Landmark work
Introduction
This year BHF Professor Rory Collins of Oxford University was given the prestigious Pfizer Innovation Award for his outstanding work in clinical trials and observational epidemiology which has saved tens of thousands of lives.
What they found
To function normally, the heart muscle requires a constant supply of blood delivered via the coronary arteries. A heart attack occurs when a blood clot suddenly develops on a fatty deposit on the inside of a coronary artery (called atheroma) and blocks blood flow in that artery. The heart muscle supplied by the artery will suffer permanent damage if the blood supply is not restored quickly. Heart attack patients need early diagnosis and rapid treatment to reopen the blocked coronary artery.
BHF Professor Collins and colleagues at Oxford University carried out the ISIS mega-trials which proved conclusively that treatment with a combination of a thrombolytic "clot-busting" drug and aspirin dramatically reduces the risk of death from a heart attack by dissolving the blood clot responsible. They also showed that the treatment was most effective when given soon after the onset of the heart attack.
Through the Heart Protection Study they also showed that people at high risk of a heart attack, such as diabetics, were protected from heart attacks by cholesterol-lowering drugs, known as statins, even if their cholesterol levels were not elevated.
Impact
This landmark work, part-funded by the BHF, in combination with other research published around the world has set new standards for the treatment of heart attacks and has revolutionised the way heart patients are treated.
As a consequence of Professor Collins' research, all heart attack patients should be treated as quickly as possible with aspirin and clot-busting drugs and should receive protective drugs, including statins, after their heart attack.
Our former Medical Director, Professor Sir Charles George, worked closely with the Government to ensure that these standards are now applied to heart attack patients in the NHS. Hospitals in England and Wales are obliged to record key information on achieving these standards and are audited on their performance by the Myocardial Infarction National Audit Project. This year the MINAP database shows that most hospitals have exceeded their targets.
Next steps
The BHF continues to fund the life-saving work of Professor Collins and his fellow researchers into treatments for the management and prevention of heart attacks, and to provide patients with vital care, rehabilitation and support when they return home.
Many heart attack victims in rural areas still experience long delays before reaching hospital and receiving vital treatment, though more can now be treated by paramedics in the ambulance on the way. The BHF is keen to see patients in all parts of the UK receive the treatment they need as soon as they need it.