The following blog discusses current trends in cardiovascular research in recognition of Heart Month.
2020 marks the 56th consecutive year that February is designated Heart Month by the American Heart Association (AHA). With a goal of improving the cardiovascular health of all Americans by 20% while reducing deaths from cardiovascular disease by 20% in the last decade the AHA has spent more than $3.3 billion on cardiovascular research.[i] Many gains have been made by researchers and pharmaceutical developers in the field of cardiovascular disease, but there is still much to be achieved. The AHA estimates that 2300 lives are lost per day to cardiovascular disease (heart disease and/or stroke).[ii] That’s more than all deaths to cancer combined. It’s clear that cardiovascular disease is a field where there is ample opportunity and much financial support for those researchers with a vision for the future and a willingness to take up the challenge.
In a recent Uncommon Conversations podcast, Karen Hill and Kim Sydes, senior members of the Worldwide Clinical Trials Cardiovascular and Metabolic franchise, shared their personal investment in heart disease research. They discussed their participation in Heart Month awareness and fundraising efforts, before going on to discuss the evolution of cardiovascular research at Worldwide.
What does the future of cardiovascular research look like? Here are a few of the trends we see:
- Increasing focus on women. The research community has recently been turning its attention towards environmental and biological factors particular to women’s cardiovascular health. The Go Red for Women campaign raises awareness and resources in support of cardiovascular health for women. Under the auspices of Go Red for Women, studies are underway focusing on fasting, estrogen levels, meditation, and exercise.[iii]
- Studies with longer-term vision. While significant achievements are made in treating cardiovascular disease, regulators are increasingly seeking therapies proven to deliver long-term results. The trend is a progression from disease treatment towards disease prevention and reduced hospitalizations. Such research calls for larger financial investments over longer periods of time. For sponsors and their partners, the challenge is to streamline these large cardiovascular studies while sustaining their effectiveness.
- Digital technology supporting scalable studies. As studies become larger in financial and temporal scope, the time is right for advances in digital capabilities. Expect to see virtual trials and remote monitoring solutions move into the cardio research space to accommodate these larger-scale, longer-term studies.
With cardiovascular outcome trials serving so many therapeutic areas beyond the space of heart disease and stroke, cardiometabolic research has a broad scope of applications. What do you see as the potential pain points in the future of cardiovascular research? How can we prepare ourselves for these new challenges?
Ready to get started?
With Worldwide Clinical Trials as your CRO partner, you enjoy a balance of science, medicine, operations, and commercial intelligence to achieve successful drug development. Our extensive network of relationships with academics and research organizations keeps us abreast of current cardiovascular research.
Connect with Worldwide’s cardiovascular experts:
- Karen Hill, Senior Vice President Project Management, Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases
- Soneil Guptha, Senior Medical Director, Medical and Scientific Affairs, Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases
- Monika Iten, Vice President Project Management, Cardiovascular
Resources
[i] https://www.goredforwomen.org/en/about-heart-disease-in-women/latest-research
[ii] https://www.heart.org/en/around-the-aha/february-marks-56th-consecutive-american-heart-month
[iii] https://news.heart.org/research-takes-deep-dive-into-womens-health/?fun_cid=15818676350191509138
