New international trial in Essex aims to reduce heart failure after heart attacks
An Essex patient is the first in the world to be recruited to the trial
A patient at the Essex Cardiothoracic Centre (CTC) has become the first in the world to join an international trial aimed at reducing the risk of heart failure following a heart attack.
The trial, led by Professor Thomas Keeble and Dr Haroun Butt at Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust, seeks to address the issue of microvascular obstruction, a condition affecting 50% of heart attack survivors.
Microvascular obstruction occurs when small blood vessels in the heart remain blocked despite opening the main artery, leading to increased risks of heart failure and other severe complications.
The REVITALISE trial involves 280 patients across the UK and Europe and uses the Controlled Flow Infusion (CoFI) catheter to immediately detect and treat microvascular obstruction during the artery-opening procedure.
Patients are assigned to one of three groups: one receiving Tirofiban, a blood-thinning agent; another receiving Adenosine, a drug that helps open small vessels; and the third group undergoing the catheter procedure without medication.
Professor Keeble explained that identifying effective treatments to prevent heart failure after heart attacks could dramatically change patient outcomes.
“If we can show this makes a difference, it could change how heart attacks are managed worldwide,” he said.
Professor Keeble added: “Finding new ways to prevent patients from developing heart failure following a heart attack could save lives and prevent patients from needing further treatment.
“For the first time, we have a device that can tell us, during the procedure itself, whether a patient’s smallest heart vessels are still blocked after we’ve opened the main artery. And if they are, we can treat immediately in the same setting."
Teams at Essex CTC aim to recruit one patient each month, contributing to the study's goal of finding the best approach to preserve heart muscle function.