American Heart Association experts available + simultaneous publications in the Association’s journals of Hot Line (Late-Breaking Clinical Trial) presentations at the European Society of Cardiology’s 2026 Congress, August 28-31, 2026 in Munich.

MEDIA INTERVIEW AVAILABILITY:

• On-site in Munich:
  • Manesh Patel, M.D.,FAHA, volunteer president of the American Heart Association

Sunday, Aug. 30, from 10:00-11:15 CEST in the ESC Press Center, Munich

• In addition to Dr. Patel, other volunteer experts are available remotely throughout the week to offer expert perspective on science being presented at the European Society of Cardiology’s 2026 Congress.

To schedule an interview with Dr. Patel or request another volunteer expert, please contact: Michelle Kirkwood, michelle.kirkwood@heart.org or Amanda Ebert, amanda.ebert@heart.org
________________________________________________

In addition, the following EMBARGOED manuscripts being presented at ESC 2026 will simultaneously publish in an American Heart Association journal.

• Please note: Embargo dates/times are listed below and on each manuscript.
• Please contact Michelle or Amanda at the link above to receive an embargoed copy of any of the embargoed manuscripts listed below. Contact information for study authors are listed within each manuscript.

• Friday, August 28, 8:15 CEST/1:15am CDT — Fifth Universal Definition of Myocardial Infarction (2026): On Behalf of the Joint European Society of Cardiology (ESC)/American College of Cardiology (ACC)/American Heart Association (AHA)/World Heart Federation (WHF) Task Force for the Universal Definition of Myocardial Infarction. Nicholas Mills et al. DOI: 10.1161/CIR.0000000000001477

• Friday, August 28, 9:00 CEST/2:00am CDT — LBCT — Vitamin K2 and D3 Supplementation in Patients with Severe Coronary Artery Calcification: The DANCODE Trial. Vitamin D3 and K2 Supplementation May Slow Calcium Build up in the Arteries. Calcium build up in the coronary arteries or coronary artery calcium is a risk factor for cardiovascular events. Giving patients with moderate to severe coronary artery calcification vitamin K2 and vitamin D3 supplements, which boost the activity and amount of a calcification blocking protein, reduced further build up by 21% over two years compared with patients who did not receive the supplements. More studies are needed to determine if vitamin K2 and vitamin D3 supplementation reduce cardiovascular events. Axel Diederichsen et al. Presenter: Selma Hasific. DOI: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.126.082363.

• Friday, August 28, 9:00 CEST/2:00am CDT — [Invited editorial to pair with DANCODE]. Michael Lauer et al. DOI: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.126.082642.

• Friday, August 28, 9:00 CEST/2:00am CDT — [Invited editorial to pair with DANCODE]. Melissa Daubert et al. DOI: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.126.082640.

• Friday, August 28, 9:00 CEST/2:00am CDT — [Invited editorial to pair with DANCODE]. JoAnn Manson et al. DOI: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.126.082639.

• Friday, August 28, 11:57 CEST/4:57am CDT — Hot Line 1 — Global Efficacy of Aficamten in Nonobstructive Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy: Results from ACACIA-HCM. Aficamten Improves Symptoms and Quality of Life for Patients with Nonobstructive Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy. Nonobstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy reduces the ability of the left ventricle of the heart to pump and leaving patients fatigued, short of breath, and struggling with exercise. More than half of patients treated with aficamten in the large randomized ACACIA-HCM trial experienced a complete or partial improvement in their symptoms and ability to exercise compared to just 14 percent of patients treated with a placebo. Aficamten may improve quality of life and the ability to participate in day-to-day activities among patients with nonobstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, who previously had few treatment options. Martin Maron et al. Presenter: Ahmad Masri. DOI: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.126.082026.

• Friday, August 28, 11:57 CEST/4:57am CDT — [Invited Content to pair with ACACIA HCM] Clinical Implications of Basic Research: Aficamten. James Spudich et al. Presenter: Selma Hasific. DOI: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.126.082644.

