Journal Guide
Circulation Impact Factor 38.6: Publishing Guide
The AHA's flagship journal: where practice-changing cardiovascular research sets the global standard of care
38.6
Impact Factor (2024)
~7%
Acceptance Rate
17 days median to first decision
Time to First Decision
What Circulation Publishes
Circulation is the flagship journal of the American Heart Association and one of the most influential medical journals in the world. It publishes the AHA/ACC clinical practice guidelines that define cardiovascular care worldwide. At IF 38.6, it ranks #1 by Journal Citation Indicator in both Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems and Peripheral Vascular Disease. If your work will change how cardiologists treat patients, Circulation is the destination.
- Large-scale clinical trials with practice-changing cardiovascular results
- Cardiovascular epidemiology and population-level insights (Framingham heritage)
- Translational research with clear clinical implications (in vivo models expected for basic science)
- Heart failure, arrhythmia, interventional cardiology, vascular disease
- Health services, outcomes, and quality improvement in cardiovascular medicine
- AHA/ACC clinical practice guidelines and scientific statements
Editor Insight
“Circulation is where cardiovascular practice gets defined. The AHA/ACC guidelines published here are cited tens of thousands of times and directly shape how millions of patients are treated. The editorial bar is not 'is this solid science?' but 'does this move the field?' Even for basic science, the question is always: what does this mean for the patient? If the clinical implication is not obvious from your abstract, you have already lost the editors.”
What Circulation Editors Look For
High impact on cardiovascular practice
The fundamental editorial question: 'Does it move the field beyond just an incremental step, but rather a change that matters?' If your paper will not change how cardiologists think or act, it belongs in a subspecialty journal.
The Clinical Perspective box must be compelling
Every Original Research article requires 'What Is New?' and 'What Are the Clinical Implications?' boxes (2-3 bullets each, ≤100 words). Editors use these to quickly assess clinical relevance. Invest serious time here.
Broad relevance across cardiovascular medicine
Circulation serves cardiologists, surgeons, electrophysiologists, and internists. If only one subspecialty cares, consider Circulation: Heart Failure or Circulation: Cardiovascular Imaging instead.
In vivo models for basic science submissions
The editor-in-chief has stated explicitly: 'We insist on in vivo models for basic science papers.' Zebrafish studies are discouraged because they can be 'difficult to translate to the human case.' Mammalian models expected.
Rigorous methodology and adequate power
Underpowered single-center studies face immediate rejection. Circulation publishes definitive answers from well-designed, adequately powered studies.
Originality that advances the conversation
Circulation receives over 5,000 submissions per year. Your topic has almost certainly been covered. You need to show what is genuinely new, not just what is confirmatory.
Why Papers Get Rejected
These patterns appear repeatedly in manuscripts that don't make it past Circulation's editorial review:
Submitting basic science without clinical relevance
Pure basic science belongs in Circulation Research. Circulation wants translational work where the clinical implication is clear. If there is no line of sight to patient care, wrong journal.
Weak Clinical Perspective box
Generic bullet points like 'further research is needed' signal that even you do not know why your finding matters clinically. Be specific: what should cardiologists do differently?
Underpowered, single-center studies
Circulation publishes large multicenter trials and major epidemiological studies. A 200-patient retrospective study from one hospital rarely clears the bar.
Scope mismatch with subspecialty journals
Highly specialized EP work belongs in Circulation: Arrhythmia. Focused imaging studies belong in Circulation: Cardiovascular Imaging. The main journal wants broad cardiovascular appeal.
Burying the clinical message in the abstract
The structured abstract (≤350 words) must tell a compelling story. Editors often decide based on the abstract alone. If they have to dig for the 'so what,' you have lost them.
Incomplete statistics and missing CIs
Circulation may send papers for independent statistical review. Missing confidence intervals, uncorrected multiple testing, and post-hoc analyses disguised as primary endpoints are red flags.
Does your manuscript avoid these patterns?
The quick diagnostic reads your full manuscript against Circulation's criteria and flags the specific issues most likely to cause rejection.
Insider Tips from Circulation Authors
17-day first decision is remarkably fast for this tier
Circulation's editorial triage is efficient. Many desk rejections come within 1-2 weeks. Papers sent for review may take 4-8 weeks, but the overall median is 17 days. Fast feedback means fast pivots.
AHA Scientific Sessions = fast-track publication
Late-breaking clinical trials presented at AHA Scientific Sessions often get simultaneous publication in Circulation. This is the most prestigious pathway and involves pre-arranged publication agreements.
