Trust leads the way in global heart failure research
“Clinical trials are so important for the advancement of medicine; we wouldn’t be where we are now with treatment without research” – on International Clinical Trials Day, these are the thoughts of Ulster Hospital Clinical Research Nurse Emma Gibson on the fact the site has been chosen to lead an important study into heart failure and whether a new medicine can reduce symptoms and prevent disease progression.
In Northern Ireland, there are currently 23,000 affected by heart failure.
Participant and Trust patient Janice Wilson, shared how she lives with the condition.
“I have heart failure and it makes me quite breathless,” she explained. “Having heart failure limits what I can do at home and when I am out and about. I knew these types of trials existed but I never thought about being on one before.
“If you don’t participate and people don’t help with the trials then nothing can move forward.”
South Eastern Trust, Cardiology Specialty Doctor, Dr Peter Barfoot explained how the new treatment will look at how the body, “regulates and processes a nutrient called Branched-Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs), which are found in protein-rich foods.”
He continued: “While essential for muscle health, higher levels of BCAAs are often seen in people with heart failure and may have harmful effects on the heart. Researchers hope this medication will help counteract those effects.”
Emma added how the research “gives our patients more hope where other drugs are maybe not working.
“It is really important for our patients to be involved in the research.
"Without our patients we wouldn’t be able to do our job and we can’t thank them enough.”