Arsenic toxicity

Public health experts estimate that more than 200 million people worldwide are exposed to arsenic through contaminated drinking water. Scientists know long-term exposure to arsenic is associated with increased risk of chronic illnesses like cancer and cardiovascular disease, but there hasn't been a reliable way to track these exposures and fully understand their effects on the body and the mechanisms behind them.

4 May 2026

Finding new ways to mimic ketamine’s antidepressant effects

Weill Cornell Medicine investigators have "reverse engineered" ketamine's antidepressant effects to identify potential new strategies for treating depression.

4 May 2026

Active brown fat may protect heart health in obese individuals

People with obesity face a significantly increased risk of atherosclerosis, and consequently heart attack and stroke.

4 May 2026

High-intensity interval exercise is most effective for heart patients

Endothelial dysfunction is a hallmark of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and plays a central role in vascular inflammation, thrombosis, and impaired vasodilation.

4 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

New genetic risk report reveals hidden heart disease risk before symptoms appear

Researchers developed and externally validated integrated polygenic risk scores for eight cardiovascular conditions using large U.S.-based biobank data. The clinically orderable report may help identify inherited cardiovascular risk that traditional clinical markers can miss, although broader prospective validation is still needed.

30 Apr 2026

GLP-1 drugs reduce risk of major adverse cardiovascular events

New research has shown that GLP‑1 weight-loss drugs deliver protection against heart attacks, strokes and premature death over a sustained period of time.

30 Apr 2026

Meth use accounts for nearly 1 in 6 heart attacks, California study shows

Methamphetamine (meth) use accounted for nearly 15% of heart attacks for a decade in a northern California study, published today in the Journal of the American Heart Association, an open access, peer-reviewed journal of the American Heart Association.

30 Apr 2026