Background and aims

HFpEF (heart failure with preserved ejection fraction) is a serious medical condition where the heart muscle stiffens and is unable to properly pump blood around the body. The main symptoms are difficulty breathing, tiredness and leg swelling. HFpEF can be linked to other medical conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, kidney failure and obesity as well as age. It is more likely to affect women and people of non-White ethnicities than other types of heart failure. There are very few treatments for HFpEF.

Half of people with HFpEF have coronary artery disease, blockages in the blood vessels which supply the heart. These blockages are thought to be the cause of heart failure. Stents are small metal tubes that are used to unblock arteries in a keyhole operation so that blood can flow normally. Research shows that they are a good treatment for heart attacks and angina in patients without heart failure. They are quite safe, with a 1 in 200 risk of a major complication and 1 in 10,000 risk of dying from a planned stent procedure.

We think that stents will help people with HFpEF and coronary artery disease but need research to prove this. This study will help us to answer this question. The team running the study is an equal partnership of doctors, researchers and patients.

The REPRIEVED trial aims to find out if treating people with HFpEF and coronary artery disease with stents improves their quality of life and blood supply to their heart.

Who can take part?

We will ask 350 people with a diagnosis HFpEF and significant coronary artery disease to participate.

Study design and timelines

REPRIEVED is a phase-II, prospective, multi-centre, double-blind, placebo procedure-controlled trial that will run for 5 years. Recruitment is anticipated to open in summer 2025, and recruit participants for 3 years. The results of the study are expected in 2029.