European Heart Journal Formatting Requirements: Complete Author Guide

This page was created by checking the current European Heart Journal general instructions, Oxford Academic submission guidance, ESC journal materials, SciRev community timing data, and Manusights internal analysis of cardiovascular submissions. It owns the formatting-requirements intent: word limits, abstract structure, graphical abstract files, figure rules, references, and upload-ready compliance. The submission guide and submission-process pages own journal choice and portal workflow.

The original layer here is the formatting-to-triage connection. A specific failure pattern we see is an otherwise strong cardiovascular manuscript whose Structured Graphical Abstract cannot state the Key Finding as a concrete clinical consequence. That is not just a formatting issue; it tells the editor that the clinical claim may still be unclear.

Before working through the formatting details, a European Heart Journal formatting and readiness check flags the structural issues that cause desk rejection before editors even reach the formatting questions.

EHJ is the flagship journal of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC), published by Oxford University Press. Word counts exclude the title, abstracts, figure legends, and references.

Rapid Communications allow only 1 figure or 1 table or 1 video. All other research types have no hard cap on display items, though 8 combined figures and tables is a practical ceiling for most submissions.

How EHJ compares to other top cardiology journals:

EHJ's 5,000-word limit ties Circulation and exceeds JACC by 500 words. The extra room helps for clinical trial reports with subgroup analyses and safety data. The Lancet is substantially tighter at 3,500 words.

EHJ uses a structured abstract with four headings, not three, and not the same headings as most cardiology journals. This catches many authors.

Required headings (Clinical Research, Translational Science, Meta-analysis):

1. Background and Aims
2. Methods
3. Results
4. Conclusions

Specs:

• 250-word maximum, no references, no abbreviations
• Submit as a separate file in Editorial Manager
• Include the clinical trial registration number at the end for trial papers

Common mistakes: Using "Objectives" instead of "Background and Aims." Combining Methods and Results into one heading (that's EHJ Open's format, not the main journal). Using "Conclusion" singular instead of "Conclusions" plural.

State of the Art Reviews, Hypotheses, and Special Articles use an unstructured abstract of 250 words with no headings.

This is mandatory for Clinical Research, Translational Science, and Meta-analysis articles. It is not optional and it is not the same as a traditional graphical abstract.

Two separate components, submitted as separate files:

1. Text element, three headings, each up to 40 words:

• Key Question
• Key Finding
• Take-home Message

1. Graphic element, a visual summary of the study's design and main finding:

• Dimensions: 11.0 cm high x 18.0 cm wide (landscape)
• Resolution: 300 ppi minimum
• Font: sans serif (Myriad Pro, Arial, or Helvetica), 10-12 pt minimum
• File type: vector preferred (.pdf, .ai, .svg); photographs in .tiff at 300 ppi
• Figure legend: 80 words maximum
• Include an alphabetized abbreviation list if abbreviations appear in the graphic

If the paper is accepted, OUP's production team redraws the text and graphic into a single Structured Graphical Abstract. You don't need to create the final combined version yourself.

Required for Translational Science Articles only, not Clinical Research articles.

• Maximum 100 words
• No references or abbreviations
• Must connect the paper's findings to a practical clinical or research direction
• Should not restate the abstract conclusions
• Submitted as a separate section

Good example: "Our finding that elevated sST2 levels predict decompensation 48 hours before clinical deterioration could enable a biomarker-guided early intervention strategy. A prospective trial testing sST2-triggered diuretic adjustment in ambulatory heart failure patients is now warranted."

Bad example: "These results advance our understanding and may have implications for future clinical practice."

The Translational Perspective is peer-reviewed. Editors take it seriously.

Table rules:

• Submit as separate editable files (Word), not images
• Portrait layout preferred, maximum 9 columns
• No color or shading
• Every column must have a header
• P values to 2-3 decimal places; HRs and ORs with 95% CIs
• Abbreviations defined in table footnotes

Alt text: Required for all figures. Include directly under the figure legend, preceded by "Alt text:".

Videos: .mp4 or .avi only. No YouTube or third-party hosting. Include a video still in vector format.

In-text: Superscript Arabic numbers in order of first appearance. Consecutive citations use an en dash (e.g., ^3-7).

Reference list:

1. Smith AB, Jones CD, Williams EF. Title in sentence case. Eur Heart J 2025;46:1234-1242.

• List all authors for 6 or fewer; for 7+, list the first 6 then "et al"
• Journal names use MEDLINE abbreviations; write the full name if not indexed in MEDLINE
• Include DOIs where available
• Include clinical trial registration numbers in trial references

The soft cap is ~50 references for a 5,000-word Clinical Research article. Reviews can reach ~100. Going past 70 on a standard-length paper will draw editorial attention.

Reference manager note: Select "European Heart Journal" or "Vancouver" style. Do not use "AMA", the author cutoffs and punctuation differ.

EHJ calls this "Supplementary Data." It is peer-reviewed and published alongside the article.

• Label as Supplementary Figure 1, Supplementary Table 1, Supplementary Video 1, etc.
• Cite in the main text
• Submit simultaneously with the manuscript
• Will not be copyedited or typeset, published in the format you provide
• Submit in non-editable format where possible

Data availability: A Data Availability Statement is required in every manuscript. Include it in the Declarations Form.

EHJ requires compliance with the relevant reporting guideline for your study type. Submit the completed checklist with the manuscript.

