Heart disease is often linked to high cholesterol, obesity, or lack of exercise. However, there is mounting evidence that suggests that mental health plays a crucial role in cardiovascular well-being. Stress, anxiety, and depression can silently strain the heart, increasing the risk of serious complications.

A recent study, published in Nature Human Behaviour, showed that loneliness has a significant impact on proteins present in a person's blood. For the study, researchers used data from more than 42,000 participants to explore whether the 9.3% who reported social isolation and 6.4% who reported loneliness had different levels of proteins in their blood compared with those who did not. The researchers then studied data that tracked the health of participants over an average 14-year period.

"We found around 90% of these proteins are linked to the risk of mortality," Dr Chun Shen, Fudan University in China, who is also the lead researcher said. "In addition, about 50% of the proteins were linked to cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and stroke," he added.

Dr Shrey Kumar Srivastav, senior consultant at Sharda Hospital, said that subtle symptoms of heart disease, such as fatigue, shortness of breath, swelling in the lower legs, dizziness, and jaw pain, are often overlooked or attributed to stress and ageing. "Women, in particular, may experience atypical signs like extreme fatigue, indigestion, or upper abdominal pain instead of classic chest pain, leading to delayed diagnosis," he added.

Can Mental Health Issues Trigger Heart Diseases?

Chronic stress can trigger harmful cardiovascular effects, including elevated blood pressure, increased heart rate, and inflammation—key contributors to heart disease. Anxiety and depression further impact heart health by disrupting sleep patterns, raising stress hormone levels, and encouraging unhealthy habits like poor diet and inactivity.

Mental health issues like depression and anxiety have a profound impact on the heart. They don’t just affect emotions but can increase inflammation and put extra strain on the cardiovascular system, warns Dr Srivastav.

Certain risk factors, such as obesity and diabetes, disproportionately affect women, making them more vulnerable to heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). However, due to gender-specific symptom variations, heart disease in women often goes undiagnosed for longer.

Obesity is more prevalent in women than men and is a major risk factor for heart failure. Diabetes, too, has a greater impact on women’s heart health, yet diagnosis and treatment delays are common. Addressing this gap requires increasing awareness, training healthcare providers, and promoting early diagnostic tools,” explains Dr Srivastav.

How Can You Protect Your Heart?

A simple yet effective way to support heart health is by committing to a brisk 30-minute walk daily. Walking not only helps regulate blood pressure and manage weight but also improves circulation and reduces stress.

"Regular physical activity, paired with a heart-healthy diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins, significantly lowers cardiovascular risks," advises Dr Srivastav.

Heart disease can often go undetected until a major event occurs, making routine screenings essential.

- For women: Begin screenings around age 30 and continue with regular checkups.

- For men: Start screenings at age 35.

Health screenings, including blood pressure checks, cholesterol tests, and electrocardiograms (ECGs), are critical for early detection of silent heart conditions.

Trump takes more aspirin than his doctor recommend. In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, US President Trump said that he will continue doing it. He claimed that it was not old or deteriorating age, but aspirin that caused the bruising on his hand. He has repeatedly said that his health is in "excellent" condition.

In the interview, he said, "They say aspirin is good for thinning out the blood and I don't want thick blood pouring through my heart."

Trump, now, 70, was diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency, a condition that occurs when veins have trouble moving blood back to the heart. He also showed signs of bruising on his hand, which many attributed was a result of frequent handshaking, and to the use of aspirin.

A decade ago, evidence suggested that taking aspirin routinely could lower the risk of heart attacks and strokes in people without heart disease by preventing blood clots. However, three major randomized trials published in 2018 challenged this view, showing limited benefit and a higher risk of serious bleeding and cancer-related deaths, especially gastrointestinal cancers.

“We’ve really changed how we think about and recommend aspirin,” said Dr Alex Krist, a family physician at Virginia Commonwealth University and Inova Health System, who helped update the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force’s aspirin guidelines in 2022, reported The New York Times.

How Safe Is This Habit Of Taking Aspirin Daily?

Aspirins work by inhibiting the action of platelets, which are the cell fragments that stick together to form clot and prevent bleeding. Clots are in fact the reason of heart attacks. However, at the same time, it is the same anti-clotting effect that causes aspirin to increase the risk of bleeding, a risk that increases with age.

Doctors are most concerned about rapid internal bleeding that can be fatal, such as gastrointestinal bleeding or sudden brain hemorrhages. While the overall risk remains low, recent preventive health recommendations note that it rises with age, especially in adults over 60.

Some studies suggest aspirin may help lower the risk of colorectal cancer, but current evidence is not strong enough to support its use for cancer prevention alone.

Read: Trump Denies Health Concerns, Says Hand Bruise Was Caused By Aspirin

Should You Be Taking Aspirin Daily?

Medical guidelines have shifted on aspirin use, especially for older adults. Groups like the preventive services task force and major heart associations now advise against starting or routinely taking aspirin to prevent heart disease in people over 60 or 70 who have never had a heart attack or stroke. For this group, the bleeding risks often outweigh the benefits.

Daily aspirin is still clearly recommended for people who already have cardiovascular disease, such as those who’ve had a heart attack, an ischemic stroke, or peripheral artery disease. In these cases, aspirin helps prevent another serious event, making the risk–benefit balance more favorable.

Recent health disclosures have shown no history of heart attack or stroke in some high-profile cases, though the presence of arterial plaque alone is fairly common with age and does not automatically justify aspirin use.

For those who do need aspirin to prevent a second heart attack or stroke, the usual dose is a low-dose or “baby” aspirin of 81 milligrams. Higher doses are generally not recommended unless specifically advised.

