A major cardiology trial published in the New England Journal of Medicine has tested whether using detailed artery function measurements during a heart attack leads to better outcomes than standard practice.
The New England Journal of Medicine has published findings from the AIR-STEMI trial, which examined how doctors should handle blocked arteries beyond the one directly causing a heart attack (known medically as a STEMI, or ST-elevation myocardial infarction). Many patients who have a STEMI are found to have additional narrowed arteries during emergency treatment, and deciding whether to open those too — and when — has long been a point of debate among cardiologists.
The trial focused on whether guiding those decisions using functional coronary angiography — a technique that measures blood flow and pressure inside the arteries to assess how much each narrowing is actually restricting circulation — produces better results than relying on visual assessment alone.
The research was shared by the journal’s official account and tagged under cardiology. Full methodology, patient outcomes, and statistical results are available in the published paper.
For patients in Kent, heart attacks are treated at William Harvey Hospital in Ashford and Medway Maritime Hospital in Gillingham, both of which offer primary angioplasty — the emergency procedure used to open blocked arteries in STEMI cases. Any changes to clinical practice based on trial evidence would be adopted through NHS England guidance rather than automatically or immediately.
If you think you or someone else is having a heart attack, call 999 immediately. Do not drive yourself to hospital. NHS 111 can provide advice for non-emergency cardiac concerns.
Key information
- Heart attack symptoms (NHS): chest pain or pressure, pain spreading to the arm, jaw or back, shortness of breath, sweating, feeling sick
- Emergency: Call 999 at once — do not wait to see if symptoms pass
- Non-emergency cardiac concerns: Call NHS 111 or speak to your GP
Source: @NEJM