Acute coronary syndromes include heart attacks and unstable angina — sudden blockages in the arteries that feed the heart. Treatment has advanced dramatically, with stents, clot-busting drugs, and rapid-response teams now standard in most hospitals. Research is focused on preventing a second event, limiting heart damage, and catching problems before they turn critical.
What's actually going on in research
Trials are testing PCSK9 inhibitors and other cholesterol-lowering drugs to prevent repeat heart attacks, anti-inflammatory drugs like colchicine and canakinumab that target heart disease differently than statins, glucose-lowering drugs that also protect the heart, and new antiplatelet combinations that balance clotting prevention with bleeding risk. Researchers are also studying ways to detect unstable plaques before they rupture.
Anti-inflammatory therapy
Colchicine, an old gout drug, reduces repeat heart attacks when added to standard treatment. Researchers are testing other inflammation-blocking drugs to see if calming immune activity in artery walls prevents future events.
Advanced lipid lowering
PCSK9 inhibitors and inclisiran can drive LDL cholesterol far below what statins achieve. Studies are testing whether pushing cholesterol this low after a heart attack prevents second events better than current targets.
Cardioprotective metabolic drugs
SGLT2 inhibitors and GLP-1 receptor agonists, originally diabetes drugs, reduce heart attacks and heart failure. Trials are testing them in people without diabetes who've had acute coronary events.
What to know before you search
Eligibility typically depends on the type of acute event, time since the event, cholesterol levels, kidney function, and current medications including antiplatelet drugs.
What types of trials are currently open
- Prevention trials — Testing drugs or lifestyle interventions to prevent a second heart attack in people who've already had one acute event.
- Antiplatelet trials — Comparing combinations of drugs that prevent blood clots, looking for the best balance between preventing blockages and avoiding serious bleeding.
- Lipid-lowering trials — Testing aggressive cholesterol reduction with PCSK9 inhibitors, bempedoic acid, or other drugs added to statins.
- Imaging studies — Using advanced CT or ultrasound to identify unstable plaques before they cause heart attacks, then testing early interventions.
- Cardiac protection trials — Testing drugs or procedures given during or immediately after a heart attack to limit muscle damage and preserve heart function.
Recently added Acute Coronary Syndromes 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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