Glucagon-like peptide-1 and cardiac inflammation in diabetes
Research type
Research Study
Full title
EFFECTS OF GLUCAGON-LIKE PEPTIDE-1 ON CIRCULATING INFLAMMATORY CELL PROFILE AND CARDIAC FUNCTION IN PATIENTS WITH TYPE 2 DIABETES
IRAS ID
247809
Contact name
David J Grieve
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Queen's University Belfast
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 11 months, 31 days
Research summary
The global prevalence of diabetes is rapidly increasing and is linked with a highly elevated risk of cardiovascular disease. Diabetes is particularly associated with increased rates of heart failure (which remains the main cause of death in the western world), which commonly occurs after a heart attack or due to raised blood pressure. This is thought to be caused by specific changes which occur in the hearts of diabetic patients due to elevated glucose levels, known as cardiac remodelling. Our recent work has indicated that a naturally-occurring protein, called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), which is currently used as a drug treatment for reducing blood glucose in diabetic patients, also exerts beneficial effects on the heart. It appears to do this by specifically affecting two important processes underlying cardiac damage in diabetes, known as inflammation and extracellular matrix remodelling, which result in the heart becoming stiffer with a reduced ability to pump blood. This project aims to investigate detailed mechanisms by which GLP-1 may affect these processes in the diabetic heart, specifically focussing on effects on circulating inflammatory cells which are known to be important in the development of heart failure. We will assess whether diabetic patients treated with GLP-1 drugs demonstrate similar changes in inflammation and extracellular matrix remodelling to those observed in the laboratory which will help us to assess whether such an approach may hold potential for the clinical treatment of this condition. We are confident that our work will highlight GLP-1 as a viable novel therapy for heart failure in diabetes which would significantly improve patient survival and quality of life.
REC name
HSC REC B
REC reference
18/NI/0131
Date of REC Opinion
28 Aug 2018
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion