04/29/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 04/29/2024 06:09
Highlights:
DALLAS, April 29, 2024 - People with heart disease may receive different care because of how race is interpreted in health risk calculators and other tools that help clinicians make treatment decisions. The American Heart Association, a global force for healthier lives for all celebrating 100 years of lifesaving service, awarded four new grants this month to support scientific research that will evaluate the use of race in predicting heart disease risk and in turn help develop tools that are free of bias.
The newly funded principal investigators join six previous awardees who are part of a two-year scientific research strategy funded by a grant from the Doris Duke Foundation to study the complex issue of how race and ethnicity factor into clinical care algorithms and risk prediction tools. The grants are $50,000 each.
Clinical algorithms are formulas used to analyze health data and help determine a person's risk for disease or guide their treatment decisions. Age, weight, information from blood or imaging tests, personal health history and health habits - like physical activity and smoking - are among the many types of data used by clinical algorithms. Some algorithms include race or ethnicity in their analysis to account for disproportionate disease rates among individuals of certain races or ethnicities. However, there has been growing scientific interest in reconsidering how race is used in risk calculators because race-corrected algorithms can negatively impact patient care and outcomes.
"These innovative research projects are focused on testing many different risk models that include a variety of health variables in an effort to remove racial bias from clinical algorithms. Our hope is that this research helps change the discourse about how race is considered in risk calculation," said Jennifer Hall, Ph.D., FAHA, chief of data science for the American Heart Association.
The teams of scientists who received funding for the Debiasing Clinical Care Algorithms Data Grants are from Mayo Clinic in Phoenix, Arizona, University of Miami in Florida, University of Washington in Seattle and Boston University in Massachusetts.
The four research projects launched April 1, 2024, and will end March 31, 2025:
The American Heart Association has funded more than $5 billion in cardiovascular, cerebrovascular and brain health research since 1949. New knowledge resulting from this funding benefits millions of lives in every corner of the U.S. and around the world.
The Association receives funding primarily from individuals; foundations and corporations (including pharmaceutical, device manufacturers and other companies) also make donations and fund specific Association programs and events. The Association has strict policies to prevent these relationships from influencing the science content. Revenues from pharmaceutical and biotech companies, device manufacturers and health insurance providers and the Association's overall financial information are available here.
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About the American Heart Association
The American Heart Association is a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. We are dedicated to ensuring equitable health in all communities. Through collaboration with numerous organizations, and powered by millions of volunteers, we fund innovative research, advocate for the public's health and share lifesaving resources. The Dallas-based organization has been a leading source of health information for a century. During 2024 - our Centennial year - we celebrate our rich 100-year history and accomplishments. As we forge ahead into our second century of bold discovery and impact our vision is to advance health and hope for everyone, everywhere. Connect with us on heart.org, Facebook, X or by calling 1-800-AHA-USA1.
For Media Inquiries: 214-706-1173
Maggie Francis: 214-706-1382; [email protected]
For Public Inquiries: 1-800-AHA-USA1 (242-8721)
heart.org and stroke.org