How Quitting Smoking Can Quickly Lower Risk Of A-Fib
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."
"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.
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.
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Veteran radio and television broadcaster Paul Gambaccini has revealed that he has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.
The 77-year-old presenter, who has been a regular on the BBC since the 1970s, shared a statement revealing that he received the diagnosis in 2025.
"As Freddie Mercury once sang, you can't turn back the clock, you can't turn back the tide. Ain't that a shame. There's no denying it's a serious condition with an uncertain future, but for now life goes on as normal,” he said.
Gambaccini added that he would "be as open as I can as things progress", and that he was grateful for the kindness and support he had already received.
"For now, I wish to be given the space to keep on broadcasting the music I love to the listeners I love even more. These are the days of our lives," he said.
The broadcaster said he would continue presenting The Paul Gambaccini Collection on BBC Radio 2 every Sunday, as well as his shows on Greatest Hits Radio.
The Alzheimer's Society said Gambaccini's experience "shows that there can be life after a dementia diagnosis", the BBC reported.
Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia and primarily affects adults aged 65 years and older. Around 1 million people are living with dementia in the UK.
Alzheimer's disease is characterized by the buildup of abnormal proteins in the brain—amyloid plaques and tau tangles—which damage nerve cells responsible for memory and thinking.
Amyloid proteins accumulate into sticky plaques between brain cells, while tau proteins twist into thread-like tangles inside neurons. Together, these changes disrupt communication between brain cells and eventually lead to their death.
Over time, this progressive damage affects memory, thinking, behavior, and the ability to carry out everyday activities. In advanced stages, people may lose the ability to communicate, care for themselves or respond to their surroundings.
Although the exact cause of Alzheimer's disease remains unclear, experts believe it results from a combination of genetic, biological and lifestyle factors. Physical inactivity, an unhealthy diet and social isolation may increase the risk of developing the condition.
Early symptoms often include forgetting recent conversations or events. As the disease progresses, memory loss becomes more severe and daily functioning becomes increasingly impaired.
There is currently no cure for Alzheimer's disease. In its advanced stages, complications such as dehydration, poor nutrition and infections can become life-threatening.
People with Alzheimer's disease may experience one or more of the following:
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Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in India, while lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related deaths, according to the latest GLOBOCAN estimates of the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a specialized cancer agency of the World Health Organization (WHO).
The report highlights that India's cancer burden is shaped by region-specific risk factors, with breast, oral, cervical, lung and esophageal cancers together accounting for nearly half of all cancer cases and deaths in the country.
It also estimates that nearly one in 10 Indians is at risk of developing cancer before the age of 75, while around seven in every 100 people face the risk of dying from the disease before reaching that age.
Also read: Shigella Driving Antibiotic-Resistant Bacterial Diarrhea Among Gay Men in UK, Lancet Study Finds
Female breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in India, accounting for 192,020 new cases in 2022.
The five most common cancers in India are:
Among women, breast cancer accounts for more than one in four new cancer diagnoses, while cervical cancer remains the second most common cancer despite being largely preventable through HPV vaccination and regular screening.
Among men, cancers of the lip and oral cavity remain the leading diagnosis, reflecting the continuing impact of tobacco use.
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Although breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer, lung cancer causes the highest number of cancer deaths in India, highlighting its poor survival rates and the importance of early diagnosis and tobacco control.
Lip and oral cavity cancer ranks as the second most common cancer by incidence and the third leading cause of cancer deaths, giving
India one of the world's highest oral cancer burdens.
According to the WHO Global Status Report on Cancer 2026:
The report says India's cancer profile reflects unique regional risk factors, particularly the country's high burden of oral cancers.
"India's cancer burden reflects the influence of region-specific risk factors, particularly the high prevalence of oral cancers, highlighting the need for stronger prevention, early diagnosis and improved access to treatment," the report said.
The WHO says health systems must move beyond treating tumors alone and adopt a more people-centred approach to cancer care.
The report estimates that almost four in 10 cancer cases worldwide are linked to preventable risk factors, including:
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A sexually transmitted form of Shigella, a highly contagious bacterium that causes severe diarrhea, is spreading rapidly among gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM) in the UK, according to a new study published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases.
The study, led by researchers at the University of Cambridge, found that sexually transmitted Shigella strains are spreading faster than non-sexually transmitted strains and evolving resistance to key antibiotics at an alarming rate.
“Many men who have sex with men are unaware of the serious and increasing risk posed by sexually transmitted Shigella,” said Professor Kate Baker, senior author of the study from Cambridge’s Department of Genetics.
“Sexual infection is now a sustained part of Shigella transmission in the UK. It is vital that this message reaches the communities most affected, so we can help to prevent the spread,” Baker said.
“Sexually transmissible shigellosis needs to be treated as a distinct public health threat, requiring different surveillance, prevention, and treatment strategies.”
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Using genomic sequencing techniques similar to those used to track COVID-19 variants, researchers mapped how Shigella bacteria spread and evolved across the UK. The study, conducted in collaboration with the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), analyzed 3,514 laboratory-confirmed Shigella samples collected across the UK between 2004 and 2020 from people aged 16 years and older.
Sexually transmitted Shigella spread significantly faster than strains acquired through food, travel, or other non-sexual routes.
Over an evolutionary period of about 2.5 years, sexually transmitted strains spread an average of 117 km between related cases, compared with 46 km for non-sexually transmitted strains.
Sexually transmitted Shigella is primarily circulating within GBMSM sexual networks, particularly in major cities including London, Brighton and Manchester.
No statistically significant increase was seen among non-GBMSM populations, and little evidence was found that infections are spreading widely beyond these sexual networks.
More than half of all Shigella infections in the UK are now sexually transmitted.
Around 30% are linked to international travel, while the remaining cases result from localized outbreaks, particularly among young children, and household transmission.
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Professor Baker recommended the following steps to reduce the risk of sexually transmitted Shigella:
Researchers found that antibiotic-resistant sexually transmitted Shigella strains are spreading 71% faster than drug-susceptible strains. More than 70% of sexually transmitted Shigella strains were resistant to at least one clinically important antibiotic.
“This isn’t just one form of sexually transmissible diarrhea. This is multiple overlapping variants emerging that are all quickly becoming resistant to the drugs we use to treat them,” said Baker. “It’s highly likely that if you contracted your Shigella through sex you require different treatment to someone who contracted it through travel.”
Researchers also believe the rise in resistance may partly be driven by antibiotics prescribed to treat or prevent other sexually transmitted infections.
“Our evidence suggests that the variants of Shigella transmitting in sexual networks were actually getting resistant against treatments for other STIs, like gonorrhoea, so people need to remember that when they’re taking antibiotics they’re treating their whole body,” said Baker.
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