Smoking and alcohol were linked to breast cancer and irregular heartbeat in women aged 55 and over, a global analysis suggests.

Breast cancer and atrial fibrillation or flutter represent a growing global health burden, but the reasons for similar rates in some regions are not well understood.

Atrial fibrillation, also known as AFib, is an irregular heartbeat.

Study co-author Dr Shu Wang, director of the Breast Disease Center at Peking University People’s Hospital, said: “Identifying shared risk factors is important for developing interventions that support optimal health, such as smoking cessation and alcohol restriction, which could potentially reduce the global incidence of breast cancer and atrial fibrillation/flutter substantially.”

Researchers examined rates of breast cancer and atrial fibrillation or flutter among women aged 55 and over in 204 countries and territories.

They assessed exposure to 58 shared and distinct health, behavioural and lifestyle risk factors, including smoking, alcohol use, body mass index and physical activity.

The analysis found that 80 of 202 countries and territories, around 39 per cent, had similar rates of both conditions.

Breast cancer was the dominant condition in 65 countries, while atrial fibrillation or flutter was dominant in 57.

After accounting for multiple variables, smoking and alcohol use were linked to higher rates of both breast cancer and atrial fibrillation or flutter.

A further analysis estimated that reducing alcohol intake and smoking could potentially cut breast cancer risk by around 15 per cent and atrial fibrillation or flutter risk by about 12 per cent worldwide.

Alcohol use was estimated to contribute to 9.27 per cent of breast cancer cases and 7.57 per cent of atrial fibrillation or flutter cases.

High-income and developed countries, including the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and much of Europe, had elevated rates of both conditions.

The findings were consistent with previous research linking Western diets and sedentary lifestyles to greater risks of cardiovascular and metabolic conditions and cancer.

Wang said: “One of the most surprising aspects of our findings was how common both breast cancer and atrial fibrillation/flutter diagnoses were among women ages 55 and older in high-income regions, which highlights the influence of lifestyle.

“This is the first study combining global data with machine learning to show the relationship between the conditions, their location across the world and the shared risk factors of these two conditions.”

The highest-risk areas were mostly in Western countries, where exposure to smoking and alcohol was greater than in Eastern regions.

Researchers said the pattern could reflect lifestyle, social and community differences. Western countries were also more likely to have higher body mass index, sedentary lifestyles and greater exposure to Western diets.

Study co-authors Dr Zeye Liu and Dr Yi Shi said: “Nowadays, more and more people are paying attention to the link between cancer and cardiovascular health.

“Breast cancer and atrial fibrillation/flutter rise together across many regions of the world and share the same modifiable risk factors.

“From a cardiovascular perspective, this means that reducing smoking and alcohol use could help lower the risk of both conditions at the same time.”

Dr Laxmi Mehta, chair of the American Heart Association’s Council on Clinical Cardiology, was not involved in the research.

She said: “Many of the same modifiable factors, including smoking, alcohol use, poor diet, physical inactivity and obesity, contribute to both breast cancer and cardiovascular disease including atrial fibrillation/flutter, as confirmed by this study’s findings.

“This overlap underscores the importance of integrated lifestyle strategies to reduce risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer. The American Heart Association’s Life’s Essential 8 highlights key behaviours and health factors essential for prevention and reducing risk.”

The researchers created global risk maps that could help healthcare professionals and policymakers develop prevention strategies tailored to different regions.

They plan to add long-term research and genetic, metabolic and socioeconomic data to future analyses.

The study used information from the Global Burden of Disease 2021 database.

Machine learning was used to examine global patterns, links between the two conditions and risk factors specific to different regions. Machine learning uses computer systems to identify patterns in large amounts of data.

The research was based on national-level information and did not include data about individual patients, meaning it cannot prove cause and effect.

Differences in screening, healthcare resources, data collection and definitions between countries may also have affected the results.

By Nolynn Palmer, science and partnership lead, EmaEQ and Heather Ritchie, COO, Embr Labs

Summer is reminiscent of many things: the smell of sunscreen, longer evenings, dedicated family time, vacations finally on the calendar, maybe even a wardrobe refresh.

There’s a particular kind of joy that settles in this time of year, a collective breath of excitement.

But for people living with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), summer’s signature feature, heat, can turn that joy and excitement into something much harder to navigate.

POTS is a form of dysautonomia that disrupts the body’s ability to regulate blood flow when moving from lying down to standing.

Temperature dysregulation and heat intolerance are core symptoms in POTS.

Heat makes symptoms worse: blood vessels dilate, blood pressure drops, and symptoms like dizziness, fatigue, and heart palpitations intensify. What feels like a beautiful day to most can feel like an obstacle course to someone with POTS.

POTS affects an estimated 0.2 per cent to 1 per cent of the North American population, according to a 2020 NIH study; a figure that’s almost certainly undercounted, and one many researchers believe has grown significantly in the wake of COVID-19.

