Over the past 50 years, overall heart disease death rates have dropped by 66% and deaths from heart attacks have declined by nearly 90%.

Women who experience severe bleeding after giving birth face elevated risks to their cardiovascular health that can persist for up to 15 years – a new analysis of data from over 9.7 million women across Europe, North America and Asia shows. 

Long-term exposure to wildfire smoke may increase the risk of heart failure (HF), especially in older adults, women and vulnerable populations, according to a study published today in JACC, the flagship journal of the American College of Cardiology. In this first national, population-based study to examine how prolonged wildfire smoke exposure impacts HF risk, compared to other types of air pollution, researchers found that as the level of air pollution from wildfire smoke increased over a two-year period, the risk of developing heart failure also increased.

A new paper shows that exposure to certain metals, detected in urine, is associated with a higher risk of heart failure (HF). It is the largest investigation of its kind to date, reinforcing the importance of reducing environmental metal exposure to reduce heart failure risk. While environmental metals are recognized as cardiovascular disease risk factors, until now the role of metal exposure in heart failure risk remained understudied.

The study, which was conducted at the Department of Neurology, Inselspital, the University Hospital of Bern, analysed 4,170 individuals over an observation period of 13,217 person-years, found that heart rate variability (HRV) during sleep can serve as a powerful early warning sign of future health conditions, including stroke, depression, and cognitive dysfunction.

A simple intervention, similar to the tension applied to the arm during a blood pressure reading, is being tested to see if it can reduce the risk of heart failure in cancer survivors treated with common cancer drugs, anthracyclines 

A phase II clinical trial to test the intervention has already recruited 355 people, with 608 patients across Europe expected to take part across six countries and 22 hospitals 

This is the first time an intervention has been offered to cancer patients during their treatment that could reduce their long-term chances of heart failure 

3 million Europeans receive anthracyclines as part of their cancer treatment each year. One million people in Europe are currently living with chronic heart failure following cancer therapy-related heart damage, or cardiotoxicity. 

The National Heart Centre Singapore (NHCS) and Mayo Clinic have collaborated under a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to accelerate cardiovascular innovation and research, and to foster knowledge for future cardiovascular care worldwide. This is a result of a two-day scientific meeting between the two organisations, which is supported by the Tanoto Foundation - an independent family foundation that catalyses system changes in education, healthcare and leadership development.

A study of microplastics in U.S. coastal waters found that residents of counties adjacent to the most heavily microplastic-polluted waters had significantly higher rates of Type 2 diabetes, coronary artery disease (plaque-clogged blood vessels feeding the heart) and stroke compared to similar counties located near waters with low levels of microplastic pollution.