While acute myocardial infarction, commonly known as a heart attack, remains a major global health concern, significant advancements in its treatment have dramatically improved patient survival. Despite this progress, many survivors later develop heart failure, a debilitating condition that can significantly worsen long-term prognosis and increase the risk of premature death. This complication is more common than a repeat heart attack, highlighting a critical area for medical innovation. In a new publication from a Lancet Series on heart failure prevention, researchers—including CVC Senior Associate Faculty member Dr. Jacob Udell—highlight the substantial progress made in understanding and preventing heart failure in this population.
Established drug therapies, such as ACE inhibitors and beta-blockers, are known to reduce the risk of heart failure when used early and long-term. However, newer therapies have yet to show additional benefits beyond this standard of care. This raises questions about the ideal duration of treatment and underscores the need for a more personalized strategy. The researchers suggest that future research should focus on identifying specific subgroups of heart attack survivors who are most at risk, which will allow for the development of more effective, targeted therapies.
They also emphasize a comprehensive and integrated approach to heart failure prevention. This strategy involves several key components, including quickly restoring blood flow (reperfusion or revascularization), ensuring patients adhere to preventive medical therapies, providing accurate risk assessments and ongoing surveillance, and offering patient education on lifestyle changes. To reduce the global burden of heart failure, it’s crucial to continue standardizing care worldwide, focusing on equitable access for rural and marginalized communities and managing other potential risk factors.
Underscoring the CVC’s commitment to this critical area, Dr. Udell notes: “We at CVC are aspiring to generate and contribute new research to fill the gaps identified in the review. There are a number of ongoing and planned studies to better identify who is at highest risk for heart failure following a heart attack and how we can improve the lives of our patients.”
