This summary article provides an update on novel clinical trials in the field of cardiovascular (CV) medicine which were presented at the annual meeting of the European Cardiac Society, held in Barcelona, Spain, in August-September 2009. The data were presented by leading experts in the field with relevant positions in the trials and registries. Unpublished reports should be considered as preliminary data as the analysis may change in the final publications. This article provides the reader with comprehensive summaries of the most recent diagnostic and therapeutic developments in CV medicine as previously reported (Kindermann et al. in Clin Res Cardiol 96:767-786, 2007; Müller et al. in Clin Res Cardiol 97:851-864, 2008).