The inaugural issue of Nature Reviews Cardiology was published in November 2004 under the title of Nature Clinical Practice Cardiovascular Medicine. As reviewed in this 10-year anniversary issue, much has changed in cardiology over the past decade and, during this period, Nature Reviews Cardiology has become established as the leading reviews journal in the field.

...Nature Reviews Cardiology has become established as the leading reviews journal in the field

The past 10 years have seen great advances in cardiovascular medicine. These changes are summarized in a series of Decade in Review articles that were specially commissioned from key opinion leaders in cardiology. Antithrombotic therapy has been revolutionized by the development of direct-acting oral anticoagulant drugs and novel antiplatelet agents. These new classes of compound have particularly benefitted patients with acute coronary syndrome or venous thromboembolism (as reviewed by Frans Van de Werf and Mark Creager, respectively), and those with atrial fibrillation, who are at risk of stroke (as highlighted by Stanley Nattel). John Kastelein describes the major advances in lipid-lowering therapy with statins for patients with dyslipidaemia, and anticipates the approval of monoclonal antibodies against PCSK9, which are expected to provide further benefit for these patients.

Progress in pharmacotherapy has been matched by advances in interventional cardiology and device therapy. Bare-metal stents for percutaneous coronary intervention have evolved into drug-eluting, biodegradable scaffolds, and catheter ablation has become an established treatment for atrial fibrillation. Furthermore, Friedrich-Wilhelm Mohr summarizes the benefits that transcatheter aortic valve implantation and percutaneous mitral valve repair have brought to patients with valvular disease who are too high risk to undergo surgery. Cardiac resynchronization therapy has improved the lives of many patients with heart failure (reviewed by Henry Krum), whereas the role of renal sympathetic denervation in patients with hypertension remains controversial (discussed by Thomas Unger). Finally, our understanding of the mechanisms and pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease continues to inform drug discovery and therapeutic decision-making. Magdi Yacoub highlights our improved knowledge of the genetic basis of cardiomyopathies in his Decade in Review article.

Credit: NPG

Despite this great progress, particular areas of cardiology remain under-researched. Therefore, we invited five of our Advisory Board members from around the world to identify a topic in cardiovascular medicine about which we know too little, and suggest how this deficit might be addressed. In the resulting Viewpoint article, a diverse range of topics are discussed: Ottavio Alfieri focuses on preoperative assessment of right ventricular function, Bongani Mayosi highlights the burden of cardiomyopathies in Africa, and Seung-Jung Park describes the measurement of fractional flow reserve to guide coronary intervention. Nizal Sarrafzadegan chooses to discuss the interaction between genes and environment in cardiovascular disease, whereas Renu Virmani summarizes the difficulty of predicting atherosclerotic plaque rupture. By addressing these deficits in our understanding, we might enhance patient care and reduce morbidity and mortality over the next 10 years.

Continuing this theme, we invited our founding editor-in-chief, Valentin Fuster, to select what, in his opinion, will be the top 10 cardiovascular therapies and interventions for the next decade. In his wide-ranging Perspectives article, Fuster expertly summarizes the latest advances in myocardial protection for patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, and therapies for patients with atrial fibrillation, coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidaemia, hypertension, or valvular disease. He also investigates the importance of the polypill to improve adherence to medication, the revival of gene and cell therapy for cardiovascular disease, our emerging understanding of heart–brain interactions, and emphasizes the importance of promoting global cardiovascular health. Nature Reviews Cardiology will continue to provide expert insight, discussion, and context to the rapid progress in cardiology, which shows no sign of abating.