Study: Inflammation Still Raises Heart Attack Risk Despite Standard Treatment
Inflammation in the blood vessels remains a factor that increases the risk of heart attack and stroke in patients with cardiovascular disease, even after undergoing standard therapy. This condition indicates a remaining gap in the management of heart disease, which has traditionally focused on controlling cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood sugar.
These findings were revealed in the global POSEIDON study, which involved 18,904 patients across 18 countries during the period from 2023 to 2025. The study shows that approximately two out of five patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease who also suffer from chronic kidney disease exhibit cardiovascular inflammation. Similar findings were also observed in patients with heart failure.
Cardiovascular inflammation is the inflammation of the blood vessels that generally does not produce symptoms. However, if it persists over the long term, the condition can increase the risk of both heart attacks and strokes.
In Indonesia, cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death. Data from the Ministry of Health shows that cardiovascular disease accounts for approximately 30 per cent of total national deaths, necessitating more comprehensive prevention and management efforts.
Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of Novo Nordisk, Filip Knop, stated that the study results demonstrate that inflammation remains a source of risk that has not been fully addressed. “The POSEIDON study shows that cardiovascular inflammation is a significant source of risk that persists in patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, or heart failure, even after receiving therapy according to current standards of care,” said Filip.
According to him, understanding inflammation is essential to support the development of therapies capable of addressing unmet medical needs.
Senior Consultant at the Department of Cardiology, National Heart Centre Singapore, Carolyn S.P. Lam, stated that inflammation is no longer viewed as a secondary factor in heart disease. “These findings change how we perceive residual cardiovascular risk and emphasise the potential of anti-inflammatory therapies currently under development to address unmet medical needs,” said Carolyn.
The study also noted that cardiovascular inflammation was measured using high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) levels of at least 2 milligrams per litre. This blood test is now a commonly used biomarker to identify inflammation risk in cardiovascular patients.
In line with these scientific developments, several international clinical guidelines from the European Society of Cardiology (ESC), the American Heart Association (AHA), and the American College of Cardiology (ACC) have begun to include increased hsCRP levels as one of the indicators in cardiovascular disease risk assessment and the determination of more intensive prevention strategies.