Cardiology in 2025: Year in Review

Cardiology has seen rapid evolution over the past year, between the constant advancement of GLP-1 receptor agonists and a series of rapid-fire approvals from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Updated clinical guidelines on heart failure (HF) and hypertension from various research organizations reinforced existing treatment algorithms and addressed gaps in disease management. And a new clinical definition of obesity as a disease rather than a risk factor established a path forward for managing one of the most critical epidemics facing cardiology.

Given the sheer volume of news released over the course of 2025, the editorial team at HCPLive has collected 11 of the most impactful headlines from the past 12 months. Catch up on any cardiology news you may have missed during this busy year below.

FDA News

FDA Approves Vutrisiran (AMVUTTRA) for ATTR-CM

On March 20, 2025, vutrisiran received an expanded indication for the treatment of adults with cardiomyopathy of wild-type or hereditary transthyretin-mediated amyloidosis (ATTR-CM), making it the first RNAi therapeutic targeted to reduce cardiovascular mortality, cardiovascular hospitalizations, and urgent HF visits in ATTR-CM. The approval was based on the phase 3 HELIOS-B trial, where vutrisiran exhibited a 28% reduction in risk for all-cause mortality and recurrent cardiovascular events and a 33% reduction among patients receiving monotherapy. Vutrisiran also showed improvements in the 6-minute walk test and Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire Overall Summary score compared to placebo.

FDA Approves Oral Semaglutide (Rybelsus) for CV Risk Reduction in Type 2 Diabetes

The FDA approved oral semaglutide 7 mg and 14 mg for cardiovascular risk reduction in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D), irrespective of prior events, on October 17, 2025. This decision positioned oral semaglutide as the only GLP-1 medication currently available for reducing risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE). Currently, oral semaglutide is prescribed in conjunction with diet and exercise to improve blood sugar in adults with T2D. The approval comes on the heels of positive results from the SOUL trial, during which oral semaglutide demonstrated a 14% relative reduction in MACE risk after 4 years compared to placebo.

FDA Approves Lerodalcibep-liga (Lerochol) for LDL-C Reduction in Hypercholesterolemia

Announced on December 15, 2025, the FDA approved of lerodalcibep injection for use as an adjunct to diet and exercise to reduce low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) in adults with hypercholesterolemia. This novel, small protein-binding, third-generation PCSK9 inhibitor is intended as a once-monthly, single small-volume subcutaneous injection. The decision was based on results from the LIBerate program, a series of 5 global phase 3 registration studies. The latest of these, the LIBerate-HoFH trial, compared lerodalcibep to evolocumab, which proved the former’s noninferiority.

FDA Approves Aficamten (Myqorzo) for Symptomatic Obstructive Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

On December 19, 2025, the FDA approved aficamten in 5 mg, 10 mg, 15 mg, and 20 mg tablets for adults with symptomatic obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (oHCM) to improve functional capacity and symptoms. The allosteric and reversible cardiac myosin motor activity inhibitor proved its efficacy in the SEQUOIA-HCM trial, where it displayed substantially improved exercise capacity compared to placebo. Patients receiving aficamten exhibited increased peak oxygen uptake by 1.8 mL/kg/min, compared to 0 mL/kg/min in patients treated with placebo.

FDA Approves Finerenone (Kerendia) for Heart Failure with Ejection Fraction of 40% or More

On July 14, 2025, Bayer announced the FDA’s approval of finerenone for adults with HF with a left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≥40%. Data from the FINEARTS-HF trial provided the backbone for the approval, with finerenone significantly reducing a composite endpoint of cardiovascular death or total HF events in a 16% relative risk reduction compared to placebo. Additionally, finerenone reduced HF hospitalizations by 18%. Additional analyses have suggested that these effects were present independent of ejection fraction, frailty, and age.

Trial Updates and New Guidelines

AHA & ACC Release New Guidelines for High Blood Pressure to Reduce CVD Risk

On August 14, 2025, the American Heart Association (AHA) and the American College of Cardiology (ACC) released a joint guideline encouraging earlier treatment for high blood pressure to reduce cardiovascular disease risk. The publication suggests physical activity, heart-healthy diets, and stress management to reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke, kidney disease, cognitive decline and dementia, and HF. Additionally, the comprehensive list of guidelines includes limiting sodium and alcohol intake, home blood pressure monitoring, and undergoing regular screening for primary aldosteronism.

The Lancet Commission on Obesity: Redefining Endocrinology’s Most Notorious Condition

On January 14, 2025, The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology published a commission aiming to define obesity as a clinical disease in addition to its status as a risk factor. The Commission separated obesity into preclinical – wherein the condition is a risk factor for other diseases – and clinical – when obesity itself is a standalone illness. It also addressed diagnostic issues surrounding obesity, as body mass index has long been known to be unreliable at best. The Commission suggests clinicians confirm excess adiposity through 2 individual anthropometric criteria, such as waist circumference, or via direct fat measurement when possible.

HFSA and ASPC Release Statement on Shifting to Prevention in Heart Failure

On August 13, 2025, the Heart Failure Society of America (HFSA) and the American Society for Preventive Cardiology (ASPC) released a joint statement calling for a shift in how clinicians approach treating HF. The statement emphasizes the importance of prevention and risk identification, stating that HF should not be viewed as an inevitable outcome but an avoidable disease. Ultimately, the guidelines broke down 4 primary components of HF prevention: early risk identification, holistic care, proven therapies, and system-wide change. They emphasize that all 4 are critical to adopting a more proactive approach.

Feature Content/Podcasts

HFSA/ASPC Heart Failure Prevention: From Prognosis to Prevention in Heart Failure

In this 7-part HCPLive Special Report, moderator James Januzzi, MD, is joined by Martha Gulati, MD, MS, and Anu Lala, MD, to discuss the August 13 joint statement from the ASPC and HFSA on preventive care for HF. During the series, Gulati and Lala note the growing prevalence of the HF epidemic, along with ballooning costs, despite being largely preventable. This new publication, and thus this special report, seeks to unify HF care and preventive cardiology.

Don’t Miss a Beat: SURPASS-CVOT and Tirzepatide, a Dual GIP/GLP-1 RA, in ASCVD

In this episode, cohosts Stephen Greene, MD, and Muthiah Vaduganathan, MD, MPH, met with Darren McGuire, MD, to discuss the groundbreaking SURPASS-CVOT trial. This was the first study to directly compared 2 incretin-based therapies in patients with T2D and established atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). Additionally, the trial’s unique design combined traditional noninferiority testing with an imputed placebo approach, which draws on prior GLP-1 placebo-controlled trial data to infer superiority versus placebo – SURPASS-CVOT is the first time this methodology has been formally accepted into cardiometabolic research.

ACC/AHA Hypertension Guideline Update: Recommendations for Managing Blood Pressure

The updated ACC/AHA hypertension guidelines, released on August 14, 2025, aim to emphasize early intervention and more proactive approaches to hypertension care. New therapies like GLP-1 receptor agonists and aprocitentan are highlighted in the document; however, many clinicians have suggested caution in applying these recommendations given comparatively limited testing. In this video, the HCPLive editorial team met with 3 leading cardiologists – Manesh Patel, MD, Vivek Bhalla, MD, and Viet Le, DMSc, PA-C – to discuss the implications of these guidelines and how both clinicians and patients can adapt their hypertension care plans.