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Ear zaps during heart attack may shield the heart from damage

NCT ID NCT05992259

Disease control Sponsor: Bakulev Scientific Center of Cardiovascular Surgery Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed This study
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Jul 20, 2026 · Last updated Jul 21, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This trial investigates whether gentle electrical stimulation of the ear (specifically the vagus nerve area) during emergency heart attack treatment can reduce heart muscle damage and improve recovery. Researchers are enrolling 110 adults having their first major heart attack who undergo a procedure to open the blocked artery. The stimulation is applied from arrival through the procedure and for 30 minutes afterward. The study tracks deaths and serious complications like heart failure or dangerous heart rhythms to see if this simple, non-invasive technique offers added protection.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) of the auricular branch of the vagus nerve
What this could lead to
If effective, this non-invasive ear stimulation could become a simple, low-cost addition to standard heart attack care to reduce heart damage and improve survival.
What could go wrong
This is a relatively small, early-stage study, and the benefit seen in previous research may not translate to better long-term outcomes. The stimulation may also cause discomfort or fail to show a clear advantage over standard care alone.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

110 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Sep 2022

Finished

May 2026

Lead sponsor

A government agency

The lead sponsor is a government body.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

40 to 75 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * patients with STEMI who have signed an informed voluntary consent to participate in the study; * primary myocardial infarction; * treatment in the first 12 hours from the onset of pain syndrome; * primary PCI. Exclusion Criteria: * acute heart failure III-IV; * bradyarrhythmias; * atrial fibrillation/flutter at the time of switching on; * Thrombolytic therapy at the prehospital stage; * a history of myocardial infarction; * PCI/coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in the anamnesis.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

acute coronary syndrome atrial fibrillation Coronary Disease ischemia reperfusion injury ST-elevation myocardial infarction

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Acute coronary syndrome Ischemia reperfusion injury Vagus nerve stimulation

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Scientific Research Institute Ochapovsky Regional Clinical Hospital

    Krasnodar, Russia

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