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.

Liam Payne's death marks a whole year, and his girlfriend Kate Cassidy reflected on his death anniversary. She also opened up about her depression after his death. Cassidy lost her boyfriend, former One Direction member in 2024, and as she said, her world collapsed.

The 26-year-old social media star has now opened up about her painful journey through grief, depression, and eventually healing.

In an interview to Page Six, she said, "I was always just kind of doing nothing and just dealing with that grief and pain. I was admittedly mired in depression and just not wanting to really live my life.”

For weeks, Cassidy found herself unable to function, trapped between disbelief and heartbreak. But around two months later, something shifted.

“I finally realized, ‘OK, like I need to live my life. I need to get up, get out of bed,’” she recalled.

The Way To Healing

However, she was determined to pull herself out of darkness and so she began to rebuild her days, one small habit at a time. She started to set her alarm earlier each morning, forcing herself to wake up and move. "I began working out, eating clean," she said. "I like to always be up early, have a workout class planned, go for a nice walk, eat cleaner. For me, being active always keep my mind so much cleaner and healthier," she explained.

Gradually, she also learned to navigate her life without Payne, and kept herself busy. She said that she tried to be as busy as she can to help her headspace.

Also Read: Liam Payne Investigation: How Pink Cocaine Affects You?

Acknowledging The Hard Truth

Payne's death was a devastating news for her as well as for her fans. The 31-year-old singer died in October 2024, after falling from a third-storey balcony at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aries, Argentina.

An autopsy report later revealed that Payne had drugs in his system and the authorities determined that he fell to his death while trying to escape the hotel room after he was locked in.

Cassidy had joined Payne on the trip, but returned home two days before his death. Following his death, she revealed that they had talked about spending their lives together. "We had so many plans. He lit up my room. He was just so sweet, so funny. I've never met anybody like him and I'm sure I probably won't ever meet anybody like him in my life."

Almost a year later, Cassidy is filled with both sorrow and gratitude. "In a way, I am glad that he is going to be that one person. He was the best person I ever met."

Cassidy said that through grief she is learning to embrace life again.

What Depression Feels Like After You Lose Someone

Cassidy opened up that right after losing Payne, she felt like she could not live anymore. While grief and loss is a natural emotional response to the loss of someone close, often, one slips through depression, if they are not able to cope with the loss.

Depression is a mood disorder and it causes a persistent feeling of sadness, and further affects your emotional and physical well-being.

NHS UK notes that people who deal with grief and loss feel shock and first and numb after and then they go into the phase of overwhelming sadness, tiredness, exhaustion, and sometimes anger.

However, there are things one can do, notes NHS UK, which includes talking to a friend, a mental health expert, go for peer support, and try to bring in simple lifestyle changes to help you feel more in control and able to cope.

Johnson Baby Talcum Powder: A major lawsuit has been filed in the UK against the popular pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson (J&J). The company is accused of knowingly selling baby powder that contains asbestos, a substance linked to deadly cancers.

The legal claim is being led by KP law, and involved around 3,000 people. The company is alleged to be aware for decades that its talc-based baby powder contained cancer-causing fibers.

Decades of Warnings Ignored

BBC reports that as per the court papers, J&K knew about this in as early as in the 1960s. The company was aware that the talc contained fibrous forms of tremolite and actinolite, both of which are classified as asbestos when in fibrous form. However, the company failed to warn its consumers and promoted the product as 'safe' and 'pure'.

The documents accessed by the BBC from 1973 notes that the company acknowledged, "our baby powder contains talc fragments classifiable as fibre. Occasionally sub-trace quantities of tremolite or actinolite are identifiable".

However, no public memo was issued, instead the company's executives discussed it to keep the findings confidential. One memo also reported, "We may wish to keep the whole thing confidential rather than allow it to be published in patent form and thus let the whole world know.”

However, J&J currently is denying all such claims and said that the baby powder "was compliant with all regulatory standards, did not contain asbestos, and does not cause cancer.” The company’s UK sales of talc-based powder ended in 2023.

Who Is Safe, Who Is Not?

The lawsuit against J&J alleges that instead of warning the customers, the company continued to maintain the product's wholesome image of 'purity'. During the 1970s and 80s advertisements, the powder was shown as gentle and safe for newborns. By 1990s and early 2000s, the company shifted its marketing focus toward African American women.

In an email from 2008, one employee wrote: "The reality that talc is unsafe for use on/around babies is disturbing. I don’t think we can continue to call it baby powder and keep it in the baby aisle.”

Kenvue, J&J’s consumer health spinoff, said the email was taken out of context, claiming it referred to the known risk of asphyxiation, not cancer, reported the BBC.

Pressure On Regulators

Several documents cited in the legal claim that the company also worked to influence the US regulators. From the early 1970s, the company pushed the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to accept testing standards that were less sensitive. This meant that smaller amounts of asbestos could go undetected.

The company proposed tolerance levels of asbestos up to 1%, in talc, and said that sensitive tests were unnecessary. This allowed the company to continue with their claim that the product is 'asbestos-free'. All these claims have been dismissed by Kenvue, saying that the document in reference is a 'hypothetical calculation' requested by the FDA.

What Is The Human Cost?

Many of the claimants have either developed or lost loved ones to ovarian cancer, mesothelioma, or other asbestos-related illnesses.

One such claimant, Siobhan Ryan, a 63-year-old from Somerset, recalls using J&J baby powder on her children, just as her mother had used it on her. “It smelt nice and was soft and lovely. I thought I was doing my best for them,” she told the BBC.

Years later, she was diagnosed with stage 4 ovarian cancer. After rounds of chemotherapy, major surgery, and a near-fatal case of sepsis, Siobhan is still undergoing treatment. “They knew it was contaminated and still they sold it to new mums and their babies,” she said.

The consequences are beyond the UK. The same is on going in the United States, where multiple lawsuits against the company have already been filed. Earlier this month, a Connecticut court ordered J&J and its successors to pay $25 million to a man diagnosed with terminal peritoneal mesothelioma after lifelong use of the baby powder. The jury found J&J negligent, noting that safer alternatives like cornstarch were available but ignored.

During that trial, a former J&J toxicology director admitted he had made public safety assurances without reviewing any test data and failed to report results that showed asbestos in the product.

What Is The Company's Take?

While the company said that it "sympathizes deeply with people living with cancer", it maintained its stance that the powder is safe to use and that it "did not contain asbestos and does not cause cancer."

However, lawyers in the UK say damages could reach hundreds of millions of pounds, making this potentially the largest product liability case in British history.

M&S Chocolate Honeycomb Recall: The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has issued a “do not eat” warning after a popular Marks & Spencer chocolate product was found to contain a known allergen not listed on the packaging. The item has been pulled from shelves due to potential health risks, as the allergy information is inaccurate. In such situations, the FSA releases an Allergy Alert. The chocolate may contain peanuts, which are not mentioned on the label, posing a health risk to anyone with peanut allergies or sensitivities.

Chocolate Honeycomb Recall: Which Product Has Been Pulled?

Marks & Spencer is recalling the M&S Milk Chocolate Honeycomb because it may contain undeclared peanuts. This presents a possible health danger for anyone with a peanut allergy or intolerance. Product details are as follows: M&S Milk Chocolate Honeycomb, 120g pack, Lot Number 5242, Best Before May 12, 2026. The FSA advises anyone with a peanut allergy not to consume the product and to return it to the nearest M&S store for a full refund.

M&S stated, “Customer safety is our highest priority, and we treat all food production issues with utmost seriousness. In a precautionary step, we are recalling Milk Chocolate Honeycomb due to the potential presence of undeclared peanuts in a small number of packs.” To identify affected packs, consumers should check for the best-before date May 12, 2026, and lot number 5242.

What Is An Allergy Alert?

Sometimes a food product has an issue that makes it unsafe for sale. It may be “withdrawn” (taken off shelves) or “recalled” (consumers are asked to return it). Recalls often happen if allergy information is missing or incorrect, or if another health risk is present. When such a risk exists, the FSA issues an Allergy Alert. Past incidents of serious allergic reactions have highlighted how dangerous accidental exposure can be.

In a similar recent case, Aldi recalled certain tubs of Gianni’s Cheeky Monkey Ice Cream because they contained undeclared wheat (gluten), not mentioned on the label. This posed a health risk for people with coeliac disease or a wheat allergy or intolerance, according to the FSA.

How To Check Your Pantry

Consumers are advised to carefully check their cupboards and pantries for any packs of M&S Milk Chocolate Honeycomb with the lot number 5242 and best-before date May 12, 2026. Even a single pack should not be consumed. If you are unsure, it is safer to dispose of the product or return it to the store.

What To Do If You’ve Consumed The Product

For people who have accidentally eaten the chocolate and experience symptoms of an allergic reaction such as swelling, hives, difficulty breathing, nausea, or vomiting, it’s crucial to seek medical attention immediately. Those with known severe allergies should follow their emergency action plan and carry an epinephrine auto-injector if prescribed.

The FSA encourages consumers to report any adverse reactions to food products, which helps authorities monitor risks and ensure timely recalls. Staying informed through FSA alerts or the brand’s official channels is essential for safety.