A global collaboration, spearheaded by Johns Hopkins University, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and Lund University in Sweden, has unearthed 13 pivotal biomarkers, substantially enhancing the accuracy of cardiovascular disease risk prognosis in individuals grappling with type 2 diabetes.
This pioneering research, featuring 23 experts from 11 countries, unfolded within the framework of an international alliance between the American Diabetes Association and the European Association for the Study of Diabetes, as part of the Precision Medicine in Diabetes Initiative.
Type 2 diabetes, affecting an estimated 462 million people worldwide, triggers excessive sugar levels in the blood. Those with this condition face a doubled likelihood of developing cardiovascular disease compared to their non-diabetic counterparts.
Diving into medical studies spanning from 1990 onward, investigating the contrast between type 2 diabetes patients with and without cardiovascular disease, the research team scrutinized 321 biomarkers. Out of this extensive pool, 13 biomarkers emerged as significantly linked to cardiovascular risk in those with type 2 diabetes.
The spotlight shone brightly on N-terminal pro-b-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), a biomarker currently employed to monitor heart failure. Its correlation with an elevated risk of cardiovascular disease became apparent, especially in one study involving 16,000 patients, where each NT-proBNP deviation increase corresponded to a 64% hike in the hazard rate.
Maria Gomez, research group leader at the Lund University Diabetes Centre and professor of physiology at Lund University, emphasized the crucial need to pinpoint easily accessible methods for accurately classifying patients. This, she noted, ensures that those at higher risk of cardiovascular disease receive the preventive care imperative for their well-being.
A Professor of diabetes at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Ronald Ma, highlighted the significance of further testing for the 13 biomarkers, particularly NT-proBNP. He suggested that “if subsequent studies validate their efficacy in predicting cardiovascular risk in type 2 diabetes patients, it could potentially lead to a paradigm shift in healthcare standards.”