Approved Research

Clonal Hematopoiesis and increased risk of cardiovascular disease

Lay summary

Cardiovascular disease is a major global health concern, with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease being one of the most common types. Despite several recognized risk factors, many patients are diagnosed with arteriosclerosis without any known risk factors, suggesting other factors may be at play. Researchers have discovered a potential new risk factor, known as CHIP (Clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential), which is the presence of an expanded somatic blood-cell clone in persons without other hematologic abnormalities. CHIP has been linked to an increased risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, with carriers having a 1.9 times higher risk of coronary heart disease and increased artery calcification. As older people are more vulnerable to heart diseases, it is possible that CHIP mutation may be related to the accumulation of time spent with an unhealthy lifestyle. Our project aims to explore the potential relationship between CHIP and cardiovascular diseases, especially in individuals with an unhealthy lifestyle. We plan to collect relevant data from the UK biobank database and analyze it over a period of 36 months. Our findings could lead to more accurate prediction and better management of cardiovascular diseases in the future.