COLUMBIA, SC
Heart Failure Clinical Trials
4 paid heart failure studies are enrolling near Columbia SC, and two are in Columbia itself. Free heart imaging, free study medicine, and no insurance needed. Compensation is provided for eligible participants.
4
Enrolling Now
2
In Columbia Itself
+/- $100
Per Visit
New here? Read how this page works
Four studies are open near Columbia, and two of them are right here at Prisma Health. However, they are very different from each other. So here is how to work through them.
- Read the cards below. Two involve a procedure rather than a pill, and one is a prevention study.
- Check the label on the last one. Because Prevent-HF is only for people who have NOT been diagnosed with heart failure.
- Open More details. Inside are the rules on pumping strength, kidney function and potassium.
- Tap Check eligibility. Finally, we check you against all 4 at once and tell you when a new one opens here.
Of course, checking never signs you up for anything. You are only seeing where you might fit.
The 4 Heart Failure Studies Nearest to Columbia
Two are in Columbia itself. Also, one of the four is for people who do not have heart failure yet.
Enrolling in Columbia now
Both of these run at Prisma Health Midlands. Notably, one is a heart pump study and one is a catheter procedure, so read the details carefully.
A Heart Pump, Offered Earlier Than Usual (TEAM-HF)
Abbott / Device
Doctors normally save the implanted heart pump until you are very sick. This study offers it earlier, against carrying on with pills alone.
Est. about $100 per visit. Ask the site for the total number of visits.
Check eligibility →More details
Why researchers are excited: the whole question is whether waiting until you are sicker is the wrong call, and nobody has tested that properly.
Who this study is looking for
- Adults 18 and older
- Also, pumping strength of 30 percent or less
- Besides that, symptoms at rest or on light activity, and a hospital stay for heart failure in the past year
- Finally, A 6 minute walk under 350 metres
Probably not a fit if: you are on an IV heart drug, or you have had an organ transplant, or your kidneys or liver are failing.
- Placebo group: None. Instead, one group gets the pump and the other carries on with the best available medicines.
- How long: 2 years for the main result, then follow up to 5 years.
- Clinic visits: Roughly 15 to 25 across 5 years, though the record publishes only the 1, 2 and 5 year points, so treat that as an estimate. Notably, everyone first gets a small pressure sensor placed in the lung artery, and you take a daily reading at home.
- Phone calls: Not published. But the home sensor sends readings without you travelling.
- Most invasive part: Surgery to implant the pump, which is the most serious thing on this page. Also, a catheter procedure for the sensor.
- Setting: Outpatient.
- Where it runs: Prisma Health Midlands, Columbia SC 29203.
- Be clear on this one: this is major heart surgery, not a tablet. So it is only for people already very limited by symptoms.
- Full study record: View on ClinicalTrials.gov →
A Small Opening Between the Heart Chambers (ALLAY-HF)
Alleviant Medical / Device
A catheter creates a small passage between the two upper chambers to let pressure escape. Nothing is left behind afterwards, which is what makes it unusual.
Est. about $100 per visit. Ask the site for the total number of visits.
Check eligibility →More details
Why researchers are excited: it relieves the pressure that causes the breathlessness, and it leaves no implant in your heart.
Who this study is looking for
- Adults 40 and older
- Also, pumping strength of 40 percent or higher, so the stiff kind of heart failure
- Besides that, symptoms on ordinary activity, and already on stable standard treatment
- Finally, you must pass a pressure test done during exercise with a catheter
Probably not a fit if: your heart failure is advanced or end stage, or you have a pacemaker, or the right side of your heart is not working well.
- Placebo group: No placebo pill. However, there is a sham procedure, so half get a simulated catheter procedure and will not know which.
- How long: 12 months for the main result, with follow up to 2032.
- Clinic visits: Roughly 11 to 15 across 5 years, with about 7 or 8 in the first year. But only the 12 month endpoint is published, so treat the rest as an estimate.
- Phone calls: Not published on the public record.
