Abstracts and Awards - EPI|Lifestyle

• Abstract Submission deadline:
  October 16, 2025 at 6:00 p.m. CT/7:00 p.m. ET (UTC -5) – NO EXTENSIONS!
• Abstract Withdrawal deadline:
  February 28, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. CT (UTC -6)

Looking for recommendations on how to improve your abstract? We highly recommend you view these recommendations from AHA journals.

Abstract Submission

• Review Best Practices for Writing Abstracts.
• Submit all abstracts in English.
• Authors should not "split" data to create several abstracts from one. If splitting is judged to have occurred, priority scores of related abstracts will be reduced.
• Abstracts containing identical or nearly identical data submitted from the same institution and/or individuals will be disqualified.
• Proofread abstracts carefully to avoid errors before submission. The abstract will be reviewed exactly as submitted.
• An abstract must have a short, specific title (containing no abbreviations) that indicates the nature of the investigation.
• Describe briefly the objectives of the study unless they are contained in the title. Include a brief statement of methods if pertinent. State findings in detail sufficient to support conclusions. Abstracts should not describe research in which the chemical identity or source of the reagent is proprietary or cannot be revealed.
• Use generic drug names.
• Do not begin sentences with numerals.
• Standard abbreviations may be used without definition. Nonstandard abbreviations (kept to a minimum) must be placed in parentheses after the first use of the word or phrase abbreviated.
• Do not include references, credits or grant support.
• Do not include the names or personal information of any patient participating in the study or trial.
• The character limit cannot exceed 2,500. Spaces and punctuation count as characters.

Author Name(s)

• The submitting author will be designated as the primary and presenting author unless otherwise specified. The presenting author must be listed on the abstract and can be listed anywhere in the author block.
• Acceptance notifications and correspondence are sent to the presenting author ONLY.
• All authors listed on the abstract must have actively participated in the research the abstract represents. The AHA reserves the right to remove an abstract from the program.
• Please review the author block carefully. Edits cannot be made after the deadline. Once submission is complete, the author block will be published as submitted. Additions or deletions of author names are not permitted after the submission deadline.

Acceptance

• Submitters will be notified of acceptance/non-acceptance status via e-mail by early December 2025.
• Abstracts are reviewed in blinded fashion and selected on the basis of scientific merit. The conference Program Committees will determine whether the abstract is to be presented orally or by poster.
• Request oral, poster or moderated poster presentation on the presentation preference tab of the submitter site. Unless you select "poster only" the selection of one of these options will neither prejudice acceptance nor guarantee an oral presentation because abstracts will be arranged to fit into a thematic group for presentation. Although every effort will be made to accommodate your presentation request, there is no guarantee that you will present in the mode of your preference.
• Expenses associated with the submission and presentation of an abstract are the responsibility of the presenter.
• Presenting/submitting authors must register and pay associated fees for attendance at the conference. All abstract presentations (oral or poster) must be in-person.
• Abstracts selected will be published in an online version of Circulation.
• Accepted abstracts will not have been published (manuscript or abstract) prior to the date of this submission or presented at any national or international meeting prior to March 17. 2026. Abstracts are embargoed for release at date and time of presentation or time of AHA news event. Information may not be released before then. Failure to honor embargo policies will result in the abstract being withdrawn and barred from presentation.
• Submission of an abstract constitutes a commitment by the authors to present if accepted. Failure to present, if not justified, will jeopardize future acceptance of abstracts.
• Recording Policy:
  • Unauthorized recording of AHA Scientific Sessions, scientific conferences and the ASA International Stroke Conference is prohibited, whether by video, still or digital photography, audio or any other recording or reproduction mechanism. This includes recording of presentations and supporting audiovisual materials and of poster presentations and supporting poster materials.
  • The American Heart Association and American Stroke Association reserve the rights to all recordings or reproductions of presentations at AHA/ASA scientific conferences and meetings.

Abstract Withdrawal

There is no guarantee that your abstract will not be published in the final program and the Journal unless request for withdrawal is received in writing by February 28, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. CT (UTC -5). Please reference "EPILCH26."

Abstract Revisions

• After the submission deadline, your abstract submission is considered final and cannot be edited. No proof pages will be sent to authors.
  • Abstracts may not be revised or in any way resubmitted.
  • Additions or deletions of author names will not be permitted.
• Proofread abstracts carefully to avoid errors before submission.

Use of Automated Assistive Writing Technologies and Tools

• The use of automated assistive writing technologies and tools (commonly referred to as artificial intelligence or machine learning tools) is permitted provided that their use is documented, and authors assume responsibility for the content. As with human generated content, authors are responsible for the accuracy, validity and originality of computer-generated content. Automated assistive writing technologies do not qualify for authorship as they are unable to provide approval or consent for submission.
• If the use of these technologies has involved the research design, the tools should be documented in the Methods section of the abstract. For additional information, see the World Association of Medical Editor recommendations.
• For your abstract submission, you will need to indicate the use of these tools.

Presentation

• All presentations and question-and-answer sessions will be conducted in English. Presenters may request assistance from the moderator who will repeat or rephrase questions from the audience or may ask a colleague in the audience to assist with translation.
• References to work previously published by other authors must include citations at the bottom of the appropriate slides.
• Unauthorized recording of the conference is prohibited, whether by video, still or digital photography, audio or any other recording or reproduction mechanism. This includes recording of presentations and supporting AV materials and of poster presentations and supporting poster materials.
• All oral presentations must be in electronic format. Electronic presentations must be submitted 12 business hours in advance of the session start time. Instructions will be provided upon acceptance.

Looking for recommendations on how to improve your abstract? We highly recommend you view these recommendations from AHA journals.

Title

To the extent the data permits, make the title dynamic and conclusive, rather than descriptive. For example, "Hypoxia Inhibits Kv1.5 Channels in Rat Pulmonary Artery Smooth Muscle Cells" is preferable to "Effects of Hypoxia on Kv1.5 Channels." Explicit titles denoting the findings should be used (not "Investigations of…," "Studies of…," etc.)

Use capitals for the first letter of each word as appropriate; do not capitalize the entire title. No periods. No abbreviations. Please bold your title. Do not italicize entire title.

Structure

Abstracts should have the following identifiable sections: Introduction, Hypothesis, Methods, Results and Conclusions.

Category

You may select up to two categories. We recommend selecting a broadly relevant category as your primary/first choice. Most oral abstract sessions tend to be programmed based on number of submissions received in the category with the most popular categories in previous years being Diabetes, Nutrition, Obesity, CV Risk Factors/CV Health, Social Determinants, Aging, Women’s Health and Maternal Health, Physical Activity. Your second selection should reflect the specific focus of the science.

Your choice of category also determines which team reviews your abstract. Selecting the most appropriate category (ies) ensures that your abstract is evaluated blindly by experts who are familiar with the relevant scientific area.

Common Mistakes

1. Failure to state the hypothesis. We advise a formal statement such as, "We assessed the hypothesis that…"
2. Failure to state a conclusion. We encourage a final sentence that says: "In conclusion…"
3. Failure to state sample size. The reviewers want to assess the quality of the data – they need a mean SEM and a sample size.
4. Excessive use of abbreviations. All but the most standard abbreviations should be defined, and most abstracts should have less than 3 abbreviations.

Traps to Avoid

1. Typographical errors
2. References cited in the abstract
3. Not providing context or a statement of relevance that provides the rationale for your study.
4. Complex graphics. Simple line or bar graphs are most appropriate. Ensure the font size is adequately large on each axis to be visible. Check a printed version of the abstract before submitting.
5. Duplicative work