Cardiovascular risk in diabetes v1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Evaluation of novel cardiovascular risk indicators in people with cardiovascular disease and diabetes
IRAS ID
165279
Contact name
Gareth McKay
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Queen's University Belfast
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 6 months, 0 days
Research summary
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading single cause of morbidity in Europe, accounting for 1.92 million deaths/year killing approximately 1 in 5 persons. CVD is also the most common cause of premature death in the UK; 19% of premature deaths in men and 10% in women are from CVD. Cardiovascular related treatment accounts for 18% of UK healthcare expenditure. People with diabetes mellitus (DM) are more than twice as likely to have CVD compared to those without DM. Two out of three people with diabetes die prematurely from CVD. CVD is a risk factor for age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the most common cause of blindness in older people. Diabetic complications generally occur because blood vessels become diseased and blocked leading to injury of vital organs and structures. Previous studies have suggested measurements of the blood vessels at the back of the eye (retina) using a non-invasive procedure may provide early warnings of some diabetic complications, such as those affecting the heart and the kidney. This research proposes to combine patient information collected separately by diabetes, cardiac and renal clinics in Northern Ireland to assess whether measuring retinal blood vessels would improve earlier identification of diabetic individuals with increased risk of heart or kidney complications. This may allow opportunities for earlier treatment which could prevent the onset or slow progression of these complications. Given the current systematic retinal screening of individuals with diabetes, this research may potentially offer added value to an already embedded NHS service. Improved non-invasive risk stratification for cardiovascular or kidney complications in people with diabetes would be highly desirable and useful. This research will collect and analyse data to find out if novel measurements of retinal blood vessels helps to identify early those individuals with diabetes at increased risk of cardiovascular or kidney disease or AMD.
REC name
HSC REC A
REC reference
14/NI/1132
Date of REC Opinion
19 Jan 2015
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion