Late-breaking is the term given to a news story that becomes available shortly before the scheduled deadline. For example, the word might be used to describe a television or radio program interrupting its regular programming to cover an immediate breaking event such as a tornado warning, an impending landfall, or a sudden terrorist attack.
It might also refer to the presentation of original research at a scientific meeting. Among hundreds of original research presentations and posters at such meetings, very few are likely to change clinical practice dramatically or even confirm existing knowledge. But a handful of the best studies can generate significant interest and excitement. And those studies are generally referred to as “Late Breakers.”
For the most part, the emphasis placed on Late Breakers has been well intended. It has been a way to draw attention to research that otherwise might go unnoticed, and the goal of providing the latest and most impactful information is certainly one worth striving for.
Nevertheless, the pendulum may have overswung in terms of how much importance is given to these presentations. The clamoring for Late Breakers can cast a shadow over other original research that might be of interest to clinicians.
To be eligible for consideration as a Late Breaker, a study must be based on data that became available after the standard abstract submission deadline and must not have been presented or published at another national meeting or in any other scientific venue at the time of the ESC Heart Congress 2025 submission. The work cannot be a revision of a previously submitted abstract and should include a brief statement explaining why the study was not completed in time to meet the normal abstract submission deadline.