ESC European Society of Cardiology,update

Hello Maria,

Welcome to the latest episode of ESC TV Today.

Topics include:
Acute heart failure and cardiogenic shock
‘The price of performance’: doping and the athlete’s heart
Snapshots
Plus, much more!

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Snapshots

Steffen Petersen presents two contrasting cases of a rare infiltrative myocardial disease, highlighting the role of cardiac MRI and characteristic imaging features.

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Must-See Recent Trials

Ischaemic stroke in atrial flutter vs fibrillation, whole-grain consumption and cardiometabolic risk, global burden of heart failure – learn about these important publications and more in 'Cardiology this Week'.

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‘The Price of Performance’ : Doping and the Athlete’s Heart

What are the effects of performance-enhancing drugs on the heart? Sanjay Sharma explores their cardiovascular impact, the differentiation from adaptation of an athlete's heart to exercise, what modern imaging can reveal and whether damage can be reversed.

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Acute Heart Failure and Cardiogenic Shock

Christian Hassager discusses the transition from acute heart failure to cardiogenic shock, the importance of early recognition when recompensation fails, as well as early warning signs and treatment concepts for shock.

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In-Depth: ‘The price of performance’: doping and the athlete’s heart

Sanjay Sharma addresses further questions regarding performance-enhancing drugs and their consequences for the athlete’s heart. Access this valuable content free of charge – simply sign in via your My ESC account.

ESC TV Today is supported by Novartis and Novo Nordisk through independent funding.
The programme has not been influenced in any way by its funding partners.

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News

21 October 2026 - A Weekly Update of ESC Events & Resources

European Heart Journal - Digital Health: AI-powered OCT shows similar performance to IVUS for plaque burden quantification: Head-to-head benchmark study against histopathology of native coronary arteries

This study compared an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered optical coherence tomography (OCT) algorithm with intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) for quantifying coronary plaque burden, using histopathology as the reference standard. Across 852 matched cross-sections, AI-powered OCT showed strong agreement with histopathology for lumen area, vessel area, and plaque burden, with no statistically significant differences compared with IVUS. Both imaging modalities performed similarly in identifying high plaque burden. These findings suggest that AI-powered OCT may enable fully automated coronary plaque assessment, although further validation is needed to establish its clinical utility.

Read the article

Cardiovascular Science

ESC journals – recent articles

Enjoy free access today to:

European Heart Journal: Genotype and arrhythmic risk in dilated cardiomyopathy. Discover.
Cardiovascular Research: Heart-to-kidney signal by extracellular vesicles promotes kidney injury in cardiorenal syndrome. Discover.
EP Europace: Potassium-increasing regimens in patients at high risk of ventricular arrhythmias: a prespecified observational analysis of the randomized POTCAST Trial. Discover.
European Heart Journal - Cardiovascular Pharmacotherapy: Analysis and interpretation of a hierarchical outcome in a small pilot randomized trial: an example in the CORTAHF Trial. Discover.
European Journal of Heart Failure: GDMT is associated with reduced loop diuretic requirements, whereas diuretic dose does not modify GDMT benefit in heart failure: STRONG-HF. Discover.
European Heart Journal - Cardiovascular Imaging: Rivaroxaban for stroke prevention in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy without atrial fibrillation and with impaired left atrial reservoir strain: design and rationale of the LA-HCM Randomized Trial. Discover.
European Journal of Preventive Cardiology: Event-weighted desaturation burden and cardiovascular mortality in sleep apnoea: findings from a large community-based prospective cohort. Discover.

Mental Health Day 2026

How does mental health influence cardiovascular outcomes? And how can cardiovascular disease affect mental wellbeing?

Explore the growing body of evidence in the European Heart Journal Open collection on Mental Health and Cardiovascular Disease. Have research to share? Submissions to this special collection are open.

Browse the collection and submit your manuscript by 30 December.

News from Our Communities

Join the Editorial Board of the European Heart Journal Open

European Heart Journal Open, one of our official journals, is seeking Associate Editors and Editorial Board Members. Help shape open, global cardiovascular science and improve patient care. We welcome researchers and clinicians from across all fields of cardiovascular medicine and encourage applications from underrepresented backgrounds. Apply by 1 November.

Hot off the press

Anabolic steroids linked to serious heart damage in weightlifters; stopping them may aid recovery. Read the press release.

Post of the Week

Education and Career Development

ESC Cardio Talk podcast

Using gap to goal to guide treatment escalation: lessons from VICTORION-Challenge and beyond

With Kausik K. Ray and Irene Karungi, Imperial College London (UK). Listen to the podcast.

CardioPractice – Key highlights from ESC Congress 2026

This month, we feature concise reports highlighting key take-home messages from the Hot Lines. In a video and podcast, ESC President-Elect Prof. Filippo Crea, and the Chairperson of the Council for Cardiology Practice, Prof. Konstantinos Toutouzas, share their vision for the future of cardiology. Explore the resources.

ESC TV Today – updates and insights from the experts

Sanjay Sharma explores the cardiovascular effects of performance-enhancing drugs, how to distinguish drug-induced changes from normal athletic adaptation, and whether the damage is reversible. Christian Hassager discusses the progression from acute heart failure to cardiogenic shock, highlighting early warning signs and treatment strategies. Watch the latest episode.

Image of the Week

This week's image was submitted by Juan Guzmán Olea, Daniel Álvarez Castro and Gabriel Guzmán Olea from Hospital Ángeles Puebla, Mexico.

What type of life-threatening arrhythmia do you see?

Answer now

Upcoming webinars

TODAY, 21 October: 5th Universal Definition of Myocardial Infarction: diagnosing secondary and procedure-related infarctions. Register.
Monday, 26 October: Personalised secondary prevention in coronary artery disease: from risk stratification to long-term patient support. Register.
Tuesday, 27 October: Atrial fibrillation and physical activity. Register.

Congresses

EAPCI 2027
18–20 February
Milan, Italy

Practical learning for increasingly complex interventional practice

Explore the #EAPCI27 Scientific Programme built around the decisions, evidence and practical challenges shaping clinical practice.

Through live cases, simulation, hands-on learning and expert debate, strengthen your approach across coronary, structural and emerging fields, while exchanging perspectives with the wider Heart Team.

Submit your Late-Breaking Science by 24 November and register by 17 December to benefit from the early registration fee.

ESC Acute CardioVascular Care 2027
19–20 March
Seville, Spain

#ACVC27: Hidden expertise costs lives

Exceptional work happens every day in acute cardiovascular care – but too often, valuable learning stays within one team or hospital when it could improve practice more widely.

Submit your science for #ACVC27 to reach the global community, gain visibility and help improve practice beyond your hospital. Abstract submissions close on 29 October; clinical case submissions close on 5 November.