Congestive Heart Failure

Research

As a major heart failure research center, Mayo Clinic focuses on the detection and diagnosis of heart failure in its earliest stages. Mayo Clinic researchers study investigational and new treatments for people who have congestive heart failure. Mayo Clinic is part of the National Institutes of Health Heart Failure Clinical Research Network.

You may have the opportunity to participate in clinical trials of experimental therapies not available at all medical centers. Learn more about cardiovascular research at the research website.

Mayo Clinic publications

See a list of publications by Mayo Clinic doctors on congestive heart failure on PubMed, a service of the National Library of Medicine.

Investigational treatment studies

Mayo Clinic investigators are studying several potential therapies for congestive heart failure, including:

• Percutaneous heart valve repair. Leaky heart valves can cause or worsen heart failure by overworking your heart. Mayo Clinic researchers are studying devices implanted under the skin without surgery to reduce or prevent heart valve leakage.
• New surgical approaches. Mayo Clinic surgeons are studying new left ventricular assist devices, surgical and nonsurgical valve repair and replacement and heart muscle surgeries.
• Artificial heart. An all-mechanical artificial heart exists for special situations and is available as an investigational procedure. More commonly, surgeons use a device that replaces the function of one side of your heart (left ventricular assist device) or both sides (biventricular assist devices).
• New drugs. Mayo Clinic researchers are testing new drugs that may help people who have heart failure. Researchers developed these drugs by modifying the heart's defense system, the natriuretic peptide system, to create drugs that may enhance heart and kidney function.