PREDICT: Prevalence and Determinants of Subclinical Cardiovascular Dysfunction in Adults with Type 2 Diabetes
Principal Investigator: Professor Gerry McCann
The aim of the PREDICT study is to improve the detection, prevention, and management of heart failure in a multi-ethnic population with type 2 diabetes.
There has been a dramatic increase in the number of people with type 2 diabetes. Heart failure is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in this population. Diabetes is associated with alterations in the structure and function of the heart, known as diabetic cardiomyopathy. Importantly, these changes occur before patients are aware of any symptoms.
Unrecognised diabetic cardiomyopathy is very common among people with type 2 diabetes. Identifying these changes earlier in the disease course may provide the best chance of preventing future heart failure. People from minority ethnic groups such as Asians are more prone to developing diabetes and how best to prevent and treat heart failure in these population is poorly understood.
The PREDICT study was initially funded by the British Heart Foundation (BHF) and expanded with the NIHR Research Professorship award to Professor Gerry McCann. We work closely with primary care services and aim to recruit 600 adults with type 2 diabetes aged between 18-75 years who do not have a history of cardiovascular disease. Consenting participants undergo detailed tests to assess cardiac function and fitness including a bicycle exercise test, ultrasound, MRI, and CT scan. This study will tell us what proportion of patients of different sex and ethnic backgrounds have early signs of heart failure.
This will aid health care professionals to identify which patients with diabetes are at highest risk of developing heart failure.
Other branches of the PREDICT study are:
• Sophisticated laboratory analysis to discover proteins in the blood to identify those with early signs of heart failure
• Collaborating with researchers in the University of Edinburgh to study how calcium is utilised in the heart and pancreas using a special contrast agent (manganese) during an MRI scan
• Assess whether a low-calorie diet can improve heart failure symptoms in people with diabetes
• Assess the role of adipose tissue (fat cells) in causing heart failure
• Assess if long term-remission of diabetes reduces the risk of heart failure
If you would like to enquire further – please email jian.yeo@leicester.ac.uk or ad530@leicester.ac.uk.
A list of publications generated by this work can be found here.