Heart Failure

Spotlight article

Oral Heart Failure Drug Showed to be Well Tolerated in Early Trial

Researchers of an early randomized, placebo-controlled phase 1b/2a trial found that AC01, a new oral drug for chronic heart failure with reduced pumping capacity, was safe and well tolerated. The study, led by researchers at Karolinska Institutet and published in The Lancet, included 58 patients with stable chronic heart failure who received different doses of AC01 or placebo for either seven or 28 days. AC01 targets the ghrelin receptor, which is found in heart muscle, and is designed to improve the heart’s pumping ability through a mechanism different from traditional heart-stimulating drugs.

 

No serious side effects related to AC01 were reported, and researchers found no concerning effects on heart rhythm or blood pressure. Exploratory analyses also showed signs of improved heart function, including increases in stroke volume and cardiac output. Investigators emphasized that the study was small and early stage, but the safety findings and signals of improved cardiac performance support further research in larger and longer trials to determine whether AC01 can produce meaningful clinical benefits for patients with heart failure.

 

Reference: New drug for chronic heart failure tested in early study. Karolinska Institutet. Published June 25, 2026. Updated June 25, 2026. Accessed June 30, 2026. https://news.ki.se/new-drug-for-chronic-heart-failure-tested-in-early-study

Viet Le

DMSc, MPAS, PA-C, FACC, FAHA

Physician Associate, Rocky Mountain University of Health Professionals, Intermountain Healthcare

Featured article

Strength Training May Lower Heart Disease Risk in Women

A large prospective cohort study published in JACC found that resistance training may be associated with lower cardiovascular disease risk in women, especially when combined with aerobic activity. Researchers analyzed data from 117,025 women in the Nurses’ Health Study and Nurses’ Health Study II, assessing resistance training, aerobic activity, and sedentary behavior over time. Women who performed at least two hours of resistance training per week had a 20% lower risk of major cardiovascular disease and a 44% lower risk of myocardial infarction compared with women who did none. Each additional hour of resistance training per week was associated with further reductions in major cardiovascular disease and myocardial infarction risk.

 

The benefits were strongest when resistance training was part of a broader movement pattern that included recommended aerobic activity and limited sedentary time. Among women who completed both at least two hours of resistance training and 150 minutes of aerobic activity per week, myocardial infarction risk was 45% lower compared with women who reported no physical activity. Researchers noted that resistance training may offer added cardiovascular protection beyond aerobic exercise alone, though the study was limited by self-reported activity data, potential unmeasured confounding, and limited participant diversity. Overall, the findings support including strength training as part of a well-rounded cardiovascular prevention strategy for women.

 

Reference: American College of Cardiology. Resistance training reduces major heart disease risk for active women. News-Medical. Published June 17, 2026. Accessed June 30, 2026. https://www.news-medical.net/news/20260617/Resistance-training-reduces-major-heart-disease-risk-for-active-women.aspx

Daniel Thibodeau

DHSc, MHP, PA-C, DFAAPA, AACC

Clinical Obesity Linked to Higher Risk of New-Onset Heart Failure

A cohort study published in JACC: Asia found that clinical obesity was associated with a higher risk of new-onset heart failure, suggesting that treating clinical obesity as an independent disease may strengthen prevention strategies. Researchers analyzed 99,131 participants from the Kailuan Study cohort in China and classified them as nonobese, preclinical obesity, or clinical obesity based on body mass index, waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, and 10 clinical criteria. Participants with clinical obesity had higher rates of cardiometabolic risk factors, including elevated blood pressure, fasting glucose, triglycerides, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, uric acid, and higher rates of myocardial infarction, stroke, diabetes, and hypertension.

 

Over a median follow-up of 16 years, 3,280 participants developed heart failure and 19,170 deaths occurred. Compared with nonobese participants, those with clinical obesity had a 63% higher risk of new-onset heart failure, with risk increasing as the number of clinical obesity criteria increased. However, clinical obesity was not associated with higher all-cause mortality after heart failure onset. The authors noted that patients with clinical obesity may need both weight reduction and treatment of obesity-related organ and tissue dysfunction to reduce heart failure risk, while further research is needed to clarify associations across heart failure subtypes.

 

Reference: Hongmin Liu, MD, et al. Clinical Obesity Emerges as Independent Risk Factor For New-Onset HF, Mortality. Published May 14, 2026. American College of Cardiology. Accessed June 30, 2026. https://www.acc.org/Latest-in-Cardiology/Journal-Scans/2026/05/14/17/42/Clinical%20Obesity

Whitney Gaydos

PA-C, AACC

Heart Failure Therapies Show Cardioprotective Effects During Cancer Treatment

A meta-analysis presented at European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Cardio-Oncology 2026 found that guideline-recommended heart failure therapies may help protect cardiac function in patients receiving cancer treatment. Researchers from Erasmus University Medical Centre reviewed 49 studies involving 6,998 patients treated with anticancer drugs and evaluated therapies recommended in ESC heart failure guidelines, including renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) inhibitors, beta-blockers, mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists, sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors, and statins. The analysis focused mainly on changes in left ventricular ejection fraction, a measure of the heart’s pumping ability.

 

RAAS inhibitors were associated with a 2.88% improvement in left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) compared with placebo or standard care, while beta-blockers showed a more modest 1.20% improvement. The combination of RAAS inhibitors and beta-blockers appeared especially protective, with a 2.98% LVEF improvement and significant positive changes in global longitudinal strain. Statins were also associated with improved LVEF, while mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists and sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors showed encouraging signals, though data were limited. Investigators concluded that heart failure therapies, particularly RAAS inhibitors plus beta-blockers, may help prevent cardiac deterioration during cancer treatment, while emphasizing the need for more randomized trials of newer cardiovascular therapies in cardio-oncology.

 

Reference: European Society of Cardiology. Heart failure treatments protect heart function during cancer therapy. News-Medical. Published June 19, 2026. Accessed June 30, 2026. https://www.news-medical.net/news/20260619/Heart-failure-treatments-protect-heart-function-during-cancer-therapy.aspx

Daniel Thibodeau

DHSc, MHP, PA-C, DFAAPA, AACC

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