Evaluating combination therapeutics for CVD prevention using Mendelian randomization and phenome-wide scans
A variety of different drugs are used to help prevent heart attacks and strokes, and they work in different ways. For example, by reducing cholesterol or decreasing blood pressure. Although these drugs are often prescribed together, the safety and effectiveness of most of these drugs has only been tested individually. This makes it difficult for doctors to know which drug combination will be most safe and effective for individual people. It’s too difficult to run clinical trials of all the different drug combinations that could be used. Instead, Dr Floriaan Schmidt and his team at University College London intend to use a different approach, called Mendelian randomization. They will study the naturally occurring variation in genes and link this to how well common heart disease and stroke drugs work in the body. The study mimics the design of randomized controlled trials – the gold standard way of testing new treatments. It could reveal the best sequence of drugs to use, when to use them, and which combinations are most effective. It will also show whether there are markers in the blood or clinical symptoms that are common markers of treatment success across all drug types. By furthering our understanding of how these genes vary across populations, this work could make it possible to personalise the combination of drugs prescribed to individual people, so that they receive the most safe and effective treatment possible.
Project details
| Grant amount | £282,337 |
|---|---|
| Grant type | Project Grants |
| Application type | Project Grant |
| Start Date | 01 March 2019 |
| Duration | 3 years |
| Reference | PG/18/50/33837 |
| Status | In Progress |
