The present invention relates to Abhydrolase containing domain 5 (ABHD5) and N-terminal fragments of HDAC4 (HDAC4-NT) and variants of the aforementioned peptides for the treatment and prevention of heart failure. The present invention further provides vectors for the cardiomyocyte-specific expression of said peptides and a test system comprising ABHD5 for the identification of novel compounds which are useful for the treatment of heart failure.