Heart failure is a serious condition that affects millions of people around the world, yet it remains one of the most difficult heart diseases to diagnose accurately—especially in women.
New research from the University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital could soon change that, thanks to the discovery of new biomarkers that may help doctors detect heart failure more precisely.
Heart failure happens when the heart cannot pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs.
It doesn’t mean the heart stops working completely—it just becomes weaker or stiffer over time.
This leads to fatigue, shortness of breath, and swelling in the legs or feet. There are two main types of heart failure.
In one type, called heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), the heart’s pumping power is weak. In the other type, heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), the heart pumps normally b…
HFpEF is now the most common form of heart failure, particularly in older adults and women. Unfortunately, it’s also the hardest to detect. Many women are misdiagnosed or diagnosed too late, which delays treatment and worsens outcomes.
Because the two types of heart failure require different treatments, it’s vital for doctors to distinguish between them early and accurately.
That’s where the new study comes in. Researcher Reza Parvan and his team at the Institute for Experimental Medical Research have been exploring tiny molecules in the blood called microRNAs. These small molecules can act as “messengers” that reflect what’s happening inside the body’s cells.
The team discovered that certain microRNAs could serve as biomarkers—biological clues that help doctors identify diseases. Their findings were published in the journals BMC Medicine and ESC Heart Failure.
The researchers identified four specific microRNAs that can tell the difference between healthy individuals and those with heart failure.
Even more impressively, these biomarkers can also distinguish between HFrEF and HFpEF. Two of the microRNAs seem especially important for diagnosing heart failure in women, suggesting that gender-specific tests could improve accuracy.
This discovery could make a major difference in how heart failure is diagnosed and treated. Right now, doctors rely on imaging tests and clinical evaluations that can miss subtle cases—especially in women. With a simple blood test using these new biomarkers, diagnosis could become faster, more reliable, and more tailored to each patient’s needs.
Heart failure affects around 26 million people worldwide, but researchers believe the true number may be much higher—perhaps over 37 million—because many cases go undiagnosed.
Better diagnostic tools could close this gap and improve treatment for millions. A more accurate diagnosis also means doctors can prescribe the right medication sooner, helping patients live longer and healthier lives.
The study also revealed that these biomarkers might do more than just diagnose heart failure—they could predict who is at higher risk of developing the disease or suffering complications such as hospital readmission or heart-related death.
This is critical because heart failure remains the leading cause of hospitalizations worldwide, and more than half of patients are readmitted within six months of discharge. The long-term outlook is still grim: about 60% of patients die within five years of diagnosis.
Parvan and his colleagues plan to test their biomarker panel in larger patient groups to confirm the results. They also hope to combine the microRNA test with other diagnostic tools like imaging, genetic testing, and protein markers. If successful, these efforts could lead to the creation of RNA-based diagnostic kits that bring personalized medicine closer to reality.
Gustavo da Silva, a co-author of the study, says that this approach could also be useful beyond heart failure. “Our method is strong enough to identify new biomarkers for other heart conditions or even non-cardiac diseases,” he said. “We’re working toward developing multi-purpose diagnostic tools that could help many types of patients.”
This research represents an important step toward solving one of the most persistent challenges in modern cardiology: diagnosing heart failure accurately, especially in women. The ability to identify heart failure early could save lives, reduce hospitalizations, and improve quality of life for millions around the world.
If you care about heart health, please read studies about a new cause of heart rhythm disorders and eating just one cup of nitrate-rich vegetables daily can reduce heart disease risk.
If you care about heart health, please read studies about blood thinners that may not prevent stroke in people with heartbeat problems and this diabetes drug may protect heart health in older veterans.
The study is published in BMC Medicine.
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