Abbott Technologies Included in Updated ESC Heart Failure Guidelines

Aug. 28, 2026 — At ESC Congress in Munich, the European Society of Cardiology released its first updated heart failure guidelines (with a corresponding summary table) since 2021, and two of Abbott's technologies received notable classification upgrades:

• Abbott's HeartMate 3 LVAD was upgraded from Class IIa to Class I, the highest level of recommendation, for selected patients with advanced heart failure.— This brings European guidelines in line with existing U.S. recommendations and gives physicians the strongest possible guideline backing to recommend this device for appropriate patients.

• Abbott's CardioMEMS HF System was upgraded from Class IIb to Class IIa.—This shifts the clinical language from physicians "may consider" to "should consider" pulmonary artery pressure monitoring for Class III heart failure patients, a meaningful distinction that reinforces the role of proactive, remote management of heart failure to avoid hospital admissions.

Together, these upgrades give physicians clearer and stronger guideline support to incorporate both advanced monitoring and device-based therapies earlier in the course of heart failure care.

Finn Gustafsson, M.D., Ph.D., chief medical officer and divisional vice president of Abbott’s heart failure business said, "The European Society of Cardiology’s updated guidelines send a clear message: in heart failure, waiting is not a neutral choice. The evidence from trials such as MOMENTUM 3, GUIDE-HF and MONITOR-HF clinical trials have consistently shown that earlier intervention changes outcomes, whether through remote monitoring with Abbott’s CardioMEMS HF System, or mechanical support with the HeartMate 3 LVAD. Today's enhanced guidelines give physicians the backing to act on that evidence with confidence to help save lives and avoid heart failure hospitalizations."