If you’ve ever seen a health news headline and felt unsure of what it means for you and your own health, you’re not alone. News stories surrounding heart disease are no exception.
In the last year, countless heart disease headlines have hit news feeds. With heart disease remaining the leading killer of men and women alike, that’s no surprise.
Each February, American Heart Month encourages increasing awareness and education around heart disease. In that spirit, we checked in with ThedaCare Cardiovascular Care Cardiologist Dr. Abdallah Malkawi to discuss some of the top heart health headlines from the past year.
“It can be difficult to decipher what a new development means for you,” Dr. Malkawi says. “Your health care team is the best resource to help answer any questions you may have.”
Long-Term, Daily Melatonin Use Tied to Heart Failure
In November 2025, the American Heart Association (AHA) shared the results of a study surrounding long-term use of melatonin as it relates to heart failure risk. Melatonin is an over-the-counter supplement that people often take to address sleep problems such as insomnia.
The observational study involved a five-year review of health records of more than 130,000 adults with insomnia who had used melatonin for at least a year. It found these individuals were more likely to be diagnosed with heart failure, require hospitalization for the condition or die from any cause.
Dr. Malkawi says the research that came out was an abstract presented at an AHA conference, not a peer-reviewed study. This means the findings are considered preliminary until published as full manuscripts in a peer-reviewed scientific journal.
In addition, Dr. Malkawi stresses the study looked at long-term melatonin use versus taking the supplement occasionally or episodically, such as when used for reducing jet lag after a long flight.
“It’s important to mention that because it’s an observational study, it doesn’t necessarily point to causation,” Dr. Malkawi says. “It might point us toward the fact that people with chronic lack of sleep might have a high risk of heart failure, which is something we knew before.”
Though more research is needed on this topic, Dr. Malkawi says one point is clear. Anyone experiencing chronic sleep troubles should seek medical care versus trying to treat it on their own.
“Lack of sleep is bad for your health in general,” Dr. Malkawi says. “I would recommend if somebody has problems with insomnia in the long run, they seek professional help to get pointed in the right direction.”
Mammograms Could Detect Heart Disease
Findings from this 2023 AHA abstract study resurfaced again in headlines in recent months. Mammography can show a presence of calcium buildup in the arteries of the breast. This may help predict a woman’s risk for cardiovascular problems such as heart attack and stroke, the AHA states.
The observational study’s results are especially impactful, given that they indicate mammography could uncover potential problems that might otherwise have remained hidden, Dr Malkawi says.
“The fact that they have breast calcium on the mammogram makes women more associated with having heart disease,” he continues. “That could help us detect heart disease in people who we would otherwise classify as low-risk.”
The findings also reinforce the need for following screening guidelines.
“That brings us back to the importance in general of mammograms, not only for screening for breast cancer, but also potentially for detecting other problems such as heart disease,” Dr. Malkawi says. “That’s why we like to follow screening in general, because it helps us detect multiple problems in multiple systems.”
GLP-1 Use Could Help Prevent Heart Disease
Heart disease risk reduction is among the many possible health benefits of taking a GLP-1.
GLP-1s are a group of medications that include drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy (semaglutide) along with Zepound and Mounjaro (tirzepatide). They were designed to help manage blood sugar and glucose levels in people with type 2 diabetes. Later, they were discovered to help people lose weight and reduce their risk for other health problems, including heart disease, stroke and kidney disease.
Dr. Malkawi says GLP-1s have shown to be effective in reducing heart disease risk.
“Whether the mechanism is directly by losing weight or by other ways, it’s not yet clear,” he says. “But we know they’re really good for that purpose of reducing weight even in non-diabetic people. Just the fact that they reduce weight in general reduces a lot of other risk problems. One of them is heart disease.”
Vaccines Can Offer Cardiovascular Benefits
In August 2025, the American College of Cardiology (ACC) issued guidance recommending vaccines to protect adults with heart disease against respiratory illness. These include influenza, COVID-19, RSV and other diseases where vaccination is shown to offer cardiovascular protective benefits, according to the group.
The ACC recommends the following vaccines for people with heart disease:
“People with heart disease and heart problems are more vulnerable to infection,” Dr. Malkawi says. “If they do get an infection, they are more vulnerable than a normal person to have complications because their hearts are weaker than the average person. Any stress on that heart will create problems. We’d like to avoid that with as much prevention as possible, and that’s where this guidance came from.”
ThedaCare makes it easy to get any vaccine you may need. Talk with your primary care team or visit thedacare.org/immunizations to see other locations for getting vaccinated.
Trusted Care
Don’t guess when it comes to heart care. If you have questions about what a specific piece of news means for your heart health, talk to your cardiologist or primary care physician or advanced practice provider.
“We’re proud to provide individualized care and to respond to any questions or concerns you may have,” Dr. Malkawi says.
