Smokers who make the decision to quit will experience immediate health benefits, including a rapid reduction in their risk of atrial fibrillation (A-Fib), according to new research published in JACC: Clinical Electrophysiology. The study, conducted by Dr. Gregory Marcus, a cardiologist at the University of California, San Francisco, offers compelling evidence for smokers to quit, showing that it’s never too late to avoid the damaging effects of smoking on heart health.

Dr. Marcus, the senior author of the study, emphasized that A-Fib can be prevented even in individuals who have smoked for years. "The findings provide a compelling new reason to show current smokers that it’s not too late to quit, and that having smoked in the past doesn’t mean you’re ‘destined’ to develop A-Fib," Marcus explained. "Even for the current and longtime smoker, A-Fib can still be avoided."

What is Atrial Fibrillation (A-Fib)?

"There’s strong evidence that smoking increases the risk of A-Fib," Marcus said. "But the benefits of quitting smoking have been less certain." With this in mind, his team sought to determine whether quitting could significantly lower a person’s risk of developing A-Fib, or if the risk would remain the same.

The research team analyzed data from over 146,700 current and former smokers, tracking their smoking habits and health over a 12-year period using data from the UK Biobank database. The results were promising: former smokers had a 13% lower risk of developing A-Fib compared to current smokers, while those who quit during the study saw an 18% reduction in their risk.

"This is likely a testament to the potency of reducing atrial fibrillation risk pretty shortly after quitting," Marcus said in a statement from the American College of Cardiology.

The findings highlight the importance of quitting smoking, not only for general health but specifically for reducing the risk of serious heart conditions like A-Fib.

Tips for Quitting Smoking

Quitting smoking is one of the most effective ways to lower the risk of A-Fib and improve overall heart health. While it can be challenging, the benefits of quitting are clear and immediate. Here are some tips to help you quit smoking successfully:

1. Choose a specific date to quit smoking and stick to it. Prepare yourself mentally and physically for this change.

2. Reach out to family, friends, or a support group to help keep you accountable. Sharing your goals with others can provide encouragement.

3. Options like nicotine patches, gum, or lozenges can help ease withdrawal symptoms and reduce cravings.

4. Identify situations that make you want to smoke, such as stress or social gatherings, and find healthy ways to cope with them.

5. Regular exercise can help distract you from cravings and improve your mood during the quitting process.

6. Drinking water can help flush nicotine out of your system faster, reducing cravings.

7. Activities like yoga, meditation, or deep breathing exercises can help manage stress, a common trigger for smoking.

Quitting smoking offers immediate and significant benefits, particularly in reducing the risk of atrial fibrillation. The latest research provides smokers with more motivation to quit, showing that it's never too late to take control of their heart health.

The human brain may begin undergoing important immune changes much earlier than previously thought. A recent study found that these changes could help explain why the risk of dementia increases with age.

Researchers found that the hippocampus, the brain region responsible for learning and memory, experiences a major shift in its immune cells during the 40s and 50s.

The findings suggest that this change could lead to chronic inflammation associated with Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia in the future .

What Did The Study Find?

The study, conducted by scientists from the University of California San Diego, the New York Genome Center, and the University of California Irvine, analysed postmortem hippocampal tissue from 40 neurologically healthy adults aged between 20 and 95 years.

Researchers examined more than 1.2 million brain cells, discovering that around midlife, the brain's immune environment changes dramatically.

One of the biggest findings involved microglia, the brain's resident immune cells. While these cells normally protect the brain by clearing debris, fighting infections, and supporting neurons, researchers observed that they gradually shift into a more inflammatory state during middle age.

This altered immune environment resembles patterns commonly seen in neurodegenerative diseases like dementia.

Also read: World Brain Day: Climate Change Is Not Just Harming The Planet, It Could Also Be Affecting Your Brain

Link Between Ageing & Dementia

Scientists have long known that aging is the strongest risk factor for dementia. However, exactly how normal aging causes diseases like Alzheimer's has remained vague.

The new findings suggest that the process may begin decades before symptoms like memory loss appear.

Instead of viewing aging as a slow, continuous process, the study indicates that the brain may pass through a distinct biological transition during midlife.

Once this immune environment changes, it may make the brain more vulnerable to inflammation and cognitive decline.

Richard J. Hodes, MD, Director of the National Institute on Aging (NIA), said, "Aging is the single largest risk factor for dementia, but our understanding of how it drives disease is still incomplete. This previously hidden microglial shift, now uncovered by innovations in technology and thinking, may be an important clue to help us complete the puzzle."

The researchers also believe these immune changes may not simply be a consequence of aging but could actively influence how the brain ages.

Also read: Can One Partner's Dementia Raise the Other's Risk? New Study Suggests An Interesting Link

Could This Contribute In Dementia Treatments & Management?

Although the findings do not mean that everyone in their 40s or 50s will develop dementia, they provide researchers with a potential window for clinical intervention.

If scientists can identify or modify these immune changes before significant brain damage occurs, future therapies may be able to delay or even prevent neurodegenerative diseases.

Experts continue to recommend:

• Keeping blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol under control.
• Exercising regularly.
• Getting adequate sleep.
• Eating a balanced, brain-healthy diet.
• Staying mentally and socially active.
• Managing hearing loss and avoiding smoking.

These lifestyle measures are already known to reduce several risk factors associated with dementia, and the new findings suggest they may be particularly important during the brain's midlife transition.

A six-year-old girl in China died after receiving an experimental gene-editing treatment for a rare neurodevelopmental disorder. The incident sparked scrutiny on ethics and safety of cutting-edge gene therapies, particularly when they involve children and individualized treatments.

