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.

Usually, the most telling symptoms of Alzheimer's disease surface in old age. With no cure and limited ways to detect it early, it is challenging to treat and manage Alzheimer's. However, a recent study says that a new blood test can help in diagnosing Alzheimer's early.

New Blood Test May Predict Alzheimer's Symptoms Early

A new blood test that measures tiny loops of genetic material in the bloodstream may be able to predict when Alzheimer's disease symptoms are likely to appear, offering hope for earlier intervention of the neurodegenerative disease and more effective clinical trials.

A study funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) says that a specific group of blood-based biomarkers known as circular RNAs could help identify people who are on the brink of developing Alzheimer's symptoms, even before memory loss or cognitive decline becomes apparent.

An Improvement On Current Blood Tests

The current blood tests for Alzheimer's have been made after significant progress in recent years, particularly by detecting proteins linked to amyloid plaques, one of the disease's primary characteristics features.

However, these tests may present positive results for many years, even decades, before symptoms like declining memory and thinking appear. It makes it difficult for doctors to predict when the disease will actually begin affecting the patient’s quality of life.

The newly developed blood test could fill that existing gap. Scientists found that elevated levels of a set of 34 circular RNAs in blood were strongly associated with future symptoms of the onset.

According to the study, those with higher circRNA levels were nearly three times more likely to develop Alzheimer's symptoms compared with those with lower levels.

The changes appeared approximately two to four years before symptoms emerged, making them a valuable diagnostic test for predicting disease progression.

Read more: WHO Issues Alert After Fake Cancer Drug Found In Maldives & Mexico; Are Counterfeit Medicines A Global Threat?

How Can This Blood Test Help?

Improve Clinical Testing

The discovery could transform existing Alzheimer's research by helping scientists identify participants who are most likely to develop symptoms during a clinical trial.

Finding out when symptoms are likely to begin would allow researchers to introduce preventive therapies at the stage when they are most likely to be effective and better evaluate whether experimental treatments can delay cognitive decline.

Less Invasive Alternative

The current methods to assess Alzheimer's include PET brain scans, which are expensive and not widely available. Lumbar punctures (spinal taps), an invasive method, is also used.

Compared to the existing methods to screen Alzheimer's, a blood test is easier to perform, less invasive, more affordable and more accessible, especially if validated for widespread clinical use.

Earlier Planning For Patients And Families

If doctors can ascertain the symptoms early, patients and their families can, patients’ families can plan future care and support. They can use the time to make financial and legal decisions while the person is still cognitively healthy. Patients can also adopt lifestyle changes that may help maintain brain health.

Researchers however stressed that the new circRNA test is still in the research stage and requires further validation in larger and more diverse populations before it can be adopted in clinical practice.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a global medical product alert after identifying falsified batches of the cancer medicine DARZALEX (daratumumab). It also issued a warning that the counterfeit products could cause serious health risks to patients and disrupt the treatment process.

WHO Warns Against Fake Cancer Drugs

The WHO issued an alert against the circulation of falsified DARZALEX (daratumumab). The incident came to light in May and June 2026. According to the WHO, the falsified injections were found in the Maldives and Mexico after being supplied by unauthorised distributors.

In at least one reported case, hospitals received fake medication, prompting international concern over gaps in the pharmaceutical supply chain.

About The Cancer Medicine

DARZALEX (daratumumab) is an antibody that is used to treat multiple myeloma, cancer of plasma cells in the bone marrow, as well as amyloid light-chain (AL) amyloidosis, a rare blood disorder.

The drug plays a crucial role in the treatment of various types of cancer. That is why the WHO said that the circulation of its compromised version could cause delayed therapy, treatment failure, and potentially life-threatening consequences.

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WHO Identified The Counterfeit Batch Numbers

WHO said the fake products deliberately misrepresent their identity, composition, or source. The manufacturer, Janssen, confirmed that the batch numbers MYS7381 and STV1K01 are not valid, and any DARZALEX product bearing these batch numbers should be considered falsified and must not be used.

The Maldives Food and Drug Authority also reported visible particulate matter inside vials from one of the counterfeit batches.

The UN health agency has urged national regulatory health bodies, healthcare providers, wholesalers, and distributors to strengthen security across the pharmaceutical supply chains to prevent the infiltration of counterfeits.

