As is customary, the 2026 European Society of Cardiology Congress will bring news; however, the Hot Line sessions are probably the most anticipated aspect. On this occasion, in Munich, 12 sessions with studies covering a vast range of topics and areas will be presented. Here we select some of the mo…
As is customary, the 2026 European Society of Cardiology Congress will bring news; however, the Hot Line sessions are probably the most anticipated aspect. On this occasion, in Munich, 12 sessions with studies covering a vast range of topics and areas will be presented. Here we select some of the most relevant ones. Heart failure, myocardiopathies and pulmonary hypertension
CARDIO-TTRansform is a trial of eplontersén in patients with cardiac amyloidosis by transtiretina; Ionis Pharmaceuticals and AstraZeneca have already revealed that it did not reach its primary objective and the question, of course, is why. The results of ACACIA-HCM will also be presented in symptomatic non-obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, whose main results were positive. The H-HeFT and Met-HeFT trials, known collectively as DANHEART, evaluated hidralazina in combination with isosorbide dinitrate or metformin, respectively, versus placebo in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, each will be accompanied by a related meta-analysis. The phase 2b trial LUMINARA studied AZD5462, an oral agonist of relaxin administered once a day in chronic heart failure. The PADN-PH-LHD trial adopted a device-based approach to study the denervation of the pulmonary artery for left-sided heart failure-related pulmonary hypertension, while TIME-HF delved into the human aspect of management by analyzing team-based collaborative care in patients with heart failure. The results of the phase 3 LEVEL study will also be presented, which evaluated levosimendan in patients with pulmonary hypertension due to heart failure with preserved ejection fraction and did not reach the primary end point. Arrhythmia, syncope and treatment devices
In this area, the ASPIRED study stands out, which analyzes the ambulatory electrocardiogram versus standard monitoring in patients with unexplained acute syncope; the DANISH-CRT trial on the directed placement of the left ventricular electrode in patients with heart failure and prolonged QRS complex and SyncAV PMT, a post-marketing study on the dynamic optimization of the atrioventricular interval in cardiac resynchronization therapy. Syncope-Stopper compares initial cardiac stimulation versus standard care in high-risk patients with unexplained syncope, while His-Alternative II compares His bundle stimulation versus biventricular stimulation in heart failure. Atrial fibrillation
The SINGLE-AF trial evaluated anticoagulation in patients with atrial fibrillation at intermediate risk of stroke. Another highly anticipated study is the ENRICH-AF trial, which evaluated edoxaban in survivors of intracranial hemorrhage with atrial fibrillation. The NEXAF trial analyzed the impact of reducing exercise intensity in endurance athletes with non-permanent atrial fibrillation. As for devices, PVI-SHAM-AF compared pulmonary vein isolation ablation versus a simulated procedure to alleviate symptoms and IDEAL-AF (NCT04377594) investigated low-voltage, individually adapted, ablation of fibrillatory areas in patients with persistent atrial fibrillation.
Lipids and Atherosclerotic Disease Prevention
The AMUNDSEN study evaluated the impact of evolocumab administered before percutaneous coronary angioplasty on acute myocardial infarction. Two prevention studies complete this block: REACT, which measures the prevalence of silent atherosclerosis throughout adult life, and STAREE (NCT02099123), which evaluated statin treatment in people over 70 years old to reduce cardiovascular events. Coronary Disease
Regarding acute coronary syndromes, the results of LIBREXIA-ACS on milvexian, an oral inhibitor of factor XIa, will be presented; the study was stopped due to futility, with no evidence of increased bleeding. The results of the EPIDAURUS study will also be presented, which evaluated whether combining a direct oral anticoagulant with intensified antiplatelet therapy (prasugrel or ticagrelor) for a month, followed by clopidogrel, can reduce ischemic events without increasing bleeding in patients with atrial fibrillation undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention for acute coronary syndrome. Other interesting studies related to antiplatelets are PREMIUM, which evaluated the omission of acetylsalicylic acid at the time of primary angioplasty for acute myocardial infarction with ST segment elevation, and the SWITCH SWEDEHEART (NCT05183178) trial, which analyzed whether it makes sense to switch from ticagrelor to prasugrel in acute coronary syndrome. The results of A-CLOSE will also be presented, which compared monotherapy with clopidogrel versus prolonged dual antiplatelet therapy beyond 12 months after high-risk percutaneous coronary intervention. Digital Health
The findings of the EMAIL-HF trial, which evaluated a digital strategy for implementing type 2 sodium-glucose cotransporter inhibitors in heart failure, as well as ADHERE-ASCVD, which evaluated an adaptive digital contact to promote adherence to statins, will be presented. Remote Exercise SWEDEHEART is a cluster-randomized, crossover design trial of telemedicine for cardiac rehabilitation, while the VIRTUES ICD and VIRTUES PM (NCT03636230) studies evaluated digital platforms for implantable cardioverter-defibrillators and pacemakers. Interventional Cardiology
The POPular ACE TAVI (NCT05774691) study compared routine use versus selective use of protamine to reduce bleeding after transcatheter aortic valve replacement, while ACASA-TAVI and NOTION-4 analyzed antithrombotic treatment and durability. A fourth study, TAVI PCI (NCT04310046), analyzed when is the best time for treatment of patients who need both interventions: valve replacement and coronary angioplasty. Finally, the TRIC-I-HF trial initiated by researchers examined strategies for tricuspid valve intervention in patients with heart failure. Other Presentations
Other presentations include the TRANQUILITY trial of pacibekitug, a monoclonal antibody directed against interleukin-6 in patients with chronic kidney disease and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein. Regarding vaccines, the DAN-RSV trial will be presented, which studies the bivalent F pre-fusion vaccine against respiratory syncytial virus.
It also stands out an essay on endocarditis: POET-II, which evaluated the personalized duration of antibiotics in infectious endocarditis, and the CMR GUIDE trial, which analyzed how cardiac magnetic resonance can guide the management of mild to moderate left ventricular dysfunction. An interesting study is the AFFIRMO trial (NCT06775028), which evaluated an integrated approach in fragile elderly people, with multiple comorbidities and polymedicated, who suffer from atrial fibrillation. Dr. Cecilia Bahit is a cardiologist, graduated from the University of Buenos Aires, and currently head of the Cardiology Department of INECO Neurociencias Oroño, in Rosario, Argentina.
