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, ...

Europe loses 1.7 million lives each year to cardiovascular disease, a burden that costs billions and affects millions more. The Safe Hearts Plan sets out an ambitious shift toward prevention, earlier detection and recognition of lifelong genetic risk. As expectations rise, debate is already growing over whether the strategy can translate bold goals into measurable improvements in care and outcomes across the EU.

The American Diabetes Association has released its 2026 Standards of Care, reflecting major advances in diabetes and cardiometabolic management. In this Q&A, Dr Robert Gabbay (Joslin Diabetes Center, Boston, MA, USA) discusses expanded roles for GLP-1–based therapies, updated cardiovascular risk targets, and a growing emphasis on integrated, whole-person care with important implications for cardiovascular clinical practice.

Cardiovascular medicine in 2025 has been marked by rapid innovation and meaningful shifts in clinical practice. In this year-in-review, touchCARDIO brings together expert reflections highlighting paradigm-changing trial data, the emergence of pulsed field ablation and conduction system pacing, advances in imaging and prevention, and the accelerating integration of artificial intelligence. Collectively, these perspectives underscore a field evolving toward more precise, technology-enabled and preventive cardiovascular care, while emphasising the need to translate scientific progress into improved outcomes for patients worldwide.

A first-of-its-kind CAR Treg therapy has shown plaque-reducing effects in a preclinical model of atherosclerosis, signalling a potential shift toward targeted immunomodulation in cardiovascular disease. Could OxLDL-directed Tregs become the next major advance in cardio-immunotherapy?

Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) is a fat collection directly adjacent to the myocardium and coronary vasculature, lacking any separation and sharing the same circulation.1,2 This anatomy enables direct signalling between EAT and the surrounding tissue, positioning EAT as a central ...

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality throughout the world.1,2 While traditional risk factors are managed intensively, many individuals continue to have considerable residual risk, and emerging factors such as inflammatory mediators are being ...

In this episode, Nicky speaks with Prof. Georgina Ellison-Hughes from King’s College London about the groundbreaking field of senolytics and their potential to advance the treatment of age-related diseases. From understanding the science behind cellular senescence to how senolytic drugs work and what early clinical trials reveal, this episode explores an exciting frontier in longevity medicine.

The ESC Congress 2025 congress was an important meeting for clinical practice guidance in cardiology, with several major societies releasing long-awaited updates. As always, clinical practice guidelines remain central to cardiology, ensuring that the latest trial data and real-world evidence are rapidly translated into consistent, evidence-based patient care. This year’s congress saw the unveiling of important new documents across prevention, acute care and long-term management, equipping cardiologists with refined decision pathways, updated risk-stratification tools and clearer benchmarks to optimise patient outcomes.