A method of reducing heart failure or preventing sudden cardiac death in a subject in need thereof is carried out by administering a composition comprising a compound that increases cellular level of Sarco/endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase 2a (SERCA2a). The invention represents a significant breakthrough in the treatment or prevention of chronic heart failure. The invention is based upon the discovery that a Mifepristone molecule increases the cellular level of SERCA2a protein.
