Resolve-CAD
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Is inflammatory resolution dampened in women with coronary artery disease?
IRAS ID
255748
Contact name
Amrita Ahluwalia
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Queen Mary University of London
Duration of Study in the UK
3 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
It is now accepted that bias plays a substantial role in our lack of understanding of coronary artery disease (CAD: blocking (furring up) of the arteries of the heart) initiation and progression in women. Whilst pre-menopausal women appear to be protected from CAD, women who suffer a heart attack (also known as an acute coronary syndrome [ACS]) have double the risk of further heart attacks compared to men, despite conventional treatment that works well in men. Women also experience much greater rates of heart attacks that occur without block of the arteries that feed the heart, than their age-matched male counterparts. Differences in biology between women and men is likely play an important role, however there is a lack of understanding of female physiology in this area due to a lack of research. Inflammation is important in the development of CAD and previous work from our laboratory showed that women appear to be better at resolving the process of inflammation compared to men. Whether problems in resolving inflammation underlies differences in CAD remains unknown. In this study we want to build on our previous work showing that healthy women resolve inflammation more effectively than men, we want to understand whether the process of inflammatory resolution is impaired in peopled with CAD. To do this are using a naturally occurring protein called cantharidin to cause mild and temporary inflammation in the skin. The cantharidin is applied to the skin of the forearm (or elsewhere) and a small (~2-3cm2) blister forms within 24h. The fluid in these blisters can be analysed to gain insights into the process of inflammatory resolution. In addition, we will determine whether there is a relationship between resolution of inflammation and blood vessel health by determining the blood vessel function of participants using non-invasive methods (such as ultrasound).
REC name
East of England - Cambridge East Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
24/EE/0117
Date of REC Opinion
4 Jul 2024
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion