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.

Medical education often gets associated with intense academic pressure, long study hours, and fierce competition. But a new Indian study suggests that a less visible challenge could be affecting future doctors: low self-esteem.

The findings come when thousands of aspiring doctors across India are protesting irregularities in the conduct of NEET-UG 2026 examination controversy,

with protests highlighting mounting academic stress, uncertainty, and mental health challenges among medical aspirants.

While the new research did not examine NEET candidates specifically, experts say it adds to growing evidence that psychological well-being deserves greater attention throughout the medical education journey.

Nearly 4 In 10 Medical Students Had Social Anxiety

According to the researchers, students with lower self-esteem may be more likely to fear criticism, negative evaluation, or embarrassment during social interactions, all of which are traits of social anxiety.

The study, published in Cureus, surveyed 507 undergraduate medical students at a medical college in Kerala using validated psychological questionnaires to assess social anxiety and self-esteem. Researchers found that 39.64% of students screened positive for social anxiety. Nearly one-third (31.16%) had low self-esteem.

Students with low self-esteem were significantly more likely to experience social anxiety than those with normal or high self-esteem.

Female students reported social anxiety slightly more often than males, although the difference was not statistically significant.

Students from nuclear families and those in the early years of medical school also showed relatively higher rates of social anxiety, though these factors were not statistically significant.

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NEET-UG 2026 Paper Leak Row

The findings arrive at a time when the anxiety surrounding NEET-UG 2026 is at an all-time high. Students across the country are protesting paper leaks and demanding fairness and transparency. The rampant suicides among medical students after news of question paper leak surfaced also reminds of the intense mental pressure they go through.

Mental health experts have warned that uncertainty surrounding high-stakes entrance examinations can increase stress, anxiety, sleep disturbances, and emotional exhaustion among aspirants.

Although this study is based on students who are already in medical school rather than NEET aspirants, it underscores an important point: the psychological challenges of pursuing medicine often extend beyond getting admission in college. It confirms that the journey of becoming a doctor is marked with several psychological obstacles.

Also read: Student Suicides Surpasses Population Growth: Are Parents to Blame? Experts Weigh In

Why This Needs to Be Addressed?

The transition from competitive entrance examinations to the demanding environment of medical college may continue to place students under intense pressure which could worsen existing mental health issues.

Social anxiety can interfere with classroom participation, practical training, teamwork, and communication with patients, potentially affecting both academic performance and professional development.

The new study highlights that social anxiety affects a substantial proportion of medical students and is closely linked with low self-esteem.

While it does not establish a cause-and-effect relationship, the findings call for stronger mental health support within medical education.

As conversations around student well-being gain momentum amid ongoing NEET paper row, the research serves as a reminder that supporting future doctors requires more than academic excellence.

Researchers from India, China, Netherlands, and Canada recently published an editorial, criticising the World Health Organization's (WHO) Global Traditional Medicine Strategy, saying it promotes treatments that haven't been proven to work or lacks adequate scientific evidence.

In the editorial, the authors argue that traditional, complementary, and alternative medicine (CAM) should be held to the same scientific standards as any other medical intervention.

They warn that lowering the evidentiary bar could undermine and reduce people's confidence in evidence-based healthcare. They also say that it could expose patients to ineffective or potentially harmful treatments and divert resources from therapies with proven clinical benefits.

Researchers Criticise WHO's Push For Traditional Medicine

The criticism focuses on WHO's Global Traditional Medicine Strategy 2025 to 2034, which aims to help countries strengthen regulation, grow research, improve safety, and integrate evidence-based traditional medicine into global health systems.

According to the authors, while these goals appear reasonable, the strategy risks lending credibility to therapies before sufficient evidence of their safety and effectiveness has been established.

The authors say, "In a WHO survey, 95% of responding member states cited lack of research data as the key barrier to integrating CAM. Robust evidence supporting complementary and alternative medicineis lacking despite increased research funding and thousands of studies. After millennia of using traditional Chinese medicine, for example, major evidence gaps on efficacy and safety remain, and patients experience unpredictable effects."

They argue that the same rigorous standards used to evaluate pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and other healthcare interventions should also apply to traditional medicine.

The researchers say, "The ethical response is not uncritical endorsement of CAM but to expand access only to interventions that withstand standard scientific scrutiny as effective and safe."

The editorial also raises concerns about the potential for patients to delay or replace proven medical treatments with unverified alternatives, as well as risks linked to herb-drug interactions, contamination, and inadequate regulation.

They added, " WHO contradicts its promise of universal scientific rigour by lowering evidentiary standards: the strategy endorses observational and “real world data” designs “appropriate to the unique characteristics” of CAM instead of the standard randomised controlled trials."

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Rebuttal By Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences

The editorial has already received counter responses from researchers who say the criticism overlooks the strategy's emphasis on scientific evaluation.

In rapid responses published by The BMJ, experts acknowledged that unproven therapies should not be incorporated into routine care without solid evidence but argued that traditional medicine deserves rigorous investigation rather than straightforward dismissal.

Rabinarayan Acharya, Director General, Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences said, "We appreciate Philips and colleagues for raising concerns about patient safety, scientific rigour and evidence integrity, all of which matter for responsible integration of any healthcare intervention. However, the editorial predominantly examines one end of a complex scientific and public health continuum."

"A balanced view also recognize substantial advances in research methodology, regulation, pharmacovigilance, and evidence generation now shape the evaluation of TCIM, within the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Strategy 2025–2034."

He said that the editorial incorrectly grouped all forms of alternative medicines.

He added, "The editorial groups Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha, homoeopathy, Traditional Chinese Medicine and anthroposophic medicine as though they belong to one category. They do not. Each has its own philosophical basis, regulatory standing, biological plausibility, and depth of evidence and deserves judgment on its own record."

They note that many modern medicines originated from natural products and traditional knowledge before being validated through laboratory research and clinical trials.

Also read: Govt To Include Ayurveda Treatments in Ayushman Bharat Scheme: Read Everything About It

Delhi Declaration Outlines Global Roadmap For Traditional Medicine

The debate comes after the adoption of the Delhi Declaration on Traditional Medicine, issued at the conclusion of the Second WHO Global Summit held in New Delhi last year.

The declaration stresses the fact that policy decisions should be guided by scientific evidence while respecting countries' diverse medical traditions. The declaration calls on countries to:

1. Increase investment and support to strengthen the evidence base for traditional medicine, enriching WHO Global Traditional Medicine Digital Library.
2. Develop regulatory practices for safe and effective drugs.
3. Take necessary steps to responsibly integrate traditional medicine into standard health systems.
4. The declaration emphasizes that key policy decisions should be guided by scientific evidence while respecting countries' diverse medical traditions.

Also read: Why More Patients Are Turning To Alternative Medicine For Chronic Illness Management?

India's Dominance In Traditional Medicine

India has positioned established itself as a global leader in traditional medicine through the establishment of the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre (GTMC) in Jamnagar, Gujarat, a collaboration between WHO and the government of India.

During the summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said traditional medicine has the potential to contribute to universal health coverage and called for greater international collaboration, research, and innovation to discover its benefits while ensuring quality and safety.

India's Ministry of AYUSH also reaffirmed its commitment to building scientific evidence, promoting research, strengthening regulation, and expanding international partnerships in traditional medicine through initiatives led by the Jamnagar-based WHO centre.

Last year, India also launched My Ayush Integrated Services Portal, a national digital platform that connects medicine services, institutions and stakeholders in the sector.

AYUSH Mark was also launched. Ensuring public trust, AYUSH Mark is a global standard for the quality and safety of AYUSH products and services.

A new study in the US has found that millions of military veterans continue to experience suicidal thoughts, yet many of them are not receiving the mental health treatment they need.

Researchers say the findings highlight the urgent need to improve access to mental health services and strengthen suicide prevention efforts, particularly for younger and female veterans.

The study, published in JAMA Network Open, analyzed data from 2,636 US military veterans who participated in the 2025-2026 National Health and Resilience in Veterans Study (NHRVS), a survey conducted between December 2025 and January 2026.

Increase In Suicidal Thoughts

Also read: US Government Backs Psychedelic Therapies Research For Veterans With PTSD and Depression

Researchers found that 13.4% of veterans reported having suicidal thoughts within the previous two weeks, while 14% experienced suicidal thoughts during the past year.

Compared with data collected in 2019-2020, the prevalence of recent suicidal thoughts increased from 9% to 13.4%, representing a 49% rise over five years. However, the prevalence of lifetime suicide planning (8%) and suicide attempts (4.9%) remained largely unchanged.

Based on national population estimates, the researchers said:

• 2.3 to 2.4 million veterans experiencing recent suicidal thoughts
• 1.4 million veterans reporting lifetime suicide planning
• Around 830,000 veterans reporting a lifetime suicide attempt.

Many Veterans Are Not Receiving Treatment

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One of the study's most concerning findings was that a substantial number of veterans reporting suicidal thoughts were not receiving mental health care.

Among veterans who experienced suicidal thoughts in the previous two weeks:

• Only 37.9% were receiving any current mental health treatment.
• Treatment rates differed sharply depending on where veterans received their healthcare.
• Among veterans who primarily used the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare system, 53.6% were receiving treatment.
• Among those relying mainly on non-VA healthcare, only 25.6% were receiving treatment.

Researchers also observed similar gaps in the use of psychotherapy and psychiatric medications.

The researchers also found that younger veterans and women veterans carried a disproportionately higher risk of suicidal thoughts, suicide planning and suicide attempts.

The authors concluded, "These findings suggest that suicidal ideation has increased among US veterans over the past 5 years, whereas suicidal planning and attempts have not, underscoring the need to strengthen early intervention, treatment engagement, and targeted prevention efforts."

They further added, "A substantial proportion of veterans reporting recent suicidal ideation are not currently engaged in mental health treatment."

Access To VA Care

The study showed that veterans who used the VA healthcare system as their primary source of care were more than twice as likely to receive mental health treatment compared with veterans receiving care outside the VA.

According to the researchers, this may reflect better access to mental health services within the VA system. However, the findings also indicate that significant treatment gaps remain even among VA users due to barriers like stigma, delayed help, limited availability of services, or other factors.

The study comes as suicide continues to be a major public health issue among US veterans. According to the US Department of Veterans Affairs, more than 6,000 veterans die by suicide each year, and veterans continue to have higher suicide rates than the general US population.