

HFA Cardio Talk
Heart Failure Association of the ESC
The HFA Cardio Talk provides the opportunity to anyone interested in Heart Failure to receive updates in the field with very specific and diverse topics, go on a deeper subject of an HFA course and to listen to a discussion of key opinion leaders with junior HF specialists. Each month, a new episode lasting approximately 15 minutes and taking the form of a conversation between a member of the HFA Young community and an internationally renowned expert is released.
You can also be interested in other ESC podcasts: ESC Cardio Talk, EHRA Cardio Talk and ESC TV Today. Check them out!
You can also be interested in other ESC podcasts: ESC Cardio Talk, EHRA Cardio Talk and ESC TV Today. Check them out!
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jun 10, 2025 • 23min
Late Breaking Clinical Trial updates from Heart Failure 2025
With Kevin Damman, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen - The Netherlands, Floran Sahiti, University Hospital of Wurzburg, Wurzburg - Germany, Joao Pedro Ferreira, University of Porto, Porto - Portugal, Novi Yanti Sari, Siloam Hospitals Group, Jakarta - Indonesia, Marat Fudim, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC - USA, Gregorio Tersalvi, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN - USA, Jose Luis Morales Rull, University Hospital Arnau de Vilanova, Lleida - Spain and Cornelia Margineanu, Bucharest - Romania. In this episode, we discuss four late-breaking clinical trials presented at the Heart Failure Congress 2025 in Belgrade, Serbia. First, Kevin Damman presents the results of FUTURE-HF, a first-in-human study evaluating the long-term safety, accuracy, and clinical utility of a novel implantable IVC sensor for remote heart failure management. Next, Joao Pedro Ferreira highlights the key findings of SOGALDI-PEF, a crossover trial comparing SGLT2 inhibitor monotherapy versus combination therapy with an SGLT2 inhibitor and a mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist (MRA) in reducing NT-proBNP levels. Third, Marat Fudim reports on the MUSIC-HFpEF phase 1/2a trial, which explores the safety and preliminary efficacy of a novel gene therapy using adeno-associated virus vectors in patients with HFpEF. Finally, Jose Luis Morales Rull shares insights from PREFER-HF, a study assessing the effects of intravenous or oral iron therapy versus placebo in patients with HFpEF and iron deficiency anemia. FUTURE-HF: Long-term safety, accuracy, and utility of a novel implantable IVC sensor for remote HF management - Kevin Damman, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands. Host: Floran Sahiti, University Hospital of Wurzburg, Wurzburg, Germany doi: 10.1016/j.jchf.2025.01.019. SOGALDI-PEF: SOdium-Glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor with and without an ALDosterone AntagonIst for heart failure with preserved ejection fraction – Joao Pedro Ferreira, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal. Host: Novi Yanti Sari, Siloam Hospitals Group, Jakarta (Indonesia). MUSIC-HFpEF: Gene therapy in Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction – Marat Fudim, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA. Host: Gregorio Tersalvi, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA PREFER¬-HF: Effects intravenous iron or oral iron therapy compared to placebo in HFpEF with iron deficiency anemia - Jose Luis Morales Rull, University Hospital Arnau de Vilanova, Lleida, Spain. Host: Cornelia Margineanu, Bucharest, Romania. 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.

Apr 23, 2025 • 22min
Management of LVAD in patients with advanced heart failure
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.

Mar 26, 2025 • 17min
Inequalities in heart failure: sex, socioeconomic status, and ethnicity
With Robert M.A. van der Boon, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam - The Netherlands, and Anuradha Lala, Mount Sinai Fuster Heart Hospital, New York City - USA. In this episode of HFA Cardio talk, we dive into how factors like sex, socio-economics status and ethnicity shape the way heart failure presents and progresses in different populations. We'll discuss why recognizing these differences is critical for accurate diagnosis and effective treatment and highlight practical steps clinicians can take to close the gaps in prevention and care. Papers: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ejhf.2534 https://academic.oup.com/eurheartj/article/40/47/3859/5652224?login=true https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1071916421004322?via%3Dihub https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0002914922010074?via%3Dihub https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2468266719301082?via%3Dihub https://journals.lww.com/co-cardiology/fulltext/2021/05000/racial_and_ethnic_disparities_in_heart_failure_.12.aspx https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ehf2.14986 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.

Mar 3, 2025 • 18min
Rapid up-titration of GDMT in heart failure
With Henrique Arfsten, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna - Austria and Alexandre Mebazza, Hospital Lariboisiere, Paris - France. In this episode of HFA CardioTalk, Henrike Arfsten and Alexandre Mebazaa discuss the importance of rapid initiation and titration of guideline-directed medical heart failure therapy. A focus will be on data from the STRONG-HF trial, which demonstrated safety and efficacy of rapid up-titration following an acute heart failure event. The trial was even stopped early as the benefits of the intensive treatment strategy were overwhelming. Moreover, specific questions are raised, such as the right time to start therapy and how to deal with possible side effects. Mebazaa A, et al. Lancet 2022 Dec 3;400(10367):1938-52 Biegus J, et al. Heart Fail Rev 2024 Sep;29(5):1065-1077 McDonagh TA, et al. Eur J Heart Fail 2022 Jan;24(1):4-131 McDonagh TA, et al. Eur J Heart Fail 2024 Jan;26(1):5-17 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.

