Vnitr Lek 2026, 72(2):92-96 | DOI: 10.36290/vnl.2026.020

What's new in the ESC guidelines for management of valvular heart disease?

Hana Línková

Kardiologická klinika 2. lékařské fakulty Univerzity Karlovy a Fakultní nemocnice Motol a Homolka, Praha

Valvular heart disease is a major cause of morbidity and mortality, especially in the elderly population. In 2025, updated recommendations from the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) and the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery (EACTS) were published, reflecting the rapid development of transcatheter treatment methods, advances in imaging techniques, and new results from clinical studies. Compared to the recommendations issued in 2021, they mark a further step forward and change clinical practice. This mainly involves shifting interventions to earlier stages of disease development and expanding the role of transcatheter treatment of valve diseases, based on randomized studies and real-world data from recent years. This applies not only to the expansion of indications for transcatheter aortic valve implantation, but also to the strengthening of the role of transcatheter treatment of mitral regurgitation and the systematic integration of interventions on the tricuspid valve. The recommendations also emphasize the diagnosis and role of imaging methods, including coronary examinations, and the simplification of antithrombotic treatment regimens. The result is a more proactive and patient-centred approach led by a multidisciplinary team. The article focuses only on significant changes and revisions to previous recommendations, not on the recommended procedures as a whole.

Keywords: valvular heart disease, recommended procedures, ESC/EACTS, aortic stenosis, mitral regurgitation, tricuspid regurgitation.

Accepted: March 25, 2026; Published: April 8, 2026  Show citation