Sex, gender, race, and ethnicity reporting: EHJ follows SAGER guidelines. You must indicate in the title or abstract what sex(es) and/or gender(s) the study applies to. Report in Methods how sex and gender were considered in the study design. Stratify results by sex and gender where appropriate. For race and ethnicity, prefer participant self-identification and describe populations specifically (e.g., "Chinese American" rather than "Asian American").

Ethics statements: Mandatory for all clinical research. Include the ethics committee name, approval number, and confirmation that informed consent was obtained.

Document setup:

• Word format (.doc) preferred; LaTeX accepted as compiled PDF for initial submission
• Double-spaced, unjustified text, TAB-indented paragraphs
• Line numbers on all pages (restart per page)
• Oxford English spelling
• Define nonstandard abbreviations at first use; SI units throughout

Title page: Full title (minimal abbreviations), all authors with affiliations, corresponding author address and email, word count, funding sources, conflict of interest disclosures, clinical trial registration number, ORCID iD for corresponding author.

Cover letter: State the main finding. Explain fit with EHJ's scope. Note any conference presentations (ESC Congress, AHA, ACC). Suggest reviewers. Disclose related manuscripts under consideration.

Declarations Form: EHJ requires a completed Declarations Form at initial submission covering conflicts of interest, author contributions (CRediT taxonomy accepted), ethics approval, and data availability.

Fast Track Petition: EHJ offers an expedited pathway for time-sensitive findings. Submit a cover letter explaining the urgency, a text abstract, and the full manuscript as a "Fast Track Petition" article type. The editorial office targets a decision within 7 working days and publication within 10 working days of acceptance. Papers presented at major congresses (ESC, AHA, ACC) are initially published as non-typeset accepted manuscripts.

EHJ offers both subscription and open-access publication. The open-access APC is approximately $4,000-$5,450 for a CC BY license. Papers under the subscription model become freely accessible after a 12-month embargo.

Many European funders (Wellcome Trust, ERC, UKRI) require immediate open access. If your funder mandates it, budget for the APC. Check whether your institution has a Read & Publish agreement with Oxford University Press, these can cover or discount the fee.

Preprints: You can post your Author's Original Version to any preprint server (medRxiv, bioRxiv) at any time before submission. You can also submit directly from medRxiv or bioRxiv to EHJ through the Author Area. After acceptance, add the DOI link to the preprint.

1. Structured Graphical Abstract is mandatory for research articles. It has two parts (text + graphic) submitted as separate files. This is not an optional "Central Illustration."

1. Abstract headings are "Background and Aims / Methods / Results / Conclusions." Four headings, not three. Don't combine Methods and Results, that's EHJ Open's format.

1. Alt text for every figure. This is a newer requirement that many authors miss.

1. No PowerPoint for multipanel figures. Use Illustrator, Photoshop, GIMP, or InkScape.

1. ORCID iD for corresponding author. Submission won't proceed without it.

1. Reporting guideline checklists. CONSORT for trials, STROBE for observational, PRISMA for systematic reviews. Submit the completed checklist with the manuscript.

1. Line numbers and double spacing. Required for review; manuscripts without them get returned.

1. ESC guideline awareness. If your topic overlaps with an existing ESC guideline, cite it.

1. Clinical trial registration number in the abstract, not just on the title page.

1. Figures at 350 dpi minimum for photographs, not 300 dpi. Line art needs 600 dpi minimum.

In our pre-submission review work with manuscripts targeting European Heart Journal, four patterns generate the most consistent desk-rejection outcomes.

Graphical abstract Key Finding stated without a concrete clinical consequence. EHJ's mandatory Structured Graphical Abstract requires a "Key Finding" text block of 40 words. Editors use this as a triage tool before reading the manuscript. A vague finding ("our results suggest that X may be associated with Y in certain patient populations") signals a manuscript where the clinical consequence is not yet clearly formulated. The guidelines are explicit: the three graphical abstract elements (Key Question, Key Finding, Take-home Message) must be complete and self-contained. A Key Finding that cannot be written in one concrete sentence is a signal that the clinical framing needs more work before submission.

Single-center observational data without a cover-letter argument for why single-center design was necessary. EHJ's desk rejection rate for single-center observational studies is high. The narrow exceptions are novel surgical techniques requiring specific institutional expertise, rare disease series where multicenter data does not exist, and methodological innovations tied to one center's protocol. The cover letter must make a specific methodological argument for the design, not simply state that the study was large or well-executed.

Missing CODE-EHR compliance for observational studies using electronic health records. EHJ requires observational studies to follow STROBE AND comply with the CODE-EHR framework, with minimum standards required. This is a distinct requirement, not boilerplate. A study using EHR or registry data that submits a STROBE checklist but has not addressed CODE-EHR minimum standards is missing a required document. Authors submitting observational database studies from outside Europe are often unaware this framework exists.

Surrogate endpoints in studies where hard outcomes were feasible. EHJ statistical reviewers evaluate all manuscripts and consistently flag studies using imaging parameters, biomarker levels, or other surrogate markers when the cohort size and follow-up period would have permitted reporting of mortality, hospitalization, or major adverse cardiovascular events. If surrogates were chosen, the cover letter must explain why hard outcomes were not feasible. This justification is expected in the submission package, not as a response to reviewer queries.

A European Heart Journal pre-submission readiness check evaluates whether your manuscript meets EHJ's scope, study design, and reporting requirements before submission.