With Cornelia Margineanu, University of Medicine and Pharmacy Carol Davila, Bucharest - Romania and Holger Thiele, Heart Center Leipzig at University of Leipzig, Leipzig - Germany.

In this episode, Cornelia Margineanu interviews Holger Thiele on the practical approach to temporary mechanical circulatory support in heart failure.

Specific examples and clinical scenarios in which temporary mechanical circulatory support (MCS) should be considered, as well as when patients should be referred to tertiary centres, are discussed. The differences between various MCS devices, including their advantages and limitations, are also explored, along with the key elements of patient monitoring.

This 2026 HFA Cardio Talk podcast series is supported by Bayer in the form of unrestricted financial support. The discussion has not been influenced in any way by its sponsor.

With Gregorio Sambataro and two patients: Caius and Ulrich.

Gregorio Sambataro of the European Heart Network chats with Caius and Ulrich about their personal experiences with heart disease and their thoughts on the expanding use of artificial intelligence in healthcare. The conversation delves into important themes such as trust in technology and patients' responsibility to actively participate in their own care. It also emphasises the importance of raising awareness among healthcare professionals and the general public, as well as the fact that AI should be utilised as a supplement rather than a replacement for human decision-making.

This 2026 HFA Cardio Talk podcast AI4HF is funded by the European Union's Horizon Europe Framework under Grant Agreement No 101080430.

With Mehitabel Holler and two patients: Sheilagh and Karen.

In this episode, Mehitabel talks with Sheilagh and Karen about their experiences as patients helping to build artificial intelligence tools for heart failure. The discussion touches upon first assumptions and worries about AI (trust, transparency) and the possibility of losing the human element in care. The episode also discusses the need of clinician involvement, evidence gathering, and user-friendly design in building trust in AI-driven healthcare, emphasising that AI should complement the patient-clinician interaction.

This 2026 HFA Cardio Talk podcast AI4HF is funded by the European Union's Horizon Europe Framework under Grant Agreement No 101080430.

With Novi Yanti Sari, Siloam Hospitals Group, Jakarta - Indonesia, Sotiria Liori, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School, Athens - Greece, Sarah Birkhoelzer, University Dorset Hospital, Bournemouth - UK, Joseph Selvanayagam, Flinders University, Adelaide - Australia, Sam Straw, University of Leeds, Leeds - UK, Ida Arentz Taraldsen, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen - Denmark, Fabian Kerwagen, University Hospital of Wurzburg, Wurzburg - Germany, Dirk Van Veldhuisen and Kevin Damman, University Medical Centre Groningen, Groningen - The Netherlands.

In this episode, we discuss the late-breaking clinical science presented at the Heart Failure Congress 2026 in Barcelona, Spain.

First, Sarah Birkhoelzer interviews Joseph Selvanayagam, who presents the results of RESOLVE-HCM, a trial evaluating perhexiline for regression of left ventricular hypertrophy in symptomatic hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Next, Sam Straw interviews Ida Arentz Taraldsen, who highlights the key findings of REDOX-AHF, a trial comparing restrictive versus liberal oxygenation targets in patients with acute heart failure and pulmonary congestion.

Finally, Fabian Kerwagen interviews Dirk Van Veldhuisen and Kevin Damman, who discuss the DECISION trial and the accompanying meta-analysis. DECISION evaluated low-dose digoxin in patients with heart failure with reduced or mildly reduced ejection fraction, while the meta-analysis assessed the efficacy and safety of digitalis glycosides across contemporary heart failure trials.

This 2026 HFA Cardio Talk podcast series is supported by Bayer in the form of unrestricted financial support. The discussion has not been influenced in any way by its sponsor.

With Novi Yanti Sari, Dr. Soetomo General Academic Hospital, Surabaya, Indonesia and Michelle Bloom, NYU Langone Health, New York, USA.

