Top heart and brain research for 2025 found new ways to treat old problems

DALLAS, December, 18, 2025 - The top heart and brain research of 2025 is filled with new ways to treat old problems including high blood pressure, stroke and heart failure. Each year since 1996, the American Heart Association, a global force changing the future of health for all, has compiled a review of significant scientific advances in the fight against heart and brain diseases and other conditions related to cardiovascular disease, which claims nearly 950,000 lives in the U.S. annually and is the leading cause of death worldwide.

In 2025, scientific investigators globally reported findings that could help fill important gaps in preventing and managing conditions related to heart disease and brain disease including high blood pressure, stroke, heart failure, dangerous blood clots and aortic stenosis. Scientists looked at how to repair failing hearts at the cellular level and conducted studies to better understand the effects of smoking on young people and sleep on people of all ages. Researchers uncovered new insights into the most powerful modifiable cardiovascular disease risk factors and how key lifestyle changes impact life and death.

"Sometimes it seems as though we're facing a losing battle as heart disease and stroke have continued to be the leading causes of death worldwide driven most recently in the U.S. by increases in risk factors and an aging population. Yet, we are learning more every day about what causes cardiovascular disease, how to treat it and, more importantly, how to prevent it and that can be credited in significant part to the hard work and perseverance of research scientists," said Mariell Jessup, M.D., FAHA, chief medical and science officer of the American Heart Association.

"Scientific research is a pillar of the American Heart Association and contributions from the scientific community like those we are highlighting this year are invaluable to our work to help everyone, everywhere live longer, healthier lives," said Stacey E. Rosen, M.D., FAHA, volunteer president of the American Heart Association and senior vice president of women's health and executive director of the Katz Institute for Women's Health of Northwell Health in New York City.

Ten overarching themes stood out among this year's remarkable research strides. A full review of the top research can be found here. Below are key highlights:

Discoveries of new antihypertensive drugs and the benefits of blood pressure control

• Nearly half of U.S. adults live with high blood pressure (hypertension), the leading and most preventable risk factor for heart disease, according to the American Heart Association's 2025 hypertension guidelines.

• Managing blood pressure doesn't just protect the heart - it may also reduce the risk of dementia, according to a study published in Nature Medicine.

• In another breakthrough, researchers report in The New England Journal of Medicine that adding a new medication, baxdrostat, can help control hard-to-treat hypertension. Baxdrostat works by blocking an enzyme that produces aldosterone, a hormone that influences blood pressure by regulating salt and potassium levels.

Growing awareness of the enormity of cardiovascular risk factors globally and contribution to cardiovascular kidney metabolic disease

• Research shows that five modifiable risk factors-high blood pressure, unhealthy body weight, excess non-HDL cholesterol, smoking and diabetes-account for about half of the global burden of cardiovascular disease. These same factors also raise the risk for kidney disease and diabetes and contribute to cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic (CKM) syndrome, a newly defined condition affecting nearly 90% of adults.

• A recent New England Journal of Medicine study examined how these risks impact lifetime chances of heart disease and death from any cause. Another study in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology found that people with advanced CKM disease were nearly 10% more likely to die from cardiovascular causes over 15 years than those without CKM syndrome.

Ongoing debate about the chronic use of anti-platelet and anticoagulation. Perhaps less is more?

• Researchers stopped a study early after finding that adding aspirin to blood-thinning therapy increased serious health risks in people with chronic coronary syndrome and stents. The trial, published in The New England Journal of Medicine, included nearly 900 adults. Participants taking aspirin plus anticoagulants faced higher rates of cardiovascular death, heart attack, stroke, blood clots, and major bleeding compared to those on anticoagulants alone. They were also more likely to die from any cause.

Building on medical management in carotid stenosis without symptoms

• In two global clinical trials involving 2,485 participants, researchers tested whether adding a revascularization procedure to intensive medical therapy improves outcomes for people with severe but symptom-free carotid artery narrowing. Results, published in The New England Journal of Medicine, suggest stenting may offer some benefit beyond medication alone, while endarterectomy did not show the same advantage in this group.

Further impact of the GLP1s on CV disease, better drugs and better results?

• GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs), widely used to lower blood sugar and support weight loss, are also showing promise for heart health, according to new research.

• An international study in The New England Journal of Medicine found that tirzepatide, a GLP-1RA, may help people with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). Another study in the same journal reported that oral (rather than subcutaneous) semaglutide a long-acting GLP-1RA, reduced the risk of nonfatal heart attack, stroke, or cardiovascular death in people with Type 2 diabetes at high cardiovascular risk.

Groundbreaking approached to treating heart failure

• Scientists are working on ways to repair and "re-muscularize" failing hearts at the cellular level. In a study published in Nature, researchers showed that they could re-engineer such hearts with stem cells.

• Another study, published in Nature Cardiovascular Research, could contribute to better medicines to prevent heart failure.

• In research published in Circulation Research, a journal of the American Heart Association, investigators found that a newly identified cardiac microprotein called DWORF may be a promising therapeutic target for heart failure.

The tragedy of childhood tobacco use

• Research using data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children birth cohort followed more than 1,900 children in England from ages 10 through 24 years. The analysis found that persistent smoking beginning in childhood was linked to a 33% to 52% greater chance of premature structural and functional cardiac injury, after controlling for other risk factors. The study, described in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, highlights the importance of preventing smoking as well as its early consequences in youth.

Aortic stenosis: early treatment better than surveillance alone

• According to the American Heart Association, approximately 12% of Americans 75 and older have aortic stenosis, a narrowing of the aortic valve. When left untreated, it can lead to heart failure and death.

• Current guidelines recommend routine surveillance every six to 12 months for people who have asymptomatic severe aortic stenosis and preserved left ventricular ejection fraction. But a study published in The New England Journal of Medicine suggests a better option for many people may be early intervention with transcatheter aortic valve replacement, known as TAVR, during which a catheter is threaded through the main artery (the aorta) into the heart, and a new valve is placed and then expanded inside the old valve.

New refinements in the use of thrombolytics for stroke

Two new studies highlight how clot-busting medications may improve recovery for people with large vessel occlusion (LVO) strokes.

• In The New England Journal of Medicine, researchers reported that in one trial of 550 patients in China, giving intravenous tenecteplase - a tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) - before thrombectomy improved outcomes: 53% of patients regained functional independence after 90 days, compared to 44% with thrombectomy alone.

• A second study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that delivering alteplase directly into the artery after thrombectomy further improved recovery, suggesting targeted tPA therapy may offer added benefit.

Sleep: How it's key to heart health

• Getting enough sleep is essential for heart health, one of the American Heart Association's Life's Essential 8™ measures for ideal cardiovascular health.

• New research published in the journal Sleep suggests catching up on sleep over the weekend may lower the risk of calcium buildup in heart arteries, an early sign of heart disease. In a study of more than 1,800 adults, those who added more than 90 minutes of weekend sleep had lower calcium scores over five years compared to those who didn't. "Social jet lag," or irregular sleep schedules, showed little impact.

• Also in Sleep, another study of 360 teens found that irregular sleep patterns were linked to unhealthy changes in heart rate variability, a marker of heart health. Researchers say addressing sleep habits early may help prevent future heart and metabolic problems.

"It's interesting to note that investigators who at some point in their careers have received research funding from the American Heart Association were among the authors of 12 out of the 17 highlighted studies. This is a strong testament to the Association's impact as the largest nongovernmental, nonprofit funder of cardiovascular and cerebral vascular research globally," Jessup said.

Additional Resources:

• Available multimedia is on right column of release link.
• Follow American Heart Association news on X @HeartNews

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About the American Heart Association

The American Heart Association is a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. Dedicated to ensuring equitable health in all communities, the organization has been a leading source of health information for more than one hundred years. Supported by more than 35 million volunteers globally, we fund groundbreaking research, advocate for the public's health, and provide critical resources to save and improve lives affected by cardiovascular disease and stroke. By driving breakthroughs and implementing proven solutions in science, policy, and care, we work tirelessly to advance health and transform lives every day. Connect with us on heart.org, Facebook, X or by calling 1-800-AHA-USA1.

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