Medical technology is amid a period of rapid change. While strict regulatory requirements tend to slow innovation in this field, new technologies are emerging at an accelerated pace, both from necessity and related breakthroughs in non-medical fields. Cardiovascular care, in particular, has much to gain from this trend.

Cardiovascular conditions are the leading cause of death worldwide, accounting for 38% of early deaths from noncommunicable diseases in 2019. Given the prevalence and severity of cardiovascular conditions, improvements in cardiac health care are crucial. Thankfully, several recent technologies show strong promise. Here’s a closer look at six that could have a significant impact in 2025.

1. Mobile Apps

The telehealth explosion is perhaps the biggest tech trend in recent medical history. While relatively few physicians actively used telemedicine before the COVID-19 pandemic, that number has doubled as of 2020, and this technology is now a standard part of many care systems.

Mobile telehealth apps can improve cardiovascular health by expanding access to care. Patients no longer need to travel to hospitals or linger in waiting rooms to talk to a specialist about their concerns. As a result, more people can get the help they need in a shorter time frame.

Apps can also connect to wearable devices to track indicators like heart rates and blood oxygen levels in real time. They can then warn patients of emerging warning signs or automatically update their doctors on how their conditions are progressing. As sensing technologies like these become increasingly common in consumer-grade wearables, such applications will likewise grow.

2. Artificial Intelligence

No conversation about innovative medical technology would be complete without mentioning artificial intelligence (AI). Machine learning algorithms can help doctors make faster, more reliable diagnoses or treatment decisions by recognizing subtle trends in data humans may easily miss.

Many AI cardiovascular applications do not radically change diagnostic procedures. Instead, AI can improve interpretation. Cardiac scoring is already highly predictive of obstructive coronary artery disease, but its efficacy depends on the accuracy of the professional analyzing the results. AI can increase both the confidence in these analyses and their efficiency.

In one study, an algorithm automatically identified all coronary artery calcium cases with 99% specificity and 100% sensitivity. While the risk of hallucinations and limited “out of the box” thinking keeps such models from being replacements for human professionals, their speed and accuracy can offer significant help in verifying diagnoses.

3. Noninvasive Diagnosis Tools

Similar technologies have enabled novel, noninvasive diagnosis methods. Digital sensors and AI can accurately detect emerging issues based on less noticeable factors, minimizing the need for lengthier, more complicated tests.

One such solution — a heart failure detection system called Vivio — received FDA clearance in 2023, paving the way for faster, more accessible diagnoses. The technology monitors on-skin sensors with a specialized algorithm to detect signs of heart failure in under five minutes. In addition to being fast and accurate, it’s simple enough to administer in any setting, even at home.

As tools like this grow, patients have an ever-increasing range of ways to learn about critical conditions earlier and with less effort. Consequently, they can get needed treatment sooner, improving health outcomes.

4. Surgery Robots

While noninvasive procedures are always ideal, some cardiovascular conditions require surgery. New technologies can help in this area, most notably in the form of operating room robots.

Surgical robots have already performed thousands of successful procedures, but in the coming years, higher adoption will lead to falling costs and rising availability. As a result, these machines, which offer greater precision and fewer errors in delicate work, will serve more patients across a wider range of locations.

Robotics technology is also trending toward miniaturization. When robots get smaller, the surgeries they can perform become less invasive and less likely to cause unintended injuries or side effects. Highly sensitive operations, like those in the cardiovascular space, benefit the most from such improvements.

5. Augmented and Virtual Reality

Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) are also becoming more prominent in cardiovascular care. Both technologies offer in-depth, interactive visualizations of real-world systems to enhance training, improve diagnostic confidence or guide precise operations.

One AR system called OmnifyXR provides a heads-up display of live medical imaging or a 3D model of a patient’s anatomy from a holographic scan. This added visibility makes it easier to perform interventional procedures, improving standards of care and minimizing risks. OmnifyXR saw its first successful clinical use in June 2024, so there is potential for similar systems to expand in 2025.

The more immersive VR isn’t applicable in all operations but can be a safe stand-in for real-world surgeries during training. It provides a closer simulation than conventional learning options while removing risks to actual patients. As VR surgical training grows, it could lead to surgeons developing better skills at a faster rate.

6. Gene Therapies

Gene therapies are another advancing field to look out for in 2025. The world’s first gene editing application for treating sickle-cell disease received regulatory approval in late 2023, paving the way for broader use of gene therapy in cardiovascular care.

In addition to the sick-cell treatment, gene therapies for three other cardiovascular conditions are currently in clinical trials. These solutions could provide novel ways of addressing genetic risks related to high cholesterol, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and a rare form of heart failure. Trials will likely continue for some time, but breakthroughs could emerge throughout the coming year.

While still a relatively new discipline, gene therapies are promising because they can address genetic diseases or predispositions to dangerous conditions that are difficult to treat otherwise. Further research may provide additional information on initial warning signs to enable earlier diagnoses in the future.

Cardiovascular Technology Is Evolving

Cardiovascular diseases remain prominent, but available methods to diagnose and treat them are growing in number and efficacy. These six technologies are just a few of the innovations driving change in the field today.

Many new treatment or monitoring tools have yet to see widespread usage, but early signs are promising. As more hospital systems implement such technologies, global standards of cardiovascular care are sure t