Heart failure affects millions of people and is one of the leading causes of hospital admissions in older adults.
The condition develops when the heart cannot pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs. People with heart failure often experience tiredness, shortness of breath, swelling in the legs or abdomen, and difficulty carrying out everyday activities.
Not all heart failure is the same. One common form occurs when the heart muscle becomes weak and cannot pump blood effectively.
Another type, called heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, or HFpEF, happens when the heart still pumps normally but becomes stiff and cannot relax properly between beats. This second form is especially common in older adults and women and has proved much more difficult to treat.
A study from the University of Vermont suggests that one of the most commonly prescribed heart medicines may not benefit everyone with HFpEF. The findings were published in JAMA Network Open and raise important questions about whether treatment should be more closely matched to the type of heart failure a person has.
The researchers focused on beta-blockers, medicines that slow the heart rate and lower blood pressure. These drugs reduce the heart’s workload and have saved many lives in people with heart failure caused by a weakened pumping heart. Because of their success, beta-blockers are often prescribed to many patients with heart failure.
However, the situation may be different for people with HFpEF. In these patients, the main problem is not weak pumping but poor relaxation of the heart muscle. Scientists wanted to determine whether slowing the heart with beta-blockers actually helps or whether it could worsen symptoms in this group.
The research team, led by Dr. Timothy Plante, analysed information from the large TOPCAT clinical trial, which included people with HFpEF. About 80 percent of participants were taking beta-blockers. After examining the results, the researchers found that patients using these medicines had a 74 percent higher risk of being admitted to hospital because of heart failure than those who were not taking them.
The researchers believe one possible explanation is that slowing an already stiff heart may increase pressure inside the heart and lungs. This pressure can cause fluid to build up more easily, leading to worsening breathlessness and swelling. These are the same symptoms that often send people with heart failure to hospital.
The findings do not mean people should stop taking beta-blockers on their own. Many patients need these medicines for other medical conditions, including previous heart attacks, irregular heart rhythms, or high blood pressure. Any changes to treatment should only be made after discussing the benefits and risks with a doctor.
The study also highlights the growing need for personalised medicine. Two people may both have heart failure, but the underlying cause can be very different. A treatment that works well for one type may not provide the same benefit for another, showing why accurate diagnosis is so important.
More research is needed before treatment guidelines change, but this study provides an important reminder that heart failure is not a single disease.
As scientists learn more about HFpEF, doctors may be able to develop safer and more effective treatments that better match each patient’s condition and improve their quality of life.
If you care about heart disease, please read studies that herbal supplements could harm your heart rhythm, and how eating eggs can help reduce heart disease risk.
For more health information, please see recent studies that apple juice could benefit your heart health, and results showing yogurt may help lower the death risks in heart disease.
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