A new campaign encouraging people with diabetes to be proactive in taking steps to prevent or delay the onset of heart failure was launched recently by Diabetes Ireland.

The campaign ‘Check, Know, Discuss, Prevent Heart Failure’ highlighted that people living with diabetes should be aware that their heart failure risk is 2-4 times that of the general population.

The campaign's launch arrived on foot of encouraging Irish research results that provided strong evidence of the value of a new simple blood test, the B-Type Natriuretic Peptide (NTproBNP) test, which helps to recognise heart failure early.

The STOP-Heart Failure research study undertaken in St Vincent’s Hospital, Dublin assessed if people with risk factors for heart failure could have their risk defined by the use of this peptide test. The study showed that not only did the test help to identify and thus play a role in reducing the development of heart failure, it showed a reduction in all cardiovascular events by 40% in high-risk patients.

Building on the success of this study and the well-established Midlands Diabetes Scheme, another study, the STOP-HF Midlands project targeted the local diabetes population, looking at their risk factors. The results showed that despite excellent diabetes risk factor control, three in 10 people with diabetes had evidence of significant problems with heart function.

The campaign aims to make people with diabetes aware of the availability of the test and to encourage them to ask their GP or diabetes team for the test if they have any concerns about their risk of heart failure.