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Integration of cardiovascular and mental health: from concepts to the clinic

The 2021 American Heart Association scientific statement on the ‘mind–heart–body connection’ brought psychological health on to the cardiovascular stage. A new 2025 European Society of Cardiology clinical consensus statement advances this field, translating concepts into operational pathways with screening algorithms, stepped care and pharmacotherapy guidance. Together, these recommendations mark a pivotal shift, moving from why mental health matters in cardiology to how it can be systematically delivered in practice.

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Acknowledgements

O.H. is supported by the environmental network EXPOHEALTH (funded by the Science Initiative of the state Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany) and by the environmental research consortium MARKOPOLO (funded by the European Union (Grant Agreement Number 101156161) and the Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation). S.A. is supported in part by the American Heart Association (AHA) Second Century Early Faculty Independence Award (#24SCEFIA1256969) and AHA’s Transformational Project Award (#25TPA1474746).

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Correspondence to Omar Hahad.

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Hahad, O., Abohashem, S. Integration of cardiovascular and mental health: from concepts to the clinic. Nat Rev Cardiol 23, 1–3 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41569-025-01231-1

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