Heart Disease News and Research

Latest Heart Disease News and Research

Temporary heart pump before PCI shows no significant benefit

The first randomized trial to test whether adding a small, temporary pump to allow the heart to rest and intentionally delaying percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), also known as coronary angioplasty, for 30 minutes to reduce heart damage compared with standard immediate PCI in patients with heart attacks at risk for a large amount of heart damage found no significant difference between the two groups, the study's primary endpoint. The research was presented at the American College of Cardiology's Annual Scientific Session (ACC.26).

28 Mar 2026

Left atrial appendage closure matches anticoagulants in AFib patients

For patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (AFib) who had no contraindications to taking oral anticoagulants, the use of a device to close off the left atrial appendage in the heart—a small pouch where blood can pool and form dangerous clots—was comparable to standard medication therapy in reducing the combined rate of all-cause stroke, cardiovascular death and systemic embolism at three years.

28 Mar 2026

Heart structure changes in midlife linked to long-term disease risk

Higher left atrial end-systolic dimension (LASD), an increased measurement of the left upper chamber of the heart, and left ventricular mass (LVM), a clinical measurement of the weight of the heart's left ventricular myocardium, are well-established indicators of cardiovascular damage that are associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in the short-term (less than 10 years).

28 Mar 2026

Brain resilience peaks about an hour after stress exposure

Psychological resilience is often misunderstood as simple "toughness" or an insensitivity to stress. However, true resilience is the brain's capacity to adapt and recover after a stressful event.

28 Mar 2026

$Heart health linked to higher fracture risk in postmenopausal women$

Heart health linked to higher fracture risk in postmenopausal women

Postmenopausal women face a high risk of bone fractures. Due to declines in estrogen levels, which can lead to an increased risk of osteoporosis, even a low-impact fall can result in a serious hip, back or wrist injury.

27 Mar 2026

New mother’s experience highlights importance of postpartum heart care

At 35, Brooklyn resident Luyba Caloras was healthy, with no history of heart problems and no reason to think she was at risk of them. But pregnancy can act as a stress test on the heart—and soon after delivering her son at NYU Langone Health on February 3, 2024, she was diagnosed with a complication she never expected.

27 Mar 2026

Updated heart guidelines urge earlier screening for high blood cholesterol

For the first time since 2018, a clinical guideline from the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association for screening and managing blood cholesterol levels has been updated and jointly published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology and Circulation.

27 Mar 2026

New algorithm enables precise subtyping of metabolic liver disease

Metabolic-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is a clinically heterogeneous condition with highly variable outcomes affecting more than 30% individuals globally.

26 Mar 2026

Heart failure and atrial fibrillation share underlying genetic and molecular mechanisms

New research published in Nature Cardiovascular Research reveals that heart failure and atrial fibrillation share underlying genetic and molecular mechanisms, suggesting that the two cardiovascular conditions may be less distinct than previously thought.

26 Mar 2026

American Heart Association funds student programs to expand CPR training

According to American Heart Association data, 9 out of every 10 people who experience cardiac arrest outside of a hospital die, in part because they do not receive immediate CPR more than half of the time.

26 Mar 2026

Heavily processed foods may raise heart disease risk beyond poor nutrition alone

A 2026 review in Cardiology in Review reports that higher intake of ultra-processed foods is consistently associated with greater risks of cardiovascular disease, stroke, and cardiovascular mortality across cohort studies and meta-analyses. The paper also highlights plausible mechanisms involving gut dysbiosis, oxidative stress, and NF-κB-driven inflammation, with additives such as emulsifiers, preservatives, dyes, and sweeteners discussed as potential contributors.

26 Mar 2026

Men show major gaps in male fertility knowledge, study finds

A study of 156 adult men found that knowledge about male fertility was generally low across both medical and lifestyle-related topics, with only 5 of 25 questions answered correctly by most respondents. Older men, those with a medical background, and those with suspected or treated infertility tended to score higher, while supplement use was common despite limited fertility literacy.

26 Mar 2026

Healthy thymus gland linked to longer life and immune stability

The thymus is a small organ located in the upper chest that plays a central role in the immune system: it produces T cells - specialized immune cells that recognize and fight pathogens.

26 Mar 2026

Mentally active sitting linked to reduced risk of dementia

New research distinguishing between passive and mentally active sitting in association with dementia has found that adults who engaged in extended durations of mentally passive sedentary behaviors had a higher risk of dementia.

26 Mar 2026

The lifelong cardiovascular impact of placental abruption

Rutgers Health research shows the risk of developing early cardiovascular disease or dying from cardiovascular disease by the age of 28 was 4.6 times higher among people born to mothers who had a placental abruption during their pregnancy.

26 Mar 2026

New brain atlas reveals how the human neocortex forms over time

In a bid to better understand, and potentially treat, a host of conditions that affect early cognition, neurodevelopment and the brain later in life, investigators at Johns Hopkins Medicine and colleagues throughout the world have been mapping the molecular construction of the human brain.

25 Mar 2026