It also advised countries to closely monitor unregulated pharmaceutical markets, where counterfeit medicines are more likely to circulate.

Read more: ICMR & IIT Bombay Create Placenta-On-Chip To Study Pregnancy Disorders & Drug Safety

WHO issued precautionary measures to avoid purchasing falsified medications:

• Healthcare professionals should report suspected falsified products, unexpected side effects, or lack of therapeutic effects to their national regulatory authorities and health and disease bodies.

• WHO has advised patients and caregivers to obtain medicines only from licensed pharmacies and authorised healthcare providers.

• Patients must also inspect packaging carefully and seek medical advice if they notice any unusual appearance or suspect their medication may not be genuine.

• The global health organisation stressed that people should not use any product suspected to be falsified and should report it to health authorities immediately.

Falsified Drugs Are A Growing Global Threat

The latest warning adds to a growing list of WHO medical product alerts involving counterfeit cancer medicines.

In recent years, the WHO has issued alerts for various falsified cancer drugs including IMFINZI (durvalumab), IBRANCE (palbociclib) and DEFITELIO (defibrotide), highlighting the growing threat of counterfeit medicines that could disrupt life-saving treatment courses.

The WHO estimates that more than one in ten medical products in underdeveloped and developed countries are either substandard or falsified, making poor-quality medicines one of the world's major public health challenges.

Indian scientists from ICMR-NIRWoH and IIT Bombay have developed "placenta-on-chip" platform that mimics key functions of the human placenta. The indigenous innovation could transform maternal and fetal health studies while reducing dependence on animal testing.

Indian Scientists Develop Placenta-On-Chip

In a major breakthrough for pregnancy and fetal health research, Indian scientists have developed an indigenous “placenta-on-chip" platform that successfully mirrors several important functions of the human placenta.

According to the journal Biofabrication, the platform, developed by researchers from the ICMR-National Institute for Research on Women's Health (ICMR-NIRWoH) in collaboration with IIT Bombay, will equip scientists with a new tool to study pregnancy in depth, understand complications, and evaluate the safety of medicines during pregnancy.

Also read: WHO Unveils Global Action Plan To Combat Rising Fungal Infections And Drug Resistance

Significance Of Placenta

The placenta is a temporary organ that develops during pregnancy and acts as the lifeline between the mother and the unborn baby.

It provides unborn babies with oxygen and nutrients, eliminates waste products, produces hormones essential for pregnancy, and serves as a protective barrier for the baby.

Despite its vital role in the development of a healthy baby, the placenta remains one of the least understood human organs because its research during pregnancy is both ethically and technically challenging.

How Will Placenta-On-Chip Help Researchers?

The placenta-on-chip operates like a laboratory platform, recreating the interface between the mother and the fetus using living human cells. It reproduces several essential functions of the placenta, including:

• Production of pregnancy hormones

• Transfer of nutrients

• Removal of waste products including urea

• A selective barrier function that regulates what reaches the fetus

Researchers also demonstrated that the platform could simulate hyperglycaemic conditions similar to gestational diabetes, allowing scientists to study how pregnancy-related diseases affect placental function.

The placenta-on-chip platform could significantly improve research into pregnancy complications like:

• Gestational diabetes

• Preeclampsia

• Fetal growth restriction

• Placental disorders

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Scientists also believe it could become an important tool for evaluating whether medicines can cross the placental barrier, helping researchers identify drugs that are safer during pregnancy.

Pregnant women are often excluded from clinical drug trials because of ethical concerns, leaving doctors with limited research. Placenta-on-chip may help bridge this gap.

Another major advantage is its potential to reduce dependency on animals for testing. Animal studies do not always accurately reflect how the human placenta functions because placenta structures differ significantly across species. Human cell-based platforms can therefore provide more clinically relevant insights and findings.

The researchers believe the placenta-on-chip could become an important platform for studying maternal-fetal health, testing new therapies, and understanding how various complications develop during pregnancy. The innovation is a step towards establishing clinically safe procedures to tackle pregnancy-related complications.

The technology has the potential to contribute not only to safer pregnancies but also to more reliable, human-based research that could benefit global healthcare. India could progress significantly in biomedical research, influencing and advancing reproductive healthcare systems worldwide.