• Friday, August 28, 11:57 CEST/4:57am CDT — [Invited editorial to pair with ACACIA HCM]. Andrew Wang et al. DOI: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.126.082802.

• Friday, August 28, 12:00 CEST/5:00am CDT — Young Investigator Award Session — Low Ventricular Chamber Stiffness Identifies a High-Risk Eccentric Remodeling Phenotype in the Fontan Circulation: A FORCE Registry Analysis. Red flags on cardiac imaging for children with a single working heart ventricle. For children born with a single working heart ventricle, long-term outcomes are poor even after the recommended “Fontan” operation that connects the veins from the body directly to the lung arteries. Researchers have found that contrary to prevailing assumptions, lower—rather than higher—heart chamber stiffness in children with an average age of 15 years is associated with worse outcomes. Therefore, changes to the ventricle should prompt additional tests and treatments in patients and can serve as a warning sign. Jef Van den Eynde et al. DOI: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.126.081043.

• Friday, August 28, 12:00 CEST/5:00am CDT — [Editor's Note on Van den Eynde et al] May the FORCE be with you –paradigm shift away from small stiff ventricle towards maladaptive high compliance as the mechanism underlying Fontan failure. Priscilla Hsue. DOI: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.126.082949.

• Saturday, August 29, 8:15 CEST/1:15am CDT — LBCT: Global Health — Long-term effectiveness of intensive blood pressure management led by non-physician community health-care providers on cardiovascular events: 7-year follow-up of a cluster randomized trial. Community program achieves long-term blood pressure management in rural communities. Hypertension is the leading risk factor for cardiovascular disease. In the China Rural Hypertension Control Project, a non-physician community health-care provider–led program with intensive blood pressure management led to sustained blood pressure control and cardiovascular benefits during the first 4 years (the “trial” period) and this benefit persisted in the three years after the trial ended for a total follow-up of over 7 years. The project may represent a scalable and lasting approach to hypertension management and cardiovascular disease prevention in rural areas. Guozhe Sun et al. DOI: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.126.082511.

• Saturday, August 29, 8:15 CEST/1:15am CDT — [Invited Editor's Note on Sun Hypertension Control Programs: a Global Call to Action]. Wendy Post. DOI: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.126.083073.

• Saturday, August 29, 14:15 CEST/7:15am CDT — Tocilizumab is associated with a lower incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events in Giant Cell Arteritis. Immune Therapy May Lower Heart Attack Risk in Patients with Giant Cell Arteritis. Giant cell arteritis causes swelling and inflammation in the arteries of older adults. It is often treated with steroid medications that come with risks but it is unclear how alternative non-steroid therapies affect the heart. The study used French health system data to mimic a clinical trial comparing cardiovascular outcomes in patients with giant cell arteritis treated with the immune-modulating drug tocilizumab or methotrexate. Patients treated with tocilizumab had a 40% lower risk of a heart attack or death from any cause compared to patients treated with methotrexate. Tocilizumab may offer a more heart-safe alternative for treating giant cell arteritis. Alexis F Guedon et al. DOI: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.126.080365.

• Saturday, August 29, 16:15 CEST/9:15am CDT — LBCT: Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy — Effect of Aficamten on Cardiac Structure and Function in Patients with Symptomatic Nonobstructive Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy. Aficamten Improves Symptoms and Quality of Life for Patients with Nonobstructive Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy. Nonobstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy reduces the ability of the left ventricle of the heart to pump and leaving patients fatigued, short of breath, and struggling with exercise. More than half of patients treated with aficamten in the large randomized ACACIA-HCM trial experienced a complete or partial improvement in their symptoms and ability to exercise compared to just 14 percent of patients treated with a placebo. Aficamten may improve quality of life and the ability to participate in day-to-day activities among patients with nonobstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, who previously had few treatment options. Sheila Hegde et al. DOI: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.126.082343.