Aspirin may still be considered for some people under 60 or 70 who have a higher risk of heart disease, but this decision should be made carefully. Factors like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, smoking history, or a strong family history can influence whether aspirin makes sense for an individual.

Flu cases are surging in the US, and New York has reported the highest number of cases, including hospitalizations recorded in a single week. The state's health department said on Friday. During the week ending December 27, 4,546 people were hospitalized with flu, a 24% increase from the 3,666 who were hospitalized the previous week, as per the data from the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH). This report has come after the State reported a record-breaking number of flu cases in a single week with 72,133 infections during the week ending December 20.

"We are having a more severe flu season than prior years, almost 1,000 more people were admitted to a hospital during this most recent seven-day period compared to the prior week," Dr. James McDonald, the state's health commissioner, said in a statement on Friday.

NYSDOG also issued a declaration last month and stated the influenza is prevalent in New York. This requires health care facilities and agencies to ensure any staff who has not yet received this year's flu vaccine, must wear masks whenever they are in the area with patients.

Will The Old Vaccine Work Against This New Strain?

"The vaccine remains the most effective means to prevent disease. We still want to encourage people to get the vaccine," said Professor Antonia Ho, Professor and Honorary Consultant in Infectious Diseases at the University of Glasgow. Experts have stressed enough on the immunity that one can receive from the vaccine that that these flu jab remain the best defense against the flu, even though the current strain circulated may have drifted away from the strain included in this year's jab.

The flu vaccine is currently also available to New Yorkers who are aged 2 years and older at a health care provider's office or participating pharmacies while children aged 6 months and older can receive the flu vaccine at a health care provider's office, according to the state health department.

Can You Die From Flu?

As per the infectious physician at the Johns Hopkins University Center for Health Security, as reported in Scientific American, "Dying from the flu is not like dying from a bullet or a black widow spider bite. The presence of the virus itself isn't going to be what kills you. An infectious disease always has a complex interaction with its host.”

More Updates On Flu Cases

Meanwhile, flu cases are surging across the country. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates at least 7.5 million illnesses, 81,000 hospitalizations and 3,100 flu-related deaths so far this season.

New York is among 20 states reporting “very high” respiratory illness activity, the latest CDC data shows.

Public health experts say a significant share of infections is being driven by a new flu strain known as subclade K, a variant of the H3N2 virus under influenza A. The strain has been circulating internationally since summer and previously fuelled spikes in Canada, Japan and the UK.

CDC testing found that around 92% of flu samples were H3N2, with nearly 90% classified as subclade K.

Robert Carlos, who is known to be the Brazil and Real Madrid legend is finally "recovering well" after he underwent a "preventative medical procedure" as he wrote on his Instagram page. The 52-year-old was seen smiling on the hospital bed, as he cleared rumors around heart attack. "I would like to clarify recent information that has been circling. I recently underwent a preventative medical procedure, planned in advance with my medical team. The procedure was successful, and I am well. I did not suffer a heart attack."

He further wrote: "I am recovering well, and looking forward to returning to full fitness and resuming my professional and personal commitments soon. I sincerely thank everyone of the messages of support, care, and concern. I would like to reassure everyone that there is no cause for concern. My heartfelt thanks go to the entire medical team who took care of me."

ESPN reported that he underwent a preventative heart surgery. While no reports confirmed the exact surgery he underwent, there are different preventative heart surgeries that one can get to restore blood flow, or prevent heart attacks in people with severe blockages.

What Are the Preventative Heart Surgeries?

Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG)

Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG) is a surgical procedure used to treat severe coronary artery disease, where blood flow to the heart is reduced due to blocked arteries. In this surgery, a healthy blood vessel is taken from the chest, leg, or arm and grafted to bypass the blocked artery, allowing blood to flow freely to the heart muscle again. CABG is often recommended for patients with multiple blockages, diabetes, or reduced heart function. While it is a major surgery, advances in surgical techniques and post-operative care have significantly improved outcomes and recovery. The procedure not only helps relieve symptoms such as chest pain and breathlessness but also reduces the risk of heart attacks and improves overall quality of life.

Minimally Invasive/ Robotic Surgery

Minimally invasive and robotic surgeries involve performing procedures through small incisions using advanced instruments and robotic arms controlled by a surgeon. These techniques offer greater precision, flexibility, and control compared to traditional open surgery. Robotic systems provide a magnified, high-definition view of the surgical area, allowing surgeons to operate with enhanced accuracy. Patients benefit from smaller scars, reduced blood loss, less pain, and quicker recovery times. Minimally invasive and robotic approaches are commonly used in cardiac, orthopedic, urological, and gynecological surgeries. While not suitable for every patient or condition, these procedures have transformed modern surgical care by making complex operations safer and less physically taxing for patients.

Pacemakers Defibrillators

Pacemakers and defibrillators are implantable devices designed to regulate abnormal heart rhythms. A pacemaker helps maintain a steady heartbeat by sending electrical signals when the heart beats too slowly. Defibrillators, also known as ICDs, can detect life-threatening rhythm disturbances and deliver a shock to restore normal rhythm. These devices are recommended for patients with arrhythmias, heart failure, or those at high risk of sudden cardiac arrest. Implantation is usually a minimally invasive procedure, and most patients can return to normal activities within a few weeks. Pacemakers and defibrillators play a crucial role in preventing complications, improving symptoms, and significantly enhancing survival and quality of life for heart patients.

Are There Non-Surgical Alternatives Too?

There are certain non surgical alternatives, which include preventive cardiology, ECEP (Enhanced External Counter pulsation) , and certain medications like statins to lower cholesterol, or beta-blockers for angina, or aspirin to prevent clots, notes Cleveland Clinic.