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.

Even as Bangladesh grapples with a significant measles burden, the country is now facing one of its worst dengue outbreaks.

According to health ministry data, more than 90,350 people have been hospitalised and 281 deaths reported since the beginning of the year.

In October alone, 10,736 people have been hospitalised and 36 have died, raising concerns that the outbreak could worsen.

Dengue Death Toll Among Highest Recorded

The death toll of 281 makes this the fourth-highest annual figure since Bangladesh’s first major dengue outbreak in 2000.

According to the Directorate General of Health Services, the highest number of dengue deaths was recorded in 2023, when 1,705 people died.

A death review by the Institute of Epidemiology Disease Control and Research (IEDCR), led by its Director Prof Quazi Ahmed Zaki, found that more than one-third of dengue patients who died did so within a day of hospital admission.

The review of 119 deaths also found that many patients had experienced delays of at least three days before being diagnosed, according to Prof Zaki, as reported by The Daily Star.

All 4 Dengue Serotypes Active

Medicine specialist Dr ABM Abdullah said repeated infections and delayed diagnosis were contributing to severe cases and deaths.

People previously infected with dengue could face a higher risk of severe illness during subsequent infections, he said.

“Dengue has four serotypes. When people are infected for the first time, they often do not realise that they have dengue. They may mistake the symptoms for influenza or another common illness and recover without serious complications,” he said.

However, subsequent infections can be more severe, particularly when a person contracts dengue for the second, third or fourth time, he added.

Prof Abdullah said dengue had also become harder to recognize early, with some patients developing mild or non-specific symptoms such as low-grade fever, body aches, a runny nose or cough.

“The problem is that patients often do not realize that they have dengue. By the time they are diagnosed, their condition may have become serious, leaving doctors with limited options,” he said.

He urged people to undergo dengue testing if they develop fever, body aches, headache, cold or other mild symptoms while dengue is circulating.

Bangladesh Considers Dengue Vaccine Trials

Amid the rising cases and deaths, Bangladesh is considering clinical trials of a dengue vaccine, Reuters reported.

Recent rainfall has created favorable conditions for mosquito breeding, raising concerns that the outbreak could worsen.

State Minister for Health M.A. Muhit said as all four dengue serotypes had been detected in Bangladesh, increasing the possibility of repeated infections because immunity to one serotype does not protect against the other three.

"With all four dengue serotypes now circulating in Bangladesh, we are considering conducting vaccine trials in the country," Muhit said.

Health experts have said dengue is no longer concentrated only in major cities and that spraying alone will not curb transmission unless mosquito breeding sites are eliminated.

The government is considering a dengue vaccine as a long-term measure to reduce infections and deaths, but there are no immediate plans to begin vaccination.

“We are discussing vaccines as a long-term measure. There are probably three dengue vaccine candidates in the world at present. We are also considering the issue in Bangladesh, but it is not happening at this moment,” Muhit said.

A second person may have died at a hospital in Russia’s Irkutsk region after reportedly contracting plague, local media have claimed, even as Moscow denies an outbreak.

The death has not been officially confirmed. The report comes as the World Health Organization (WHO) seeks more information from Russia about the death of a 28-year-old laboratory worker in Irkutsk and reports of a second employee with pneumonia of undetermined cause.

WHO Seeks Answers From Russia

The WHO said it has asked Russia for information on the cause of the severe pneumonia, the pathogen that prompted public health measures and reports of a second employee with pneumonia of undetermined cause.

Russia told the WHO on October 6 that no plague cases had been detected in Irkutsk, including among the laboratory worker or her contacts.

Second Death Reportedly Linked To Plague

Also read: Russia Plague Scare: What Black Death and Anthrax Outbreaks Teach Us About Lab Safety

Local media reported the second death after Baikalsk authorities issued a Telegram warning on October 3 about “unofficial information” of a confirmed plague case in Shelekhov, The Daily Mail reported.

“Due to unofficial information about a confirmed case of plague in a person in the city of Shelekhov, we ask you to limit visits to Shelekhov and nearby settlements until the circumstances surrounding this threat are clarified,” the administration said.

The post was deleted about two hours later, according to local media Lyudi Baikala. There is no official confirmation that the person had plague or died from Yersinia pestis.

Hospitals Under Quarantine In Irkutsk

The reports come amid increased health precautions in the region. People of Baikal reported doctors discussing plague and locals seeing people in protective suits and masks. Workers at aluminium factories and nursery staff have also reportedly been asked to wear masks.

The hospital where laboratory worker Darya Shipilova was treated has reportedly been quarantined.

Lyudi Baikala reported that five hospitals in the Irkutsk area had entered “epidemic” mode, including three city hospitals and Ivano-Matreninskaya Children’s Hospital.

Read More: Russia Plague Scare: Could It Trigger A New Pandemic? Experts Explain

Plague and Darya Shipilova’s Death

Shipilova, 28, worked at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute. She fell ill on September 29, was placed on a ventilator and died on October 2.

