Digital twin-guided ablation reduces arrhythmia recurrence in persistent atrial fibrillation, clinical trial finds

Pulsed field ablation did not have superior efficacy to radiofrequency ablation in patients with drug-resistant paroxysmal (intermittent) atrial fibrillation, according to results from a late-breaking trial presented in a Hot Line session at the ESC Congress 2025.

Dual antiplatelet therapy after cardiac bypass surgery is no more effective than acetylsalicylic acid alone and also increases the risk of serious bleeding. This is shown in a study by researchers at Karolinska Institutet and the University of Gothenburg published in the journal the New England Journal of Medicine.

Aficamten treatment was associated with significant improvements in exercise capacity and symptoms compared with metoprolol in patients with symptomatic obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), according to late-breaking research presented in a Hot Line session at ESC Congress 2025 and simultaneously published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

A suspected perpetrator who can barely remember his name, several traffic violations committed by a woman in her mid-fifties who is completely unreasonable and doesn't understand her behavior—should such cases be brought before a court? And how does the state deal with people who commit acts of violence without meaning to?

It has long been known that the brain preferentially processes information that we focus our attention on—a classic example is the so-called cocktail party effect.

Swedish-speaking Ostrobothnia in Finland stands out as a potential Blue Zone, thanks to factors such as long life expectancy, good health and a lifestyle resembling those in well-known Blue Zones. Åland, which boasts the highest life expectancy and best health, fails to meet the lifestyle principles of Blue Zones, except when it comes to providing a pleasant environment, according to a study from Åbo Akademi University.

Routine coronary computed tomography (CCT)-based follow-up after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) of the left main coronary artery did not reduce death, myocardial infarction (MI), unstable angina or stent thrombosis compared with symptom-based follow-up, according to late-breaking research presented in a Hot Line session at the ESC Congress 2025.

Among individuals with cardiovascular disease or high cardiovascular risk and uncontrolled hypertension on multiple anti-hypertensive agents, a single subcutaneous dose of zilebesiran 300 mg led to a 5-mmHg reduction in systolic blood pressure at Month 3 compared with placebo, a difference that did not reach statistical significance. These results were presented as a late-breaking trial in a Hot Line session today at ESC Congress 2025.

In-hospital initiation of dapagliflozin did not significantly reduce the short-term risk of cardiovascular death or worsening heart failure (HF) in patients admitted for HF, although positive effects were seen when combining trial data, according to late-breaking research presented in a Hot Line session at ESC Congress 2025. Findings were also published in the journal Circulation.

Noninferiority was not demonstrated between immediate and staged complete revascularization in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and multivessel disease undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), according to late-breaking research presented in a Hot Line session at the ESC Congress 2025 and simultaneously published in The Lancet.

Discontinuing oral anticoagulation (OAC) therapy resulted in a lower risk of a composite of stroke, systemic embolism or major bleeding than continuing OAC therapy in patients who had successful ablation for atrial fibrillation at least 12 months previously, according to results from a late-breaking trial presented in a Hot Line session at ESC Congress 2025 and simultaneously published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Home-based hypertension care led to reductions in systolic blood pressure and improvements in hypertension control in South Africa, according to late-breaking research presented in a Hot Line session at the ESC Congress 2025 and simultaneously published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Noninferiority was not demonstrated for death and ischemic events between P2Y12 inhibitor monotherapy and dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) given for 12 months after stenting in patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS), according to late-breaking research presented in a Hot Line session at the ESC Congress 2025 and simultaneously published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

There was no benefit to modulating the intensity of antiplatelet therapy compared with standard antiplatelet therapy in high-risk patients who had undergone complex stenting procedures, according to late-breaking research presented in a Hot Line session at the ESC Congress 2025.

Procedure-related infection rates were similar to reconditioned and new pacemakers, according to late-breaking research presented in a Hot Line session at the ESC Congress 2025.

Three months of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) was associated with signals suggesting improved survival and lower bleeding risk than 12 months of DAPT, in a real-world all-comer population of patients with myocardial infarction (MI), according to late-breaking research presented in a Hot Line session at the ESC Congress 2025.

More patients with hypercholesterolemia at high/very high risk of cardiovascular (CV) events achieved low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) goals with inclisiran compared with placebo, when given on top of individually optimized lipid-lowering therapy, according to a late-breaking trial presented in a Hot Line session today at ESC Congress 2025.

Prophylactic implantable cardioverter defibrillator therapy did not reduce mortality in patients with a prior myocardial infarction, persistent moderate left ventricular systolic dysfunction and abnormal ECG markers, according to late-breaking research presented in a Hot Line session today at ESC Congress 2025.