Cardiovascular Disease Research

Learn more about future cardiovascular disease study opportunities

Cardiovascular disease may be caused by lifestyle factors or risk factors linked to your genes, meaning they are inherited from your parents. Some types of cardiovascular disease may not have a clear cause, or they may have many different causes.

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What is Established Cardiovascular Disease?

Cardiovascular disease is considered established if an individual has an event such as:

Heart Attack
Stroke

OR procedures such as:

Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG)
Stent placement
Carotid endarterectomy
Amputation due to cardiovascular disease
Surgical revascularisations

Who is at Risk of Cardiovascular Disease?

There are different things that can increase your risk of developing cardiovascular disease. These are called “risk factors” and include:

High blood pressure
High cholesterol
Diabetes
Obesity

Smoking
Family history of heart disease
High level of Lipoprotein(a)*

*People with a high level of Lipoprotein(a), also known as Lp(a), are also at risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Lp(a) is a protein that carries cholesterol (a type of fat) in the blood. The level of Lp(a) in your blood is decided by your genes. Genes are passed on to you from your parents. They carry the information that decides how you look and how your body works. You may have a high level of Lp(a) even if you have a healthy lifestyle, do not have any symptoms or are taking other medicine for your cholesterol. Researchers think that lowering the level of Lp(a) might lower the risk for cardiovascular disease.

Cardiovascular disease can look very different

Have you experienced a heart attack or stroke?

Have you had a coronary artery bypass?

Do you have several of the risk factors for developing cardiovascular disease?

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Why is Clinical Research Important?

All medicines must be tested in clinical research studies before they can be approved for doctors to give to patients. Without people taking part in these clinical research studies, we would not have new medicines.

Doctors and researchers are trying to find medicines that can lower the risk for heart disease, stroke, and peripheral artery disease. By getting actively involved in clinical research for cardiovascular disease you may contribute to the development of potential medicines for heart disease.

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