Cardiology

Cardiology is the branch of internal medicine dealing with disorders of the heart and blood vessels. The field is commonly divided in the branches of congenital heart defects, coronary artery disease, heart failure, valvular heart disease and electrophysiology.

Percutaneous Closure Procedure

Percutaneous closure can be described as a less-invasive surgical procedure that is used to treat patients with atrial septal defect (ASD) or patent foramen ovale (PFO). Since the utilization of percutaneous closure has evolved over the years, clinicians have already discovered multiple and less invasive methods in treatment, such as catheterization.

Cardiothoracic Imaging Techniques

What is Cardiology?

Cardiac Pharmaceutical Agents

Cardiology Procedures

Cardiothoracic Surgery

Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS)

Artificial Intelligence in Cardiology

Structure and Function of the Heart

Heart Disease Biomarkers and Screening Tests

Myocardial T1 and T2 Mapping

Hidden Signs of Heart Problems

See more featured articles »

How the Heart Pumps Blood

Limiting Cardiovascular Risk Using Akkermansia

Latest Cardiology News and Research

Rural communities face higher rates of heart disease and risk factors

A research team funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) uncovered higher rates of heart disease and worse heart health affecting adults living in rural communities compared to urban areas and the factors that likely drive these differences.

1 Apr 2025

Only 13% of French adults have optimal heart health—here’s what’s driving the gap

Only 13% of French adults aged 18–69 have optimal cardiovascular health, according to a national study using the American Heart Association’s Life’s Essential 8 (LE8) score. The findings highlight missed prevention opportunities and suggest that modest lifestyle changes could prevent up to 81% of cardiovascular events.

1 Apr 2025

Compound heatwaves linked to increased cardiac deaths

Cardiac deaths increase significantly during compound heatwaves-heatwaves where temperatures are elevated both during the day and overnight-according to a new study in JACC, the flagship journal of the American College of Cardiology.

1 Apr 2025

WINREVAIR™ (sotatercept-csrk) reduced the risk of a composite of all-cause death, lung transplantation and hospitalization for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) by 76% compared to placebo in the phase 3 ZENITH trial

Merck, known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, today announced the first presentation of results from the Phase 3 ZENITH trial evaluating WINREVAIR™ (sotatercept-csrk) compared to placebo in adults with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH, Group 1 PH) WHO* functional class (FC) III or IV at high risk of mortality who were on maximum tolerated background PAH therapy. At a median follow-up of 10.6 months (range, 0.3-26.1), WINREVAIR reduced the relative risk of major morbidity and mortality events (the composite of all-cause death, lung transplantation and PAH worsening-related hospitalization of ≥24 hours) by 76% (HR=0.24 [95% CI, 0.13-0.43]; p<0.0001 [1-sided]) compared to placebo.

1 Apr 2025

Novo Nordisk A/S: Rybelsus® (oral semaglutide 14 mg) demonstrates superior reduction in cardiovascular events in the SOUL trial at ACC 2025

Novo Nordisk today presented the full results from the SOUL cardiovascular outcomes trial, demonstrating that Rybelsus® (oral semaglutide) significantly reduced the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events in adults with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease (CVD) and/or chronic kidney disease (CKD).

1 Apr 2025

Study finds clues to hypertension hidden in electronic health records

A new study from investigators at Mass General Brigham shows that clues about hypertension may be buried in electronic health records (EHR).

1 Apr 2025

Tirzepatide improves kidney, cardiovascular function in patients with obesity and HFpEF

The drug tirzepatide improved kidney function and cardiovascular outcomes among patients with obesity and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) compared with placebo at one year, according to featured clinical research presented at the American College of Cardiology's Annual Scientific Session (ACC.25) and simultaneously published in JACC.

31 Mar 2025

Fluid restriction does not improve health in heart failure patients

People with heart failure have long been advised to limit the amount of fluids they consume each day to help reduce congestion, or the buildup of fluid in the lungs and extremities, but that advice provides no benefit, according to a study presented at the American College of Cardiology's Annual Scientific Session.

