Dear Friends and Members in the Working Group

ESC Heart & Stroke and EuroThrombosis 2025

As we embark on a new year, the highlight of the last’s year calendar for the ESC Working Group on Thrombosis was our conference in Milan, on 15-16 November. This was the first year in which we joined forces with the ESC Council on Stroke for a joint meeting, the ESC Heart & Stroke and EuroThrombosis 2025, held in the magnificent Renaissance setting of the University of Milan. This inaugural meeting was a huge success, bringing together clinicians and researchers, academic superstars, opinion leaders, and the young doctors and scientists who are the rising stars of tomorrow. With a truly international faculty, across two jam-packed days, the programme combined plenary lectures, state-of-the-art sessions, symposia, interactive debates and case-based discussions. Throughout the two days, there were moderated poster presentations in the aula, creating an outstanding platform for lively scientific exchange and collaboration.

A key highlight of the meeting was the Plenary Lecture on “The Digital Transformation of Cardiology” delivered by ESC President Professor Thomas Lüscher, which offered a forward-looking perspective on how digital tools, data-driven medicine, and emerging technologies are reshaping cardiovascular care pathways, including thrombosis. The programme was packed, with international expert speakers and debaters, covering every aspect of thrombosis, from acute coronary syndromes, stroke, AF, VTE and PE, antithrombotic medications, to intracardiac, device-related or cancer-related thrombosis, to mention but a few topics! The meeting also delivered strong educational value through targeted workshops and sessions such as “How to write a research paper – what the Editor and Reviewers are looking for”, providing guidance for early-career investigators and experienced authors alike.

Scientific highlights included dynamic joint sessions with ESC partner bodies, including EHRA and the ESC Council on Hypertension, reflecting the very broad, interdisciplinary nature of both thrombosis and stroke. The programme also featured a dedicated Hotline session presenting timely clinical updates and forward-facing scientific initiatives. Particularly exciting session on the coronary track included interactive debates on “Optimal antithrombotic strategy post-ACS” and “Managing large coronary thrombus burden in the cath lab”, where pharmacologic and device-based approaches were discussed in a structured, case-driven format with expert panel discussion. 

There was a tangible buzz from the young community of our working group, with multiple poster presentation sessions, and a dedicated award session, with prizes for the best clinical and translational abstracts and case reports. Beyond the scientific sessions, the social programme, including the wonderful conference dinner with typically abundant Italian hospitality, was not only convivial and warm, but created opportunities for meeting new colleagues, networking and strengthened connections across the disciplines and generations.

Following this great success of our inaugural joint meeting, please now mark your diaries to join us in Prague for ESC EuroThrombosis and Heart & Stroke 2026, on 13-14 November 2026!

With best wishes

Professor Diana Gorog
Chair, ESC Working Group on Thrombosis