• Saturday, August 29, 16:15 CEST/9:15am CDT — [Invited editorial to pair with Hegde et al]. Nosheen Reza et al. DOI: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.126.082804.

• Sunday, August 30, 9:09 CEST/2:09am CDT — Hot Line 6; LBCT — Oral Relaxin Receptor Agonist AZD5462 in Participants with Chronic Heart Failure: Primary Results from the LUMINARA Trial. Investigational oral drug may have benefits for patients with heart failure. Patients living with heart failure have a high risk of being hospitalized or dying despite established treatments. The phase 2b LUMINARA trial demonstrated that AZD5462, an investigational oral drug that acts on the relaxin family peptide receptor 1, may have benefits on the heart structure and its function in patients with chronic heart failure across the ejection fraction. The trial’s results warrant additional testing of AZD5462. James Januzzi et al. DOI: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.126.082763.

• Sunday, August 30, 9:09 CEST/2:09am CDT — [Invited Editor's Note on Januzzi et al Beyond an Endpoint: Learning from LUMINARA]. Andrew Ambrosy et al. DOI: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.126.083132.

• Sunday, August 30, 9:37 CEST/2:37am CDT — Hot Line 6; LBCT — Effectiveness of Nurse-Coordinated, Digital-Supported Collaborative Care Model in Reducing Hospital Stay and Mortality among Heart Failure Patients: TIME HF Cluster RCT (India). Nurse-Led Intervention with Mobile Health Monitoring Improved Heart Failure Outcomes Among Patients in India. Heart failure with reduced ejection fraction HErEF is a common cause of recurrent hospitalization and death. A nurse-led intervention supported by mobile health monitoring tools reduced the number of days patients spent in the hospital and reduced deaths by nearly one-quarter. The intervention shows that nurse-led, coordinated care models can improve outcomes and quality of life for older patients with HErEF in lower resource health settings with limited access to specialist care. Panniyammakal Jeemon et al. DOI: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.126.082490.

• Sunday, August 30, 9:37 CEST/2:37am CDT — [Invited editorial to pair with TIME HF]. Rajeev Gupta et al. DOI: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.126.082774.

• Sunday, August 30, 9:37 CEST/2:37am CDT — [Invited editorial to pair with TIME HF]. Lisa Kitko et al. DOI: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.126.082775.

• Sunday, August 30, 14:45 CEST/7:45am CDT — LBCT: Cardiac Amyloidosis — Effect of Anselamimab on Cardiac Structure and Function in Patients with Light Chain Amyloidosis: Insights from the CARES Clinical Trials. Investigational drug improves heart structure and function in patients with light chain amyloidosis. Light chain amyloidosis—when cells make faulty antibody proteins called light chains that then collect in the heart and other organs—can be life-threatening. An analysis of a randomized clinical trial reveals that anselamimab—an investigational antibody against one type of faulty light chain (kappa) improves heart structure and function in patients with the kappa form of the disease. The findings point to the clinical potential of anselamimab in this patient population with this rare disease. Scott Solomon et al. Presenter: Xiaowen Wang. DOI: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.126.082847n

• Monday, August 31, 12:00 CEST/Sunday, August 30 5:00pm CDT — Lipoprotein(a) and cardiovascular disease in individuals aged 20-100 years. Lipoprotein(a) is linked to atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk, even in the very old. Elevated blood levels of lipoprotein(a), a cholesterol carrying particle, are mostly inherited. A new study found that high lipoprotein(a) is linked to atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease across all ages from 20–100 years in both women and men. Older individuals up to age 100 years with high lipoprotein(a) had higher absolute risk, suggesting that they may gain the greatest benefit from preventive therapies. Borge Nordestgaard et al. DOI: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.126.079412.

• Monday, August 31, 12:00 CEST/Sunday, August 30 5:00pm CDT — [Invited Editor's Note on Nordestgaard Lipoprotein(a) and Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease Risk: From Young to Older Adulthood]f. Sadiya Khan & Wendy Post. DOI: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.126.082984.

