What is a clinical trial?
Clinical trials are medical research studies involving patient volunteers that are carried out to find better ways to prevent, diagnose or treat disease. They provide crucial evidence that diagnostic tests or treatments are safe and effective. Whether the results are positive or negative, these studies help to answer important questions - both for people with cardiovascular disease, and the clinicians providing their care.
Here you can find out more about current clinical trials the BHF is funding, and we highlight the findings of some of the previous trials supported by the BHF.
What's on this page:
Current clinical trials
What clinical trials is the BHF currently funding?
We are currently supporting 46 clinical trials, worth around £37m. We fund clinical trials across a broad range of heart and circulatory conditions and their risk factors, such as diabetes and chronic kidney disease.
Interested in taking part in a clinical trial?
Ask your doctor for advice about clinical trials and whether you may be suitable to take part. Visit the Be Part of Research website to search current UK trials by location and condition.
Completed clinical trials
Can a device help make transcatheter aortic valve implantation safer?
Aortic stenosis can be treated with a procedure to replace the damaged valve called TAVI, which has a small risk of causing a stroke. BHF-PROTECT-TAVI was designed to definitively answer whether using a cerebral embolic protection device during TAVI can reduce this risk.
How soon should anti-clotting drugs be started after a stroke in people with atrial fibrillation?
People with atrial fibrillation who have had an ischaemic stroke are at risk of having another stroke. OPTIMAS tested when anti-clotting drugs, which can reduce this risk, should be started after having a stroke.
When should potassium supplements be given after coronary artery bypass graft surgery?
About a third of people who have bypass surgery develop atrial fibrillation afterwards. TIGHT-K examined whether giving people potassium after their surgery is beneficial for preventing AF.
Heart attack
CvLPRIT - Should all narrowed coronary arteries be reopened during angioplasty for STEMI heart attack?
A heart attack is often treated with angioplasty - a procedure to reopen the blocked coronary artery and restore blood flow. The team behind CvLPRIT wanted to find out whether any other partial blockages in blood flow to the heart should be reopened at the same time.
ERIC-PPCI - Can 'pre-conditioning' protect the heart from injury following a heart attack?
This study examined whether restricting blood flow to a limb help can protect the heart from injury during heart attack treatment.
High-STEACS - Can a blood test for heart attack save lives?
This trial investigated whether a test that can detect tiny amounts of a protein called troponin in the blood could help improve heart attack diagnosis and treatment.
REACT - Should STEMI heart attack patients have an angioplasty if clot-busting drugs don't work?
Researchers tested different ways of treating a heart attack following unsuccessful treatment with 'clot-busting' drugs.
RITA3 - Should NSTEMI heart attack patients have an urgent angiogram?
Many people who go to hospital experiencing chest pain or other symptoms of a heart attack have a partial blockage or narrowing of the coronary arteries – called an ‘NSTEMI’ heart attack. RITA3 explored how this type of heart attack should be treated.
SENIOR-RITA - Should older people with NSTEMI heart attack have invasive treatment?
Older people who have an NSTEMI heart attack are less likely to receive an angiogram to look for blockages in the coronary arteries, and a procedure to open them up if needed. SENIOR-RITA was designed to test if older, frail people with NSTEMI benefit from having this 'invasive' treatment.
UKGRIS - Can the GRACE risk score help improve care for people with NSTEMI heart attack and unstable angina?
This trial examined whether using the GRACE risk score impacts the care that people receive when they have an NSTEMI heart attack or unstable angina.
Heart failure
BRAVO - Can a simple blood pressure test be used to improve pacemaker settings?
The settings on CRT pacemakers can be adjusted to help give the maximum benefit to patients. In this study, researchers compared optimising these settings using blood pressure measurements or heart scans.
HOPE-HF - Can a new type of pacemaker treatment improve heart failure symptoms?
Cardiac resynchronisation therapy pacemakers can be used to help improve heart failure symptoms. The HOPE-HF trial tested a new way of carrying out this pacing, called His bundle pacing.
IRONMAN - Do iron supplements benefit people with heart failure?
Many people with heart failure also lack iron in their blood. IRONMAN examined whether iron injections can help improve the health of people with heart failure.
REM-HF - Can remote monitoring of heart failure help keep patients out of hospital?
Some pacemakers or implanted defibrillators can record how the heart is working and securely send that information to hospital for review. This study tested whether this type of monitoring can improve care.
TRED-HF - Is it safe to stop heart failure treatment if symptoms of dilated cardiomyopathy improve?
For some people with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), heart failure treatment can normalise heart function and resolve symptoms. But it was unclear whether this meant doctors can stop prescribing them heart failure drugs.
Heart valve disease
BHF-PROTECT-TAVI - Can a device help make transcatheter aortic valve implantation safer?
Aortic stenosis can be treated with a procedure to replace the damaged valve called TAVI, which has a small risk of causing a stroke. BHF-PROTECT-TAVI was designed to definitively answer whether using a cerebral embolic protection device during TAVI can reduce this risk.
Coronary heart disease & angina
CE-MARC-2 - Are MRI scans of the heart the best first line test to diagnose coronary heart disease?
This trial was conducted to find out if MRI scans of the heart could better select which people with suspected coronary heart disease should undergo an angiogram.
CorMicA - Can we improve diagnosis and treatment for people with microvascular or vasospastic angina?
