Heart disease remains the leading cause of death in the United States, affecting more than 120 million adults. Treatment has evolved from managing symptoms to preventing events, with statin drugs, blood pressure medications, and newer SGLT2 inhibitors now keeping many people alive decades longer. Research is shifting toward personalized prevention and repairing damaged heart muscle.
What's actually going on in research
Trials are testing gene therapies for inherited heart conditions, RNA-based drugs to lower cholesterol beyond what statins achieve, anti-inflammatory medications to prevent heart attacks, and stem cell approaches to regenerate heart tissue after damage. Researchers are also studying whether GLP-1 receptor agonists like semaglutide protect the heart through mechanisms beyond weight loss.
RNA-targeted therapies
Drugs like inclisiran use RNA interference to shut down cholesterol production in the liver, requiring injections only twice a year. FDA-approved in 2021, this approach may help people who can't tolerate statins or need additional LDL lowering.
Heart regeneration
Researchers are testing whether stem cells, cardiac patches, or proteins can stimulate the heart to repair muscle damaged by heart attacks. Unlike other organs, the heart has limited natural repair capacity.
Inflammation targeting
Studies suggest that inflammation drives atherosclerosis as much as cholesterol does. Drugs targeting specific inflammatory pathways, including colchicine and monoclonal antibodies, are being tested to prevent recurrent heart attacks.
What to know before you search
Eligibility typically depends on specific heart condition, cholesterol or blood pressure levels, prior heart events, current medications, and kidney function.
What types of trials are currently open
- Prevention trials — Testing medications, lifestyle interventions, or supplements to prevent first or recurrent heart attacks and strokes in people at risk.
- Heart failure trials — Testing drugs or devices to improve symptoms and survival in people whose hearts can't pump effectively, including SGLT2 inhibitors and newer combinations.
- Cholesterol trials — Testing drugs that lower LDL cholesterol through new mechanisms, often in people who don't respond adequately to statins.
- Device trials — Testing implantable devices like improved pacemakers, defibrillators, or ventricular assist devices for heart failure.
- Imaging studies — Following people over time with advanced imaging to understand how atherosclerosis develops and which plaques are most dangerous.
Recently added Heart Diseases trials
HRV Variation in Rheumatoid Arthritis
The goal of this observational study is to determine the association between continuous Heart Rate Variability (HRV) measured by the Oura ring and Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) disease activity.
Vascular Inflammation in Atherosclerosis - Whole Body Molecular PET/CT Imaging Using Folate Receptor β
This study investigates inflammation in the blood vessels of people with coronary artery disease (CAD) or a recent myocardial infarction. Inflammation plays an important role in the development and progression of atherosclerosis, but there is currently no established clinical imaging method for detecting inflammation in atherosclerotic plaques throughout the body. The study uses a new PET imaging tracer called 18F-AlF-NOTA-Folate. The tracer is designed to bind to folate receptor beta (FR-β), a marker found on activated macrophages, which are immune cells involved in inflammation. The aim is to determine whether PET imaging with this tracer can detect and measure inflammation in atherosclerotic plaques. Approximately 90 patients will participate. One group will include patients with suspected or stable coronary artery disease who are undergoing coronary CT angiography and PET imaging as part of their clinical assessment. A second, smaller group will include patients who have recently had a myocardial infarction. Participants will undergo PET and CT imaging and provide blood samples. The imaging will examine the coronary arteries and other major arteries, including the carotid arteries, aorta and iliac arteries. The study will also investigate blood flow in the heart and other organs and examine the relationship between vascular inflammation, atherosclerotic plaque characteristics and markers of inflammation in the blood. The study is not testing a treatment for coronary artery disease. The folate tracer is administered only for imaging purposes. Participants will be followed through hospital and registry records for up to five years to investigate whether imaging findings are associated with later cardiovascular events. The study may provide new information about how inflammation is distributed in atherosclerosis and whether FR-β-targeted PET imaging could be useful for detecting and studying vascular inflammation in patients with cardiovascular disease.
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