• Monday, August 31, 9:15 CEST/2:15am CDT — LBCT — Effects of Evolocumab on Mortality Outcomes in Patients Without Prior MI or Stroke: A Prespecified Analysis of the VESALIUS-CV Randomized Clinical Trial. Evolocumab lowers mortality rates in high-risk patients without prior cardiovascular events. Evolocumab, a proprotein convertase subtilisin–kexin type 9 inhibitor, reduced cardiovascular events in patients with atherosclerosis or high-risk diabetes without prior heart attacks or strokes in a clinical trial. In an follow-up analysis of the trial’s data, adding evolocumab to background lipid-loweriTIME_ng therapy was associated with lower all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. The results support adding evolocumab to statins to improve overall survival in high-risk patients without prior cardiovascular events. Robert Giugliano et al. DOI: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.126.082436.

• Monday, August 31, 9:15 CEST/2:15am CDT — [Invited editorial to pair with VESALIUS]. Michael Shapiro et al. DOI: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.126.082769.

• Monday, August 31, 9:15 CEST/2:15am CDT — [Invited editorial to pair with VESALIUS]. Rishi Wadhera et al. DOI: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.126.082918.

• Monday, August 24, 14:00 CEST/7:00am CDT — Bioprosthetic Valve Failure after Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement. Josep Rodes-Cabau et al. Presenter: Antonin Trimaille. DOI: 10.1161/CIRCINTERVENTIONS.126.016892.

• Saturday, August 29, 17:20 CEST/10:20am CDT — Electronic Nudges to Increase Influenza Vaccination Uptake in Young and Middle-Aged Patients With Heart Failure: A Prespecified Analysis of the NUDGE-FLU-CHRONIC Trial. Tor Biering-Sørensen et al. Presenter: Daniel Modin. DOI: 10.1161/CIRCHEARTFAILURE.126.014891.

• Monday, August 31, 10:15 CEST/3:15am CDT — Left Atrial Remodeling and Functional Maladaptations in Obesity: An Invasive Pressure-Volume Analysis. Luca Monzo et al. DOI: 10.1161/CIRCHEARTFAILURE.126.014509.

• Friday, August 28, 10:45 CEST/3:45am CDT — Cost reductions with oral step-down antibiotic treatment in patients with endocarditis (POET). Nareen Kader et al. DOI: 10.1161/CIRCOUTCOMES.126.014059.

• Sunday, August 30, 17:15 CEST/10:15am CDT — Lipoprotein (a) Testing and Changes in Lipid Lowering Therapy in Patients with ASCVD: Findings from the CVMOBIUS2 registry. Nishant P Shah et al. DOI: 10.1161/CIRCOUTCOMES.126.013883.

• Monday, August 31, 10:00 CEST/3:00am CDT — Epigenetic vs Chronologic Age for Cardiovascular Risk Assessment. Ramzi Ibrahim et al. DOI: 10.1161/CIRCOUTCOMES.126.013600.

• Friday, August 28, 16:15 CEST/9:15am CDT — Composition of Troponin Release After Elective On-Pump and Off-Pump Cardiac Surgery. K.E. Juhani Airaksinen et al. Presenter: Saara Wittfooth. DOI 10.1161/JAHA.126.051842.

• Saturday, August 29, 15:15 CEST/8:15 am CDT — Distribution and Clinical Utility of the Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes Chronic Kidney Disease Risk Classification in Patients Undergoing Atrial Fibrillation Ablation. Hironori Ishiguchi et al. DOI 10.1161/JAHA.126.049254.

• Saturday, August 29, 18:15 CEST/11:15 am CDT — Restricted loss of life expectancy in patients with acute myocardial infarction: A nationwide KAMIR registry study. Jin-Ho Choi et al. DOI 10.1161/JAHA.126.050187.

# # #