Editor-in-Chief's Top Picks From 2015: Part One.

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Cardiovascular Medicine

Background:

• The Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC) publishes a wide range of cardiovascular research.
• Selecting the most impactful research for broad dissemination is crucial for advancing cardiovascular science.

Purpose of the Study:

• To curate and present a comprehensive overview of significant cardiovascular research published in JACC in 2015.
• To provide clinicians and researchers with access to high-impact original investigations and review articles across diverse cardiovascular specialties.

Main Methods:

• Personal selection of papers by the JACC editor based on familiarity with publications.
• Inclusion of manuscripts that were most accessed or downloaded from JACC websites.
• Inclusion of papers selected by JACC Editorial Board members.
• Categorization of approximately 130 selected articles into 13 distinct specialties across two issues.

Main Results:

• Approximately 130 high-impact articles were selected, representing less than 3% of all papers submitted to JACC in 2015.
• The selected articles cover a broad spectrum of cardiovascular medicine, including congenital heart disease, coronary disease, cardiac failure, hypertension, imaging, and valvular heart disease.
• The research is presented in a two-part series to ensure comprehensive coverage and accessibility.

Conclusions:

• This curated collection offers a valuable summary of significant advancements in cardiovascular medicine from 2015.
• The selection process ensures that the presented research represents the most critical and impactful findings published in JACC.