Prof. Lars Køber

Prof. Lars Køber is one of Scandinavia's most distinguished cardiologists, serving as a senior consultant and professor at Rigshospitalet – Copenhagen University Hospital, Denmark's leading tertiary care centre. With over three decades of dedicated clinical and research experience, Prof. Køber has established himself as a global authority in the management of heart failure, acute myocardial infarction, and long-term cardiac prognosis.

Trained at the University of Copenhagen, Prof. Køber built his career at Rigshospitalet, where he has been instrumental in shaping both national and international guidelines for heart failure management. His clinical work spans the full spectrum of cardiac disease — from the emergency management of acute coronary syndromes to the complex long-term care of patients with advanced cardiomyopathy and device therapy.

Prof. Køber is perhaps best known internationally for leading the DANISH trial, a landmark randomised controlled study that challenged prevailing assumptions about the benefit of implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) in patients with non-ischaemic heart failure. Published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2016, the trial's findings have been incorporated into international cardiology guidelines and continue to influence clinical decision-making worldwide.

Beyond his research, Prof. Køber is widely respected as a clinician who combines rigorous evidence-based practice with compassionate patient care. He has mentored numerous cardiology fellows and visiting physicians from across Europe and beyond, cementing Rigshospitalet's reputation as an international centre of excellence in cardiac medicine.

Prof. Køber completed his medical degree (MD) at the University of Copenhagen, one of Scandinavia's oldest and most prestigious medical schools. He subsequently undertook specialty training in internal medicine and cardiology at leading Danish teaching hospitals, gaining broad experience in both general cardiology and cardiac intensive care.

He earned his Doctor of Medical Science (DMSc) — the highest academic medical degree in Denmark — through a body of research examining prognostic factors and interventional strategies in acute cardiac conditions. He completed advanced subspecialty training in heart failure and cardiac electrophysiology, with clinical exposure at several European centres of excellence.

Prof. Køber holds Fellowship of the European Society of Cardiology (FESC) and has served on multiple ESC guideline writing committees. He is a full professor at the University of Copenhagen Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, where he continues to supervise postgraduate researchers and PhD candidates in cardiovascular medicine.

Prof. Køber's primary clinical focus is the diagnosis and management of heart failure in all its manifestations — from newly diagnosed heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) to end-stage cardiomyopathy requiring device therapy or transplantation evaluation. He has deep expertise in optimising guideline-directed medical therapy and in selecting appropriate candidates for device-based treatments including ICDs and cardiac resynchronisation therapy (CRT).

His procedural expertise includes coronary angiography for the assessment of ischaemic heart disease, comprehensive echocardiographic assessment of cardiac structure and function, cardiac MRI for myocardial characterisation, and ICD implantation and follow-up. He also performs advanced haemodynamic assessments in patients with complex heart failure.

In acute settings, Prof. Køber manages myocardial infarction and its complications, including cardiogenic shock and acute decompensated heart failure. His subspecialty interests extend to atrial fibrillation in the context of heart failure, prognostic biomarker evaluation, and risk stratification for sudden cardiac death — areas in which his research has contributed substantially to the evidence base.

Prof. Køber has authored or co-authored over 350 peer-reviewed publications, with work appearing in the New England Journal of Medicine, Lancet, JAMA, Circulation, and the European Heart Journal. His research has had a direct and measurable impact on cardiology practice internationally.

His most celebrated contribution is the DANISH trial (2016), which he led as principal investigator. This landmark randomised trial evaluated ICD therapy in 1,116 patients with symptomatic heart failure and a non-ischaemic aetiology, finding no significant reduction in all-cause mortality compared to conventional care — a finding that prompted revision of international guidelines.

Additional major research contributions include the DIAC registry, large-scale prognostic studies in post-MI populations, and investigations into biomarkers — including natriuretic peptides, troponins, and novel inflammatory markers — for risk stratification in heart failure patients. Prof. Køber has also contributed to pivotal trials examining the effects of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibitors, beta-blockers, and mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists in heart failure.

Prof. Køber consults with patients in both Danish and English, making his services accessible to international patients seeking expert cardiac care in Scandinavia. Rigshospitalet is accredited as a European Reference Network (ERN) centre and regularly receives referrals from across the European Union, particularly for complex heart failure and cardiomyopathy cases.

International patients from EU/EEA countries may be eligible for cross-border healthcare coverage under European health insurance arrangements. Non-EU patients are seen on a private referral basis, and the hospital's international patient office can assist with coordination, travel, and accommodation planning.

Telemedicine consultations for second opinions and treatment planning are available, allowing patients and their referring physicians worldwide to benefit from Prof. Køber's expertise without requiring immediate travel to Copenhagen. Initial correspondence can be directed through Rigshospitalet's cardiology department.

Prof. Køber has received numerous awards recognising his exceptional contributions to cardiology. He holds the prestigious title of Fellow of the European Society of Cardiology (FESC) and has been honoured with the Danish Heart Foundation Prize for outstanding cardiovascular research. Rigshospitalet has recognised his contributions through the Research Excellence Award, presented to faculty members whose work has achieved significant international impact.

The ESC Heart Failure Association has awarded Prof. Køber its Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his decades-long contributions to the understanding and treatment of heart failure. He has served as an invited lecturer at ESC Congress, ACC, and AHA meetings, and his work on the DANISH trial is regularly cited in cardiology curricula and guideline documents worldwide.