Higher levels of exposure to artificial light at night were linked to increased stress-related activity in the brain, inflamed arteries and a higher risk of heart disease, according to a small study of adults in Boston.

An artificial intelligence (AI) tool detected structural heart problems using a single-lead ECG captured by the electrical heart sensor on the back and digital crown of a smartwatch.

Adults with Type 2 diabetes (T2D) and at moderate or high risk of cardiovascular disease who took low-dose aspirin were less likely to experience a serious cardiovascular event, including a heart attack, stroke or death, than peers who did not take aspirin.

A review of 5 years of health records for more than 130,000 adults with insomnia who had used melatonin for at least a year found they were more likely to be diagnosed with heart failure, require hospitalization for the condition or die from any cause.

First-of-its-kind resource to identify those with a genetic risk for elevated ‘bad’ cholesterol can assist clinicians in predicting patient risk for heart attacks and strokes, allowing time for prevention and early treatment.

The results of this cohort study suggest that, for older adults, poor olfaction as assessed by a single smell identification test is associated with a higher coronary heart disease risk.

Patients with weak heart function who receive stem cell therapy shortly after a heart attack are at lower risk of developing heart failure and related hospital stays compared with standard care, finds a clinical trial published by The BMJ today.

Scientists have found a way to pick the best pacemaker for each patient, potentially making them last years longer. The researchers have developed an algorithm which allows doctors to work out which pacemaker functions are likely to use the most battery power. Depending on the individual patient’s needs, some of these may be switched off, thereby conserving battery life. Pacemakers usually last from seven to 14 years, depending on the features used – so switching off unnecessary functions has the potential to considerably increase the life of the device. This would benefit patients by reducing the number of surgeries needed, and would lower associated costs for the NHS. The paper is open access so physicians can start to use this algorithm in their own practice.