Feb 12, 2025 • 16min
Obesity in Heart Failure
With Novi Yanti Sari, Siloam Hospitals, Jakarta - Indonesia, and Mark Petrie, Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow - UK. In this episode of the HFA podcast series, we explore the complex relationship between obesity and heart failure, discussing challenges, management strategies, and the latest therapies, while emphasising the importance of integrated care in improving clinical outcomes. 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.

Jan 8, 2025 • 20min
Invasive Monitoring in Heart Failure
With Jasper Brugts, Erasmus Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam - The Netherlands and Floran Sahiti, University Hospital Würzburg and Comprehensive Heart Failure Center Würzburg, Würzburg - Germany. In this episode of the HFA Podcast Series, we will discuss telemonitoring in general, with a main focus on invasive monitoring in heart failure, the current evidence, and the advantages and disadvantages of the systems. This 2025 HFA Cardio Talk podcast series is supported by Bayer AG in the form of unrestricted financial support. The discussion has not been influenced in any way by its sponsors.

Dec 3, 2024 • 18min
Understanding revascularization in heart failure: why, for whom, and when
With Daniella Motta da Costa Dan, University of São Paulo - Brazil, and Marianna Adamo, University of Brescia - Italy. In this episode of HFA CardioTalk, Daniella Motta interviews Marianna Adamo on the controversies, consensus, and challenges surrounding revascularization in ischemic heart failure. The discussion highlights major clinical trials, emphasizes the importance of selecting appropriate patients, and examines the risks and benefits of revascularization in this context. Lastly, they address key updates from the latest ESC guidelines This 2024 HFA CardioTalk podcast serie is supported by Novartis in the form of an educational grant. The discussion has not been influenced in any way by its sponsor.

Nov 12, 2024 • 16min
Heart Failure in Pregnancy: Peripartum Cardiomyopathy
In this discussion, Peter Van Der Meer, a heart failure expert from the University of Chronia, shares insights on peripartum cardiomyopathy, a serious condition affecting women late in pregnancy or post-delivery. He and Emmanouil Kampanieris delve into the challenges of diagnosing this condition, linking it to factors like preeclampsia and ethnic influences. They explore recovery rates, revealing that many patients regain heart function, and discuss bromocriptine as a potential treatment, emphasizing the need for further research and careful management.

Oct 1, 2024 • 15min
Controversies in ICD/CRT implantation in non-ischemic cardiomyopathy for primary prevention
With Nicolas Verheyen, Medical University of Graz, Graz - Austria, and Lars Kober, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen - Denmark. In this episode of HFA CardioTalk, Nicolas Verheyen interviews Lars Kober on controversies in ICD/CRT implantation in non-ischemic cardiomyopathy for primary prevention. They focus in particular on the importance of selecting the right patients, and discuss biomarkers beyond left ventricular ejection fraction that may add value in predicting sudden death risk, and the need of randomized controlled trials with adequate endpoint selection to guide prophylactic ICD implantation. Related scientific paper: 2021 ESC Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of acute and chronic heart failure 2023 ESC Guidelines for the management of cardiomyopathies Defibrillator Implantation in Patients with Nonischemic Systolic Heart Failure 2023 ESC Guidelines for the management of cardiomyopathies: Developed by the task force on the management of cardiomyopathies of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) This 2024 HFA CardioTalk podcast serie is supported by Novartis in the form of an educational grant. The discussion has not been influenced in any way by its sponsor.

Sep 16, 2024 • 24min
Heart Failure clinical trials from ESC Congress 2024
With Jozine ter Maaten, University Medical Center Groningen - The Netherlands, Antonio Cannata, King's College London - UK, Mateusz Sokolski, Wroclaw Medical University - Poland, Henrike Arfsten, Medical University of Vienna - Austria, Stefan Anker, Charité University Hospital Berlin - Germany, Muthiuh Vaduganathan, Brigham and Women's hospital, Harvard Medical School Boston - USA, Cornelia Margineanu, Bucharest – Romania and Kengo Kusano, National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center Hospital, Osaka - Japan. In this multivoice podcast from the ESC Congress 2024, the main results of three randomized controlled clinical trials (FINEARTS-HF, RESHAPE-HF2, and CRABL-HF) are discussed. Links to the papers: FINEARTS-HF RESHAPE-HF2 This 2024 HFA CardioTalk podcast serie is supported by Novartis in the form of an educational grant. The discussion has not been influenced in any way by its sponsor.


