Wolters Kluwer and AHA Expand Pact, Boosting Open Access to Heart Research

WALTHAM, Mass. – March 19, 2026 – In a significant move that underscores the evolving landscape of scholarly publishing, global information services leader Wolters Kluwer has renewed and expanded its nearly two-decade-long partnership with the American Heart Association (AHA). The enhanced collaboration will increase global access to vital cardiovascular and brain health research, notably by adding a new Open Access journal to the twelve AHA titles published under Wolters Kluwer’s prestigious Lippincott portfolio.

This development signals a deepening commitment from two of the most influential organizations in health information to not only advance scientific discovery but also to reshape how that knowledge is disseminated to the clinicians, researchers, and policymakers who need it most.

A Strategic Alliance in Health Publishing

The cornerstone of the expanded agreement is the addition of Stroke: Vascular and Interventional Neurology (SVIN), a fully Open Access journal, to the suite of publications managed by Wolters Kluwer. This brings the total number of AHA titles in the partnership to twelve, sitting alongside flagship subscription-based journals like Circulation and Stroke. This hybrid portfolio of both subscription and open-access content reflects a strategic approach to maximizing the reach and impact of the AHA's world-renowned research.

Wolters Kluwer, which already commands an estimated 18% of the global medical publishing market, solidifies its position as a key partner for leading scholarly societies. The inclusion of the AHA journals within the Lippincott collection, which comprises nearly 400 indexed titles, provides them with unparalleled visibility and credibility.

“The American Heart Association is proud to be globally recognized as a leader in scientific research focused on cardiovascular and brain health resources,” said Mariell Jessup, M.D., FAHA, Chief Science and Medical Officer for the American Heart Association. “This expanded relationship will help ensure the Association’s evidence-based, trusted content is reaching the right audience, at the right time.”

The sentiment is echoed by Wolters Kluwer, which views the partnership as central to its mission. “High-quality, rigorously peer-reviewed evidence that empowers clinicians, researchers, and care teams to drive meaningful impact and improve patient outcomes is of the utmost importance,” noted Rafael Sidi, Senior Vice President & General Manager of Health Research, Wolters Kluwer Health. “Together, we are shaping the future of medical research and open access by strengthening editorial excellence, expanding global reach, and advancing sustainable publishing models.”

The Rising Tide of Open Access

The decision to bring SVIN into the fold as a fully Open Access journal is particularly noteworthy. It aligns with a powerful industry-wide trend toward open science, where research is made freely and immediately available to all, rather than being locked behind paywalls. Globally, more than 30% of all scholarly articles are now published via an Open Access model, a figure that has seen steady growth as funders, institutions, and researchers themselves push for greater accessibility.

The benefits are compelling. Open Access is shown to increase the visibility and citation potential of research, accelerating the pace of discovery. For an organization like the AHA, which invests heavily in funding research to fulfill its public health mission, Open Access ensures a greater return on that investment by allowing findings to be scrutinized, replicated, and built upon by a global community.

The new journal, SVIN, focuses on the cutting edge of stroke treatment, including interventional, endovascular, and surgical management of vascular diseases of the brain and spinal cord. With an impact factor of 2.8 and a growing H-index, the journal is already an established voice in its field. Placing it on a fully Open Access platform under the Wolters Kluwer banner is poised to significantly amplify its influence, making critical new techniques and findings available to neurologists and surgeons everywhere, regardless of their institution's subscription budget.

While the Open Access movement faces challenges, such as the rise of predatory journals that exploit the model for profit without providing rigorous peer review, the partnership between the AHA and Wolters Kluwer provides a bulwark of trust. This collaboration serves as a model for how established, reputable organizations can champion Open Access without sacrificing the quality and integrity that are the bedrock of scientific progress.

The Business of Saving Lives

Beyond its implications for science, this expanded alliance is a calculated strategic move in the highly competitive multi-billion dollar medical publishing market. Wolters Kluwer, which reported €6.1 billion in revenue for 2025, has identified its Health division as a key driver of growth. The company is aggressively investing in its digital platforms, with a stated goal of accelerating AI innovation and increasing its annual product development budget to 12-13% of revenues.

Strengthening its partnership with a brand as powerful as the AHA helps Wolters Kluwer defend its market share against formidable competitors like Elsevier and Springer Nature. It secures a portfolio of high-impact content that is essential for medical libraries and institutions worldwide. Furthermore, by embracing Open Access, the company demonstrates its adaptability and positions itself for a future where open science mandates are increasingly common.

For the AHA, the partnership provides a robust and sophisticated platform to achieve its publishing goals. The organization has long pursued a balanced strategy, offering Open Access options within its subscription journals and requiring AHA-funded research to be publicly available within a year. The addition of a second fully OA journal like SVIN demonstrates a clear commitment to expanding this accessibility. The nearly 20-year relationship with Wolters Kluwer offers stability and a proven track record of adapting to market shifts, from the transition to digital and mobile platforms to the current embrace of Open Access.

Accelerating Research from Lab to Clinic

Ultimately, the true measure of this partnership's success will be its impact on patient care. By removing barriers to the latest research in cardiovascular and brain health, the collaboration aims to shorten the lengthy timeline it often takes for discoveries made in the lab to be adopted at the patient's bedside.

When a clinician in a rural hospital can freely access a peer-reviewed article in Stroke: Vascular and Interventional Neurology detailing a new, minimally invasive technique for treating an aneurysm, patient outcomes can improve directly. When researchers in different countries can all build upon a common, openly available dataset—a practice supported by the AHA's Open Data policy—the pace of innovation accelerates.

This expanded access empowers a global ecosystem of healthcare professionals. It ensures that breakthroughs in treating the world's leading causes of death—heart disease and stroke—are not confined to the wealthiest institutions but are shared as widely as possible. The renewed commitment between Wolters Kluwer and the American Heart Association is more than a business deal; it is an investment in a healthier future, powered by the belief that trusted knowledge, openly shared, is the most powerful tool in medicine.