Social determinants of cardiovascular health: lessons from Whitehall
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41569-026-01333-4

Nature Reviews Cardiology, Published online: 03 August 2026; doi:10.1038/s41569-026-01333-4 (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41569-026-01333-4)Benjamin Dowsing describes the Whitehall studies, which established the inverse relationship between socioeconomic status and the risk of death from coronary heart disease, leading to the concept of social determinants of health.

Haemolytic injury and cardiovascular disease
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41569-026-01329-0

Nature Reviews Cardiology, Published online: 06 August 2026; doi:10.1038/s41569-026-01329-0 (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41569-026-01329-0)Haemolysis, and the subsequent liberation of haemoglobin into the plasma, can induce haemodynamic dysregulation and cardiovascular injury. In this Review, Hieromnimon and colleagues discuss the mechanisms by which plasma free haemoglobin and its degradation products exert their deleterious effects, the pathophysiological responses to these derangements and the potential preventative and therapeutic approaches to haemolytic injury.

The biomechanical environment of coronary atherosclerotic plaque rupture
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41569-026-01337-0

Nature Reviews Cardiology, Published online: 11 August 2026; doi:10.1038/s41569-026-01337-0 (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41569-026-01337-0)Tsiartas and Bennett discuss the discovery that atheroclerotic plaque vulnerability to rupture arises from the interaction between plaque composition and vessel biomechanics.

Uncovering the role of chromatin organization and dynamics in heart disease
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41569-026-01338-z

Nature Reviews Cardiology, Published online: 11 August 2026; doi:10.1038/s41569-026-01338-z (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41569-026-01338-z)Two studies published in Science explore how 3D chromatin organization and structure can influence cardiac development and promote heart failure.

Atherosclerotic plaque-derived microparticles as exporters of thrombotic risk
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41569-026-01340-5

Nature Reviews Cardiology, Published online: 18 August 2026; doi:10.1038/s41569-026-01340-5 (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41569-026-01340-5)Tipack Shanmugam discusses a study showing that microparticles released from atherosclerotic plaque can increase thrombotic risk and proposes that these extracellular vesicles might be therapeutically altered to prevent plaque rupture.

Cardiac fibroblast diversity in HFpEF: states, niches, interorgan drivers and targets
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41569-026-01335-2

Nature Reviews Cardiology, Published online: 18 August 2026; doi:10.1038/s41569-026-01335-2 (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41569-026-01335-2)Myocardial fibrosis is a key structural and prognostically adverse feature of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). In this Review, Kaye and colleagues delineate HFpEF-specific fibroblast alterations, integrate cross-organ signalling networks that condition the cardiac stroma, and evaluate opportunities for fibroblast-directed therapies as next-generation antifibrotic strategies.

Cardiovascular research in China: pathways, incentives and editorial implications
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41569-026-01341-4

Nature Reviews Cardiology, Published online: 19 August 2026; doi:10.1038/s41569-026-01341-4 (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41569-026-01341-4)The cardiovascular research landscape in China is shaped by a tiered, hospital-centred system, expanding funding opportunities and strong clinical resources. This Comment examines how institutional structures, research pathways and publication expectations influence scientific output and highlights how greater methodological rigour, international collaboration and more effective communication of scientific relevance to global audiences could improve the global visibility and impact of cardiovascular research from China.

Nicotine-containing products and the cardiovascular system: mechanisms and global health implications
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41569-026-01331-6

Nature Reviews Cardiology, Published online: 20 August 2026; doi:10.1038/s41569-026-01331-6 (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41569-026-01331-6)In this Review, Münzel and colleagues discuss the available mechanistic, biomarker, preclinical and clinical data on the cardiovascular effects of nicotine-containing products, define a hierarchy of cardiovascular harm across nicotine-containing products, summarize global policies on nicotine products, and highlight clinical implications and knowledge gaps.

Bedside epicardial adipose tissue assessment in the era of advanced adipose phenotyping
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41569-026-01344-1

Nature Reviews Cardiology, Published online: 27 August 2026; doi:10.1038/s41569-026-01344-1 (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41569-026-01344-1)Bedside epicardial adipose tissue assessment in the era of advanced adipose phenotyping

Reply to ‘Bedside epicardial adipose tissue assessment in the era of advanced adipose phenotyping’
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41569-026-01343-2

Nature Reviews Cardiology, Published online: 27 August 2026; doi:10.1038/s41569-026-01343-2 (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41569-026-01343-2)Reply to ‘Bedside epicardial adipose tissue assessment in the era of advanced adipose phenotyping’

Dyslipidaemia and hepatic steatosis: mechanisms and implications for lipid-lowering therapy
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41569-026-01336-1

Nature Reviews Cardiology, Published online: 27 August 2026; doi:10.1038/s41569-026-01336-1 (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41569-026-01336-1)Dyslipidaemia and hepatic steatosis are interconnected disorders that contribute to the burden of cardiovascular disease. Understanding the interactions between lipoprotein metabolism, changes in circulating lipids and hepatic lipid accumulation is, therefore, essential for improving risk stratification and therapeutic strategies. In this Review, Averna and colleagues discuss mechanistic links between dyslipidaemia and hepatic steatosis, the clinical relevance of the balance between circulating lipids and hepatic lipid content and the effects of lipid-lowering therapies on hepatic steatosis.