atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease
Cardiovascular disease β€” encompassing coronary artery disease, heart failure, stroke, and peripheral arterial disease β€” remains the leading cause of death globally, responsible for approximately 18 million deaths per year. Clinical trials have produced transformative evidence over recent decades, validating statins, ACE inhibitors, beta-blockers, and more recently SGLT2 inhibitors and GLP-1 agonists as mortality-reducing therapies. Current research targets residual risk in optimally medicated patients.
Active trials include inclisiran (RNA interference to lower LDL twice yearly), zilebesiran for blood pressure reduction, colchicine for residual inflammatory risk in stable atherosclerosis, novel fibrin-targeting anticoagulants with lower bleeding risk, cardiac regeneration using stem cells or gene therapy, and AI-guided personalized risk models. Remote patient monitoring trials using wearable devices and implantable sensors are also reshaping outcomes research.
Many cardiovascular outcome trials enroll patients with established atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) or multiple risk factors; prior myocardial infarction, stroke, or peripheral artery disease are common eligibility requirements.