7 Cardiology Headlines You Missed in March 2026

March delivered a wave of impactful updates in cardiology, with major trial readouts, regulatory progress, and new guideline recommendations shaping the evolving landscape of cardiovascular care, many of which were highlighted at the American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Session (ACC.26). From pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) to atrial fibrillation and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, the month showcased continued momentum in both therapeutic innovation and clinical strategy.

New data from several major studies took center stage, including ADVANCE OUTCOMES, which demonstrated ralinepag’s potential to slow disease progression in PAH, and CHAMPION-AF, which reinforced the role of device-based left atrial appendage closure as an alternative to anticoagulation. At the same time, emerging data from trials like SCOUT-HCM and MOMENTUM offered new insights into underrecognized disease drivers and expanding treatment opportunities across patient populations.

Beyond trial data, the release of updated ACC/AHA dyslipidemia guidelines provided a comprehensive framework for lipid management, while regulatory movement for agents like lorundrostat signaled continued progress in hypertension care.

Here’s a look at the key cardiology headlines from March 2026 you may have missed:

ADVANCE OUTCOMES: Ralinepag Outperforms Placebo in Slowing Disease Progression in PAH

On March 2, 2026, United Therapeutics Corporation announced that its investigative prostacyclin (IP) receptor agonist ralinepag met its primary endpoint of reducing worsening clinical events in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) in the phase 3 ADVANCE OUTCOMES study.

Ralinepag demonstrated a 55% reduction in clinical worsening event risk (HR 0.45; 95% CI, 0.33-0.62; P <.0001) and saw durable efficacy in delaying disease progression – 80% of patients were on dual background therapy, and 70% were considered WHO/NYHA functional class II at baseline. Ralinepag also improved 6MWD and NT-proBNP compared to placebo, with increased odds of achieving improvement by 47% from baseline to week 28.

Lorundrostat Secures FDA NDA Acceptance for Hypertension, Falls Short in Phase 2 OSA Trial

On March 9, 2026, the FDA accepted Mineralys Therapeutics’ New Drug Application (NDA) for lorundrostat for the treatment of adult patients with hypertension in combination with other antihypertensive drugs. The application was backed by positive data from the phase 3 Launch-HTN and phase 2 Advance-HTN trials demonstrating favorable safety and blood pressure reduction in adults with hypertension. With the acceptance, the FDA assigned a Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) target action date of December 22, 2026.

Behind the Guidelines: Understanding 2026 ACC/AHA Dyslipidemia Guidelines

The American College of Cardiology, the American Heart Association, and 9 other leading medical associations issued an updated guideline for the management of dyslipidemia. The document consolidates evidence-based recommendations for managing dyslipidemias into a single resource, offering a comprehensive tool for how to best assess and treat various blood lipids to effectively lower an individual’s risk of developing ASCVD.

In this 9-part series, Ann Marie Navar, MD, PhD, a writing committee member, and Pamela Morris, MD, vice chair of the writing committee, break down key questions and changes to the 2026 ACC/AHA Dyslipidemia guidelines.

Related: Updated ACC/AHA Dyslipidemia Guidelines Incorporate LDL-C Goals, Lp(a) Focus, With Deepak Bhatt, MD, MPH

CHAMPION-AF: Left Atrial Appendage Closure Noninferior to NOACs

The CHAMPION-AF trial demonstrated the noninferiority of device-based left atrial appendage closure (LAAC) compared to non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulant (NOAC) therapy in preventing adverse events in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). The trial enrolled 3000 patients with non-valvular AF at elevated stroke risk, who were then randomized to either the Watchman FIx device or an approved NOAC. Ultimately, a composite primary efficacy endpoint cardiovascular death, stroke, or systemic embolism occurred in 81 patients among the device group and 65 in the NOAC group, resulting in a difference of 0.9 percentage points.

SCOUT-HCM: Mavacamten Outperforms Placebo in Adolescents With HCM, With Joseph Rossano, MD, MS

Mavacamten successfully demonstrated greater reductions in left ventricular outflow compared to placebo in adolescent patients with oHCM in the SCOUT-HCM trial. Joseph Rossano, MD, MS, co-director of the Cardiac Center at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, presented the data at ACC.26, demonstrating the drug’s efficacy among 44 patients. Mean Valsalva left ventricular outflow tract gradient ultimately decreased by 48.5 mmHg in the mavacamten arm compared to -0.5 mmHg in the placebo arm, and Rossano and colleagues ultimately reported few significant adverse events.

MOMENTUM: Hypercortisolism Present in 1-in-4 with Resistant Hypertension

Endogenous hypercortisolism was identified in more than a quarter of patients with resistant hypertension, according to findings presented at ACC. Results from the screening portion of the MOMENTUM trial results suggest the condition may be a substantially more common and underrecognized driver of treatment-resistant hypertension than current clinical practice assumes.

Evolocumab Reduces CV Risk in Non-Atherosclerotic Patients With Diabetes, With Nicholas Marston, MD, MPH

A secondary analysis of the VESALIUS-CV trial, presented at ACC by Nicholas Marston, MD, MPH, a preventive cardiologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, highlighted oral PCSK9 inhibitor evolocumab’s capacity to lower LDL-C in high-risk patients without a history of major cardiovascular events and with diabetes. A composite endpoint including coronary heart disease death, myocardial infarction, or ischemic stroke – as well as a 4-part endpoint including ischemia-driven arterial revascularization – occurred far less among patients treated with evolocumab compared to those receiving placebo.