- Most invasive part: A catheter procedure through a vein, plus an exercise catheter test just to qualify. So this is the most involved screening on the page.
- Setting: Outpatient.
- Where it runs: Prisma Health Midlands, Columbia SC 29203.
- Be clear on this one: half of participants get a simulated procedure. You would not know which for a year.
- Full study record: View on ClinicalTrials.gov →
Also near you
One is a short drive south. The other is in Columbia, but it is for people who do not have heart failure yet.
For People Who Cannot Take the Standard Water Pill (FINALITY-HF)
Colorado Prevention Center / Drug
Spironolactone helps heart failure, but plenty of people cannot tolerate it. This study is built specifically for those people, and tests finerenone instead.
Est. about $100 per visit. Ask the site for the total number of visits.
Check eligibility →More details
Why researchers are excited: it is one of very few studies designed around the people who failed the standard treatment rather than around the ones who did well.
Who this study is looking for
- Adults 18 and older with heart failure and a weak pump
- Also, you are not on spironolactone or a similar drug
- Besides that, the reason is intolerance, a medical reason not to take it, or ineligibility
- Finally, kidney function of 25 or better, and potassium 5.0 or under
Probably not a fit if: you have had dangerously high potassium on one of these drugs before, or a heart transplant is planned.
- Placebo group: Yes, there is a placebo. However, it is added on top of your usual heart medicines, which you keep taking.
- How long: About 30 months.
- Clinic visits: Roughly 5 to 8 across two and a half years, which is unusually light. The design is deliberately pragmatic, so some contact is likely by phone.
- Phone calls: Likely, given the pragmatic design. However, the exact split is not published.
- Most invasive part: Blood draws, especially potassium. But no procedures and no injections.
- Setting: Outpatient.
- Where it runs: South Carolina Clinical Research, Orangeburg SC 29118.
- Drive from Columbia: Orangeburg is about 40 miles south, so roughly 45 minutes on I-26.
- Worth knowing: if a doctor has ever told you spironolactone is not for you, that is the entry ticket here rather than a barrier.
- Full study record: View on ClinicalTrials.gov →
Stopping Heart Failure Before It Starts (Prevent-HF)
AstraZeneca / Drug
This one is the opposite of the others. It is for people who do NOT have heart failure yet, but who are at high risk of it. The aim is to stop it ever arriving.
Est. about $100 per visit. Ask the site for the total number of visits.
See if you fit →More details
Why researchers are excited: almost all heart failure research treats people who already have it. Notably, this tries to prevent the first episode.
Who this study is looking for
- Adults 40 and older with type 2 diabetes
- Also, existing heart or artery disease
- Besides that, high blood pressure, with a top number of 130 or above at screening
- Finally, plus one more risk factor, such as age 70, weaker kidneys, or an irregular heartbeat
Probably not a fit if: you have ever been diagnosed with heart failure. In that case, the other studies on this page are the ones for you.
- Placebo group: Everybody gets dapagliflozin, which is a real medicine. The placebo applies only to the second drug.
- How long: Event driven, so up to about 3 years.
- Clinic visits: Roughly 10 to 14 across 3 years, though the record publishes only an event driven window, so treat it as an estimate.
- Phone calls: Not published on the public record.
- Most invasive part: Blood draws, kidney and potassium checks. But it is all tablets.
- Setting: Outpatient.
- Where it runs: Columbia SC 29209.
- Read the label: a past heart failure diagnosis rules you out here. That is unusual, and it is the whole point of the study.
- Full study record: View on ClinicalTrials.gov →
Not sure which one fits you?
First, answer a few quick health questions. Then we check you against all 4 studies. No account, no paperwork.
See if I may fit one of these studies →What Is Actually Being Tested for Heart Failure
Four different questions, and they are not the same question.
Starting the Proven Drugs Sooner
Four medicines are known to help heart failure, and most people get them added one at a time over months. CONFIRMATION-HF asks whether starting two of them during the hospital stay changes the outcome. So there is no placebo in it. Instead, the comparison is simply the slower usual approach.
