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.

Doctors in London have performed the world’s first brain tumour surgery assisted by artificial intelligence. AI analysed the operation live, helping surgeons assess critical structures and protect the patient’s vision.

The procedure was carried out in May at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, part of University College London Hospitals (UCLH). The first patient, 48-year-old Rhys Hibbert, had an 11-mm tumour on his pituitary gland that had begun affecting his vision.

Hibbert’s vision had deteriorated to the point that he was using walking sticks. After surgery, he said he could see clearly when he woke up and was walking independently without glasses or sticks within a week.

How AI Helped During The Operation?

To answer the biggest question, the AI did not perform the surgery. The neurosurgeon was in complete control the whole time. The technology, instead, analysed live video from the surgical camera in real time. It identified and highlighted important structures in the brain, including blood vessels and nerves related to vision.

The pituitary gland is roughly the size of a marble, but it is located in a crowded and packed region at the base of the brain. It is surrounded by the optic nerves and major blood vessels. A tumour in this area can therefore cause vision problems by pressing against the nerves.

It's extremely delicate work as the pituitary gland, optic nerves and blood vessels are packed into an extremely small area. According to UCLH, being just a millimetre off target can potentially result in blindness, stroke or death.

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In Hibbert's case, the tumour had been discovered after he collapsed and suffered a seizure in December 2024. His symptoms later progressed to hormone imbalance and worsening vision.

Consultant neurosurgeon Professor Hani Marcus, who performed the operation alongside surgical resident Danyal Khan, said, “Huge thanks to the trial participants and to the team committed to improving patient outcomes by taking this important first step globally.”

The AI therefore acted more like an additional set of highly trained eyes, helping surgeons steer clear of the areas that needed to be avoided while removing as much of the tumour as safely possible.

The AI Was Trained On Hundreds Of Surgical Videos

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The system was developed by researchers at the UCL Hawkes Institute and trained AI with hundreds of videos from previous endoscopic pituitary surgeries.

Dr Sophia Bano, Associate Professor in Robotics and Artificial Intelligence at UCL and technical lead for the system, said the AI had been exposed to a breadth of surgical examples that would take a human surgeon many years to learn.

She said, “It is designed to help recognise critical anatomy, surgical instruments and tissue interactions in real time, supporting the surgeon during highly delicate procedures.”

The technology can also potentially track surgical instruments and how they interact with tissue, allowing the possibility of giving surgeons additional feedback during complex procedures.

AI Is Supporting Surgeons, Not Replacing Them

The significance of the procedure lies in real-time assistance. The surgeon interprets what is happening, makes decisions and controls the instruments, while the AI provides valuable additional information about the anatomy.

Health Innovation Minister James Frith described the procedure as an example of AI's potential in healthcare, while stressing that safeguards remain essential. He said, “AI needs proper safeguards and we will always ensure that safety is taken seriously.”

Actress Busy Philipps recently revealed that she underwent two surgeries this year after doctors found a rare brain tumour. They discovered it unexpectedly during a full-body MRI despite her not having obvious symptoms.

The Dawson's Creek and Cougar Town actor, 47, told PEOPLE that the tumour was discovered in February after she underwent a Prenuvo full-body scan. The scan showed a 2.6-cm mass in her brain, which was later diagnosed as a grade 2 oligodendroglioma.

She underwent surgery on March 2 to remove the tumour. She then needed a second operation after developing a staphylococcal infection at the surgical site. She has since returned to work and said she is now undergoing regular monitoring, without chemotherapy or radiation.

What Is An Oligodendroglioma?

An oligodendroglioma is a rare type of glioma, a tumour that develops from cells in the brain or spinal cord.

These tumours arise from oligodendrocytes, cells that help produce myelin, the protective coating surrounding nerve fibres.

Grade 2 oligodendrogliomas are generally slow-growing, although they are classified as malignant because they can grow back or become more aggressive over time.

Dr Alexandra Miller, Philipps' neuro-oncologist at NYU Langone, told PEOPLE that the tumour is considered malignant because of its ability to regrow. She also said oligodendroglioma affects approximately 1,100 to 1,300 people in the US each year.

“It is considered malignant, but it has the best prognosis of all of the malignant gliomas,” says Miller. “It’s sort of defined as a cancerous tumor based on the ability of the tumor to regrow over time, rather than it looking very malignant under the microscope.”

Philipps’s early detection, before she had any symptoms, was beneficial, Dr. John Golfinos of NYU Langone said. He said that If she had waited until having symptoms like seizures, the tumor — which was a grade 2 on a scale of 2 to 4 — “would have been two or three times the size. It might have been much harder to take the whole thing out."

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Brain Tumours Can Remain Hidden For Years

One striking part of Philipps' story is that she did not have obvious neurological symptoms. Oligodendrogliomas can sometimes grow slowly enough that people do not immediately notice anything is wrong.

Symptoms depend heavily on where the tumour develops and can include seizures, headaches, changes in behaviour or personality, problems with speech or vision, weakness and difficulties with memory or thinking.

