ESC Congress 2026 begins in Munich on August 28, bringing four days of new cardiovascular research, clinical guidance and discussion. Early data released ahead of the meeting provide a first look at some of the science to come.

ESC Congress 2026 takes place in Munich and online from August 28–31, with the press programme beginning on August 27. More than 30,000 clinicians and researchers from over 150 countries are expected to attend, with a record number of late-breaking clinical trial submissions and an increasing focus on the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in cardiovascular care.

Ahead of the meeting, two early press releases highlight the breadth of research that will be presented, from the potential cardiovascular implications of a commonly used artificial sweetener to AI-enabled screening for cardiometabolic disease.

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Higher xylitol levels linked with cardiovascular events

A long-term observational analysis of 17,710 participants found that higher circulating levels of the artificial sweetener xylitol were associated with a greater risk of major adverse cardiovascular events, defined as death, myocardial infarction or stroke.

The study combined data from two prospective cohorts. Over 6 years of follow-up in the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging, participants in the highest xylitol quartile had a 57% higher risk of a major cardiovascular event than those in the lowest quartile after adjustment for established cardiovascular risk factors. In the EPIC-Norfolk cohort, followed for 30 years, risk was 18% higher in the highest versus lowest quartile. The findings also suggested a graded relationship, with cardiovascular event rates increasing alongside xylitol levels.The findings build on previous work suggesting that xylitol may enhance platelet clot formation.

However, as the current research is observational, it cannot establish a causal relationship, and the investigators called for further research into the cardiovascular safety of xylitol and other artificial sweeteners.

→ Where and when to hear more: The association of Xylitol and incident cardiovascular events: the CLSA and EPIC-Norfolk cohort studies will be presented on August 29, 10:15–11:00, during the Hungry heart: nutrient deficiencies and cardiovascular disease session.

Could a five-second facial video help identify hypertension and diabetes?

Elsewhere, researchers will present early data on a machine-learning approach designed to detect hypertension and diabetes from short facial videos, potentially offering a contactless method of screening for two major cardiovascular risk factors.

The prospective single-centre study included 215 participants, who underwent high-speed video recording of the face and palms using a spectroscopic camera. The algorithm assessed measures including pulse-wave dynamics, skin blood-flow patterns and spectral characteristics of skin colouring.

Hypertension was detected with 95.0% accuracy using a 30-second recording and 90.3% accuracy using a five-second video. In newly reported analyses based on facial blood-flow patterns, diabetes was detected with 88.2% accuracy from a 30-second video and 81.2% from a five-second recording.

The algorithm could also estimate systolic blood pressure without a cuff, although variability remained above one of the relevant performance criteria. The researchers therefore plan further validation in larger and more diverse populations before considering real-world application.

→ Where and when to hear more: AI-powered cardiometabolic assessment from a single facial video will be presented on August 28, 15:45–16:45, during the Biomarkers: population burden and clinical outcomes session.

Looking ahead to ESC Congress 2026

These early findings provide only a snapshot of the data expected from Munich. Across four days, ESC Congress 2026 will cover late-breaking trials, new ESC Clinical Practice Guidelines and emerging approaches across cardiovascular prevention, diagnosis and treatment.

touchCARDIO will be onsite in Munich on August 28–29, bringing together key data, expert perspectives and clinical takeaways from the meeting as they emerge.