People with type 1 diabetes who took GLP-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1-RA) drugs for weight loss or better blood-sugar control had significantly reduced risks of major cardiovascular events and end-stage kidney disease without any increase in safety concerns, according to a study led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Living in areas with consistently higher levels of noise from transportation was associated with a significantly higher risk of major adverse cardiac events compared with living in quieter areas, according to a study being presented at the American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Session (ACC.26). Researchers suggest that implementing strategies to reduce exposure to traffic noise from roads, railways and aviation corridors may be a new target for urban planning and improving the heart health of communities.

Medicare beneficiaries with heart disease or major cardiovascular risk factors reported less cost-related medication non-adherence—skipping or reducing doses, delaying prescription fills or foregoing medications due to cost—after new provisions went into effect limiting out-of-pocket drug costs for Medicare beneficiaries, according to a study being presented at the American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Session (ACC.26) and simultaneously published in JACC, the flagship journal of the ACC.

On the heels of one of the coldest winters in memory for large swaths of the country, new research highlights an often overlooked cost of cold weather: months with lower temperatures see significantly greater rates of death from heart attacks, strokes and coronary artery disease than milder months. According to a study being presented at the American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Session (ACC.26), hotter temperatures were also associated with increases in cardiovascular deaths, but at a more modest rate.

New research shows that small improvements to sleep, diet quality, and physical activity, made in combination, are associated with a significantly reduced risk of major cardiovascular events such as stroke, heart attacks, and heart failure.   The study followed more than 53,000 adults from UK Biobank over an eight‑year period and found that making even modest improvements across three behaviours had clinically meaningful benefits.

A made-in-Calgary 4D heart model is transforming treatment for heart failure patients having a specialized pacemaker inserted, called cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT).

A new study led by researchers at the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology suggests that the benefits of the Mediterranean diet may be driven, in part, by tiny proteins hidden within our mitochondria, opening a new window into how diet shapes aging and disease risk.

The study, led by USC Leonard Davis Instructional Associate Professor of Gerontology Roberto Vicinanza, found that people who closely follow a Mediterranean-style diet have higher levels of two mitochondrial microproteins, humanin and SHMOOSE – both of which have been linked to protection against cardiovascular disease and neurodegeneration. “These microproteins may act as molecular messengers that translate what we eat into how our cells function and age,” Vicinanza said. “It’s a new biological pathway that helps explain why the Mediterranean diet is so powerful.”

The team also found that specific foods appeared to matter. Olive oil, fish and legumes were associated with higher humanin levels, while olive oil and lower intake of refined carbohydrates were linked to higher SHMOOSE. “These findings suggest that specific components of the Mediterranean diet may directly influence mitochondrial biology,” said USC Leonard Davis School Dean and USC Distinguished Professor Pinchas Cohen, the study’s senior author. “Humanin and SHMOOSE could serve as biomarkers for adherence to the Mediterranean diet and have clinical significance.”

At a time when American dietary patterns are facing renewed attention, the American Heart Association has announced its inaugural Health Care by Food™ Most Impactful Food Is Medicine Research Award, honoring the year’s most meritorious scientific study exploring effective ways to integrate healthy food into clinical care to address the growing prevalence and cost of cardiovascular disease and other diet‑related chronic diseases.