Philipps has said that, in retrospect, she had noticed some changes in her emotions and behaviour, including episodes of irritability and crying, but did not know they could be due to a brain tumour.

Also read: Dolly Parton Dies At 80 After ‘Brief Battle With Cancer’: What We Know So Far?

After Surgery, Why She Didn't Need Chemotherapy Or Radiation

Surgery is often the first treatment for oligodendroglioma. Doctors aim to remove as much of the tumour as possible while protecting healthy brain tissue, particularly parts responsible for speech, movement, memory and other essential functions.

Her doctor, Orrin Devinsky of NYU Langone, was the physician who reviewed her MRI and told her that the mass was a genuine tumour and needed to be removed.

In Philipps' case, surgeons successfully removed the 2.6-cm mass. The tissue was then examined to determine exactly what type of tumour she had.

They found that it wasn't the brain tumour type that requires immediate chemotherapy or radiation. Because Philipps had a grade 2 oligodendroglioma that was surgically removed, her medical team has opted for regular monitoring rather than additional treatment at this stage.

A city does not come to a standstill the moment one road narrows. First, traffic slows. Then detours become routine. People leave earlier, reach later, and modify their day around a problem that keeps getting worse.

The heart can face a similar bottleneck. A valve that should open freely may begin to narrow, forcing the heart to work harder to move blood forward. The change may feel gradual, so patients and families often adjust to it rather than question it. That is where delay begins.

Modern heart care has changed what can happen once the problem is recognized. TAVR has become an important option for many patients with severe narrowing of the aortic valve, offering a less invasive path than open-heart surgery for suitable candidates. The bigger challenge is often the myths that stop people from reaching the right evaluation at the right time.

Here are five myths about TAVR that modern heart care has outgrown, left, and what patients and families need to know before old beliefs turn into costly delays.

Myth 1: Heart valve treatment always means open-heart surgery

For many families, valve replacement still conjures a single image: a daunting operation, an extended hospital stay, and a recovery that seems hard to picture.

TAVR offers an alternative route for eligible patients. A replacement valve is delivered through a thin tube, most often through a blood vessel in the leg, and guided to the heart without opening the chest. Patients are also likely to spend less time in hospital after TAVR compared with surgical valve replacement.

Modern valve care may involve a less invasive procedure, a shorter hospital stay, and a more comfortable return to daily routine, depending on the patient’s condition.

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Myth 2: TAVR is only for very elderly or very high-risk patients

Many patients rule themselves out too early. Someone may feel too active, too independent, or “not sick enough” to ask about TAVR.

Modern valve care has moved beyond that narrow view. TAVR is now an established option for an expanded range of appropriately selected candidates with severe aortic stenosis.

Thus, TAVR should not be treated as a last-resort option. A timely valve evaluation can show whether TAVR, surgery, or continued monitoring is the right path.

Myth 3: Feeling okay means the valve problem can wait

A heart valve problem does not always announce itself clearly. Early signs can blend into ordinary explanations.

Breathlessness may be blamed on age. Fatigue may be blamed on stress. Dizziness may be managed as a blood pressure or sugar issue. These explanations can sound reasonable while valve disease continues in the background. Aortic stenosis can also worsen over time, even when symptoms are absent at first.

A new drop in stamina after 60 deserves attention. An echocardiogram can show whether the valve is narrowing and how well the heart is coping.

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Myth 4: Recovery from heart treatment always takes months

Fear of recovery can become one reason families postpone care.

TAVR can offer a gentler recovery for many older adults. Shorter hospital stays reduce the burden on caregivers. Earlier mobilisation can reduce deconditioning and anxiety after prolonged bed rest. Recovery still varies, and every patient needs a guided plan for activity, medicines, follow-ups, and rehabilitation when needed.

Recovery after TAVR is carefully guided and often far less disruptive than most patients expect.

Myth 5: TAVR is a one-size-fits-all procedure

The best valve plan is never borrowed from another patient’s story.

A heart team evaluates anatomy, valve characteristics, vascular access, and the full clinical picture before recommending TAVR or surgery. Current valve care also looks ahead, since some patients may need another procedure years later, and long-term follow-up is necessary. A lifetime heart-team approach is especially important as valve durability, surveillance, and future treatment options are planned.

TAVR is personalized care. The right question is whether it fits the patient’s anatomy, health, goals, and future needs.

What Families Must Remember

Old myths can make modern care feel more frightening than it needs to be. A practical response begins with noticing change early. New breathlessness, chest pressure, dizziness, fainting, unexplained fever, or a sudden drop in energy must prompt medical advice.

Care does not end after treatment. Ongoing checkups, echocardiograms, medications, dental care, walking routines, and cardiac rehab all help safeguard recovery and long-term valve health.

Modern valve care has advanced and moved. Patients and families can move forward too by asking timely questions, seeking the right evaluation, and choosing treatments based on today’s possibilities, not yesterday’s assumptions.

By Dr Maulik Parekh, Head – TAVR and Structural Heart Programme, Section Coordinator