Around 200 contacts were reportedly placed under medical observation after she allegedly told doctors she had accidentally broken a test tube containing live bacteria.

Russia maintains that she died from “unidentified pneumonia”. Authorities said tests of her contacts found no dangerous infectious-disease pathogens, although some reportedly tested positive for COVID-19 or rhinovirus.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov urged the public to rely on Russia’s health watchdog, Rospotrebnadzor, rather than “rumors and speculation”.

“One should rely on official statements from Rospotrebnadzor rather than listening to various rumors and speculation,” Peskov said.

Meanwhile, The Insider reported that REN TV deleted five reports about plague in Irkutsk. Reports from Channel 5 and Kommersant have also reportedly disappeared.

US Monitoring Situation

READ: Russia Plague Scare: Is Pneumonic Plague Deadlier Than Bubonic & Septicemic Plague?

US President Donald Trump said his administration was in “very deep discussions” about the incident and that he had a call with Russian President Vladimir Putin scheduled.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington was monitoring reports of possible plague but said they were not a “cause for alarm”. “There’s very limited travel between the US and Russia, obviously, but like anything else, something like that gets out, it could quickly spread,” Rubio said.

“So we're watching and monitoring it closely. I don't think it's cause for alarm – but it is cause for focus and a cause to just keep an eye on it. And we're doing that.”

Meanwhile, neighboring countries including Mongolia, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan have reportedly tightened border health measures amid concerns about possible pneumonic plague.

The US Food and Drug Administration has expanded the recall of frozen blueberries and berry blends after an outbreak of E. coli O145 linked to frozen organic blueberries sickened 17 people in two states.

The latest recall does not mean that the outbreak is growing. The CDC recently declared that the outbreak was over on September 21, with no new illnesses reported since then. But on October 2, the company at the centre of the investigation expanded its recall to include additional batches of frozen berry products after the FDA obtained new information during an onsite inspection.

The agency said the company had previously not provided all records requested by FDA investigators. After obtaining additional information, the FDA identified more products that could be contaminated and the company expanded its recall.

The FDA has also added the Chilean company, Frutas y Hortalizas del Sur S.A.. to Import Alert 99-35, which means that frozen blueberries from the company entering the US can be detained without physical examination.

Which Frozen Berries Are Now Recalled?

Also read: Drinking Raw Milk Hospitalizes 2 Young Girls in US With Nearly Fatal E. Coli Infection: Health Risks Explained

The expanded recall involves products sold under Great Value and Trader Joe’s brands. The affected products include:

• Great Value Organic Triple Berry Blend, 10-ounce packages, with lot codes 6 031 01 and 6 041 01
• Great Value Organic Blueberries, 10-ounce packages, with lot codes 6 019 01, 6 040 01 and 6 163 01
• Trader Joe’s Organic Mixed Berry Blend, 12-ounce packages, lot code 6 051 01

The recalled Great Value products were distributed to Walmart stores in 30 states and Puerto Rico, while the recalled Trader Joe’s berry blend was distributed more widely through the retailer. Consumers who have the affected products should not eat them and should discard them or return them for a refund.

Some of the recalled products have 'Best By' dates extending into 2028, meaning they could still be sitting in consumers' freezers despite the outbreak having ended.

E. coli Left 17 Sick

Also read: After 488 Sickened & 65 Hospitalised In Salmonella Outbreak, FDA Issues Highest-Risk Recall For Salad Dressing

According to the CDC and FDA, 17 people were infected due to E. coli outbreak across Florida and Georgia. There were six hospitalisations and zero fatalities.

Infections were reported between May 11 and August 2, 2026. Among 13 people interviewed during the investigation, 11 reported eating frozen blueberries, which strengthened the epidemiological link to the packaged produce.

Earlier in the investigation, one sample of GreenWise frozen organic blueberries collected by Publix tested positive for the same E. coli strain responsible for the illnesses. This led to recalls that were subsequently expanded to other products from the same supplier.

Why Is E. Coli O145 Dangerous?

E. coli O145 belongs to a group known as Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC). These bacteria can cause severe stomach cramps, diarrhoea, vomiting and, in some cases, bloody diarrhoea.

Most people recover, but the infection can sometimes lead to haemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a serious complication that can cause kidney failure. Young children, older adults and people with weak and strained immunity are particularly vulnerable to severe illness.

People who develop symptoms after eating a recalled product should contact a healthcare provider, particularly if they develop bloody diarrhoea, severe abdominal pain or signs of dehydration.

Consumers should also check their freezers rather than assume recalled products have already been removed from stores. The FDA says recalled products should no longer be available for sale, but some have long shelf lives and may still be at home.

Anyone with one of the affected lot codes should not taste the product to determine whether it is safe. It should be discarded or returned for a refund.