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.

Amid increasing reports of a rare form of sudden vision loss called nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION) following the use of drugs such as Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has ordered GLP-1 drugmakers Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly to add warnings about the potential eye risk to their drug labels.

NAION can cause sudden, painless vision loss in one eye and, in some cases, permanent impairment.

In a Drug Safety Communication, the FDA informed patients and healthcare providers about the potential increased risk associated with these medicines. It is requiring manufacturers to include information about NAION in the Warnings and Precautions section of their drug labels.

The agency said it evaluated clinical trial data, animal studies and post-marketing evidence, including observational studies and case reports.

GLP-1 Users File Lawsuits Over Vision Loss

Also read: Hundreds Of American GLP-1 Users Sue Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly Over Vision Loss: What Is NAION?

The FDA action comes amid lawsuits filed by people who allege they developed NAION after taking GLP-1 drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy.

According to The Wall Street Journal, US law firm Weitz & Luxenberg has filed more than 90 lawsuits in New Jersey state court since 2025 on behalf of people who say they developed the condition while taking these medicines.

Separate federal lawsuits in Philadelphia accuse Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly of failing to provide adequate warnings about the potential eye risk. The cases are pending. The allegations do not establish that the medicines caused the condition.

Regulators in Europe and Australia have also required warnings about a possible increased risk of NAION with some GLP-1 medicines.

In the US, vision problems are listed as possible side effects, but NAION had not previously been included as a specific risk in FDA-required labelling. The FDA's Sentinel Initiative is also reviewing the possible safety signal.

What Is NAION?

NAION is the most common acute optic neuropathy in people over 50, according to the Mayo Clinic. It occurs when blood flow to the optic nerve is reduced, damaging the nerve that carries visual information from the eye to the brain.

The condition typically causes sudden, painless vision loss in one eye. While some patients may experience partial improvement, the damage can be permanent. There is currently no proven treatment to reverse the vision loss.

Diabetes itself increases the risk of NAION, independent of GLP-1 use. Other risk factors include low blood pressure during sleep and having a small optic nerve cup.

What Does Research Say About The Risk?

Read More: Wegovy More Likely To Cause Rare Blindness Than Ozempic And Other Similar Drugs, Recent Study Finds

The potential association between GLP-1 medicines and NAION has been under regulatory review internationally.

Last year, the European Medicines Agency's safety committee said NAION may affect up to one in 10,000 people taking semaglutide for at least one year. Semaglutide is the active ingredient in Ozempic, Wegovy and Rybelsus.

The Danish Patient Compensation Association also granted compensation to four patients who experienced vision loss after using Novo Nordisk's GLP-1 medicines.

A large study published in 2025 tracked nearly 175,000 people with diabetes taking semaglutide and an equal number taking non-GLP-1 medicines. It found that the risk of NAION was more than twice as high after two years of treatment with semaglutide compared with other diabetes medicines.

However, an observed association does not establish that the medicines directly caused the condition.

The FDA routinely monitors medicines after they enter the market, evaluates potential safety signals and takes regulatory action when appropriate.

The developing El Niño event could intensify heatwaves, droughts and extreme rainfall into 2027, increasing health risks worldwide, including heat-related illnesses and infectious diseases such as dengue, malaria and cholera, according to a new World Meteorological Organization (WMO) report.

The State of the Climate in 2026 report, released during COP31 in Türkiye, warned that El Niño will amplify the health impacts of climate change.

In view of this, the World Health Organization (WHO) has, for the first time, classified the anticipated health impacts as a health emergency.

The report warns of increased heat-related deaths, wildfire smoke exposure, poor air quality, malnutrition, injuries and changing risks of water- and vector-borne diseases.

"We have entered a new age of climate extremes. A supersized El Niño is colliding with a planet already superheated by manmade climate change," UN Secretary-General António Guterres said.

How Could El Niño Affect Health?

Read More: Climate Change Is Already Harming Health: WHO Chief Pushes Antalya Initiative At COP31

El Niño is a natural climate phenomenon involving warmer-than-average sea-surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific. It influences weather patterns worldwide and can raise global temperatures. The current event is expected to continue into early 2027.

According to the WMO, its health impacts could include:

• Extreme heat: More intense heatwaves, heat-related illnesses and deaths.
• Poor air quality: Increased wildfire smoke and pollution exposure.
• Infectious diseases: Changing risks of dengue, malaria and cholera.
• Food insecurity: Disrupted agriculture, malnutrition and water shortages.
• Extreme weather injuries: Greater risks from floods, storms and other disasters.

Vulnerable communities with limited healthcare access and high dependence on rain-fed agriculture could face the greatest risks.

2026 Among Four Warmest Years On Record

Further, the report noted that the past 12 years have individually been the warmest on record, with 2023–2026 ranking as the four warmest.

Global average temperatures from January to September 2026 were 1.47°C above the 1850–1900 pre-industrial average. The figure could rise further by year-end as El Niño strengthens. The event has been intensifying since August and is forecast to continue into early 2027.

WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo said El Niño was releasing heat from already warming oceans.

