Participants in the Australian Breakthrough Cancer (ABC) Study are continuing to make an invaluable contribution to medical research beyond cancer, this time helping researchers better understand heart disease through the ARCHIMEDES study.
ARCHIMEDES is investigating whether clonal haematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP) - a common age-related change in blood stem cells - is associated with faster progression of cardiovascular disease. International studies have linked CHIP to an increased risk of heart attack and stroke, but many questions remain about how it influences the development of disease.
The study would not have been possible without the ABC Study. A subset of 2,500 Victorian participants in their mid-sixties or older, and with no prior history of major cardiovascular events were invited to take part in ARCHIMEDES.
Thanks to the willingness of participants to contribute to this important research, the study successfully recruited its target of 200 participants, with approximately half identified as CHIP carriers. All participants have now completed baseline assessments, including cardiovascular screening, blood testing and advanced heart imaging, and the first group has already returned for follow-up screening.
The next 12 months will mark a major phase of the project, as the participants complete their follow-up visits. Researchers will then begin analysing the data to determine whether atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease progresses more rapidly in people with CHIP.
We extend our sincere thanks to all ABC Study participants who have contributed to ARCHIMEDES. Their ongoing support is helping researchers answer important questions about heart disease and may ultimately lead to new ways of identifying people at increased risk and preventing heart attacks and strokes before they occur.
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