Roughly 75 per cent to 85 per cent of POTS diagnoses are female, and the average time from symptom onset to formal diagnosis is four to six years.

These individuals spend years researching their symptoms, becoming fluent in their own condition long before receiving a diagnosis.

Since launching its first-generation Embr Wave device, Embr has consistently heard from those with POTS looking for a solution for temperature intolerance and the symptoms that result.

Embr Wave’s temperature delivery system, providing immediate wearable cooling relief, maps directly to one of POTS’s most consistent symptoms, heat intolerance.

Embr’s implementation of Tempura, Embr’s app-based AI Assistant, has provided Embr with even more clarity on the impact Embr Wave can have in this statistically small population.

In the last 90 days, nearly 3 per cent of conversations with Tempura have touched on POTS. Relative to population prevalence, that’s a significant overrepresentation, confirming that individuals with POTS are actively seeking tools that are designed for their symptoms.

Embr Wave provides a model for how designing products for one use case, menopausal women managing hot flashes, can be found to have tremendous benefits for other populations.

The influx of advocacy by those with POTS led to a research study published this year that measured the improvement in Quality of Life factors when supported by thermoregulation wearables.

The product design by its nature, and how customers are using and talking about it, has had a snowball effect in the POTS community, amplifying awareness of a safe, always-available solution for this unmet need.

For someone with POTS, temperature isn’t a minor variable but a sizable trigger. Giving someone a way to manage temperature response hands them back a measure of control they didn’t have before.

Those in the Embr community living with POTS describe using their Wave devices both proactively and in-the-moment: some turn on their Wave’s cool-down signals before leaving the house or entering a crowded event, knowing what’s ahead.

Others use it reactively, when they feel their body beginning to respond poorly, and bring themselves back in balance.

Either way, Embr Wave provides its users with a sense of control around something they cannot control, their environment, allowing one to focus on and enjoy the moment.

No one should have to skip the places or events they love because their body can’t handle the heat. The goal is to help people stay in their lives fully, with less friction and more confidence in what their bodies can handle.

Nolynn Palmer holds a Masters of Global Public Health & Policy with a focus in Sexual & Reproductive Health & Rights. As the Science & Partnership Lead at EmaEQ, she leverages her knowledge of health policy and clinical science to advance AI safety and accuracy across the healthcare industry.

Heather Ritchie has a decades-long background in product management, launching enterprise and consumer solutions that improve health and wellness management. At Embr Labs, she serves as COO and leads the user design and market launch of Embr Wave (2nd Gen).

Academics are calling for regulation banning toxic chemicals in period products as a major menstruation conference prepares to open in Brighton.

The design, health and sustainability of period products will be a central theme at the Menstruation Research Conference 2026.

Keynote speaker Helen Lynn will discuss the lack of regulation and encourage attendees to support an open letter from the Women’s Environmental Network (Wen) calling for change.

Lynn, an honorary researcher at the University of Exeter and senior consultant and research fellow at Wen, said independent tests had found toxic chemicals in period products.

These included PFAS, known as “forever chemicals”, the heavy metals lead, arsenic and mercury, the pesticide glyphosate, biocidal silver and synthetic fragrances.

She said: “Period products are placed in prolonged contact with the highly permeable vulval and vaginal tissues.

“The vaginal tissue itself is thought to be up to 80 per cent more absorbent than the skin elsewhere on the body.

“Repeated tests have shown that toxic chemicals are present in period products.

“Worryingly, we know there are no safe levels of exposure for many of these chemicals, so even small amounts could be harmful.

“We believe everyone who needs them should have access to safe, sustainable and accessible period products, and we’re calling on governments to take action now.”

Lynn’s talk will head two days of events at Brighton and Sussex Medical School on the University of Sussex campus on 7 and 8 July.

The conference is hosted by the Menstruation Research Network and the 4M Consortium, a group of researchers focusing on menstruation and mental health.

The organisations have combined their conferences for the first time, making the event the largest ever held in the UK and one of the largest in the world.

More than 300 research presentations will feature at the conference. Registration remains open.

Co-organiser Professor Gemma Sharp, of the University of Exeter, leads the 4M Consortium.

She said: “We know that research into women’s health has been woefully under-funded, and our conference is crucial to advancing knowledge in this area.

“We’re learning ever more about how menstruation and menopause link to wider issues in our physical and mental health.

“Our conference also brings in the psychological, biomedical and environmental experience across the life course, to foster crucial collaborations to improve health.”

Co-organiser Dr Chi Eziefula, of Brighton and Sussex Medical School, said: “This conference is very international, bringing together researchers from 66 countries with a unique focus on menstruation.

“We’re hosting experts in biological and social science, policy, advocacy, the arts and industry to highlight the latest research, ideas and creative solutions to support good menstrual health across the globe.

“We will highlight the huge range of research that is available to guide policy and to make menstruation and menopause less stigmatised and more healthy.”