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: 28-Oct-2025 10:11 ET (28-Oct-2025 14:11 GMT/UTC)

29-Sep-2025

American College of Cardiology issues scientific statement on inflammation and cardiovascular disease

American College of Cardiology
Peer-Reviewed Publication

The American College of Cardiology (ACC) released today its second Scientific Statement, Inflammation and Cardiovascular Disease (CVD). The statement emphasizes years of clinical and basic science research, confirming that inflammation is an important underlying contributor to several CVDs, including coronary artery disease and heart failure.

Journal: Journal of the American College of Cardiology

27-Sep-2025

Early screening saves children from premature heart disease | World Heart Day

BGI Genomics

Inherited heart conditions place millions of children at risk from birth. Up to 80% of premature cardiovascular deaths are preventable with early screening and healthier lifestyle options, according to the World Heart Federation.

Without early detection, conditions such as congenital heart defects and familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) can quietly disrupt growth, energy levels, and long-term organ function.

Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) can detect these risks at the earliest possible stage. It shifts cardiac care away from crisis management toward proactive, precision prevention.

24-Sep-2025

Predictive lab test for cardiac events still rare but increasing

University of California - San Diego
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Researchers from UC San Diego School of Medicine found that testing for lipoprotein(a) — a genetic risk factor for heart disease — remains uncommon in the United States, despite modest increases over the past decade.

Journal: JACC Advances

24-Sep-2025

Report: Cardiovascular diseases caused 1 in 3 global deaths in 2023

American College of Cardiology
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) remain the leading cause of disease burden, causing one in three deaths worldwide as a result of population growth, population aging and exposure to a broad range of risks, including increasing rates of obesity and diabetes, according to the latest Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Study special report published today in JACC, the flagship journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Journal: Journal of the American College of Cardiology

23-Sep-2025

Family Heart Foundation announces recommendations to improve universal screening for underdiagnosed genetic condition in children, which causes early onset cardiovascular disease

Family Heart Foundation
Peer-Reviewed Publication

The Family Heart Foundation, a leading research and advocacy organization, announced the online publication of recommendations from a multidisciplinary panel in the Journal of Pediatrics to promote the early identification of children living with familial hypercholesterolemia (FH). The manuscript, titled “Accelerating Guideline Recommended Universal Pediatric Lipid Screening: Launch of the LEAD Pediatric Initiative,” highlights strategies that could lead to improved universal guideline-recommended screening implementation. The Family Heart Foundation established the Leveraging Evidence and Data (LEAD) for Pediatric Cholesterol Screening Initiative last year to address current challenges that serve as friction points in providing life-saving screening.

Journal: The Journal of Pediatrics
Funder: Regeneron Pharmaceuticals

21-Sep-2025

Scientists call for urgent action to reduce children’s plastic exposure

NYU Langone Health / NYU Grossman School of Medicine
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Childhood exposure to chemicals used to make plastic household items presents growing health risks that can extend long into adulthood, experts from NYU Langone Health report. This is the main conclusion after a review of hundreds of the latest studies on the topic, publishing online Sept. 21 in the journal The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health.

Journal: The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health
Funder: NIH/National Institutes of Health, NIH/National Institutes of Health, NIH/National Institutes of Health, NIH/National Institutes of Health, NIH/National Institutes of Health

18-Sep-2025