The Groups Usually Left Out
Most heart failure studies exclude people whose kidneys have weakened, which is a large share of real patients. Two studies here do the opposite. BalanceD-HF enrols specifically at kidney function between 20 and 60. Meanwhile, FINALITY-HF is built for people who cannot tolerate spironolactone at all. In short, being a difficult case is sometimes the entry ticket.
Treating the Cause, Not the Symptom
Some heart failure is caused by amyloid protein stiffening the muscle. That was considered untreatable not long ago. Now a gene silencing injection can switch the protein off at the source. However, it only helps if you actually have that diagnosis, and amyloid is missed for years in most people who have it.
Weight as a Heart Failure Treatment
For the kind of heart failure where the heart pumps normally but cannot relax, extra weight is one of the strongest drivers. As a result, weight loss is now being tested as a heart failure treatment rather than a lifestyle aside. MARITIME-HF is that study, and the drug is a monthly shot.
Devices, and Being Honest About Them
Two studies here involve procedures rather than pills. One implants a heart pump earlier than doctors normally would. The other opens a small passage between the heart chambers using a catheter, with no implant left behind. But both carry real surgical risk, and neither is a small decision. So the cards say so plainly rather than burying it.
Why the Visit Count Varies So Much Here
Heart failure studies range further than most. CONFIRMATION-HF runs about 4 to 6 visits across 6 months. Meanwhile, the device studies run for years. Notably, FINALITY-HF is deliberately pragmatic, with as few as 5 to 8 visits across two and a half years. So check the visit line before you assume a long study means a heavy one.
Research Sites Near Columbia
Prisma Health runs two of the studies on this page. But sites add new studies all the time, so it is worth knowing what else sits near you.
Prisma Health Richland Hospital
Downtown Columbia / 37+ active studies
Cancer, blood disorders, broad hospital research
The flagship Prisma Health hospital in the Midlands. Also, by far the biggest trial operation in the Columbia metro.
Visit Website →
University of South Carolina
Columbia / 27+ active studies
Stroke recovery, physical activity, community health
Notably, a research university that runs federally funded health studies across the Midlands. Specifically, topics range from stroke rehab to disease prevention.
Visit Website →
Bogan Sleep Consultants
Columbia / 7+ active studies
Narcolepsy, sleep disorders
One of the best known private sleep research sites in the Southeast. Also, it has run sleep trials for decades.
Prisma Health Midlands Cardiovascular
Columbia / 4+ active studies
Cardiovascular disease, heart failure
The heart and vessel research arm of Prisma Health in the Midlands. So it is the natural home for cholesterol trials in Columbia.
Visit Website →
Prisma Health Children’s Hospital, Midlands
Columbia / 4+ active studies
Pediatric growth, cystic fibrosis
Basically, the Midlands hub for children’s research inside the Prisma Health system.
Visit Website →
Columbia Dermatology & Aesthetics
Columbia / 4+ active studies
Hidradenitis suppurativa, psoriasis, obesity
A skin care practice with its own research team. It runs both skin and weight studies.
Velocity Clinical Research, Columbia
Columbia / Multiple active studies
COPD, skin conditions, vaccines
Part of one of the biggest research site networks in the country. Besides, it is just the kind of site the huge outcome trials lean on.
Visit Website →
Wm. Jennings Bryan Dorn VA Medical Center
Garners Ferry Road, Columbia / 2+ active studies
Atherosclerosis, liver disease
Columbia’s VA medical center runs studies, including ones on clogged arteries. For veterans, it is often the first door.
Visit Website →
Objective Health, Columbia
Columbia / 2+ active studies
Celiac disease, fatty liver disease
Once called Columbia Digestive Health Research. Now it is part of the Objective Health network. Specifically, it runs gut and liver studies, including fatty liver trials.
Columbia Gastroenterology Associates
Columbia / Active studies
Digestive conditions
A long-running gut health practice. Also, it takes part in digestive trials around Columbia.
