The new Journal Impact Factor (JIF) of 2.0 for Advances in Interventional Cardiology/Postępy w Kardio-logii Interwencyjnej is an important milestone for the journal and for its authors, reviewers, readers, and the wider interventional cardiology community. Bibliometric indicators should never be treated as the sole measure of the quality, relevance, or clinical value of a scientific journal, yet they remain an important signal of visibility, dissemination, and recognition. For a society journal with a clearly defined clinical and academic mission, reaching a JIF of 2.0 is therefore not only a reason for satisfaction but also a moment to reflect on the next stage of development.

In the 2025 Journal Citation Reports (JCR) category Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems, the journal ranks 150th among 237 titles and is placed in the third quartile (Q3). This position should be read in the appropriate context. Among Polish cardiology journals indexed in this category, Advances in Interventional Cardiology is now one of the leading titles by JIF, following Polish Heart Journal and standing very close to Cardiology Journal. Within the group of interventional cardiology-oriented journals, it is positioned alongside several established international titles with comparable impact factors. This is an encouraging signal, because interventional cardiology is a highly competitive, rapidly evolving field dominated by a few large international journals. This comparison should nonetheless be interpreted with caution, as journals differ in scope, publication volume, article-type distribution, readership, and citation dynamics; even so, it provides useful context (Table I). This position is both an achievement and an opportunity. Further progress will require high-quality original research, stronger international dissemination, and continued engagement of the interventional cardiology community.

The identity of the journal remains central to its future development. Advances in Interventional Cardiology/Postępy w Kardiologii Interwencyjnej is the official journal of the Association of Cardiovascular Interventions of the Polish Cardiac Society and of the Association of Intensive Cardiac Care of the Polish Cardiac Society. Since its foundation in 2005, the journal has grown under the vision of its founding Editor-in-Chief, Professor Witold Rużyłło, whose leadership established the base on which its current development continues to build. It is also a forum for presenting the scientific, clinical, and organizational achievements of interventional cardiology in Poland. The annual reports of the Association of Cardiovascular Interventions, published in the journal, document changes in procedural volumes, the structure of interventional cardiology services, and the evolution of clinical practice in Poland [1, 2]. In this sense, the journal is not only a vehicle for individual publications but also a historical record of the development of invasive and interventional cardiology.

At the same time, the journal’s scope is broader than national reporting. It covers coronary, structural, congenital, peripheral, cerebrovascular, and experimental interventional cardiology, with particular emphasis on original research, novel techniques, clinically relevant reviews, meta-analyses, clinical trials, and translational studies. The recent citation profile confirms that this broad scope is appropriate and internationally relevant. The most frequently cited recent articles addressed clinically important, practical topics: coronary calcification as a major challenge in coronary interventions [3]; radial artery spasm and transradial access complications [4]; inflammatory risk stratification in non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction [5]; biomarkers after acute myocardial infarction [6]; neurological outcomes after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) and surgical aortic valve replacement [7]; permanent pacemaker implantation after TAVI in bicuspid aortic valves [8]; outcomes after mechanical thrombectomy in patients with concomitant malignancy [9]; bioresorbable scaffolds versus contemporary drug-eluting stents in acute coronary syndromes [10]; and registry-based analyses of sex-related aspects of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) [11]. The journal’s impact has thus been built not on a single citation success but on papers addressing relevant clinical problems across the spectrum of invasive cardiovascular medicine – topics that resonate because they connect directly to daily practice. This should guide editorial strategy for the coming years. Original research should remain the main priority: well-designed observational studies, pragmatic clinical trials, and methodologically rigorous single- or multicenter reports, together with systematic reviews and practical expert reviews in areas where the journal already shows demonstrable citation potential. Polish interventional cardiology has access to a growing portfolio of registries and collaborative datasets – including ORPKI, IMPELLA-PL, CARED-POL, POL-MKW, and the several DRAGON registries, among others – that can answer questions relevant beyond Poland: trends in PCI and structural interventions, access-site strategy, complication rates, sex- and age-related disparities, operator and center volume, adoption of new technologies, outcomes after complex procedures, and quality indicators in interventional cardiology. Presented with transparent methodology and placed in an international context, such studies can substantially increase both the scientific value and the visibility of the journal.