Researchers examined whether additional tests can help doctors decide how to treat patients with angina who don’t have a blockage in their coronary arteries, and improve patients’ well-being.
UKGRIS - Can the GRACE risk score help improve care for people with NSTEMI heart attack and unstable angina?
This trial examined whether using the GRACE risk score impacts the care that people receive when they have an NSTEMI heart attack or unstable angina.
Cardiac arrest
ARREST - Where should people who’ve had a cardiac arrest out of hospital be treated?
This trial looked at whether a person experiencing an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest should be taken to the nearest emergency department, or a specialist hospital called a cardiac arrest centre.
Heart surgery & life support
ART - Which blood vessels should be used as grafts for coronary artery bypass surgery?
The team behind this trial hoped to determine whether using two arteries taken from the chest is the best way of carrying out coronary artery bypass surgery.
ERICCA - Can ‘preconditioning’ the heart improve outcomes after cardiac surgery?
This trial tested whether restricting blood flow to a limb help can protect the heart from injury following coronary artery bypass surgery.
NEST - How can we protect the brain of newborn babies receiving life support?
Researchers wanted to find out if cooling the body temperature of newborn babies receiving life support could help improve their brain function.
TIGHT-K - When should potassium supplements be given after coronary artery bypass graft surgery?
About a third of people who have bypass surgery develop atrial fibrillation afterwards. TIGHT-K examined whether giving people potassium after their surgery is beneficial for preventing AF.
High blood pressure
HYVET - Should elderly people with high blood pressure be prescribed blood pressure-lowering drugs?
This trial tested whether it is safe and beneficial to prescribe medications to lower blood pressure to people over 80.
PATHWAY 1, 2 and 3 - How can treatment of high blood pressure be improved?
These important studies explored new, more personalised ways of treating high blood pressure.
TIME - How can treatment of high blood pressure be improved?
Previous research suggested that blood pressure lowering medication might be more effective if taken at night-time. The TIME trial tested whether morning or night-time dosing makes a difference.
Stroke
ATTEST-2 - Which clot-busting drug should be used to treat an ischaemic stroke?
The ATTEST-2 trial compared how effective the clot-busting drugs tenecteplase and alteplase are at improving recovery after a stroke.
LACI-2 - Could two existing drugs help prevent dementia after lacunar stroke?
Lacunar stroke is caused by damage to small blood vessels deep in the brain, and can ultimately lead to dementia. LACI-2 explored whether isosorbide mononitrate and cilostazol could be used to treat lacunar stroke.
OPTIMAS - How soon should anti-clotting drugs be started after a stroke in people with atrial fibrillation?
People with atrial fibrillation who have had an ischaemic stroke are at risk of having another stroke. OPTIMAS tested when anti-clotting drugs, which can reduce this risk, should be started after having a stroke.
RESTART - Should antiplatelet drugs be restarted after a haemorrhagic stroke?
This trial tested whether it is safe to restart antiplatelet drugs, such as aspirin, after a brain haemorrhage.
STASH - Can statins help people with a type of haemorrhagic stroke?
A subarachnoid haemorrhage is caused by bleeding on the surface of the brain. Researchers tested whether statins can improve recovery from this type of stroke.
TWIST - Should you treat people who wake up with a stroke with clot busting medicine?
Clot busting drugs are most effective at treating a stroke caused by a blood clot if given within 4.5 hours of symptoms starting. But if a stroke happens when someone is asleep, it's difficult to know when symptoms started. Should clot busters be used in this situation?
XILO-FIST - Can allopurinol help improve recovery after a stroke?
Allopurinol is a medication commonly used to treat gout. XILO-FIST looked at whether this medication could also benefit people who have had a stroke or transient ischaemic attack.
Prevention
AdDIT - Can we prevent heart and kidney problems in young people with type 1 diabetes?
This trial tested whether prescribing medication to lower blood pressure and cholesterol to young people with type 1 diabetes could help reduce their risk of cardiovascular disease.
ASCEND - Can aspirin and fish oil supplements protect people with diabetes from cardiovascular disease?
People with diabetes were asked to take a daily aspirin tablet and/or a fish oil capsule to see if this helped prevent heart attacks and strokes.
FIREPROOF - Why are firefighters at high risk of cardiovascular disease?
Cardiovascular events – such as heart attacks - are the leading cause of death among on-duty firefighters. The FIREPROOF study explored the reasons behind this.
RRT - What is the best way to quit smoking?
Researchers carried out a study to find out how to help people quit smoking successfully.
SAMSON - Can a personalised approach help get people back on statins?
This trial empowered individuals to test for themselves whether taking a statin caused them side effects.
SHARP - Can cholesterol lowering drugs prevent cardiovascular disease in people with chronic kidney disease?
Researchers carried out a study to find out how to help people quit smoking successfully.
VESUVIUS - Is vaping better for your cardiovascular health than smoking?
The VESUVIUS study looked at the short term effects of e-cigarettes on blood vessel function to find out more.
Vascular disease
AIMS - Can a blood pressure lowering drug be used to treat people with Marfan syndrome?
People with Marfan syndrome often develop an expanded aorta in the area where this large artery connects to their heart, putting them risk of a life-threatening rupture.
Nordic pole walking - How can we help people with peripheral arterial disease to exercise?
Researchers assessed whether a walking programme using special walking poles could help people with peripheral arterial disease.