The case, uncovered through a joint investigation by Science and Retraction Watch, sparked international concern as the child's death was never disclosed publicly, despite related preclinical research later being published in Nature.

What Happened?

According to the investigation, the six-year-old girl, identified by the pseudonym "Mei," had Snijders Blok-Campeau syndrome, a rare genetic condition. It caused symptoms like mild intellectual disability and developmental delays.

Her parents reportedly paid more than $800,000 to support development of a personalized ("n=1") gene-editing therapy designed specifically for their daughter's mutation.

In March 2025, she received a spinal infusion containing trillions of adeno-associated viruses (AAVs) carrying a CRISPR-based gene editor intended to correct the faulty gene in brain cells. Within days, she developed a severe immune reaction and died approximately one week after treatment.

An internal hospital review concluded that the most likely cause of death was an overwhelming immune response triggered by the viral delivery system rather than the gene-editing mechanism itself.

The controversy extends well beyond the patient's death. According to Science investigation:

• The child's death was not publicly disclosed.
• The child's treatment was omitted from a later Nature publication describing related preclinical work.
• Animal studies had reportedly shown warning signs, including severe liver and kidney toxicity at high doses.
• The girl's parents may not have been fully informed about the potential side effects of the therapy.

Following the investigation, local Chinese health authorities reportedly fined the hospital involved for faulty execution of the clinical research. Several experts have called for an independent review of the published research and greater transparency around experimental human gene-editing trials.

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Bioethicists and gene therapy researchers say the case underscores the need for complete transparency whenever experimental therapies are tested on humans.

Hank Greely, director of the Center for Law and the Biosciences at Stanford University, told Science that the trial "shouldn't have gone to trial".

Pediatrician Marcelo Bellusci, who participates in gene therapy trials, told El País, "In this type of trial there can be serious side effects, but families are always informed about them. This team skipped the current rules."

About Gene-Editing Therapies

Gene-editing technologies such as CRISPR offer the possibility of correcting genetic mutations caused by diseases instead of simply treating symptoms. Several CRISPR-based therapies have shown remarkable success in inherited blood disorders, including sickle cell disease.

However, experts stress that therapies targeting the brain remain considerably more complex because they often require large viral doses and carry greater risks of immune complications.

As more individualized gene-editing therapies move toward human testing, experts argue that every serious adverse event must be reported promptly to regulators, journals, clinicians, and patients to ensure future treatments become both safer and more trustworthy.

Mongolia recently confirmed a suspected case of bubonic plague after a bacteriological laboratory delivered positive results. The National Center for Zoonotic Diseases confirmed on Friday that the case belongs to Mongolia's western Khovd province.

Mongolia Confirms First Human Case Of Bubonic Plague

According to reports, the patient contracted the infection after eating marmot meat during a visit to Ulaankhus soum in neighbouring Bayan-Ulgii province.

Mongolia's first confirmed case of bubonic plague has prompted officials to issue warnings against hunting and eating marmots, a known source of the deadly disease which is also considered a delicacy in the country.

The warnings also stated that individuals must avoid all forms of contact with the rodent, including handling their meat or internal organs. It also said avoid contact with sick or dead rodents as it could significantly increase the risk of infection.

The National Center for Zoonotic Diseases says 17 of Mongolia's 21 provinces are considered high risk regions for plague as the bacterium persists in wildlife.

Also read: What Was The Pseudo-Tuberculosis Like 'Syndrome K' Saved Thousand Lives During World War II?

Why Bubonic Plague Still Lurks In Mongolia?

The Black Death devastated Europe in the 14th century. Even today, a few countries still see cases of plague from time to time.

Humans typically get infected through flea bites from infected rodents, handling and close contact with infected animals and eating undercooked or raw marmot meat, which has been linked to several cases in Mongolia.

Mongolia has reported human plague cases to the World Health Organization since the 1980s. Sporadic infections continue to occur almost every year, particularly in the country's western and northern provinces.

The disease still lives centuries after it was eradicated because it is entrenched in wildlife rather than spreading continuously between people.

Humans are usually infected after being bitten by infected fleas or through hunting, skinning, or eating infected marmots.

Studies show that nearly 60% of Mongolia's reported plague cases since 1998 have been linked to close contact with infected marmots, highlighting why authorities repeatedly warn against hunting and consuming the animals.

Also read: How To Get Rid Of Fleas In Your House And Stop Them From Infecting Your Pets

Several infamous incidents related to the disease have sparked headlines in the last few years.

In 2019, a married couple died after eating raw marmot meat.

In 2020, a teenager also died after eating marmot meat, prompting temporary travel restrictions and heightened surveillance.

The latest confirmed human case in July 2026 follows the same familiar pattern.

Mongolia's challenge is not a new outbreak but an enduring zoonotic disease that resurfaces whenever humans come into contact with infected wildlife.

Where Else Does The Plague Still Exist?

Plague remains endemic in several parts of the world. According to the World Health Organization, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Madagascar, and Peru report the highest number of human cases globally. Since the 1990s, most reported cases have occurred in Africa.

Madagascar experiences seasonal plague almost every year, typically between September and April. The country drew international attention during a major 2017 outbreak, which caused more than 2,500 suspected, probable, and confirmed cases and over 200 deaths.

In the United States, plague is rare but has never disappeared. An average of about seven human cases are reported annually, mostly in rural parts of New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, California, Oregon, and Nevada.

In 2026, Arizona reported its first human plague case in Apache County in more than a decade.

China has also reported occasional isolated human infections, particularly in Inner Mongolia.