Clinical trials update: highlights of the scientific sessions of the American heart association year 2000: Val HeFT, COPERNICUS, MERIT, CIBIS-II, BEST, AMIOVIRT, V-MAC, BREATHE, HEAT, MIRACL, FLORIDA, VIVA and the first human cardiac skeletal muscle myoblast transfer for heart failure

This article continues a series of reports summarising recent research deve lopments pertinent to the topic of heart failure. This is a summary of pres entations made at scientific sessions of the American Heart Association in November 2000. Clinical studies of particular interest to people caring for patients with heart failure include Val-HeFT, AMIOVIRT and V-MAC. New data from beta -blockers trials are reviewed, highlights from some important de velopments in post-infarction care, including MIRACL and FLORIDA, discussed and results of some early studies of gene therapy reported. (C) 2001 Europ ean Society of Cardiology All rights reserved.