The first half of 2025 is now over, and the world of cardiology keeps expanding. As we do every year, we’ve compiled a list of the top six stories of H1 – one for each month – to recap the big changes and innovations happening in cardiology.
AI-ECG’s Hot Start and Fast Expansion
2025 kicked off with plenty of buzz about AI applications for one of cardiology’s oldest diagnostic modalities, ECG. From AccurKardia’s ECG-based AI-powered AK+ Guard hyperkalemia detection software, to Anumana’s ECG-AI integration with AliveCor’s Kardia ECGs, the trend is clear – ECGs can be used as a broad biomarker with AI’s help.
Cardiovascular Disease and Deaths are On the Rise
Despite numerous improvements in treatments and procedures, cardiologists cannot combat America’s CVD problem alone. As highlighted by the AHA’s 2025 Heart Disease and Stroke report in February, preventing CVD on the population level could have a greater impact than any drug, device, or treatment.
The ABMS Rejects an Independent CV Board
In what is shaping up to be a battle for cardiology’s independence from internal medicine, the American Board of Medical Specialties denied the joint ACC/AHA/HRS/SCAI/HFSA request to launch a new American Board of Cardiovascular Medicine back in March. Though a setback, ABCVM’s supporters have since petitioned the AMA for help.
We’re Getting Better at Treating AFib
Right before all of the amazing AFib research at HRS 2025 in April, the SINGLE SHOT CHAMPION study supported the notion that pulsed field ablation is better than cryoballoon ablation for patients with paroxysmal AFib. This laid out the red carpet for further PFA studies in 2025 that are finding it to be the superior method for treating AFib.
GLP-1s Keep Coming to Cardiology
While we’ve known GLP-1s have CV benefits for a while now, May was the month where the full results of the SURMOUNT-5 trial crowned Eli Lilly’s tirzepatide superior to Novo Nordisk’s semaglutide. That said, a week later, another study found semaglutide rapidly lowers MACE risk, independent of weight loss.
Cardiology Pharma in Full Bloom
As the May GLP-1 showers went away, the June pharma flowers came to stay, with several major developments like a new triple BP polypill and new evidence about the encouraging safety profile of Anthos’ abelacimab. Yet, the most exciting pharma news in June was Eli Lilly’s decision to join the CV gene editing race by acquiring Verve Therapeutics for a cool $1.3B.
The Takeaway
The midpoint of the year is a great time to reflect on the rapidly changing world of cardiology, and while the field as a whole is growing, two things are clear in 2025 so far – preventing CVD is better than trying to cure it, even though there’s no shortage of drugs and procedures trying to do so anyway.