31 Mar 2025

Trilogy valve demonstrates safety and effectiveness in treating aortic regurgitation

Patients who underwent transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) with a valve designed to treat aortic regurgitation had an overall mortality rate of just 8.1% at one year, well below the trial's prespecified goal of 25% to show non-inferiority, according to a study presented at the American College of Cardiology's Annual Scientific Session (ACC.25).

31 Mar 2025

Embolic protection device does not reduce stroke rate in TAVR procedure

A device designed to remove embolic material—fragments of tissue that can be released into the bloodstream during transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR)—did not result in a reduction in the rate of stroke, according to a randomized trial presented at the American College of Cardiology's Annual Scientific Session.

31 Mar 2025

$Intravenous iron shows promise for heart failure with reduced ejection fraction$

Intravenous iron shows promise for heart failure with reduced ejection fraction

Among iron-deficient patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), receiving intravenous iron supplementation was found to be safe but resulted in mixed findings, according to a study presented at the American College of Cardiology's Annual Scientific Session (ACC.25).

31 Mar 2025

AI-based imaging performs equally well as ultrasound in guiding heart procedures

Patients with narrowing of at least 50% in three major coronary arteries did equally well when treated with a minimally invasive stent placement guided either by ultrasound-based imaging or by a novel, artificial-intelligence-powered (AI), non-invasive imaging technique derived from angiography, researchers reported at the American College of Cardiology's Annual Scientific Session (ACC.25).

31 Mar 2025

Racial disparities persist in survival rates for young athletes with cardiac arrest

The overall survival rate of athletes who suffer sudden cardiac arrest has improved over the past decade, but the likelihood of surviving varies by race, where the cardiac arrest occurred and what athletes were doing when they collapsed, according to featured clinical research presented at the American College of Cardiology's Annual Scientific Session (ACC.25) and simultaneously published in JACC.

31 Mar 2025

Heart attack deaths during marathons decline significantly, study reveals

While more people than ever are running marathons in the U.S., the risk of dying from a heart attack during a run has fallen dramatically in recent years.

31 Mar 2025

Study finds no benefit of early IABP use in cardiogenic shock patients

Compared with standard medical care, early use of a temporary intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) to support heart function in patients who were critically ill with cardiogenic shock caused by heart failure did not improve 60-day survival or enable more patients to successfully transition to long-term treatment, according to featured clinical research presented at the American College of Cardiology's Annual Scientific Session (ACC.25) and simultaneously published in JACC

31 Mar 2025

FAME-3 study reveals similar outcomes for CABG and PCI in severe triple-vessel heart disease

In sharp contrast to earlier studies, patients with severe triple-vessel heart disease fared equally well whether they underwent open-heart bypass surgery (CABG) or a less invasive procedure called PCI (percutaneous coronary intervention) at five years of follow-up, according to research presented at the American College of Cardiology's Annual Scientific Session.

31 Mar 2025

Research shows clopidogrel as better long-term therapy than aspirin after PCI

People at high risk for recurrent cardiac events following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), a procedure to open blocked arteries, experienced significantly better outcomes with clopidogrel rather than aspirin as their long-term antiplatelet therapy, according to research presented at the American College of Cardiology's Annual Scientific Session.

31 Mar 2025

Study finds high rates of undiagnosed and untreated peripheral artery disease

A new Intermountain Health study finds that peripheral artery disease, a condition that affects more than 10 million Americans over the age of 40, is often underdiagnosed and undertreated, with fewer women getting guideline-directed medical therapy than men.

31 Mar 2025

Antidepressant use associated with higher risk of sudden cardiac death in all age groups

Sudden cardiac death (SCD) refers to an unexpected death of a person, believed to be caused by a heart-related issue. It occurs within one hour of the onset of symptoms in witnessed cases or within 24 hours of the person being last seen alive in unwitnessed cases.

31 Mar 2025

Atrial fibrillation elevates early-onset dementia risk in younger adults

New research presented at the EHRA 2025, a scientific congress of the European Society of Cardiology, shows that the presence of atrial fibrillation (AF) increases the risk of future dementia by 21% in patients diagnosed with AF under 70 and the risk of early-onset dementia (diagnosed before age 65 years) by 36%.

31 Mar 2025