American Heart Association, Nov. 7-10

The annual meeting of the American Heart Association was held this year from Nov. 7 to 10 in New Orleans, drawing attendees from around the world, including cardiovascular specialists, surgeons, and nurses as well as other health care professionals. The conference featured presentations focusing on the latest advances in cardiovascular medicine and surgery.

In one study, Shady Abohashem, M.D., M.P.H., of Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston, and colleagues found that light pollution can serve as a potential cardiovascular risk factor.

Using advanced brain and heart imaging, the authors found that individuals living in areas with higher nighttime light had greater activity of stress centers in the brain and more inflammation in their arteries, both of which are early signs of cardiovascular risk. These findings remained significant even after accounting for traditional risk factors like blood pressure, cholesterol, and lifestyle, as well as co-exposure to other socioenvironmental factors like noise.

“Chronic exposure to bright light at night can disrupt the body’s natural rhythm and keep stress pathways activated, even if we don”t notice changes in our sleep. Over time, this heightened stress response and vascular inflammation can contribute to heart disease. The message is simple: preserving the darkness of night might be good for your heart,” Abohashem said. “While this doesn”t mean doctors need to prescribe “dark rooms,” it highlights that light exposure deserves attention as part of cardiovascular prevention. Clinicians can start by asking about nighttime light exposure and advising simple steps — like dimming screens, using blackout curtains, or avoiding bright lights before bed. These are small, low-cost changes that can support better circadian health and potentially reduce long-term cardiovascular risk.”

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In another study, Aleesha Kainat, M.D., of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, and colleagues found aspirin use to be associated with significant reductions in myocardial infarction (MI), stroke, and mortality among high-risk patients with diabetes.

The authors evaluated electronic health record data during a 10-year period for more than 11,500 adults previously diagnosed with type 2 diabetes who were at risk for a cardiovascular event.

The researchers found that any aspirin use was associated with significantly lower hazards of MI and ischemic stroke compared with no aspirin use, with greater benefit observed in the high frequency use group. A subgroup analysis by hemoglobin A1c showed consistent benefit of aspirin across all glycemic strata, although the magnitude of benefit declined with worse glycemic control.