American Heart Association Launches Initiative to Accelerate Aortic Stenosis Diagnosis and Clinical Trial Access

The American Heart Association has launched a new initiative to improve early diagnosis and treatment access for aortic stenosis, a common but often underdiagnosed heart valve condition that affects blood flow from the heart to the body. This effort focuses specifically on moderate aortic stenosis cases and aims to connect more patients with clinical trial opportunities through the Association's nationwide network of hospitals and heart valve clinics.

Aortic stenosis is characterized by the narrowing of the aortic valve opening, which restricts blood flow from the heart to the body. When left untreated, this condition can lead to severe complications including heart failure and death. The new initiative seeks to address the critical gap in early diagnosis and treatment access that currently exists for many patients.

"Aortic stenosis is a serious condition, yet too often, people go undiagnosed until the disease progresses," said Sreekanth Vemulapalli, M.D., the Association's volunteer project clinical leader and volunteer member of the Target: Aortic Stenosis Scientific Advisory Group. "By identifying eligible participants for new clinical trials and supporting clinical research, this initiative will help shape the future of care for people affected by this disease."

The program leverages the established infrastructure of the Association's Target: Aortic Stenosis™ program, which already manages more than 2,200 people with moderate AS through its existing quality improvement network. This expansion will engage at least 40 hospitals and their affiliated heart valve clinics to connect more individuals with research opportunities, promoting emerging medical therapy alternatives and advancing guideline-based care.

Supported by Kardigan, the initiative represents a significant step toward revolutionizing cardiovascular disease treatment. "We're proud to support this American Heart Association initiative to help connect patients with moderate aortic stenosis to promising research opportunities," said Jay Edelberg, M.D., Ph.D., co-founder and chief medical officer at Kardigan. "Improving access to clinical trials will not only advance innovation, but also help more people receive the diagnosis and treatment they need sooner."

As part of this comprehensive effort, the Association will provide professional education, quality improvement tools and site-level support to help clinicians better identify and refer individuals eligible for clinical trials. A health care provider climate survey will also explore barriers to trial enrollment and inform solutions that increase participation in structural heart disease research. The Target: Aortic Stenosis™ program receives additional support from Edwards Lifesciences, further strengthening the collaborative approach to addressing this critical health issue.

This initiative holds significant implications for cardiovascular care by potentially accelerating the development of new treatments and improving early intervention strategies. For patients, earlier diagnosis and access to innovative therapies could mean better outcomes and reduced risk of serious complications. The program's nationwide reach through resources available at https://www.heart.org ensures that these benefits could extend to diverse communities across the country, addressing health disparities in cardiovascular care.