Join the World Heart Federation at the Heart Café during ESC Congress 2026 in Munich, Germany, from 28–31 August. Located at the WHF Heart Café Space (Booth #K190, Exhibit Hall B2, Messe München), the Heart Café will bring together leading experts from around the world for a series of engaging, informal discussions on the issues shaping cardiovascular health today.
From women’s cardiovascular health and integrated cardiovascular and kidney care to salt reduction, global research and climate-related cardiovascular risks, the sessions will explore emerging evidence, share diverse perspectives and consider practical approaches to improving heart health worldwide. Come along, join the conversation and exchange ideas with colleagues from across the global cardiovascular community.
SATURDAY 29 AUGUST
Session 1 – 10:00 AM – 10:45 AM – Pregnancy as a Window into Lifelong Cardiovascular Risk
Maternal cardiovascular health is a critical but often under-recognised component of lifelong cardiovascular risk. Pregnancy acts as a natural stress test for the cardiovascular system, unmasking underlying risk factors and identifying women who may be predisposed to future cardiovascular disease (CVD). There is growing recognition of the need to integrate maternal health into broader cardiovascular prevention strategies, ensuring that pregnancy-related risk is systematically identified, communicated, and acted upon as part of lifelong care.
Speakers:
Prof Dorairaj Prabhakaran
Moderator
WHF President-Elect, Executive Director, Centre for Chronic Disease Control (India)
Dr Michael Honigberg
Speaker
Mass General Brigham, Boston (United States)
Dr Demilade Adedinsewo
Speaker
Mayo Clinic Florida (United States)
Session 2 – 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM – Advancing Integrated Screening for Cardiovascular Disease and Chronic Kidney Disease: From Guidelines to Implementation
Supported by Boehringer Ingelheim
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) are closely interconnected conditions that together contribute substantially to premature mortality, disability, and healthcare costs worldwide. Despite advances in prevention and treatment, both conditions remain underdiagnosed, with many individuals identified only after significant disease progression or the occurrence of major cardiovascular events. This session will take place immediately following the launch of the 2026 ESC Guidelines for the Management of Cardiovascular Disease and Chronic Kidney Disease. It will build on the guideline recommendations to explore how they can be translated into integrated approaches to cardiovascular and kidney health, with a focus on earlier identification of at-risk populations and the development of more coordinated, cross-specialty care pathways.
Speakers:
Prof Amitava Banerjee
Moderator
Professor of Clinical Data Science, University College London (United Kingdom)
Prof Naveed Sattar
Speaker
Metabolic Medicine, University of Glasgow and Honorary Consultant in Metabolic Medicine at the Glasgow Royal Infirmary (United Kingdom)
Prof Valerie Luyckx
Speaker
Senior researcher at the Institute of Biomedical Ethics and History of Medicine and the Zurich Kidney Center at the University of Zurich (Switzerland)
Prof Tazeen Jafar
Speaker
Health Services and Systems Research at Duke-NUS Medical School and Visiting Consultant in Renal Medicine at Singapore General Hospital (Singapore)
SUNDAY 30 AUGUST
Session 3 – 11:00 AM – 11:45 AM – Rethinking Salt for Better Heart Health
Supported by LoSalt
Excess dietary sodium remains one of the leading modifiable risk factors for hypertension and cardiovascular disease worldwide. This session will explore the growing evidence supporting salt reduction strategies, including the role of potassium-enriched salt substitutes, as a cost-effective approach to improving cardiovascular health. The discussion will examine the latest scientific evidence, opportunities for implementation, and practical considerations for integrating these strategies into national policies and clinical practice to reduce the global burden of cardiovascular disease.
Speakers:
Prof Pablo Perel
Moderator
WHF Senior Science Advisor (Switzerland)
Prof Alta Schutte
Speaker
Cardiovascular Medicine at the University of New South Wales, Sydney and Co-Director of the Global Cardiovascular Program at the George Institute for Global Health, Sydney (Australia)
Dr Nelson Wang
Speaker
Academic Heart Failure Cardiologist and Senior Research Fellow, The George Institute for Global Health (Australia)
Session 4 – 12:00 PM – 12:45 PM – Shaping Global Cardiovascular Research
Join the Editor-in-Chief and members of the Global Heart Editorial Board for an interactive discussion on publishing impactful cardiovascular research. This informal Heart Café session will provide insights into the journal’s editorial priorities, the peer review process, and practical tips for preparing successful manuscript submissions. Participants will also have the opportunity to engage directly with the editors, ask questions, and discuss current trends and opportunities in global cardiovascular publishing.
Speakers:
Prof Raul Santos
Moderator
Editor-in-Chief, Global Heart Journal (Brazil)
Prof Pablo Perel
Speaker
WHF Senior Science Advisor (Switzerland)
Session 5 – 3:00 PM – 3:45 PM – Climate Extremes and Cardiovascular Health
Climate change is an increasingly important determinant of cardiovascular health, with extreme weather events contributing to rising cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, particularly among older adults and individuals with pre-existing cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, diabetes, and other cardiometabolic conditions. Both extreme heat and, in particular, extreme cold act as acute physiological stressors on the cardiovascular system. Heat exposure can precipitate dehydration, hypotension, thrombosis, and worsening heart failure, while cold exposure is strongly associated with vasoconstriction, increased blood pressure, increased myocardial oxygen demand, and a heightened risk of acute coronary events. Despite a growing evidence base, awareness of climate-related cardiovascular risk remains limited in clinical practice, and health systems are often insufficiently prepared for surges in weather-related cardiovascular events during cold spells and heatwaves. This underscores the urgent need to integrate climate resilience into cardiovascular prevention, clinical care, and public health planning
Speakers:
Prof Poornima Prabhakaran
Moderator
Director, Centre for Health Analytics Research and Trends, Trivedi School of Biosciences, Ashoka University, Senior Research Scientist, Centre for Chronic Disease Control Centre for Chronic Disease Control (India)
Dr Georgia Chaseling
Speaker
University of Sydney (Australia)
Dr Valentin Bilgeri
Speaker
Medical University of Innsbruck (Austria)