Update on Sudden Cardiac Death 2025
28 – 29 NOVEMBER 2025
Rahel Hirsch Center for Translational Medicine – Campus Charité Mitte
Luisenstraße 65, 10117 Berlin, Germany
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 847999.
Organized by:
Endorsed by:
Dear colleagues and friends,
Thank you for joining us at the first edition of Update on Sudden Cardiac Death, organized by the German Heart Center of the Charité, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, the European Heart Rhythm Association, and the European Society of Cardiology as part of the PROFID project.
Sudden cardiac death remains one of the greatest challenges in medicine. As the leading cause of death, accounting for around 20% of all deaths in Europe, it underscores the ongoing need for research, education, and international collaboration.
On November 28 and 29, 2025, we had the privilege of welcoming a unique gathering of international key opinion leaders, dedicated professionals, researchers, and clinicians in the heart of Germany’s capital, Berlin. Together, we reaffirmed our shared commitment to improving the understanding, prevention, and management of sudden cardiac death.
Through the exchange of cutting-edge knowledge, clinical experience, and emerging research, the meeting fostered meaningful dialogue and promoted progress toward better patient care. It offered a valuable opportunity to gain insights into the latest clinical trials, innovative strategies, and future directions, all driven by our collective mission to translate science into improved outcomes for our patients.
Thank you once again for your participation and contributions, we hope the two days in Berlin were as inspiring for you as they were for us.
Prof. Dr. Gerhard Hindricks
(Charité – DHZC, International Chief Investigator PROFID EHRA trial)
Prof. Dr. Nikolaos Dagres
(Charité – DHZC, International Chief Investigator PROFID EHRA trial)
Prof. Dr. Helmut Pürerfellner
(Ordensklinikum Linz Elisabethinen, President of the European Heart Rhythm Association)
Program
Friday, 28.11.2025
12:30 – 12:45
Welcome and Introduction
G. Hindricks, N. Dagres, H. Pürerfellner
12:45 – 13:30
Risk stratification for sudden cardiac death after myocardial infarction: where to go after PROFID?
Chairs: J. Merino, C. Gale
It is futile to keep searching for reliable stratification markers J. C. Nielsen
We must continue, but employing new approaches V. Kutyifa
13:30 – 14:30
Current trials in the field of primary prevention ICD implantation. Potential and challenges
Chairs: B. Merkely, M. Taborsky
PROFID EHRA N. Dagres
CONTEMP ICD E. Behr
SMART-DEF C. de Chillou
DILEMMA S. Boveda
14:30 – 15:00
Lessons from REFINE-ICD
D. Exner
15:00 – 16:00
DISCUSSION ROUND: Challenges in primary prevention ICD trials and how to cope with them.
Moderators: D. Birnie, B. Merkely
N. Dagres, C. Gale, V. Kutyifa, R. Lenarczyk, E. Marijon, J. C. Nielsen,
A. Parwani, M. Taborsky, J. Tijssen
16:00 – 16:30
COFFEE BREAK
16:30 – 17:30
Novel approaches for risk stratification for sudden cardiac death in structural heart disease
Chairs: J. Tfelt-Hansen, P. J. Schwartz
Artificial intelligence: is there sufficient evidence? F. Tjong
Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging: potentials and limitations I. Roca-Luque
Genetics: has the time come? H. Tan
17:30 – 18:30
DISCUSSION ROUND: Do novel risk stratification approaches for sudden cardiac death in structural heart disease have the potential to bring the change?
Moderators: S. Boveda, B. G. Winkel
F. Braunschweig, W. Haverkamp, F. Hohendanner, I. Roca-Luque, H. Tan, J. Tfelt-Hansen, F. Tjong
18:30 – 19:00
Chair: H. Tan
Prediction and prevention of SCD in the general population E. Marijon
19:00 – 19:15
Chair: G. Hindricks
Sudden cardiac death in cancer patients S. Anker
Saturday, 29.11.2025
9:00 – 10:30
Novelties and challenges in ventricular tachycardia ablation
Chairs: K. Zeppenfeld, J. Merino
Cryoenergy and pulsed field for VT ablation J. Kautzner
New mapping tools for VT ablation J. Merino
Challenging epicardial VT ablation A. Arya
VT ablation in terminal heart failure P. Sommer
CMR for guiding VT ablation I. Roca-Luque
10:30 – 11:00
Chair: N. Dagres
Critical appraisal of ventricular tachycardia ablation in structural heart disease. Indications and limitations. J. Sapp
11:00 – 11:30
COFFEE BREAK
11:30 – 12:00
Chair: H. Pürerfellner
Stereotactic radioablation for VT – is it ready for prime time? K. Zeppenfeld
12:00 – 13:00
DISCUSSIONROUND: How can we improve outcomes in treatment of ventricular tachycardia in patients with structural heart disease?
Moderators: H. Pürerfellner, H. Thiele
P. Attanasio, L.-H. Boldt, J. H. Gerds-Li, R. Lenarczyk, J. Tfelt-Hansen, R. Tilz, V. Tscholl, K. Zeppenfeld
13:00 – 14:00
LUNCH BREAK
14:00 – 14:30
Chair: G. Hindricks
Ventricular fibrillation without structural substrate M. Haissaguerre
14:30 – 15:15
Debated issues in ablation therapy in defibrillator patients
Chairs: R. Tilz, M. Taborsky
Prophylactic ablation in ICD patients after myocardial infarction T. Deneke
Ablation as alternative to ICD in hemodynamically tolerated VT in patients with structural heart disease M. Taborsky
15:15 – 15:45
Chair: J. Merino
Genetic and sudden cardiac death P. J. Schwartz
15:45 – 16:00
Concluding remarks G. Hindricks, N. Dagres, H. Pürerfellner
The full program flyer „Update on Sudden Cardiac Death 2025“ can be downloaded here.
Presentations
The following PDF files from our “Update on Sudden Cardiac Death” speakers are available here:
- CONTEMP-ICD (E. Behr)
- New mapping tools for VT ablation (J. Merino)
- Sudden cardiac death in cancer patients (S. Anker)
- DILEMMA (S. Boveda)
- Critical appraisal of ventricular tachycardia ablation in structural heart disease. Indications and limitations. (J. Sapp)
- Challenging epicardial VT ablation (A. Arya)
- VT ablation in terminal heart failure (P. Sommer)
- Ablation as alternative to ICD in hemodynamically tolerated VT in patients with structural heart disease (M. Taborsky)
- PROFID EHRA (N. Dagres)
- Stereotactic radioablation for VT – is it ready for prime time? (K. Zeppenfeld)
Gallery
Contact
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.
