Heart failure is a serious health problem in the United States. It affects millions of people and costs the healthcare system billions of dollars.
When someone has heart failure, it means their heart can’t pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs. This can cause shortness of breath, tiredness, and swelling due to fluid buildup.
Most people think of heart failure as a condition where the heart becomes too weak to pump blood. But there’s another kind of heart failure that’s just as common.
In this type, the heart can still pump well, but it becomes too stiff to relax and fill with blood properly. This condition is called “stiff heart” heart failure, or HFpEF, which stands for heart failure with preserved ejection fraction.
Doctors often treat heart failure patients with medications called beta-blockers. These drugs are helpful for people with “weak heart” heart failure. Beta-blockers lower blood pressure, control heart rhythm, and reduce the risk of future heart attacks. They are proven to save lives in patients whose hearts have trouble pumping.
But for people with the “stiff heart” type of failure, new research shows beta-blockers may not be the right choice. In fact, they might be making things worse.
A study from the University of Vermont looked at data from a large heart failure study called TOPCAT. Most people in the study—about 80%—were taking beta-blockers. The researchers found that people with “stiff heart” heart failure who were on these drugs were 74% more likely to be hospitalized for heart failure compared to those not taking them.
Why might this be happening? In “stiff heart” failure, the heart already struggles to relax and fill with blood. Beta-blockers can raise the pressure inside the heart and lead to more fluid building up. This can make breathing harder and worsen swelling—two of the main symptoms of heart failure.
This study shows how important it is to treat each type of heart failure differently. Just because a drug works well for one group doesn’t mean it’s safe or helpful for another. Sadly, there are very few medications that work well for people with HFpEF. So doctors often try treatments that help other heart patients, even if they don’t have strong proof that it will help.
The lead researcher, Dr. Timothy Plante, hopes this study will encourage more research into treatments for “stiff heart” failure. Right now, patients with this condition don’t have many good options.
For anyone living with heart failure, this is a good reminder to talk to your doctor. Make sure your treatment is based on your specific type of heart failure. What works for one patient may not be right for another.
This research was published in JAMA Network Open and supports the idea that medical care should be more personalized, especially for people with different types of heart disease.
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