London-led team to study cardiovascular complications of diabetes

London, ON. –Cardiovascular complications (CVCs) account for more than 70% of deaths in people with diabetes, but what role could exercise play in reducing that risk? The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) has announced funding totaling nearly $1.9 million for an innovative 5-year project that brings together researchers from Canada and Finland to study whether exercise could prevent the onset, or modify the risk of CVCs in susceptible persons. The 19-member team is led by Dr. Robert Petrella, a Lawson Health Research Institute Scientist and Professor of Family Medicine at the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry at The University of Western Ontario.

"A major objective in this proposal is to identify and then to prevent and treat early markers of CVCs in patients at risk for, or with, diabetes,” says Petrella. “While there is intense interest in identifying and modifying risk factors at the onset of CVCs in diabetes, the exact biological mechanisms, their measurement, and broader social determinants governing CVCs of diabetes, including optimal ways to prevent or manage them, are still poorly understood.

"About half of all money spent on diabetes care goes towards the costs of managing diabetic complications, of which CVCs are significant. The trend of escalating diabetes prevalence will lead to an immense financial burden in many countries unless action is taken to prevent both diabetes and its complications. This collaboration, as one of its major objectives, will develop best practices for delivery of prescriptive exercise and targeted pharmacological interventions for CVCs prevention and reversal at the point of care. This will result in significant cost savings to health care systems in both countries."

The project also received grants from the Heart & Stroke Foundation and the Canadian Diabetes Association to bring the total 5-year funding to $3.8 million. The team includes 12 London researchers from Lawson, Schulich Medicine & Dentistry and Robarts Research Institute, and seven from Finland.

The CIHR has announced funding totaling over $11 million dollars for 49 new projects in London, covering a wide range of health issues including schizophrenia, atherosclerosis, HIV/AIDS, stroke and cancer. A full list is available on request.

Media contacts:

Kathy Wallis
Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry
The University of Western Ontario
519-661-2111 ext. 81136
kathy.wallis@schulich.uwo.ca

Melissa Beilhartz
Lawson Health Research Institute
519-646-6100 ext. 65516 or pager 10699
Melissa.beilhartz@sjhc.london.on.ca

Anthea Rowe
Robarts Research Institute
519-663-3524
arowe@robarts.ca