Researchers at the University of Birmingham have been awarded a £300,000 grant from the British Heart Foundation (BHF) to investigate the early stages of heart disease linked to chronic kidney disease (CKD). The funding will support groundbreaking research aimed at understanding and preventing heart complications before irreversible damage occurs.
Dr. Davor Pavlovic, an Associate Professor in Cardiovascular Sciences, will lead the international research team. Their focus will be on CKD-associated cardiomyopathy, a condition that links heart disease with kidney dysfunction. The project aims to identify the cellular and electrical changes that take place early in CKD-related heart disease.
The research team will explore whether early treatments can reverse or prevent heart damage before it becomes permanent.
The study brings together experts from the University of Birmingham, including Professors Jonathan Townend, Charles Ferro, Katja Gehmlich, Dr. Rowan Hardy, and Dr. Sophie Broadway-Stringer. Additionally, Dr. Nathan Tucker from SUNY Upstate Medical University and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard will collaborate on the project.
Dr. Pavlovic expressed the importance of the research, saying, “Our goal is to understand the early stages of heart dysfunction and arrhythmia in CKD. By identifying interventions in the earliest stages, we hope to improve outcomes for CKD patients, as reversing damage once it’s established is very difficult.”
The study’s findings could change clinical practices for managing CKD-related cardiovascular disease. By emphasizing early intervention, the research aims to prevent life-threatening heart conditions, such as heart failure and sudden cardiac death, which are common in CKD patients.
CKD affects around 10-15% of the global population and greatly increases the risk of heart failure and other serious heart conditions. As kidney function declines, patients are more likely to experience complications like fibrosis, structural changes in the heart, and arrhythmias.
The British Heart Foundation, the UK’s largest independent heart and circulatory research charity, is funding this important research to provide new insights and therapies that could save lives and improve patient care. This award highlights the University of Birmingham’s prominent role in advancing research in this critical area of health.
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