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 ...

At EHRA 2026, late-breaking trials across ablation, devices, and drug therapy signal major shifts in arrhythmia management, highlighting both rapid innovation and key unanswered questions. We spoke to Prof Jose Luis Merino for his highlights.

At EHRA 2026, new research presented by Professor Elaine Chew explores how music-based digital tools can enhance arrhythmia detection and enable personalized, AI-driven approaches to cardiovascular diagnosis and therapy.

The ASPC launches a new working group to guide the safe, evidence-based integration of AI and digital health technologies into preventive cardiology practice - we spoke to co-Chair Dr Ashish Sarraju about the state of artificial intelligence and health technology and the group's concerns plans for the future.

The ASPC’s new Women’s Cardiovascular Health Working Group highlights sex-specific risk factors and prevention strategies, offering critical insights for improving outcomes in female patients - we spoke to co-Chair Dr Martha Gulati about the inception of the group and their goals for preventing cardiovascular disease in women.

Late-breaking data from the Phase 3 HOPE-3 trial of deramiocel in Duchenne muscular dystrophy, presented at the 2026 Muscular Dystrophy Association Clinical & Scientific Conference, suggest potential benefits across cardiac and functional outcomes. The investigational first-in-class therapy is currently under review by the FDA for the treatment of DMD cardiomyopathy, with a Prescription Drug User Fee Act target action date of 22 August, 2026.

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.

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.