Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a prevalent cardiovascular disease in the UK. It is a condition where the oxygen supply of the heart is interrupted by a blockage in the coronary arteries. The walls of these arteries can accumulate fatty deposits in a process called atherosclerosis and these deposits can reduce or completely stop the flow of blood through these vessels. There are multiple risk factors for CAD, one of which is diabetes, a key research theme of the NIHR Sheffield BRC.

Our aims

Over the next 5 years, we aim to:

• Establish individualised and targeted pharmacological strategies to improve clinical outcomes and extend life expectancy in people with CAD

• Use virtual coronary physiology to provide cost-effective and widely applicable personalised management of CAD patients

• Develop software for the automated virtual assessment of coronary physiological parameters in order to guide the management of patients undergoing invasive coronary angiography

• Demonstrate the advantages of novel antithrombotic regimens in patients with CAD

Our research outputs will support phase 3 studies of novel antithrombotic regimens in patients with diabetes, with or without proven CAD, and the impact of virtual (computed) coronary physiology upon decision-making in the management of CAD patients.