In this episode Novi Yanti Sari speaks with Michelle Bloom about the intersection between cardio-oncology and heart failure. As cancer survival continues to improve, cardiovascular complications especially heart failure related to cancer therapies are increasingly encountered in clinical practice. The discussion explores the burden of heart failure among cancer survivors, mechanisms of cancer therapy-related cardiotoxicity, strategies for early detection and monitoring, management, and the importance of multidisciplinary collaboration between cardiologists and oncologists.

This 2026 HFA Cardio Talk podcast series is supported by Bayer in the form of unrestricted financial support. The discussion has not been influenced in any way by its sponsor.

With Giulia Bruno, Hospital Limerick, Limerick - Ireland and Piotr Ponikowski, Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw - Poland.

In this episode, Giulia Bruno is joined by Piotr Ponikowski to explore the complex interplay between valvular heart disease and heart failure. As our understanding of secondary mitral and tricuspid regurgitation evolves, new questions are emerging around prognosis, optimal timing of intervention, and the role of transcatheter therapies.

Together, they discuss how to approach management in these patients, the importance of guideline-directed medical therapy, and whether treating the valve can truly improve outcomes. This conversation highlights the challenges, current evidence, and future directions shaping this rapidly evolving field.

Recommended readings:

• 2025 ESC/EACTS Guidelines for the management of valvular heart disease: Developed by the task force for the management of valvular heart disease of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) and the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery (EACTS). https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehaf194
• 2023 Focused Update of the 2021 ESC Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of acute and chronic heart failure: Developed by the task force for the diagnosis and treatment of acute and chronic heart failure of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) with the special contribution of the Heart Failure Association (HFA) of the ESC. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehad195
• 2021 ESC Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of acute and chronic heart failure. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehab086
• Coats AJ et al. The management of secondary mitral regurgitation in patients with heart failure: a joint position statement from the HFA, EACVI, EHRA, and EAPCI of the ESC. European Heart Journal. 2021. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehab086
• Stone GW et al. Transcatheter Mitral-Valve Repair in Patients with Heart Failure. NEJM. 2018 (COAPT). DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa1806640
• Stone GW et al. Five-Year Follow-up after Transcatheter Repair of Secondary Mitral Regurgitation. NEJM. 2023. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2300213
• Sorajja P et al. Transcatheter Repair for Patients with Tricuspid Regurgitation. NEJM. 2023 (TRILUMINATE Pivotal). DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2300525
• Iliadis C et al. Acute heart failure and valvular heart disease: a scientific statement of the HFA, ACVC and EAPCI of the ESC. European Journal of Heart Failure. 2023. https://doi.org/10.1002/ejhf.70043

This 2026 HFA Cardio Talk podcast series is supported by Bayer in the form of unrestricted financial support. The discussion has not been influenced in any way by its sponsor.

With Liemena Harold Adrian, Syarifah Ambami Rato Ebu General Academic Hospital, Surabaya - Indonesia and Shelley Zieroth, St. Boniface Hospital, Winnipeg - Canada.

In this episode, Liemena Harold Adrian and Shelley Zieroth discuss heart failure in post–myocardial infarction patients, covering how myocardial infarction leads to the development of heart failure despite advances in reperfusion and acute care. The conversation addresses the epidemiology and underlying pathophysiology, approaches to early prevention and screening, diagnostic tools, as well as key interventions in the acute and early post-MI phases that may alter heart failure trajectories. They outline management with guideline-directed medical therapy, review current studies on heart failure–modifying therapies (such as the DAPA-MI and EMPACT-MI trials), and address indications for advanced therapies in post-MI populations. The episode also highlights the importance of early diagnosis, prompt recognition, and key evidence gaps in the field.