What to Expect in a Heart Failure Study
New to studies? Here is how one works, step by step.
01
Prescreening
First comes a short phone call or online form. It takes about 10 to 15 minutes. The staff check your diagnosis, your pumping strength, and what you take now. Then they book a visit.
02
Screening Visit
Next the clinic runs blood work, an echo of your heart, and often a walking test. Also, they go through the consent form line by line, and you can still say no.
03
Treatment Period
Then the study begins. You take the study drug, the comparison drug, or a placebo on top of your usual medicines. Meanwhile, the clinic tracks your symptoms, your kidneys, and your potassium.
04
Follow-Up
Finally, there is a check-in period after treatment ends. Your cardiologist gets the results. Also, you can withdraw at any point without affecting your care.
Heart Failure Trial FAQs
Real answers about heart failure studies near Columbia SC.
Are there heart failure studies in Columbia itself?
Yes, two, and both run at Prisma Health Midlands. One tests offering an implanted heart pump earlier than usual. The other creates a small opening between the heart chambers using a catheter. Notably, procedure studies usually require travel, so having two locally is unusual.
Will I get a placebo instead of my real medicine?
No. In every drug study here you keep taking your usual heart medicines. The study drug or placebo is added on top, never swapped in. However, one study does use a sham procedure, and that is different. In ALLAY-HF half the group gets a simulated catheter procedure and will not know which for a year.
What is the study that is not for heart failure?
That is Prevent-HF, and the label matters. It enrols people with type 2 diabetes and heart disease who have NOT been diagnosed with heart failure. The aim is to stop it ever starting. So a past heart failure diagnosis rules you out of that one, though it qualifies you for the others.
Do I need a weak pump to qualify?
It depends which. The heart pump study wants 30 percent or less. Meanwhile, ALLAY-HF wants 40 percent or higher, which is the stiff kind of heart failure. So get your most recent echo number before you call, because it decides which door is open.
How many visits are we really talking about?
It varies a lot. FINALITY-HF is roughly 5 to 8 spread across two and a half years, because it is deliberately pragmatic. Meanwhile, the two procedure studies run for years with many more visits. So check the visit line on each card rather than assuming a long study is a heavy one.
Is the drive to Orangeburg worth it?
That is about 45 minutes south on I-26, which is closer than most people expect. Also, FINALITY-HF has one of the lightest visit schedules on this page. However, ask the clinic about travel reimbursement, because some studies pay it on top.
What if my kidneys are also weak?
That may help rather than hurt. FINALITY-HF is built for people who cannot take spironolactone, which is often a potassium or kidney problem. In short, being a complicated case opens doors here rather than closing them.
Do I need insurance?
No. None of these require insurance. The study medicine, the procedures and the visits are provided at no cost. Also, you keep your own cardiologist, and results are sent back to them.
What does a sham procedure mean?
It means half the group has a catheter procedure that goes through the motions without creating the opening. That sounds strange, but it is the only way to know whether the real procedure works. You would be told which you had at the end of the first year. Also, the study team knows, so your safety is never blinded.
Where can I get heart failure care near Columbia SC?
Prisma Health runs cardiology and heart failure services across the Midlands. Also, ask specifically for a heart failure specialist rather than general cardiology. Your primary care doctor can refer you. Meanwhile, ask whether you have been checked for amyloid, because that changes the whole treatment plan.
Ready to Explore a Study?
Check your eligibility, or just reach out to our Columbia team. No pressure. Also, no sales pitch.
← Back to All Clinical TrialsSources
- TEAM-HF mechanical circulatory support study, ClinicalTrials.gov NCT06526195
- ALLAY-HF interatrial shunt study, ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05685303
- FINALITY-HF finerenone study, ClinicalTrials.gov NCT06033950
- Prevent-HF baxdrostat and dapagliflozin study, ClinicalTrials.gov NCT06677060
Study details and per-site recruiting status verified against ClinicalTrials.gov on August 15, 2026. Study availability and criteria change; the research clinic confirms everything before you enroll.