Acute coronary syndrome is the umbrella term for heart attacks and unstable angina — when a coronary artery suddenly narrows or closes. Treatment has evolved from emergency stenting and clot-busting drugs to rapid risk stratification, dual antiplatelet therapy, and early intervention. Most people survive, but recurrent events and heart failure remain major concerns.
What's actually going on in research
Trials are testing more targeted antiplatelet drugs, anti-inflammatory agents like colchicine and monoclonal antibodies against IL-6, drugs to protect heart muscle during a heart attack, and strategies to reduce bleeding risk while preventing clots. Studies also explore when to use imaging to guide stent placement and how to manage people with both coronary disease and atrial fibrillation.
Anti-inflammatory therapy
Colchicine, an old gout drug, is now used after heart attacks to reduce inflammation that drives future events. Trials are testing newer anti-inflammatory agents, including antibodies that block specific immune pathways.
Cardioprotection
Researchers are testing drugs and devices that limit heart muscle damage during a heart attack. The goal is to preserve more heart function and reduce the risk of heart failure afterward.
Next-generation antiplatelets
New antiplatelet drugs aim to prevent clots as effectively as current treatments but with less bleeding. Some target specific clotting pathways that may be safer to block.
What to know before you search
Eligibility typically depends on the type of acute coronary syndrome (STEMI or NSTEMI), timing since the event, treatments already received, and bleeding risk.
What types of trials are currently open
- Antiplatelet trials — Testing new drugs or dosing strategies to prevent clots without causing excessive bleeding. Often comparing combinations like aspirin plus ticagrelor or prasugrel.
- Anti-inflammatory trials — Studying drugs like colchicine or monoclonal antibodies that calm inflammation after a heart attack to reduce future cardiac events.
- Cardioprotection trials — Testing treatments given during or immediately after a heart attack to limit muscle damage and preserve heart function.
- Invasive strategy trials — Comparing timing and approach to catheterization and stenting, often using imaging to guide decisions about when and where to place stents.
- Registry studies — Tracking outcomes in large groups of people treated for acute coronary syndrome to identify what predicts recovery and complications.
Recently added Acute Coronary Syndrome trials
Use a smartphone app and wearable device to track fatigue patterns
This study investigates objective methods to measure and monitor fatigue in patients with post-COVID-19 condition (long COVID) and multiple sclerosis (MS), and includes a group of healthy volunteers for comparison. Fatigue is a common and debilitating symptom of both conditions, but current assessment methods rely mainly on questionnaires, which can be limited by subjectivity and recall bias. The study uses a smartphone application (the FIDO app) together with wearable devices to continuously collect data on fatigue and its fluctuations during daily life, in order to evaluate the potential of digital, objective measures compared to standard assessments. Participation lasts approximately eight weeks and includes two in-person clinic visits along with a continuous data collection phase. At the initial visit, participants complete baseline assessments and questionnaires and are introduced to the study's digital tools. During the following weeks, participants wear two wearable devices continuously (24 hours a day) and use the FIDO app to complete short daily tasks (approximately 7 minutes every two days) and brief questionnaires (approximately 5 minutes per day). All participants collect a stool sample at home at weeks 4 and 8 for gut microbiome analysis, and complete the Fatigue Scale for Motor and Cognitive Functions at week 4. At the final study visit, participants repeat a subset of the baseline assessments, provide feedback on the digital technology used, and return the study devices.
Track your recovery with coordinated heart, kidney, and metabolic care
Patients with a history of myocardial infarction are at significantly increased risk of recurrent cardiovascular events. Despite established clinical guidelines, secondary preventive care is often initiated too late, inadequate in intensity or incomplete in application. As a result, important opportunities to prevent serious outcomes are missed. The aim of this project is to investigate whether rapid, guideline-based treatment following myocardial infarction leads to improved patient outcomes. The study protocol is based on current clinical guidelines and targets key domains including diabetes, hypertension, and hypercholesterolemia. Outcomes of patients treated according to the study protocol will be compared to those receiving standard care. Primary endpoints include major adverse cardiac- and cerebrovascular events within a 24-month follow-up period. The investigators hypothesize that rapid, guideline-based intervention will result in improved risk factor management, leading to a reduction in cardiovascular events and mortality. For patients, this may translate into improved health, quality of life and life expectancy. This project aims to deliver a practical protocol for effective secondary prevention in clinical practice, which is expected to reduce healthcare utilization in the long term. With this initiative, the investigators seek to take a significant step toward improving post-myocardial infarction care and contributing to sustainable cardiovascular healthcare.
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