Helping families with a history of heart attacks identify the often-hidden signs of heart disease in its early stages is the focus of a pioneering study by local Cardiologist Associate Professor Abdul Ihdayhid.
It is the first of its kind to examine whether more advanced imaging can better detect hidden heart disease in those with a family history of premature heart attacks.
Affiliated with Curtin University and Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, A/Prof Ihdayhid is running the CASCADE-MI trial through Fiona Stanley Hospital and Royal Perth Hospital.
He is joined by Dr Nick Lan, Cardiologist, who is leading the trial day-today; and Cathy Chan, PhD candidate at University of Western Australia and Cardiology Research Nurse, whose work has been central to the study’s success.
More than 150 participants have been involved in the study so far, with 12-month follow-up assessments now underway for the earliest recruits. Recruitment is continuing toward a target of 300 participants.
A/Prof Ihdayhid said traditional calcium scoring – a standard tool used to assess heart attack risk – can miss early signs of disease, particularly in younger people who are more likely to carry non-calcified, or ‘soft’, plaque.
The state-of-the-art photon-counting CT technology used in this study can detect this hidden plaque, offering a more complete picture of a person’s true cardiovascular risk.
“If someone in your family has had a heart attack before 55, that is an important signal,” said A/Prof Ihdayhid. “This study gives their siblings the opportunity to understand their own risk – and to act on it early.”
Almost one year into the study, A/Prof Ihdayhid said that digital technology had proven to be a huge driver for recruitment and participation in the study.
Recruiting for medical research, alongside securing funding, can often be one of the most challenging aspects of a research project.
“While media coverage of the study has helped, we’ve had a phenomenal response from a targeted advertising and digital recruitment campaign that saw our numbers jump from 100 to 150 within months,” he said.
“We’ve also noticed a real spike in enquiries over the Christmas and holiday period, which makes sense – it’s a time when families come together, share stories, and reflect on their health and the health of the people they love.”
Those moments of connection are exactly the kind of conversations the CASCADE-MI team hopes to spark – ones that could prompt a family member to get assessed and potentially prevent a heart attack.
With follow-up now underway for the first wave of participants and recruitment continuing, the team is on track to reach its 300-participant target. Results will be published in peer-reviewed medical journals, with the aim of progressing to a larger national study.
The CASCADE-MI trial has been made possible with funding from The Hospital Research Foundation Group, thanks to generous sponsors the Fremantle Hospital Ladies Auxiliary, facilitated by Helen Eaves. This funding has been instrumental in enabling the team to expand recruitment and deliver a study that has the potential to change how we approach heart disease prevention in high-risk families across Australia.
The study is open to adults aged 30–55 who have a close family member that experienced a heart attack before the age of 55. To find out more, visit www.cascade-mi.org.