The sister journal transfer pathway is valuable
Papers rejected from Circulation can transfer with reviews to six subspecialty journals (HF, EP, Imaging, Interventions, Quality/Outcomes, Genomics). Impact factors range 5-8. This saves months of re-review.
Format-free initial submission saves time
First submissions are format-free - only detailed formatting is required at revision. Do not waste time on perfect AMA citation style before you know if the paper will be reviewed.
Frame your work against recent Circulation papers
Reference recent Circulation publications to show your work advances the journal's existing conversation. This signals awareness of editorial priorities and positions your contribution clearly.
AHA Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics drive the IF
The annual statistics update is among the most cited publications in all of medicine. Understanding what Circulation considers landmark-level work helps calibrate your own ambitions.
Double-anonymous review is available on request
Standard review is single-anonymous, but authors can request double-anonymous review. Useful for early-career researchers or those from less well-known institutions.
Publish Ahead of Print within 7-10 days of acceptance
Accepted papers appear online with DOI within a week. This speed is unusual for a journal of this stature and helps with priority claims.
The Circulation Submission Process
Pre-submission inquiry (optional, recommended for reviews)
Response within 1-2 weeksEmail circulationaha@heart.org with abstract for State of the Art or Frame of Reference articles. For Original Research, full submission preferred.
Full submission via AHA portal
17 days median to first decisionFormat-free initial submission accepted. Complete author list, structured abstract (≤350 words), Clinical Perspective box, conflict disclosures, data sharing statement.
Editorial triage
1-2 weeksEditor-in-Chief and associate editors assess novelty, impact, and fit. ~60-70% desk rejected without external review.
Peer review
2-4 weeks2-3 expert reviewers with ~2-4 week turnaround. Statistical review may be conducted independently. Single-anonymous (double-anonymous available on request).
Decision and revision
4-8 weeks revision windowAccept, minor revision, major revision, or reject. Authors given 4-8 weeks to revise. Second review by same reviewers.
Publication
7-10 days to online; ~81 days to printPublish Ahead of Print within 7-10 days of acceptance. Print publication ~81 days after acceptance. Weekly journal (52 issues/year).
Circulation by the Numbers
| 2024 Impact Factor(Clarivate JCR; #1 by JCI in Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems) | 38.6 |
| Submissions per year(AHA official) | >5,000 |
| Acceptance rate (Original Research)(AHA official) | ~7% |
| Time to first decision(Median; AHA official) | 17 days |
| Desk rejection rate | ~60-70% |
| Acceptance to Publish Ahead of Print | 7-10 days |
| CiteScore(Scopus) | 40.5 |
| Weekly publication | 52 issues/year |
Before you submit
Circulation accepts a small fraction of submissions. Make your attempt count.
The pre-submission diagnostic runs a live literature search, scores your manuscript section by section, and gives you a prioritized fix list calibrated to Circulation. ~30 minutes.
Article Types
Original Research
≤5,000 words, ~8-10 display itemsFull research reports: clinical trials, epidemiology, translational science. Must include Clinical Perspective box.
Research Letter
≤800 words, 1 figure/table, ≤5 refsBrief, focused findings with high impact. No abstract, minimal supplemental data.
State of the Art Review
Variable; pre-submission inquiry requiredComprehensive reviews of major cardiovascular topics. Generally invited or require pre-submission query.
ECG Challenge
≤300 words case, ≤500 words discussionEducational case-based ECG interpretation. Case + discussion format.
Landmark Circulation Papers
Papers that defined fields and changed science:
- Framingham Heart Study - foundational cardiovascular risk factor papers (1960s-present)
- AHA/ACC CPR & Emergency Cardiovascular Care Guidelines (among most cited in all of medicine)
- Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics annual update (top-cited publication annually)
- 2017 ACC/AHA Hypertension Guideline redefining blood pressure thresholds
- General Cardiovascular Risk Profile - Framingham Risk Score (D'Agostino et al., 2008)
Preparing a Circulation Submission?
Get pre-submission feedback from reviewers who've published in Circulation and know exactly what editors look for.
Run Free Readiness ScanNeed expert depth? Human review from $1,000
Primary Fields
Ready to submit to Circulation?
A desk rejection costs months. Get expert feedback before you submit, from scientists who know exactly what Circulation editors look for.
Avoid Desk Rejection
Get expert pre-submission review before you submit to Circulation. 3-7 day turnaround.
Manuscript Rejected?
Expert revision help to strengthen your manuscript and resubmit with confidence.
Reviewer Response Help
Get expert guidance crafting your response to Circulation reviewers.
Need field-expert depth? Human review from $1,000