ESC Highlights

Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) remains the leading cause of mortality both in the US and worldwide.1 There is substantial evidence from genetic, observational and interventional studies that low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) is causally related to the development of ASCVD in a dose-dependent fashion.2,3 Statins have been shown to substantially lower LDL-C and form the cornerstone of […]

Heart failure (HF), a prevalent disease, is the common final pathway of several conditions, which result in the activation of numerous neurohumoral pathways. Cardiorenal interaction plays an essential role in the progression of the disease, and the use of diuretics is a cornerstone in the treatment of hypervolemic patients, especially in acute decompensated HF (ADHF).1 The […]

The Leiden University Medical Centre, Netherlands, has been recognized worldwide as a Center of Excellence for syncope, a common and yet all too often misdiagnosed symptom. Roland Thijs has received this prestigious award in recognition of its pioneering work for Implementation of the ESC Syncope Guidelines in the emergency ward. His team reported an improvement in diagnostic yield, accuracy and societal costs […]

Supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) is an important cause of intrusive palpitation symptoms. This expert interview explores a nurse-led end-to-end pathway for the diagnosis, assessment and management of this condition. It was conducted at the Barts Heart Centre of Barts Health NHS Trust in the UK. Q. What are the current challenges and unmet clinical needs in supraventricular […]

Highlights Failure to target and deliver durable radiofrequency lesions to all functionally critical areas has been identified as an important cause of ventricular tachycardia recurrence and is particularly challenging in deep midmyocardial or very extensive substrate where point-by-point radiofrequency ablation becomes impractical. Alternative approaches have been described to: improve radiofrequency energy delivery to the tissue […]

Welcome to the latest issue of Heart International. This edition includes a range of articles on topics showcasing the latest advances in our understanding and treatment of cardiovascular disease. We begin with focus on the hereditary cardiac disorder, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, which previously had a limited treatment options. However, with the approval of the myosin inhibitor, […]

The prevalence of aortic stenosis (AS) has grown over the last few decades, as life expectancy has increased. AS is the most common valvular disease in the developed world and is found in up to 9.8% of individuals aged ≥75.1–3 The wide range of ages, and the wide variability in the general health status in the […]

A significant proportion of patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) who have a high stroke risk are currently being treated with oral anticoagulation (OAC), including direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) and vitamin K inhibitors (VKAs).1 It is well known that the increased risk of thromboembolic stroke in patients with AF is primarily due to left atrial appendage (LAA) […]

The American Diabetes Association (ADA) defines prediabetes as glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) 5.7–6.4% or fasting plasma glucose (FPG) 100–125 mg/dL or 5.6–6.9 mmol/L.1 Patients with prediabetes have up to a 70% chance of developing diabetes and a two-fold higher risk of cardiovascular disease than normoglycaemic patients. Studies show results varying from no association to a strong association […]