EurekAlert! In the Spotlight - Heart Health Month

Welcome to In the Spotlight, where each month we shine a light on something exciting, timely, or simply fascinating from the world of science.

In recognition of Heart Health Month, we’re spotlighting the importance of cardiovascular wellness. From risk factors and prevention to innovative treatments, we’re exploring the science and stories shaping heart health today.

Latest News Releases

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 8-Sep-2025 14:11 ET (8-Sep-2025 18:11 GMT/UTC)

13-Mar-2025

A closer look at severe tricuspid regurgitation in AFMR patients

Juntendo University Research Promotion Center
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Tricuspid regurgitation (TR) is common in patients with atrial functional mitral regurgitation (AFMR) but its impact is not well understood. Japanese researchers have now examined severe TR in AFMR patients, revealing it affects one in seven to eight patients and significantly raises the risk of death or heart failure-related hospitalization by 1.65 times (95% confidence interval 1.09–2.47). These findings highlight the importance of monitoring TR severity to improve outcomes for AFMR patients.

Journal: European Journal of Heart Failure

12-Mar-2025

HIV not associated with higher risk for coronary artery disease in Uganda, challenging prior notions of health risks among regional populations with HIV

American College of Physicians
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A cross-sectional study of adults in Uganda with and without HIV was conducted to estimate the prevalence of coronary atherosclerosis disease (CAD) in Uganda and determine whether well-controlled HIV infection is associated with increased presence or severity of CAD.

Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine

12-Mar-2025

Food insecurity today, heart disease tomorrow?

Northwestern University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Struggling to afford food today could mean heart problems tomorrow. Young adults experiencing food insecurity have a 41% greater risk of developing heart disease in midlife, even after accounting for demographic and socioeconomic factors, according to a new Northwestern Medicine study. Food insecurity — struggling to get enough nutritious food to stay healthy — affects one in eight households in the U.S. each year.

Journal: JAMA Cardiology

12-Mar-2025

What do we mean by “brain health” and why should you care about it?

American Heart Association
Business Announcement

During Brain Awareness Week, the American Heart Association offers insight to improve your brain health as the burden of dementia and other neurological conditions grows worldwide

12-Mar-2025

Long-lived families show lower risk for peripheral artery disease

Impact Journals LLC
Peer-Reviewed Publication

BUFFALO, NY — March 12, 2025 — A new research paper was published in Aging (Aging-US) on February 25, 2025, Volume 17, Issue 2, titled “Epidemiology and genetic determination of measures of peripheral vascular health in the Long Life Family Study.”

Journal: Aging-US

12-Mar-2025

Research: early-onset kidney disease up nearly 30% in three decades

BGI Genomics

The global age-specific incidence rate for early-onset chronic kidney disease (CKD) has increased by approximately 28.64% from 1990 to 2019, and it is projected to become the 5th leading cause of early death by 2040. Advancements in high-throughput sequencing (HTS) genetic testing offer new hope for early detection, personalized treatment, and preventative intervention.

11-Mar-2025

UH professors first to take images of how cholesterol forms crystals in the body

University of Houston
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A pair of University of Houston professors and experts in crystallization have captured the first-ever real-time images of cholesterol crystal growth at near molecular scale, with implications to prevent heart disease.

Journal: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

11-Mar-2025

Women with PVD often underdiagnosed & undertreated, highlighting need for more research

American Heart Association
Peer-Reviewed Publication

New American Heart Association scientific statement: Peripheral vascular disease (PVD)—a condition affecting arteries, veins and the lymphatic systems throughout the body—has significant differences in incidence, risk factors, diagnosis, treatment and outcomes in women vs. men.

Journal: Circulation

10-Mar-2025

Biochemist’s impact on science and students honored

University of Texas at Arlington
Grant and Award Announcement

Kayunta Johnson-Winters, an associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry at The University of Texas at Arlington, has been named a 2025 fellow of the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. The honor recognition recognizes her contributions to biochemistry and molecular biology and her efforts to support junior faculty, women in science and student mentorship.

Meeting: 2025 ASBMB Annual Meeting