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.

Israel’s military is facing an alarming mental health crisis as prolonged geopolitical conflict continues to take a psychological toll on its soldiers.

Recently, two female Israeli soldiers died by suicide within days of each other, bringing the number of active-duty military suicides this year to at least 16, according to Israeli media.

The deaths in the force have reignited concerns over whether the military personnel are receiving necessary trauma and mental health care

The latest cases involved a combat soldier from the Bardelas Battalion and an intelligence officer. Military Police have launched investigations, while the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has acknowledged the incidents, saying that the affected units are being supported in every way.

Mental Health Crisis In Israel's Military

According to Israel’s Defence Ministry, cases of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among soldiers have increased by nearly 40% since 2023.

Of more than 22,000 personnel receiving treatment for war-related injuries, around 60% are being treated primarily for psychological trauma.

“Soldiers are grappling not only with fear for their own lives, but also with moral injury resulting from witnessing or participating in traumatic events,” clinical psychologist Ronen Sidi of Emek Medical Center told Reuters.

Also read: Many US Veterans With Suicidal Thoughts May Not Be Receiving Mental Health Treatment, Study Finds

What Is Moral Injury?

Unlike PTSD, which is often linked to fear-based traumatic experiences, moral injury refers to when patients feel they have violated deeply held moral or ethical beliefs, or witnessed events that violate those values.

Military psychologists say constant exposure to civilian casualties, loss of troops, and conflicting decisions on the battlefield can leave lasting emotional wounds that last for a long time.

Ground Reality

The two recent suicides are not isolated incidents. Earlier this year, Israeli media reported that many soldiers on active duty had taken their own lives after returning from their deployments.

Some reports also said that soldiers who were discharged are struggling with severe PTSD, depression and social isolation after leaving service. Researchers say many continue to battle mental health issues long after their duty ends.

Veterans’ organisations have increasingly called for comprehensive and effective rehabilitation services, saying that untreated trauma may surface months or even years after military service ends.

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

Are Mental Health Support Systems Enough?

The Israeli Defence Ministry says it has expanded mental health services, funding and introduced alternative therapies to improve mental health recovery for soldiers who are struggling.

However, some recent reports have questioned whether those services are reaching troops quickly enough. Critics have pointed to shortages of field psychologists, cancelled mental health support days and unsuccessful recognition of warning signs.

Mental health specialists also say that stigma remains another barrier. Despite growing awareness, many soldiers hesitate to seek help because they believe that doing so could affect their careers or be viewed as a sign of weakness.

For Israel, the growing number of soldier suicides is becoming a stark reminder that the cost of war is measured not only in physical casualties, but also in the invisible wounds that reflect through mental health issues.

Uganda has officially ended the Ebola outbreak after completing the mandatory 42-day monitoring period with no new infections, even as neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) continues to battle its worst outbreak of the deadly disease in years.

Ugandan Health Minister Chris Baryomunsi announced the "successful completion of the mandatory 42-day monitoring period," which began after the last locally transmitted patient was discharged on June 16.

"Throughout this period, the Ministry of Health maintained intensive surveillance nationwide, and no new Ebola cases have been detected," Baryomunsi said.

Uganda Ends Outbreak After Swift Response

Earlier this month, Dr. Diana Atwine, Permanent Secretary at Uganda's Ministry of Health, said the outbreak had been successfully contained through rapid surveillance, prompt treatment, contact tracing, and close cross-border coordination.

Uganda recorded 20 confirmed Ebola cases during the outbreak. Of these, 18 patients recovered and were discharged, while two died.

Most of the infections were linked to travelers arriving from the DRC, with only a small number resulting from local transmission.

Despite the declaration, Baryomunsi urged the public to remain "vigilant" and continue following public health measures to prevent future outbreaks.

Congo Outbreak Nears Scale of Historic Epidemic

Also read: Michigan Cyclosporiasis Outbreak Nears 10,000 Cases: Is Your Lettuce Safe?

While Uganda celebrates its success, the Ebola crisis in the DRC continues to worsen. According to the Congolese Ministry of Health, the country has reported at least 3,262 cases and 1,437 deaths, bringing the outbreak close to the scale of the country's devastating 2018-2020 epidemic.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has described it as the fastest-spreading Ebola outbreak ever recorded, warning that the actual number of infections could be two to four times higher than officially reported.

UN Warns Virus Is Spreading "Like Wildfire"

United Nations humanitarian officials have described the outbreak as one of the world's most severe public health emergencies.

