Clinical trials are medical research studies involving patient volunteers, which are carried out to find better ways to prevent, diagnose or treat disease. To celebrate International Clinical Trials Day, we're highlighting some of the more recent clinical trials supported by the BHF, and how you can find out more about taking part in one.

The first known clinical trial famously took place on board ship, when naval surgeon James Lind tested the effects of citrus fruit in a small group of sailors with scurvy. Remarkably, more than two and a half centuries later, Lind's tiny study remains the prototype for the large, sophisticated clinical trial researchers perform today. International Clinical Trials Day, held on the 20th May each year, marks the day Lind began his famous study.

Where we are today

Since then, randomised clinical trials have become the gold-standard way of testing whether a new tablet, surgical technique, or any other type of healthcare intervention is safe and beneficial for the people receiving it. The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of clinical trials. Without volunteers for vaccine trials, patients with Covid-19 participating in randomised studies, or the scientists working tirelessly to deliver this research, we simply would not have our current arsenal of vaccines and treatments against the virus.

Over our 60-year history, BHF-funded clinical trials have helped catalyse revolutionary changes in cardiovascular care. In the late 1980s the ISIS-2 trial showed that aspirin and clot-busting drugs can help save the lives of heart attack patients, then in the early noughties the Heart Protection Study proved the benefits of statins for people at high risk of coronary artery disease. More recently, the BHF has supported studies investigating how treatment of high blood pressure can be improved, whether it is safe to restart anti-platelet drugs like aspirin after a brain haemorrhage, and many more encompassing many different types of heart and circulatory conditions. Whether their results were positive or negative, these studies have help to answer important questions - both for people with cardiovascular disease, and the clinicians providing their care.

Moving forward together

The BHF continues to fund clinical studies across a broad range of heart and circulatory conditions, and their risk factors, and currently supports 49 clinical trials across the UK, worth around £37m. This Clinical Trials Day, we give our thanks to our supporters, research community and all the patient volunteers taking part in these studies, who this would not be possible without.

The progress of many BHF-funded clinical studies has been impacted by Covid-19 pandemic. Our research community has risen to these challenges and adopted new and innovative methods of delivering clinical research - from methods for recruiting participants into trials 'remotely', to finding better ways to harness information from electronic health records. The BHF has made it a priority to, where possible, support the clinical research we are currently funding to a successful conclusion, including extending study timelines where appropriate.

Interested in taking part in a clinical trial?

Clinical research can't happen without patient volunteers. If you're interested in taking part in research, start by asking your GP or cardiologist if they know of any trials you may be eligible for. You can also read more about current BHF-funded trials, and how to search across current UK trials by location and condition, on our trials webpage.

Read more about clinical trials funded by the BHF

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