HFA Cardio Talk
Heart Failure Association of the ESC
Recent Episodes
With Sotiria Liori, Attikon University Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens - Greece and Julie De Backer, Ghent University Hospital - Belgium.
In this episode, Sotiria Liori and Julie De Backer discuss heart failure in adult congenital heart disease patients — covering how congenital lesions and prior repairs shape epidemiology and mechanisms (ventricular remodeling, valvular and conduit dysfunction, arrhythmias), as well as clinical assessment with imaging, biomarkers, and hemodynamics. They outline management with guideline-directed therapy, rhythm considerations, indications for advanced therapies (MCS and transplant), and pregnancy counseling. The episode also highlights multidisciplinary care models and key evidence gaps.
Proposed reading:
- General Principles of Heart Failure Management in Adult Congenital Heart Disease. Tompkins R, Romfh A. Heart Failure Reviews. 2020;25(4):555-567. doi:10.1007/s10741-019-09895-x
- Chronic Heart Failure in Congenital Heart Disease: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association. Stout KK, Broberg CS, Book WM, et al. Circulation. 2016;133(8):770-801. doi:10.1161/CIR.0000000000000352.
- Relation Between New York Heart Association Functional Class and Objective Measures of Cardiopulmonary Exercise in Adults With Congenital Heart Disease. Das BB, Young ML, Niu J, et al. The American Journal of Cardiology. 2019;123(11):1868-1873. doi:10.1016/j.amjcard.2019.02.053.
- Heart Failure and Patient-Reported Outcomes in Adults With Congenital Heart Disease from 15 Countries. Lu CW, Wang JK, Yang HL, Kovacs AH, et al; APPROACH‐IS consortium, the International Society for Adult Congenital Heart Disease (ISACHD) *.J Am Heart Assoc. 2022 May 3;11(9):e024993. doi: 10.1161/JAHA.121.024993. Epub 2022 Apr 26.
- Pharmacological Therapy in Adult Congenital Heart Disease: Growing Need, Yet Limited Evidence. Brida M, Diller GP, Nashat H, et al. European Heart Journal. 2019;40(13):1049-1056. doi:10.1093/eurheartj/ehy480.
- Advanced Heart Failure Therapies For Adults With Congenital Heart Disease: JACC State-of-the-Art Review. Givertz MM, DeFilippis EM, Landzberg MJ, et al. Journal of the American College of Cardiology. 2019;74(18):2295-2312.doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2019.09.004.
- A Review of Heart Transplantation for Adults With Congenital Heart Disease. McMahon A, McNamara J, Griffin M. Journal of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia. 2021;35(3):752-762. doi:10.1053/j.jvca.2020.07.027.
- Heart Failure in Adult Congenital Heart Disease: From Advanced Therapies to End-of-Life Care. Crossland DS, Van De Bruaene A, Silversides CK, Hickey EJ, Roche SL. The Canadian Journal of Cardiology. 2019;35(12):1723-1739. doi:10.1016/j.cjca.2019.07.626.
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:
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.