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.

The debate around the effects of late-night eating on metabolism and overall fitness is not new. A new study has found a strong link between night owls’ time of eating and their metabolic health.

The study observes that those who stayed late at night tend to have poor metabolic health and effectively more body fat than those who didn’t, as they tend to have the lion’s share of their calories in the later part of the day.

How Was The Study Conducted?

The study examines an important area of nutrition called chrononutrition, which basically refers to how the time of eating affects the body’s circadian rhythm. It investigated how chronotype is associated with dietary intake, meal timing, body composition, and metabolic health.

Published in Frontiers in Nutrition, the study observed 287 healthy women aged 18 to 45 from New Zealand. Their food intake was studied for five days along with their meal timings.

Participants were classified as morning, intermediate, or evening chronotypes using a validated questionnaire. They also recorded everything they ate and drank over five days.

Researchers studied body composition using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), a highly accurate method for measuring body fat, and analyzed metabolic markers including glucose, insulin, cholesterol, and triglycerides.

Also read: India Gets Its First Plant-Based Vitamin D3: What You Need to Know

What Did The Study Find?

The study found that women with an evening chronotype had higher body mass index (BMI), a higher percentage of body fat, and more abdominal fat compared with morning and intermediate chronotypes.

Interestingly, these differences were observed even though total daily calorie intake did not significantly differ between the groups.

The study also found that rather than eating more food overall, evening chronotypes tended to delay their meals and consumed a larger proportion of their daily calories later in the day.

The findings indicate that when people eat may play an important role in metabolic health along with what and how much they eat.

The researchers wrote, “Our findings indicate that women with a later chronotype tend to have higher body fat and consume a greater proportion of their energy intake later in the day.”

Also read: Why Sustainable Weight Loss Requires More Than Cutting Calories

Why Meal Timings Affect Your Metabolism?

Although the current study directly does not determine whether late eating directly causes higher body fat, it observes a pattern that chronotype and meal timing are important factors to consider in order to achieve a better fitness level.

The body's internal clock is responsible for regulating many metabolic processes, including blood sugar control, insulin sensitivity, and digestion, among others. Late night eating not only interferes with insulin sensitivity but also impairs your metabolic health.

Research has repeatedly shown that these processes function a lot more efficiently earlier in the day. Eating a large proportion of daily calories late in the evening is therefore less favorable for metabolism as it can lead to increased fat accumulation over time.

With time, those with evening chronotype are at a greater risk of obesity and obesity-related chronic lifestyle disorders like hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol, heart disease, and more.

Global childhood vaccination coverage improved in 2025, but 13.5 million children still did not receive a single vaccine in their first year of life, leaving them vulnerable to preventable diseases, according to the latest WHO-UNICEF Estimates of National Immunization Coverage (WUENIC).

The report found that 85% of children worldwide (about 110 million) completed the recommended three-dose diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (DTP) vaccine series, while 90% of infants (nearly 116 million) received at least one dose of the DTP vaccine.

Although the number of zero-dose children declined by nearly 750,000 compared to 2024, WHO and UNICEF said progress remains uneven.

"Every child, whether born into wealth or poverty, peace or conflict, deserves the life-saving protection that vaccines provide," said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General.

Measles Vaccination Still Below Target

The report highlights persistent gaps in measles immunization. An estimated 7.3 million infants received their first DTP dose but missed their first measles-containing vaccine (MCV1). Global measles coverage remains below the 95% threshold needed to prevent outbreaks:

• 84% received the first measles dose (MCV1)
• 77% received the second dose (MCV2)

The recent measles outbreaks in Bangladesh and the US, underscoring how immunity gaps can quickly lead to disease resurgence.

As per the latest data, Bangladesh’s combined tally of confirmed and suspected measles-related deaths stands at 766, while the cumulative number of suspected cases nationwide stands at 113,244.

The US is also experiencing a major measles resurgence, reporting over 2,231 confirmed cases across 42 jurisdictions. This puts the country on track to surpass 2025's total (2,289 cases), which was the highest in decades, threatening the nation's measles elimination status.

"These outbreaks underscore how quickly immunity gaps can lead to the resurgence and spread of this highly infectious disease," said Dr Catharina Boehme, Officer-in-Charge, WHO South-East Asia Region.

Also read: England Confirms Third Measles Death: NHS Launches Catch-Up MMRV Vaccination Drive

Conflict and Poverty Leave Millions Unprotected

More than half of all zero-dose children live in fragile, conflict-affected or vulnerable settings, despite these countries accounting for only about one-third of the world's child population.

Immunization programs in these regions continue to face disruptions due to conflict, political instability, displacement and chronic underfunding.

UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell said that while vaccination rates have rebounded from the declines seen during the COVID-19 pandemic, millions of children remain unreached.

"Millions of vulnerable children are still being left unprotected due to conflict, displacement and poverty. No child should suffer from a disease that a simple vaccine can prevent."

Regional Progress Remains Uneven

The report based on data from 195 countries shows mixed progress since 2019:

• 100 countries have maintained at least 90% DTP3 coverage.
• 30 countries improved vaccination coverage after falling below the 90% mark before the pandemic.
• 65 countries continue to stagnate or decline, including 13 fragile or conflict-affected nations.
• The Americas and South-East Asia have recovered to or exceeded pre-pandemic vaccination levels, with South-East Asia emerging as the best-performing WHO region.
• Africa, Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean have improved but remain below 2019 levels, while the Western Pacific continues to lag behind its pre-pandemic baseline.

Funding Cuts Threaten Progress

WHO and UNICEF warned that reductions in international health funding could slow or reverse recent gains. The agencies called on governments and partners to:

• Strengthen immunization services in fragile and conflict-affected settings.
• Counter vaccine misinformation and improve public confidence.
• Increase domestic and international funding for immunization programs.
• Invest in stronger disease surveillance and immunization data systems.

The US is witnessing one of the largest outbreaks of cyclosporiasis, an intestinal infection caused by the microscopic parasite Cyclospora cayetanensis. While infections have been reported in nearly 31 states, Michigan and Ohio remain the hardest hit.

According to the latest figures from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS), more than 3,309 cases have been reported in Michigan as of July 14.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has not yet identified the exact source of the outbreak, which has persisted for about a month.

Lettuce, Salad Greens Under Investigation

Also read: Cyclospora Parasite Outbreak: Why You Should Avoid Packaged Salads and Go For Loose Greens

The MDHHS says lettuce and salad greens are the leading suspected sources of the outbreak after cases climbed to more than 65 times Michigan's annual average.

"While the investigation is ongoing, current results point to lettuce or salad greens as a potential source for this outbreak, although other food items cannot be completely ruled out," the department said in a statement.

"Early information has shown lettuce as a common product that regularly comes up during the investigation," said Michigan Chief Medical Executive Natasha Bagdasarian.

However, the authorities have not identified a specific grower or supplier responsible for the outbreak, and public health officials say there could be multiple sources.

Taco Bell's Role Under Scrutiny

US health officials are now investigating whether Taco Bell restaurants played a role in the multistate outbreak linked to contaminated fresh produce, the Washington Post reported.

Last week, notices at some Detroit-area Taco Bell restaurants informed customers that the chain was temporarily unable to sell lettuce, cilantro, onion, pico de gallo, and guacamole due to a nationwide recall.

Taco Bell said it had voluntarily removed certain fresh ingredients from select restaurants as a precaution.

"Public health officials have not confirmed a link to Taco Bell or any specific ingredient, supplier, restaurant or retailer," the company said in a statement.

It added that the temporary removal of limited ingredients would remain in place while authorities continue their investigation.

Read More: Want Healthier Lungs? Add More Kale And Spinach To Your Plate, Suggests Study

CDC: More Than 5,100 Cases Under Review

On July 14, the CDC said it had received reports of 1,645 confirmed domestic cases since May 1. However, it is reviewing more than 5,100 cases to determine whether infections were acquired within the US.

No deaths have been reported, while about 1 in every 11 patients has been hospitalized, it said.

The CDC also said at least 400 cases across Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia and Kentucky appear to be epidemiologically linked, suggesting a common source of infection.

Foods to Avoid Until the Source Is Identified

Since lettuce and salad greens remain the leading suspected source, health officials advise consumers to be cautious with:

• Bagged salad greens
• Lettuce
• Fresh cilantro
• Pico de gallo
• Guacamole made with fresh produce
• Other uncooked fresh produce that may be linked to the outbreak

Authorities have not confirmed that these foods are the source, but they remain under investigation.

How to Reduce Your Risk

Bagdasarian recommended using whole heads of lettuce instead of bagged greens. Remove the outer leaves and thoroughly wash the inner leaves under running water before eating.

She also noted that heat is the most effective way to kill Cyclospora, so cooking produce, when possible, offers additional protection.

The CDC advised consumers to:

• Wash all fresh produce thoroughly under clean running water, even if it is labelled pre-washed.
• Follow safe food handling practices.
• Stay updated on food recalls and outbreak alerts.
• Contact a healthcare provider if symptoms develop.

Symptoms of Cyclosporiasis

Symptoms usually begin about one week after infection, although they can appear anywhere from two days to more than two weeks after exposure.

Without treatment, illness can last from a few days to a month or longer.

The CDC also cautioned that the true number of infections is likely higher because many people recover without seeking medical care or being tested, and recent cases may not yet have been reported.