Recommended readings:

• Akhtar KH, Khan MS, Baron SJ, et al. The Spectrum of Post-Myocardial Infarction Care: From Acute Ischemia to Heart Failurehttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.pcad.2024.01.017. Prog Cardiovasc Dis. (2024); 82: 15-25. DOI: 10.1016/j.pcad.2024.01.017.
• Butler J, Hammonds K, Talha KM, et al. Incident Heart Failure and Recurrent Coronary Events Following Acute Myocardial Infarctionhttps://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehae885. Eur Heart J (2025); 46: 1540-50. DOI: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehae885.
• Butler J, Jones WS, Udell JA. Empagliflozin after Acute Myocardial Infarction. N Engl J Med (2024); 390: 1455-66. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2314051.
• Fioretti F, Butler J, Udell JA, et al. Empagliflozin after myocardial infarction with or without diabetes and chronic kidney disease: Insights from EMPACT-MI. ESC Heart Failure (2025); 12: 3940-3952. DOI: 10.1002/ehf2.15393.
• Hernandez AF, Udell JA, Jones WS. Effect of Empagliflozin on Heart Failure Outcomes After Acute Myocardial Infarction: Insights From the EMPACT-MI Trial. Circulation (2024); 149: 1627–1638. DOI: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.124.069217.
• Jenca D, Melenovsky V, Stehlik J, et al. Heart Failure after Myocardial Infarction: Incidence and Predictors. ESC Heart Failure (2021): 8: 222-237. DOI: 10.1002/ehf2.13144.
• Lala A, Beavers C, Blumer V, et al. The Continuum of Prevention and Heart Failure in Cardiovascular Medicine: A Joint Scientific Statement from the Heart Failure Society of America and The American Society for Preventive Cardiology. Journal of Cardiac Failure (2026); 32: 75-105.
• Petrie MC, Udell JA, Anker SD, et al. Empagliflozin in Acute Myocardial Infarction in Patients with and without Type 2 Diabetes: A Pre-specified Analysis of the EMPACT-MI Trial. Eur J of Heart Fail. (2025): 27: 577-588. DOI: 10.1002/ejhf.3548.
• Zieroth S, Rizi SS. Time Is of the Essence. JACC: Heart Failure (2023): 11(6): 713-714. DOI: 10.1016/j.jchf.2023.03.022

"This 2026 HFA Cardio Talk podcast series is supported by Bayer in the form of unrestricted financial support. The discussion has not been influenced in any way by its sponsors."

With Felix Lindberg, Karolinska Institutet & Södersjukhuset Hospital, Stockholm – Sweden and Marianna Fontana, National Amyloidosis Center, University College London, London – UK.

In this episode, Felix Lindberg and Marianna Fontana discuss the evolving landscape in the treatment of cardiac amyloidosis. After exploring the pathophysiology of cardiac AL and ATTR amyloidosis and recent years' insights about the epidemiology of these conditions, they focus on the transformation that has occurred in the therapeutic options for cardiac ATTR amyloidosis. The conversation addresses the key mechanistic differences and trial data on stabilizers and silencers, how to approach patient selection for these therapies, as well as emerging therapies including anti-amyloid antibodies. The discussion also highlights the importance of early diagnosis and key red flags that should elicit suspicion of cardiac amyloidosis.

• Vutisiran in patients with transthyretin amyloidosis with cardiomyopathy. Fontana M, et al. N Engl J Med. 2025.
• Tafamidis treatment for patients with transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy. Maurer M, et al. N Engl J Med. 2018.
• Efficacy and safety of acoramidis in tranthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy. Gillmore JD, et al. N Engl J Med. 2024.
• CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing with nexiguran ziclumeran for ATTR cardiomyopathy. Fontana M, et al. N Engl J Med. 2024.
• Conventional heart failure therapy in cardiac ATTR amyloidosis. Ioannou A, et al. Eur Heart J. 2023.
• Nonbiopsy diagnosis of cardiac transthyretin amyloidosis. Gillmore JD, et al. Circulation. 2016.
• Current landscape of therapies for transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy. Griffin JM, et al. JACC Heart Fail. 2025.
• Transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy: from cause to novel treatments. Fontana M, et al. Eur Heart J. 2026.
• Diagnosis and treatment of cardiac amyloidosis: a position statement of the ESC Working Group on Myocardial and Pericardial Diseases. Garcia-Pavia P, et al. Eur Heart J. 2021.

