Despite advances in understanding and treatment, heart disease remains the leading cause of death worldwide. In labs and clinics across the Brigham, our experts are working to change this reality.

For more than a century, Brigham clinicians and scientists have shaped cardiovascular research and care, transforming countless lives through the development of innovative diagnostic, prevention, and treatment approaches. For example:

Patient Care

• The Brigham has a long history of innovation in cardiac surgery, including the world’s first successful heart valve surgery (1923) and the first heart transplant (1984) and first total artificial heart transplant (2012) in New England. This legacy continues today as our experts pioneer minimally invasive surgical approaches.
• The Brigham is widely considered the birthplace of cardiovascular genetics, with our scientists and clinicians at the forefront of translating discoveries in the lab into life-changing therapies and treatment approaches for patients.
• Underlying everything we do is a commitment to eliminating inequities in healthcare through programs like our community-based initiative that helps residents with hypertension manage their blood pressure while also removing barriers to accessing care.

Research

• The Brigham has long been a leader in research uncovering how diseases—and the approaches used to treat them—affect women differently than men, including heart disease.
• In the largest and most inclusive trial of its kind, Brigham researchers proved that a drug used to treat type 2 diabetes is also effective for heart failure, one of the leading causes of death worldwide.
• For 40 years, Brigham researchers have led the Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) Study Group, the oldest cardiovascular academic research organization in North America. The TIMI Study Group continues to shape the practice of cardiac medicine, including a recent study showing the efficacy of a new drug to treat atrial fibrillation, one of the most common cardiovascular conditions worldwide.

For more information on our heart programs, please contact us at 617 424 4300 or giving@bwh.harvard.edu.