"The outbreak is spreading like wildfire," UN officials warned, citing armed conflict, mass displacement, and repeated attacks on healthcare facilities as major obstacles to controlling the virus.

The WHO has also warned that many newly reported infections cannot be linked to known transmission chains, suggesting the virus is spreading undetected within communities.

Contact tracing remains inadequate, while insecurity, misinformation, and community mistrust continue to undermine response efforts.

Health workers have also staged strikes in some areas over unpaid wages, further disrupting patient care and containment operations.

Attacks on health facilities, shortages of medical supplies, delayed laboratory testing, and public distrust are other factors delaying efforts to isolate patients, trace contacts, and break chains of transmission.

First Volunteer Receives Experimental Bundibugyo Vaccine

Amid the worsening outbreak, researchers have reached an important milestone in Ebola vaccine development.

The first volunteer has received an experimental vaccine targeting the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, marking the world's first Phase I clinical trial for this virus, according to the University of Oxford.

The vaccine, ChAdOx1 BDBV, developed in collaboration with Serum Institute of India (SII), is designed specifically to protect against the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola.

It uses the same viral vector platform that powered the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.

The vaccine uses a genetically modified chimpanzee adenovirus (ChAdOx1)—a harmless virus that normally causes the common cold in chimpanzees—as a delivery vehicle.

"We welcome the start of the phase 1 clinical trial of an investigational vaccine against Ebola Bundibugyo virus disease—an important step to assess the safety and immune responses generated by the vaccine," said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on X.

A simple blood test that can accurately identify tuberculosis (TB) across people with different levels of exposure help earlier diagnosis and speedy treatment,, according to new research presented at the Association for Diagnostics & Laboratory Medicine (ADLM) 2026 Annual Scientific Meeting.

The study discovered that the experimental blood test can distinguish individuals with active tuberculosis from those who are healthy, regardless of whether they have had prior exposure to the disease.

Researchers say the findings could help address one of the biggest hurdles in TB control: identifying and tracing infectious patients before they unknowingly spread the disease.

"If validated in larger clinical studies, this test has the potential to transform tuberculosis screening by enabling earlier and more accurate detection of active disease," the study authors said. They observed that such a tool can significantly help control transmission, particularly in nations where TB still remains a public health issue.

Do We Need A Better TB Test?

Although TB is preventable and curable, delayed diagnosis continues to fuel transmission and contributes to deaths that are preventable.

Current diagnostic methods have important limitations. Sputum-based tests can be difficult to perform, especially in children and people with TB outside the lungs.

Meanwhile, commonly used blood tests can indicate exposure to the bacteria but cannot reliably distinguish between active disease and latent infection, meaning additional investigations are needed.

Also read: World Tuberculosis Day: A 2nd Surge In Tuberculosis Cases Again Seen In The US

About The New Blood Test For TB

According to the researchers, the new test examines the immune signatures in a blood sample to identify active tuberculosis, rather than merely detecting previous exposure.

In the study, the test successfully differentiated active TB cases from healthy individuals with varying degrees of TB exposure, suggesting it could be used as an effective screening tool across diverse populations.

The investigators emphasized that larger, multi-center studies are still needed before the test can become part of routine clinical practice. However, the early results point toward a faster and less invasive way of diagnosis.

Also read: Over 8 Million People Diagnosed With TB Last Month: Know Early Signs

Early Diagnosis Is Key

Early diagnosis is one of the most factors for controlling tuberculosis. Patients with untreated active TB can infect many others. A simple blood test that identifies active disease quickly could allow doctors to start treatment sooner, reduce transmission, and improve patient's health.

This could also be useful where resources are particularly limited. Places where collecting sputum samples is challenging and access to a sterile laboratory testing is limited can benefit from this blood test.

As blood samples are easier to obtain in many clinical situations, the test could help screen vulnerable populations, including children and people with extrapulmonary TB.

Public health experts have repeatedly stressed that improved diagnostics are essential for achieving the World Health Organization's End TB Strategy.

You May Carry TB And Not Know

Treating latent TB is like stopping the virus, while it's still small and easy to treat. It's much easier to kill the dormant germs than to fighting the active disease. You could be carrying the disease and not realise. This increases the risk of transmission.

A 2017 study published in the Viruses Journal explained that we all have slightly different versions of our genes (polymorphisms) and these differences can affect how our bodies react to any virus. Some gene variations might make your immune system stronger against a specific virus, while others might make you more vulnerable.