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.

A new study suggests that when you eat may be just as important as what you eat to support brain health as you age.

Researchers have found that restricting food intake to an 8 to 9-hour window each day and avoiding food for at least four hours before bedtime may help reduce age-related cognitive decline, particularly among older adults living with overweight or obesity.

The findings were presented at the American Society for Nutrition's NUTRITION 2026 annual meeting. The study supports the notion that fixed mealtimes could support healthy ageing beyond weight loss.

What Did The Study Find?

Led by researchers at Rutgers University, the study is based on 47 women aged 50 to 79 years who were overweight or obese.

All participants were enrolled in a six-month weight-loss programme and asked to consume 500 fewer calories per day. They were then divided into two groups:

Time-restricted eating group: Ate all meals within an 8 to 9-hour window, typically between 10 am and 6 pm.

Control group: Spread meals across a more conventional 12-hour eating window.

Both groups lost around 6.8 to 7 kg over six months. However, participants who followed the shorter eating window performed significantly better on tests assessing spatial planning, problem-solving, and executive function.

Researchers also noticed that they also committed fewer memory and learning errors.

Why Could Meal Timing Matter?

Also read: Scientists Say Changes In Brain In Your 40s & 50s May Influence Dementia Risk

Following fixed meal times can regulate the body's circadian rhythm, the internal biological clock that keeps sleep in check, metabolism, hormone release, and other essential brain functions.

Eating earlier in the day and avoiding late-night meals may improve metabolic health, reduce inflammation, enhance insulin sensitivity, and support healthier brain function over time. These factors are known to lower risk of cognitive decline.

Lead investigator Professor Sue Shapses, nutritional scientist at Rutgers University and Rutgers-RWJ Medical Center, said, "Losing weight alone will ward off some of the aging-related cognitive decline, and these data suggest that there may be additional benefits if you stop eating four hours before going to sleep and reduce food intake to 8 to 9 hours per day, compared with the usual eating window of 12 hours per day."

She added, "These outcomes suggest a better ability to remember information during everyday tasks and reducing mistakes related to memory, attention and problem-solving. Reductions in the eating window predicted greater improvements."

Can It Influence Dementia Risk?

Also read: Japanese PM Sanae Takaichi Sleeps 3 Hours A Night: How Much Sleep Do You Really Need?

The researchers stress that the study does not prove that a 9-hour eating window prevents dementia. Instead, it suggests that meal timing could become one of several lifestyle strategies to support cognitive health.

Dementia risk is influenced by multiple factors including age, genetics, obesity, diabetes, hypertension, physical activity, sleep, and diet. Time-restricted eating may eventually become part of a broader prevention approach if future research confirms these findings.

Dementia Risk Gets Influenced During Midlife

A recent study found that brain undergoes immune changes during 40s and 50s that could influence the risk of dementia.

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.

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

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

US President Donald Trump should take a month-long break for his health, friend Bill O'Reilly has suggested.

The American conservative political commentator and television host made the remarks during a recent episode of his show.

“I noticed that he’s hunching over a little bit,” said O'Reilly, noting that he has known Trump for 35 years and expressing concern about the 80-year-old president's health, TV Insider reported.

“That’s normal. You get older, every malady in the world is going to visit you. I can’t even bore you with the stuff I gotta deal with. I was actually feeling sorry for myself the other day and I never do that.”

Offering advice, O'Reilly said Trump should “take the next month off, if you can.” He urged the president to “get into an environment” he enjoys, suggesting he spend time playing golf and “relax a little bit.”

Renewed Scrutiny Over Trump's Health

Questions about Trump's health have resurfaced during his second term following a series of public appearances.

Observers have pointed to swollen ankles, bruising on his hands, verbal slips, and occasional moments in which he appeared drowsy during meetings and international summits. Some physicians have also publicly raised concerns about the president's physical and cognitive health, although none have diagnosed him with dementia.

Trump has repeatedly rejected suggestions that he is experiencing cognitive decline or other serious health problems. His latest annual physical examination concluded that he is "in excellent health."

Bruising and Rash Draw Online Attention

Recent photographs have shown discoloration on both of Trump's hands. His right hand has repeatedly drawn attention in recent months for bruising that often appeared to be covered with concealer, while newer images also showed discoloration on his left hand.

“Bruising and discoloration was visible today on Trump's left hand, which is not the one that is usually mangled,” independent journalist Aaron Rupar wrote on social media platform X.