This 2026 HFA Cardio Talk podcast series is supported by Bayer in the form of unrestricted financial support. The discussion has not been influenced in any way by its sponsor.

With Maria Tereza Sampaio de Sousa Lira, Federal University of Pernambuco - Brazil and Anja Zupan Meznar, University Medical Centre Ljubljana - Slovenia.

This episode will discuss when conduction system pacing (CSP) may be the appropriate pacing strategy for heart failure patients, particularly those with pacing-induced dyssynchrony or suspected pacing-induced cardiomyopathy (PICM).

Key talking points include:

• Clinical clues and diagnostic approach to PICM

• Differentiating PICM from other causes of LV dysfunction

• When to consider CRT upgrade in pacemaker patients

• Insights from the BUDAPEST-CRT upgrade trial

• Advantages and limitations of CSP (His-bundle and left bundle branch pacing)

• Practical take-home message for clinicians managing HF patients with pacemaker

This 2026 HFA Cardio Talk podcast series is supported by Bayer in the form of unrestricted financial support. The discussion has not been influenced in any way by its sponsors.

With Felix Lindberg, Karolinska Institute & Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm - Sweden, Martha Kyriakou, European University of Cyprus, Nicosia - Cyprus and Maggie Simpson, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh - UK.

In this episode, Felix Lindberg, Martha Kyriakou, and Maggie Simpson discuss multidisciplinary care in heart failure, exploring why HF complexity and multimorbidity make coordinated, team-based management essential.

They outline the key professional roles and how they can work together to support continuity across the HF trajectory, from diagnosis and optimisation, through decompensations, and transition to advanced therapies and palliative care.

The discussion also addresses real-world gaps in implementation, and considers how the expanding roles of nurses, pharmacists, and allied professionals, alongside emerging digital tools, may shape the future of multidisciplinary HF care.

• Examining the clinical role and educational preparation of heart failure nurses across Europe. A survey of the Heart Failure Association (HFA) of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) and the Association of Cardiovascular Nursing and Allied Professions (ACNAP) of the ESC. Hill et al. 2025. Eur J Heart Fail. DOI: 10.1002/ejhf.3519
• Multidisciplinary Care in Heart Failure Services. Sokos et al. 2023. J Card Fail. DOI: 10.1016/j.cardfail.2023.02.011
• The Core Curriculum for Cardiovascular Nurses and Allied Professionals. Neubeck et al. 2023. Eur J Cardiovasc Nurs. DOI: 10.1093/eurjcn/zvad035
• How to handle polypharmacy in heart failure. A clinical consensus statement of the Heart Failure Association of the ESC. Stolfo et al. 2025. Eur J Heart Fail. DOI: 10.1002/ejhf.3642
• Pharmacist- and Nurse-Led Medical Optimization in Heart Failure: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Zheng et al. 2023. J Card Fail. DOI: 10.1016/j.cardfail.2023.03.01
• Nurse-led diuretic titration via a point-of-care urinary sodium sensor in patients with acute decompensated heart failure (EASY-HF): A single-centre, randomized, open-label study. Meekers et al. 2024. Eur J Heart Fail. DOI: 10.1002/ejhf.3429
• Heart failure disease management: a systematic review of effectiveness in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. Kalogirou et al. 2020. ESC Heart Fail. DOI: 10.1002/ehf2.12559
• What Are Effective Program Characteristics of Self-Management Interventions in Patients With Heart Failure? An Individual Patient Data Meta-analysis. Jonkman et al. 2016. J Card Fail. DOI: 10.1016/j.cardfail.2016.06.422
• Comparative effectiveness of transitional care services in patients discharged from the hospital with heart failure: a systematic review and network meta-analysis. Van Spall et al. 2017. Eur J Heart Fail. DOI: 10.1002/ejhf.765

This 2025 HFA Cardio Talk podcast series is supported by Bayer AG in the form of an unrestricted financial support. The discussion has not been influenced in any way by its sponsor.