Our research is one of the first of its kind in the world—it ushers in a new era of medicine in Canada, an era where medicine no longer treats the average person, but the patient as a unique individual.
Let’s personalize cardiovascular health
Questions we want to answer
- What defines a healthy heart?
- Why do some healthy individuals develop heart disease?
- What are early markers of cardiovascular disease?
- Why do some individuals respond to interventions and others do not?
The Program
- Medicine currently treats the “average person”;
- This program aims to treat every person as a unique individual;
- It will enable a personalized management of cardiovascular health;
- It will uncover the unique combination of your genetics, microbiomics, and environmental factors.
Our population
4000 participants 35–79 years old
- Healthy participants
- People at risk for heart diseases
- Patients with known heart disease
Data collection
Cardiac MRI
Among the numerous diagnostic procedures, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) is the most comprehensive and informative diagnostic tool for cardiovascular diseases. CMR is safe and highly accurate but very complex, requiring specially trained personnel to scan and interpret images.
Cerebrovascular MRI
Cerebrovascular imaging provides a non-invasive assessment of the brain and the carotids. It provides information on the structure of major blood vessels, blood flow velocity and microcirculation, as well as giving us an overall view.
Blood Samples
Cardiac biomarkers are elements released into the blood when the heart is damaged or stressed. Biomarkers may help detect cardiac diseases and conditions associated with insufficient blood flow to the heart. Genetics can influence our risk of heart disease. Genes determine every aspect of our cardiovascular system, from the strength of our blood vessels to the way our heart cells communicate. A genetic variation (mutation) in a single gene can affect the likelihood of developing heart disease.
Microbiome
Microbiome (gut) interactions involving inflammatory and metabolic pathways have been linked to the pathogenesis of multiple immune-mediated diseases and metabolic conditions like diabetes and obesity. Accumulating such evidence suggests that alterations in the gut microbiome could play a role in cardiovascular disease.
ECG
An electrocardiogram (ECG) is a test that detects electrical activity in the heart using sensors that are placed on the chest. It is a quick, painless test. The information obtained from the ECG can provide valuable data enabling to detect early markers of cardiovascular diseases.
6-min. walk test
The six-minute walk test (6MWT) is simple and easy-to-perform; it is used regularly to evaluate functional exercise capacity. Its ability to predict outcomes has been established in patients with heart disease, pulmonary hypertension and pulmonary disease.
Digital Health
Digital health is the use of technological devices for instance, a fitness watch that collects data such as physical activity, steps, heart rate, ECG and sleep patterns. The data helps us understand the effects of these factors on cardiovascular diseases. The data collected will be stored on the cloud.
Questionnaires
Our team has created digital questionnaires to help reduce our ecological footprint. The questionnaires will help us gather information about your health, lifestyle, family history, medications, eating, exercise, and much more.
GE SIGNA™ Premier 3T MRI
GE SIGNA™ Premier 3T MRI, a flagship GE Medical Systems Cardiac Magnetic Resonance (MR) machine. The first one of its kind in Canada, this machine performs cutting-edge scans of the heart and the vascular system, providing the MUHC with unprecedented expertise in heart research, while considerably enhancing the patient experience
Longitudinal study
Participants will be followed for a period of 10-year. Throughout the years we will collect information on cardiovascular events, new diagnoses and changes in medications. In 5 years, by analyzing heart rate, ECG, imaging, genetic risk scores and associated information, using artificial intelligence, we aim to identify patterns to create cardiovascular signatures and predict who may develop cardiovascular diseases, and who will remain healthy, even if at risk.
Let’s pursue this quest together: A future of healthier hearts and minds.
Data
Collection
Cardiac event
questionnaires
Data
Collection
Cardiac event
questionnaires
5
Years
Years
10
Years
Years
Data management platform
Your data is protected. Only authorized team members and researchers have access to your data.
The platform stores and maintains data derived from questionnaires, imaging, ECG, genomic, microbiomic and digital health data and provide a complete platform for the research community.
The collection of personal information will be separated from encoded data and stored in a secure hospital environment.
- CODED information only
- Validated software: (IQ, OQ, PQ)
- Hosted on an AWS Montreal cloud
- Approved by the MUHC Security Governance