Earlier this month, Trump was also photographed with a visible neck rash and a bruised right hand that appeared to be covered with makeup during the 2026 NATO Summit in Türkiye. The back of his right hand appeared noticeably darker than the surrounding skin, suggesting cosmetic coverage, The Independent reported.

Trump has also been unsteady on his feet on some occasions, particularly while using stairs.

White House Dismisses Concerns

The White House has repeatedly rejected concerns about Trump's health, attributing the bruising to the physical demands of his schedule.

"President Trump is the sharpest, most accessible, and energetic president in American history," White House spokesperson Davis Ingle said in a statement to The Independent.

In February, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt similarly said the bruising was caused by frequent handshaking.

Following Trump's most recent medical examination in May, White House physician Dr. Sean Barbabella said the bruising was consistent with "minor soft tissue irritation related to frequent handshaking" while the president was taking aspirin as a preventive measure against cardiovascular disease.

After the check-up at Walter Reed, Trump wrote on Truth Social that "everything" had "checked out PERFECTLY."

The White House has also addressed concerns over swelling around Trump's ankles, saying it is caused by blood pooling in the lower legs—a common condition among older adults.

Quitting smoking remains one of the best decisions for your health. But new research suggests that even years after your last cigarette, your lungs may continue to carry the harmful effects that increase the risk of chronic lung disease.

A new study by McGill University, published in the journal Translational Research, finds why former smokers remain at high risk to lung diseases even after quitting.

By analysing lung cells closely, scientists found that even though some damage due to smoking heals over time, other damages persist, leaving ex-smokers at a higher risk of conditions like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and lung cancer.

What Did The Study Find?

The study was conducted on more than 100,000 individual lung cells collected from 21 people, including nine people who had never smoked, five active smokers, and seven former smokers.

Using single-cell RNA sequencing, researchers examined molecular activity across more than 40 different lung cell types, creating one of the most comprehensive maps of how smoking and smoking cessation affect the lungs at the cellular level.

Their findings revealed that long-term lung recovery is not uniform. While some lung cells gradually regained healthier patterns after smoking cessation, others continued to show long-term molecular changes affecting tissues, immune responses, blood vessel function, and the overall lung health.

Perhaps the most surprising finding was that some cells in ex-smokers showed unique molecular markers that were not seen in active smoker and participants who never smoked, suggesting quitting smoking creates its own biological impact.

Also read: Even Light Exercise Could Help People With COPD Live Longer, Study Finds

Why Does Lung Disease Risk Persist After Quitting?

Scientists have long known that the risk of lung cancer and COPD declines after quitting smoking, but it never completely returns to the same level as seen in people who have never touched a cigarette.

Smoking damages DNA, alters gene activity, triggers chronic inflammation and injures delicate lung tissues. While the body repairs some of this damage after the smoker quits, certain cellular changes become persistent.

These lingering molecular alterations could continue influencing how lung tissue responds to injury, infections and aging.

Senior author Professor Carolyn Baglole, from McGill University's Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, said, "Current smokers have the highest risk of deadly diseases like lung cancer, but former smokers still face a higher risk than people who never smoked. Despite more than a century of research on smoking, we don't fully understand why."

She added, "Our findings show that while some damage appears reversible, other changes persist long after people stop smoking."

First author Nicole Heimbach, a doctoral student at McGill University, said, "These findings are an important step toward understanding what damage caused by smoking can heal and what may be permanent. By knowing what damage remains after quitting, we can better understand how smoking-related diseases develop and how to treat them."

Also read: Could Wildfire Smoke Trigger Your Migraine? Latest Study Finds A Strong Link

Thinking Of Switching To Vaping Instead Of Quitting Cigarettes?

Instead of quitting smoking, if you are thinking of switching to vaping, think again. According to a new study, vape users presented reduced fitness and impaired blood vessel function similar to traditional cigarette smokers.

The research, published in the peer-reviewed journal ERJ Open Research, compared healthy adults aged 18 to 30 and found that both regular vapers and smokers had around 15% lower exercise capacity than people who had never smoked or vaped.

This suggests that electronic cigarettes like vapes are not lesser of two evils.

The researchers, however, caution that the study does not suggest that vaping is equally harmful as smoking in every respect.

Traditional cigarettes still strongly remain linked to major disorders like cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and many other life-threatening illnesses.

But the new study indicates that when it comes to cardiovascular fitness, breathing efficiency, lung function and blood vessel health in young adults, vaping may offer far less protection.