Igniting Discovery: Cardiac research with a personal touch

HN Summary

• Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre researchers are advancing personalized cardiac care through international clinical trials evaluating new minimally invasive procedures, medications and lifestyle interventions for heart disease. 

• Recent studies found that a device-based procedure to prevent stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation can provide an effective alternative to long-term blood thinners, while another trial challenged the belief that coffee worsens irregular heart rhythms. 

• Researchers say expanding treatment options and tailoring care to individual patient needs could improve outcomes, particularly for older adults and those with complex health conditions.

Heart disease is still the leading cause of death in North America. Healthy habits like eating well, staying active, and managing risk factors are important, and new tests and treatments are also helping people live longer and healthier lives.

In recent years, researchers at Sunnybrook’s Schulich Heart Program have been driving a shift toward more personalized and precise cardiac care, leading some of the largest randomized international clinical trials, and pioneering innovative approaches to treating heart disease and damaged blood vessels.

“There is no one-size-fits-all solution for treating heart conditions,” says Dr. Christopher Cheung, a cardiologist and director of the Schulich Heart Program’s clinical trials unit at Sunnybrook Research Institute (SRI).

“We need to personalize treatment options according to a patient’s health condition and also expand access to our treatments to those that may benefit. By expanding options for patients – including those traditionally considered higher risk due to age or other health conditions – we can better tailor care to each individual, helping them not only to live longer, but live better.”

Clinical trials testing interventional procedures

New waves of less-invasive and device-based cardiac procedures – being tested in clinical trials – are showing increasing promise as alternatives to open-heart surgery or long-term drug therapy, particularly for those with complex or multiple medical conditions, or elderly and frail patients that may not tolerate a traditional procedure or surgery.

Current and recent studies have spanned a number of cardiac procedures, addressing valve defects with minimally invasive techniques, to ablation of abnormal heart rhythms, to new treatments for heart attacks. One recent example, published in The New England Journal of Medicine in March 2026, adds to a growing body of innovation in cardiology research; with more advances on the horizon.

Led locally by Sunnybrook investigator Dr. Sheldon Singh, the CHAMPION-AF clinical trial enrolled patients across North America, Europe and beyond to evaluate whether a device-based procedure to prevent stroke in patients with irregular heart rhythm could perform as well as standard long-term blood-thinning therapy, while reducing bleeding risk.

The findings showed that left atrial appendage closure (LAAC) can offer comparable protection against serious cardiovascular events, while significantly lowering the risk of bleeding. This approach may provide an important alternative for patients who cannot tolerate blood-thinning medications, as well as for those with bleeding complications relating to blood thinners. The study authors emphasize treatment decisions should always consider individual patient risk factors and preferences.

CHAMPION-AF is one of many international clinical trials facilitated by the Schulich Heart Program clinical trials unit, many of which are focused on catheter-based interventions compared to standard care. These procedures involve guiding thin flexible tubes and wires (“catheters”) through blood vessels in the groin, arm or neck to the heart using real-time X-ray imaging.

Clinical trials studying the role and impact of lifestyle factors and modifications

In addition to a wide range of interventional therapies, the Schulich Heart Program’s Clinical Trials Unit also studies the role and impact of lifestyle factors and modifications one can make to improve their cardiac health.

The aptly-named DECAF study, for example, led by Dr. Cheung, sought out to test a long-standing belief that many doctors and patients have that coffee – especially caffeinated coffee – could trigger or worsen arrythmia (an abnormal heart rhythm), or atrial fibrillation (a specific, common type of irregular heart rhythm or arrythmia).

Presented at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions in November 2025 and published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the DECAF trial found that coffee drinkers who continued drinking coffee had less arrhythmias compared to those who stopped drinking coffee.

While the researchers outline the limitations of the study, the bottom line is that for most people with atrial fibrillation, the routine advice to completely avoid coffee may no longer make sense for many patients, say the authors. They do, however, stress there are always exceptions to the rule and individual reactions still matter, as some people may still notice caffeine triggers their atrial fibrillation and need to maintain close communication with their physician. 

“Whether it’s lifestyle and medication management, minimally invasive procedures, techniques to correct heart rhythms, or open-heart surgery—there has never been more choice in cardiology,” says Dr. Cheung, co-lead author of the DECAF study, and a cardiac electrophysiologist (a specialist in heart rhythms). “It represents a meaningful shift toward more tailored care and precision medicine, which has been the goal of our research.”  

“These newer options may be especially beneficial for select groups of patients—for example, older individuals in their seventies and beyond, or those with complex health conditions where surgery may be too risky or long-term therapies may pose challenges. In many cases, it ultimately comes down to patient preference—whether that’s a procedure, surgery, or drug therapy.”

The post Igniting Discovery: Cardiac research with a personal touch appeared first on Hospital News.