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.

With Tim Balthazar, University Hospital of Brussels - Belgium and Luca Fazzini, Papa Giovanni XXIII Hospital, Bergamo - Italy.

In this episode of HFA CardioTalk, Luca Fazzini interviews Tim Balthazar on the contemporary use of vasodilators and inotropic agents in heart failure. The conversation explores the gaps in current guidelines, the hemodynamic profile of patients suited for vasodilator therapy, and the rationale behind choosing specific inotropes in different clinical settings. Tim Balthazar further discusses the management of patients on chronic beta-blocker therapy presenting with signs of hypoperfusion and the challenges in designing randomized trials in this field. The discussion also touches on the role of inotropes in palliative care, as well as future perspectives and emerging pharmacological strategies.

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.

In this episode, we give a wrap-up of late-breaking clinical science presented at the ESC Congress 2025 in Madrid.

First, David Berg presents the DAPA ACT HF-TIMI 68 trial, reporting on dapagliflozin in patients hospitalized for acute heart failure, along with a meta-analysis of SGLT2 inhibitors in this setting.

Next, Javed Butler highlights results of the VICTOR trial, a large phase 3 study of vericiguat in chronic heart failure with reduced ejection fraction.

Then, Andre Zimerman discusses the PhysioSync-HF trial, comparing conduction system pacing with biventricular resynchronization therapy in patients with HFrEF.

Finally, Kieran Docherty shares insights from a community-based study on the benefits of early initiation of disease-modifying therapy in suspected heart failure.

Additional information:

Topic 1:

With Gregorio Tersalvi, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN - USA, David Berg, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston - USA and Novi Yanti Sari, Siloam Hospitals Group, Jakarta - Indonesia

Results paper:

Dapagliflozin in Patients Hospitalized for Heart Failure: Primary Results of the DAPA ACT HF-TIMI 68 Randomized Clinical Trial and Meta-Analysis of Sodium-Glucose Cotransporter-2 Inhibitors in Patients Hospitalized for Heart Failure

Replay ESC Congress Hot Line: https://esc365.escardio.org/presentation/312142

Circulation. 2025 Aug 29. doi: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.125.076575.

Topic 2:

With Javed Butler, Baylor Scott & White Health, Dallas - USA and Henrike Arfsten, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna - Austria

Results papers:

Vericiguat in patients with chronic heart failure and reduced ejection fraction (VICTOR): a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomised, phase 3 trial Lancet. 2025

Replay ESC Congress hotline: https://esc365.escardio.org/presentation/312148 doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(25)01665-4.

Vericiguat for patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction across the risk spectrum: an individual participant data analysis of the VICTORIA and VICTOR trials Lancet. 2025 Aug 29:S0140-6736(25)01682-4. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(25)01682-4.

Topic 3:

With Andre Zimerman, Hospital Moinhos De Vento, Porto Alegre - Brazil and Floran Sahiti, University Hospital of Wurzburg, Wurzburg - Germany

Methods paper:

Conduction system pacing vs biventricular resynchronization in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction and left bundle branch block: Rationale and design of the PhysioSync-HF Trial

Am Heart J. 2025 Dec:290:38-45.

Replay ESC Congress: https://esc365.escardio.org/session/50327 doi: 10.1016/j.ahj.2025.06.002.

Topic 3:

With Kieran Docherty, University of Glasgow, Glasgow - UK and Jolie Bruno, Inserm UMR-S942, Paris - France

Results paper:

Benefit of early initiation of disease-modifying therapy in community-based patients with suspected heart failure

Eur Heart J. 2025 Aug 29:ehaf675. doi: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehaf675.

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.

Wtih Robert Mentz, Duke University, North Carolina - USA, and Cornelia Margineanu University of Medicine and Pharmacy Carol Davila, Bucharest - Romania.

A focused discussion and an update on the latest developments in iron deficiency — a journey from definition to outcomes through available therapeutic options. Not to be missed!

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.

With Justyna Sokolska, Institute of Heart Diseases, Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw - Poland, and Maja Cikes, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Head at the Unit for Heart Failure and Mechanical Circulatory Support, Department of Cardiovascular Diseases, University Hospital Center, Zagreb - Croatia.

In this episode of HFA CardioTalk, Justyna Sokolska interviews Maja Cikes on the challenges in management of long-term left ventricular assist device in patients with advanced heart failure. The discussion emphasizes the importance of selecting appropriate patients at the optimal time, examines the adverse events and highlights major ongoing clinical trials.

Recommended readings:

Aspirin and Hemocompatibility Events With a Left Ventricular Assist Device in Advanced Heart Failure: The ARIES-HM3 Randomized Clinical Trial, Mehra MR, et al. JAMA. 2023 Dec 12;330(22):2171-81

Trends and Outcomes of Left Ventricular Assist Device Therapy: JACC Focus Seminar, Varshney AS, et al. J Am Coll Cardiol 2022 Mar 22;79(11):1092-1107

Cardiac implantable electronic devices with a defibrillator component and all-cause mortality in left ventricular assist device carriers: results from the PCHF-VAD registry, Cikes M, et al. Eur J Heart Fail 2019 Sep;21(9):1129-41

A Fully Magnetically Levitated Left Ventricular Assist Device — Final Report, Mehra MR, et al. N Engl J Med 2019 Apr 25;380(17):1618-27

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.