The practical orientation of the journal is also reflected in recent publications and initiatives. A commentary on TAVI without on-site surgical backup addressed a timely question for the Polish healthcare system: whether Poland should embrace a paradigm shift that could expand access to the procedure while maintaining safety and quality standards [12]. Such articles show that the journal can serve not only as a repository of scientific papers but also as an active platform for discussing organizational change, innovation, and access to modern therapies. Similarly, a recent review on radial artery access attracted attention beyond traditional citation metrics, with an Altmetric score of 18 and mentions by 35 users on X [13]. This shows that clearly written, clinically relevant reviews can reach readers quickly and stimulate discussion in the digital scientific community.

The journal’s development also requires modern communication and a consistent digital identity. The launch of the redesigned journal website is an important step. The updated layout gives the journal a more contemporary visual profile, while improved scaling on mobile devices makes the content more accessible to readers using smartphones and tablets. This is not merely cosmetic. For many readers, authors, and reviewers, the website is the first point of contact with the journal, and its clarity, functionality, and responsiveness shape how the journal is perceived. Visibility today depends not only on indexing and publication but also on active dissemination. Authors, reviewers, readers, and members of the Association are encouraged to follow and share journal content through the official channels on Facebook, X, and LinkedIn. As part of a broader initiative by the publisher, Termedia, a dedicated journal profile has also been created on ResearchGate, providing another channel to extend the reach of published articles and connect the journal with the international research community. These platforms can help promote newly published papers, highlight clinically important findings, stimulate discussion, and raise the visibility of authors who choose Advances in Interventional Cardiology as the venue for their work.

International visibility is also shaped by the journal name itself. The main title is now in English: Advances in Interventional Cardiology. PubMed indexing, however, still uses the Polish-based abbreviation Postepy Kardiol Interwencyjnej. Although this reflects the historical title and indexing pathway, it may limit immediate recognition among international readers who encounter the journal through bibliographic databases. Steps will therefore be taken to align the indexed abbreviation more closely with the English title. If implemented successfully, this change could further improve recognizability outside Poland and strengthen the journal’s international positioning.

Young investigators deserve special attention. The future of the journal depends on the next generation of interventional cardiologists and cardiovascular researchers. Residents, fellows, PhD students, and early-career physicians should be encouraged to turn clinical observations into research questions, take part in registry-based projects, and develop the skills required for scientific writing. In this context, grants from the Association of Cardiovascular Interventions of the Polish Cardiac Society that support publication costs for young researchers are particularly important: they lower the financial barrier to publication and can help promising authors submit high-quality original studies to the journal.

This milestone is also a collective achievement. The Editorial Board thanks all authors who have entrusted their work to the journal, all reviewers who have contributed their time and expertise, and all readers who have cited, discussed, and disseminated published articles. Peer review remains one of the foundations of scientific publishing: constructive, timely, and rigorous reviews improve not only individual manuscripts but also the credibility of the journal as a whole. We also gratefully acknowledge the publisher, editorial office, and technical team, whose work on the publication process and the redesigned website has been essential to this progress.

An Impact Factor of 2.0 is therefore not the end of a journey but a platform for the next one. The journal should continue to serve its national community while speaking with an increasingly international voice – a place where Polish interventional cardiology documents its achievements, and also a journal that attracts submissions from abroad, publishes clinically meaningful science, and contributes to international discussions in cardiovascular medicine. Advancing from its current position to a higher quartile will depend on the continued engagement of the whole community: submitting high-quality original research, preparing practical and critical reviews, citing relevant work where appropriate, serving as reviewers, promoting published articles, and supporting young investigators. With that engagement, Advances in Interventional Cardiology can strengthen its role as a society journal, a scientific platform, and an internationally recognizable voice in interventional cardiovascular medicine.