Research Highlights

A heart–brain loop, which involves vagal sensory neurons in the heart, the paraventricular nucleus in the brain and sympathetic signalling via the superior cervical ganglia, mediates adverse cardiac remodelling after myocardial infarction in mice.

Treatment with low-dose IL-2 increases regulatory T cell numbers and reduces arterial inflammation in patients with an acute coronary syndrome and residual systemic inflammation compared with placebo, according to findings from the IVORY trial.

In the VESALIUS-CV trial, the PCSK9 inhibitor evolocumab reduced the risk of a first cardiovascular event in patients with atherosclerosis or diabetes mellitus but without a previous myocardial infarction or stroke.

In patients with residual inflammation after acute myocardial infarction, antibody-mediated antagonism of the oxidized LDL receptor LOX1 does not induce significant regression of noncalcified atherosclerotic plaque volume over the course of 9 months compared with placebo, according to the GOLDILOX-TIMI 69 trial.

In the mouse ischaemic myocardium, neutrophils promote ventricular tachycardia via the secretion of resistin-like molecule-γ, according to a new study published in Science.

Large-scale clinical trials presented at the ESC Congress 2025 support the use of high-dose vaccination for influenza to reduce hospitalization for cardiorespiratory disease in older adults and to improve outcomes in patients who have been hospitalized for acute heart failure.

Two late-breaking clinical trials presented at the ESC Congress 2025 have explored the efficacy of cardiac myosin inhibitors for the treatment of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

In the DIGIT-HF trial, treatment with digitoxin in addition to guideline-directed medical therapy reduced the risk of hospitalization for worsening heart failure or all-cause death compared with placebo in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction.

In patients with uncontrolled or resistant hypertension, the addition of the aldosterone synthase inhibitor baxdrostat to background antihypertensive therapy reduces seated in-office systolic blood pressure after 12 weeks of treatment, according to findings from the BaxHTN trial presented at the ESC Congress 2025.

A home-based model of hypertension care can lower blood pressure in patients with hypertension compared with standard care in the clinic, according to the IMPACT-BP trial, which was performed in a rural setting in South Africa and presented at the ESC Congress 2025.

Routine screening for Helicobacter pylori infection during hospitalization for myocardial infarction does not reduce the risk of upper gastrointestinal bleeding, according to findings from the HELP-MI SWEDEHEART trial, although secondary and subgroup analyses suggest potential clinically meaningful benefits.

Investigators of a new study published in Cell have engineered a new peptide modulator that binds to sodium channels to inhibit the late sodium current, which was shown to reverse the effects of sodium channel dysfunction associated with cardiac arrhythmias and epilepsy.

According to a study published in Nature, the gut microbial metabolite imidazole propionate can induce atherosclerosis in atheroprone mice, further highlighting the role of microbiome-informed precision medicine to treat cardiovascular disease.

Immune cells contribute to pathological remodelling in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy but regulatory T cells in particular can attenuate cardiac fibrosis and systolic dysfunction through their immunosuppressive properties, according to a new study.

Endothelial cells in ischaemic microvessels undergo necroptosis, which is linked to haemolysis and the deposition of haemolysed red blood cell membranes at the sites of endothelial cell death. This process might be a haemostatic mechanism to prevent interstitial bleeding; however, excessive aggregation can cause microvascular obstruction and microangiopathy.

A new study in science Translational Medicine demonstrates that the atheroprotective effects of PPARα agonists are associated with their anti-inflammatory properties rather than their lipid-lowering activity, highlighting the importance of targeting inflammation in managing the residual risk of cardiovascular disease

In the TANDEM and BROADWAY clinical trials, treatment with the CETP inhibitor obicetrapib in addition to background lipid-lowering therapy significantly reduced plasma LDL-cholesterol levels.

Inhibition of mechanotransduction selectively in cardiac fibrolasts, especially when combined with inhibition of transforming growth factor-β signalling, triggers a reversal of fibroblast activation and suppresses fibrosis in diseased hearts.

A new study published in Nature reveals the role of the interaction between the circadian transcription factor BMAL1 and hypoxia-inducible factor 2α in circadian-dependent cardioprotection after ischaemia–reperfusion injury, and highlights the potential of chronotherapeutic approaches for ischaemic heart disease.

Sotatercept, an activin-signalling inhibitor, is a promising add-on treatment for patients with advanced pulmonary arterial hypertension and a high risk of death, according to data from the ZENITH trial.