Partner’s Dual Tobacco Use Quadruples Hypertensive Pregnancy Risk
25 Jul 2025 • A study of 1,354 nonsmoking postpartum women warns that partners who smoke both combustible cigarettes and new tobacco products markedly raise pregnancy risks.
Though most partners were nonsmokers (85.4%), 4.4% were dual users, whose exposure was tied to over fourfold higher odds of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) (adjusted OR 4.54).
HDP and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) prevalence were 3.2% and 6.3%, respectively, spotlighting dual-use tobacco exposure at home as a critical, overlooked driver of pregnancy complications.
Source: Nature | Read Full Story
Magnesium Intake Linked to Lower Odds of Cataract Surgery
25 Jul 2025 • Higher dietary magnesium may help protect against cataracts, according to a large analysis of 8,185 adults aged ≥30 years.
Key Findings:
- Researchers found a 13.4% prevalence of cataracts, but individuals with the highest magnesium intake had a 22% lower odds of undergoing cataract surgery compared to those with the lowest intake (OR 0.78).
- Even when assessed as a continuous variable, magnesium intake remained inversely associated with cataract risk (OR 0.78).
These findings suggest a potential protective role for magnesium.
Source: Nature | Read Full Story
Delaying Ablation Beyond a Year Doubles AF Recurrence Risk, Especially in Persistent Cases
25 Jul 2025 • A study of 619 atrial fibrillation (AF) patients (mean age 63; 72% male; 34% non-paroxysmal) found that delaying catheter ablation (CA) ≥1 year post-diagnosis markedly raises recurrence risk.
Over a 3-year follow-up, 165 recurrences occurred, with a 2.3-fold higher risk in those with longer diagnosis-to-ablation times (DAT).
Risks were 2-fold higher in paroxysmal and up to 4-fold higher in non-paroxysmal AF for the longest DAT tertile (median 4 years), underscoring the benefit of early ablation to curb long-term recurrence.
Source: International Journal of Cardiology | Read Full Story
Switching to Two-Drug HIV Regimens May Lower Clinical Risks
25 Jul 2025 • In 7,672 virologically suppressed people with HIV, switching from three-drug therapy (3DR) to a two-drug regimen (2DR) proved safe and potentially advantageous over three years.
Only 8.2% used 2DR, but they had a lower risk of major events—cardiovascular disease, cancer, or death—than those on 3DR (2.55% vs. 4.69%), a 2.15% absolute reduction, mainly from fewer non-AIDS cancers and deaths.
Findings support 2DR as a viable, health-protective option for stable patients.
Source: The Lancet | Read Full Story
7,000 Steps a Day Linked to Major Health Gains Across Multiple Conditions
25 Jul 2025 • A meta-analysis shows walking 7,000 steps daily offers major health gains, cutting risks of all-cause mortality by 47%, cardiovascular disease by 25%, cancer mortality by 37%, dementia by 38%, and falls by 28% versus 2,000 steps.
Risk reductions plateaued around 5,000–7,000 steps for several outcomes, while benefits for cancer, type 2 diabetes (14% lower), and depressive symptoms (22% lower) rose steadily with more steps.
Findings position 7,000 steps as a realistic, evidence-based target for broad health protection.
Source: The Lancet | Read Full Story
Parity Associated with Reduced Risk of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Premenopausal Women
25 Jul 2025 • A study of 28,003 women found that childbirth may protect against nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in premenopausal women when weight and metabolic health are managed.
NAFLD prevalence was 21% overall, 15.3% in premenopausal and 26.1% in postmenopausal women.
While unadjusted data showed higher NAFLD risk with parity (OR 1.72), adjusted analysis revealed a protective effect (OR 0.61), consistent for 1–2 births (OR 0.59) and ≥3 births (OR 0.64).
Source: Nature | Read Full Story
Healthy Lifestyle Linked to Sharper Retinal Health, Lower AMD and RVO Risk
24 Jul 2025 • In a study of ~380,000 adults, adhering to a healthy lifestyle—regular activity, balanced diet, good sleep, healthy weight, non-smoking, and moderate alcohol use—reduced the risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) by 29% and retinal vascular occlusion (RVO) by 25%.
Those with top lifestyle scores (5–6) had healthier retinal microvasculature, including better artery-to-vein ratios and thicker neural layers, versus those with poor scores (0–1).
Lower systemic inflammation explained up to 27% of these protective effects.
Source: BMJ Journals | Read Full Story
Low Nighttime Blood Pressure Signals Higher Cardiac Risk in Heart Failure Patients
24 Jul 2025 • In heart failure (HF) patients, low nighttime systolic blood pressure (SBP) signals higher risk for adverse outcomes.
Using continuous pulse transit time monitoring, researchers followed patients for a median of 3 years (1,083 days), grouping SBP into tertiles: high (136 mm Hg), middle (117 mm Hg), and low (100 mm Hg).
Those in the lowest tertile faced the highest risk of HF hospitalization or cardiac death, with multivariate analysis showing over double the risk versus the highest group (HR 2.10).
Overly low nighttime SBP may be a key prognostic marker in HF care.
Source: AHA|ASA Journals | Read Full Story
Accelerated Biological Aging Associated With 35% Higher Endometriosis Risk
24 Jul 2025 • A study of 46,371 women followed for a median of 12.5 years found that accelerated biological aging, measured by Phenotypic Age (PhenoAge), raised the risk of developing endometriosis by 35% versus peers aging normally.
High BMI further amplified this risk, though no significant subgroup interactions emerged.
Researchers suggest targeting biological aging as a modifiable factor for endometriosis prevention, emphasizing the value of maintaining a “biologically younger” profile in reproductive-age women.
Source: EJOG | Read Full Story
Renal Trauma Nearly Doubles Risk of New-Onset Hypertension
23 Jul 2025 • An analysis of 7,882 patients shows renal trauma (rT) nearly doubles new-onset hypertension (HTN) risk.
HTN developed in 35% of 4,703 rT patients vs 21% of matched controls (HR 1.8).
Risk was highest after angioembolization (HR 3.4) or nephrectomy (HR 2.4). Older age, female sex, comorbidities, diabetes, and lifestyle factors further elevated risk.
Findings highlight the need for long-term BP monitoring and counseling in rT survivors, especially those undergoing invasive interventions.
Source: Frontiers | Read Full Story