HEART INTERNATIONAL – VOLUME 20, ISSUE 1 – 2026

Cardiovascular care continues to evolve in response to increasingly complex clinical realities, where advances in intervention, electrophysiology and population health must be integrated with a more critical appraisal of long-held assumptions. Across disciplines, there is a growing recognition that improving outcomes depends not only on technological progress, but also on refining our understanding of mechanisms, […]

After decades of debate, patent foramen ovale (PFO) closure is now a well-established strategy to reduce recurrent stroke in patients aged 18–60 years who have had a PFO-associated stroke.1 Patients who underwent PFO closure continue to have a higher stroke risk than the general population. A recent study demonstrated a 2.1% higher stroke rate in the […]

Ventricular fibrillation (VF) is characterized by rapid (>300 beats a per minute), irregular electrical activation with variable electrocardiographic waveforms that prevents coordinated myocardial contraction, resulting in immediate loss of cardiac output.1 It most commonly occurs in the context of coronary artery disease.2,3 Resuscitation efforts are critically time-dependent: with each minute of untreated VF, the survival rate declines […]

Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) in young adults (typically defined as individuals younger than 40 years) has emerged as an important yet under-recognized public health concern. Recent estimates suggest an incidence of approximately 1–4 cases per 100,000 person-years, underscoring the clinical and epidemiological relevance of SCA in this younger population.1 SCA is a life-threatening medical emergency […]

Hypertension has been associated with increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, as well as with overall elevated all-cause mortality.1 Prevalence increases with age, affecting 28.5% of US individuals aged 20–44 years, 58.6% of those aged 45–64 years and 76.5% of those aged 65 years and older.2 In addition to its clinical burden, hypertension poses a substantial economic […]

Hypertension affects over 1.4 billion adults worldwide and remains the leading modifiable risk factor for global cardiovascular (CV) morbidity and mortality. It is responsible for an estimated 10.8 million deaths annually and contributes significantly to the global burden of ischaemic heart disease, stroke, heart failure and chronic kidney disease (CKD).1 Despite the availability of safe, effective antihypertensive […]

Hypertension is the leading modifiable risk factor for global cardiovascular disease, responsible for an estimated 10.8 million deaths and more than 200 million disability-adjusted life years annually.1 Despite the availability of effective pharmacological and lifestyle interventions, prevalence continues to rise, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where over three-quarters of all cases now occur.2 The condition’s […]