Metabolomic Pathway Discovery in the Pressure Overloaded Diabetic Heart
Abstract
Diabetes is a common health disorder that is associated with significant risk of heart problems. Key among these is the risk of heart failure. Diabetes can independently cause the heart muscle to thicken and stiffen, leading to clinical symptoms and reduced survival. Diabetes can also magnify the heart negative response to various conditions that increase the workload of the heart, such as hypertension and aortic valve stenosis, again leading to worsened heart failure symptoms, such as shortness of breath and fluid retention, and reduced survival. Despite the fact that diabetes has such a profound impact on the heart, the mechanisms by which diabetes impacts the heart are not clearly understood. Aortic stenosis is characterized by severe narrowing of the aortic valve, the doorway through which blood exits the heart. Aortic stenosis ultimately leads to heart failure and death. Replacement of the valve, whether by surgery or catheter-based techniques, is curative, but often damage that previously occurred to the heart may not be fully reversible, and unfortunately, diabetes lessens the likelihood of full recovery of the heart muscle. The objective of this study is to examine the method by which diabetes impacts the heart’s response to aortic stenosis and other similar diseases that exert increased pressure on the heart. Specifically, we will collect blood from patients with severe aortic stenosis prior to transcatheter aortic valve replacement, and utilize metabolomics profiling, a technique that allows us to quantify approximately 300 compounds within the blood, to identify blood-based markers of the heart’s underlying condition. These compounds will enhance our understanding of how diabetes impacts the heart, identify targets for new pharmacologic therapies that may prevent or slow the progression of diabetic heart disease, and may also allow us to predict the heart’s ability to recover after valve replacement or other therapies. In summary, we hope that the proposed project will improve medical care for patients with diabetes by allowing us to maintain and protect their heart health.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Oct 29, 2018
- Source ID
- W81XWH1810080
Entities
People
- Sammy Elmariah
Organizations
- Massachusetts General Hospital
- United States Army