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 Italian authorities this week have confirmed the first human case of H9N2 Avian Flu in the Lombardy region – also the first in the European Union.

The influenza A(H9N2) infection was identified in a traveler returning from a non-European country, where the virus has previously been identified in birds. The patient has coexisting medical conditions and is currently receiving medical treatment in a hospital.

Italy’s Ministry of Health, in a statement, said that they identified “infection with the low-pathogenicity avian influenza A (H9N2) virus of animal origin, in a frail person with concomitant illnesses, who came from a non-European country where he contracted the infection, and is currently hospitalized”.

Public health authorities in the country have performed contact tracing as a precaution to identify and control possible onward transmission and have initiated several epidemiological and microbiological investigations.

“All the required checks were promptly carried out, and the relevant contacts were identified, as part of the ordinary prevention and surveillance activities. Currently, no critical issues have been identified, and the situation is being constantly monitored,” the Ministry said.

What is H9N2?

H9N2 is a subtype of the avian influenza A virus (bird flu) that causes respiratory illness in poultry worldwide and is endemic in many parts of Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.

While low-pathogenic in birds, it sporadically infects humans—usually children—causing mild, influenza-like illness, though severe cases can occur.

According to the WHO, most human cases of infection with avian influenza A(H9N2) viruses are exposed to the virus through contact with infected poultry or contaminated environments.

Also read: Japan Confirms New Highly Pathogenic Bird Flu Outbreak: Report

Human infection tends to result in mild clinical illness. However, globally, there have been some hospitalized cases and two fatal cases reported in the past.

“Based on available information, further sporadic human cases could occur as this virus is one of the most prevalent avian influenza viruses circulating in poultry in different regions. With the currently available evidence, the WHO assesses the current public health risk to the general population posed by this virus as low,” the WHO said.

Human bird flu cases have been reported in countries like China, India, the UK, and Vietnam, often resulting in full recovery.

Also read: UK Reports Its First Human Case Of Bird Flu

Rising Global Bird Flu Cases: Are Humans At Threat

Globally, the spread of bird flu cases has been driven by migratory birds, with increasing outbreaks in poultry farms across Japan, India, South Korea, and the US, among others.

To date, most human cases have occurred in people handling infected poultry or animals.

Key Symptoms of bird flu in humans include:

Cough,

sore throat,

runny or stuffy nose,

difficulty breathing

High fever (often >38°C),

fatigue,

muscle/body aches

Conjunctivitis (red/irritated eyes),

nausea,

vomiting,

diarrhea.

In severe cases, pneumonia and Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), have been reported.

Human infections remain rare, and the risk is also low, yet scientists say that the virus may someday evolve into a variant that can cause significant harm to humans. Recent infections in mammals (like cattle) increase concern.

Bird flu (H5N1) was detected in the US milk supply, particularly in raw milk from infected dairy cows, with high levels found in milk and udder tissues.

“There is a consensus among those who study how infectious diseases originate and spread that the next pandemic in humans is most likely to originate in a bird flu. Of the different types of bird flu that are especially important, H5N1 avian influenza is considered the most likely candidate for a spillover event, with a high fatality rate,” Dr. Gautam Menon, Professor of Physics & Biology, Ashoka University, told HealthandMe.

“From the small number of infections in humans that have been diagnosed, we know that about 30-40 percent of such cases can be fatal. But we don’t know the possible background of infections in which these deaths or serious cases might occur. In particular, the possibility of asymptomatic infections is open,” he added.

A 25-year-old Spanish woman has died by euthanasia after a long battle with her father over her right to die.

Noelia Castillo, a rape survivor who was left paralyzed in her lower half of the body after a suicide attempt in 2022, died on Thursday evening at a hospital in Barcelona.

While the Catalan regional government had granted her the right to assisted dying in 2024, her father, Geronimo Castillo, had raised legal objections. Her wish to ‘die in peace’ has also sparked debate around the country’s right-to-die law -- legalized in 2021.

Who Is Noelia Castillo?

Much of Castillo’s life during her childhood was spent in care homes. Her father's problems with alcohol had a significant impact on her mental health, and she underwent psychiatric treatment since her early teens.

Later, she was diagnosed with conditions including obsessive-compulsive disorder and Borderline Personality Disorder.

She was raped twice: first by an ex-boyfriend and later by three men in 2022 while at a state-supervised facility for vulnerable youth.

The assaults, which took a severe toll on her mental health, led her to make multiple suicide attempts.

In October 2022, she jumped from a fifth-floor window, which left her with a severe spinal cord injury and permanent paralysis in her lower body.

Also read: Harish Rana, India’s First Passive Euthanasia Case, Dies at AIIMS

Noelia Castillo’s Fight For Euthanasia

Castillo chose assisted dying to escape years of physical pain and emotional trauma.

In her final days, Castillo spoke openly about her suffering and her decision. In an interview with Spanish broadcaster Antena 3, she said: “I just cannot go on anymore… I want to go in peace now and stop suffering.”

Speaking earlier to Spanish TV programme Y Ahora Sonsoles, she added: “I am very clear… none of my family is in favour of euthanasia. But what about all the pain I’ve suffered during all these years?”

