Coronary heart disease and stroke are the main cause of death and disability in the world. Some patients with coronary heart disease and stroke have other illnesses that do not primarily involve the heart and vessels, such as pancreatic disorders, kidney diseases and COVID-19 (‘non-cardiovascular diseases’). While researchers have already found links between some non-cardiovascular diseases (for example, diabetes) and coronary heart disease and stroke, we currently do not know much about the links with most other non-cardiovascular diseases. This uncertainty is especially pronounced in minority ethnic groups, which may lead to disparities in the ways people are treated (‘inequalities’).
We aim to improve our understanding on the links between non-cardiovascular conditions, including COVID-19, and coronary heart disease / stroke. We plan to do this by studying large numbers of people from different ethnic groups, using mathematical methods that can help find links between the diseases.
We expect to discover new and reliable associations between non-cardiovascular and either coronary heart disease or stroke. This work has the potential to:
- Help people who have non-cardiovascular diseases avoid heart problems in the future, easing the pressure on the NHS, and;
- Reduce health differences across minority ethnic groups, contributing to a more equitable society.