"El Niño doesn't add new heat to the planet. It releases heat from the ocean, which is the warmest ever measured. There is simply more heat available to release," she said.

Extreme Weather Is Already Taking A Toll

The report highlights the human cost of climate extremes across several regions.

• Europe: Heatwaves, droughts and wildfires contributed to more than 30,000 excess deaths, according to preliminary estimates.
• India: An estimated 146.5 million people were exposed to extreme heat during an April 2026 heatwave.
• Nepal: A glacier collapse and downstream flash floods in August killed more than 1,300 people and severely affected the country's economy.

Oceans Continue To Warm As Glaciers Melt

Also read: Global Temperatures Likely To Stay Near Record Levels For Next Five Years: WMO

Earth's energy imbalance reached its highest level since monitoring began in 1960, as greenhouse gases trap more heat in the climate system.

The oceans absorb around 90% of this excess heat. Ocean heat content in the upper 2,000 metres reached a record high in 2025 and continued rising in 2026.

Global sea levels also reached a record high in 2026, driven by melting glaciers and ice sheets and the expansion of warming seawater.

Early Warning Systems Show Progress

The number of countries reporting multi-hazard early warning systems increased from 56 in 2015 to 136 in 2025.

These systems help communities prepare for extreme weather and reduce risks to lives and livelihoods.

The WMO stressed that sustained climate monitoring and reliable forecasts are increasingly important as extreme weather intensifies.

A new COVID-19 variant, PJ.2.1, is spreading across several countries, according to reports citing the World Health Organization (WHO).

The WHO said symptoms of the variant may resemble those of a common cold or flu.

"Symptoms of COVID-19, influenza and other respiratory infections can coincide. Thus, based on symptoms alone, it is impossible to determine with certainty which respiratory virus caused the infection," the WHO was quoted as saying by RIA Novosti.

The global health body said diagnostic testing may be important when identifying the virus could influence treatment decisions.

What Is The PJ.2.1 COVID-19 Variant?

Also Read: XFG COVID Variant: What India Should Watch As Cases Rise In UK And France

PJ.2.1 belongs to the SARS-CoV-2 evolutionary lineage, the virus that causes COVID-19. It has a highly mutated spike protein, the structure the virus uses to attach to human cells.

According to an October preprint study, which has not yet undergone peer review, the first confirmed sample of PJ.2.1 was detected on May 2, 2026, in Ontario, Canada. The variant was subsequently identified in other parts of Canada and, on June 30, in New York. Cases were later reported in several US states.

Its spread has also been reported in other countries, including Spain, France, Israel, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand.

The researchers found that PJ.2.1 was less susceptible to inhibition by an antibody targeting the ACE2 receptor than other variants tested, suggesting increased ACE2 binding.

However, the variant did not show greater evasion of antibodies from people who had received an LP.8.1-adapted COVID-19 vaccine compared with most other variants analysed.

The findings suggest that increased ACE2 binding, rather than greater antibody evasion, could be contributing to PJ.2.1's rapid spread.

Older adults, people with weakened immune systems and those with underlying chronic conditions remain at higher risk of developing severe COVID-19.

What Are The Symptoms Of The PJ.2.1 Coronavirus?

According to the WHO, possible COVID-19 symptoms include:

• High fever
• Cough
• Sore throat
• Blocked or runny nose
• Headache
• Muscle aches
• Severe fatigue

Some people may also experience digestive problems, shortness of breath or changes in their sense of smell and taste. These symptoms are not unique to COVID-19. Seasonal influenza and other respiratory infections can cause similar symptoms.

The WHO emphasised that symptoms alone cannot reliably identify the virus responsible for an infection. Laboratory testing may be necessary when knowing the cause could affect treatment decisions.

Meanwhile, Russian infectious disease specialist and virologist Elena Malinnikova said PJ.2.1 may cause severe sore throat and more prolonged fatigue after recovery compared with some other variants.

Read More: More COVID Infections, More Health Problems? Back, Respiratory, Mental Problems Among New Risks

Is PJ.2.1 More Dangerous Than Previous COVID-19 Variants?

A study published in the Journal of Infection examined the virological characteristics of PJ.2.1, including its ability to bind to the ACE2 receptor and evade antibodies.

Laboratory findings suggest that the variant may bind more effectively to ACE2, the receptor through which SARS-CoV-2 enters human cells. This could potentially contribute to its spread.

However, researchers did not find that PJ.2.1 was significantly better at evading antibodies from vaccinated individuals than most of the other variants tested.

Importantly, laboratory findings cannot establish whether a variant causes more severe disease in humans.

Currently, there is insufficient evidence to conclude that PJ.2.1 infections are more likely to result in hospitalisation, severe complications or death.

The WHO continues to monitor emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants. Although there is no vaccine specifically designed for PJ.2.1, COVID-19 vaccination remains an important measure for reducing the risk of severe illness, hospitalisation and death. Older adults, people with weakened immune systems and those with chronic health conditions should consult their healthcare providers about recommended COVID-19 vaccinations.