In 2024, the Catalan regional government granted her the right to assisted dying in 2024. But the process was suspended after legal objections raised by her father. According to her father, her mental health did not allow her to make better decisions about herself.

Noelia Castillo: 18-month-long Legal Battle

Christian Lawyers (Abogados Cristianos) had been attempting to block her death until the last moment. For 18 months, the case moved through multiple courts, eventually reaching Spain’s Constitutional Court, which ruled there was “no violation of fundamental rights” in allowing her euthanasia.

Finally, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled this week in Noelia Castillo's favour, and her death was eventually confirmed late on Thursday.

In a TV interview this week, she said nobody in her family had supported her decision to die by euthanasia, and her father "hasn't respected my decision and never will".

"I want to go in peace now and stop suffering," she told Antena 3 TV the day before she died.

Critics Call Her Death A Failure Of The State

"For a girl who obviously has had a very tough life, which we all regret, the only thing that could be offered to her by the healthcare system is death," said José María Fernández, of Christian Lawyers.

The opposition conservative People's Party (PP), which voted against a 2021 euthanasia law, had a similar response.

Several senior Catholic leaders in Spain have sharply criticised the euthanasia of 25-year-old Noelia Castillo, calling it a reflection of societal failure and raising concerns over the country’s right-to-die law.“We have all failed as a society,” Jose Mazuelos Perez, Bishop of the Canary Islands, was quoted as saying by EuroNews.

In a joint statement, church leaders said the case reflected “an accumulation of personal suffering and institutional shortcomings”.

The BA.3.2 COVID-19 variant, nicknamed Cicada, is evading capable antibodies gained from previous vaccinations. According to experts, it is less likely that the currently available COVID vaccines will provide protection.

As per the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Cicada — a highly mutated variant of COVID — has already been reported in at least 23 countries, including 25 states in America. It has also been detected in 132 wastewater samples from Massachusetts.

What Is The Cicada COVID Variant?

Cicada was first identified in a respiratory sample in South Africa in November 2024.

It is a descendant of the Omicron BA.3 lineage, and is genetically distinct from the previously circulating JN.1 lineages (including LP.8.1 and XFG).

BA.3.2 comprises two major branches, BA.3.2.1 and BA.3.2.2. BA.3.2.2 also has substitutions like: K356T, A575S, R681H, and R1162P.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has designated BA.3.2 as a Variant Under Monitoring (VUM). It means the variant may not be that dangerous yet, but it may have concerning mutations.

The CDC’s latest Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report explains that Cicada has “70 to 75 substitutions and deletions in the gene sequence of its spike protein”.

Will Current COVID Vaccines Work?

The variant is particularly concerning as it provides no immune protection to people with previous infection or even vaccination.

“The number of mutations from JN.1 viruses makes it less likely that the current vaccines will be highly effective against Cicada, but we need more data to better answer this question,” Dr. Robert H. Hopkins Jr., medical director of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases, told USA TODAY.

However, according to the WHO, current COVID vaccines are expected to continue protecting against severe disease. Moreover, the WHO said BA.3.2 doesn’t seem to be making people sicker so far and hasn’t resulted in increased hospitalizations and deaths.

“Overall, available evidence suggests that BA.3.2 poses low additional public health risk compared with other circulating Omicron descendant lineages,” WHO said.

And unlike previous strains, BA.3.2 hasn’t rapidly overtaken other variants; in fact, it hasn’t fueled enough cases nationally to land on the CDC’s variant tracker.

“If it had really special advantages, we’d probably have seen it take off and dominate globally relatively quickly,” Andrew Pekosz, a virologist at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, told TODAY.com. “We didn’t see that, but it’s not going away, so it’s something to keep an eye on.”

Also read: Unique Symptoms Of 'Cicada' The Highly Mutated New COVID Variant Of 2026

Will Cicada Become The Dominant COVID Strain

Hopkins Jr. expressed the possibility that "Cicada can become the dominant strain in the US”. While it is not certain, it can also "drive a US summer surge.”

The CDC has also warned that a new variant "with substantial capacity to evade immunity from previous infections or vaccines could be associated with seasonal increases in COVID-19 activity.”

Also read: COVID Variant BA.3.2 Spreads To 23 Countries: Is The Variant Under Monitoring A Cause Of Worry?

What Makes Cicada So Unique?

T Ryan Gregory, a professor of evolutionary biology at the University of Guelph stated that Cicada is emerging as a contender for the next major lineage.

He wrote on social media platform X: "Well, it's that time again. Meet "Cicada", BA.3.2* (including descendant RE.*). This one has been underground for years (its ancestor BA.3 hasn't been circulating since early 2022, and didn't do much then either) but is now emerging as a contender for the next major lineage."

While most of the symptoms of this new variant remain the same as those of the other variants, one thing that stands out here is the gastrointestinal symptoms that cicada could cause.

However, experts note that this variant will not make anyone sicker. Other symptoms include:

• Cough
• Fever or chills
• Sore throat
• Congestion
• Shortness of breath
• Loss of smell or taste
• Fatigue
• Headache.