PRECISION PREVENTION OF CARDIOMETABOLIC DISEASE

The aim of our research is to identify novel cardiometabolic risk factors present in parts of the population and to target these new risk factors – specifically in the individuals who carry them- with tailored clinical actions and therapies to prevent disease.SUBPROJECT 1: We test in subjects with prediabetes if randomization to diet counselling guided by a plasma metabolite profile, which we have shown to be strongly and reproducibly linked to healthy eating (including specific nutrients) and protection from cardiometabolic disease, can improve metabolic outcome as compared to normal diet counselling.

SUBPROJECT 2: We have shown that high plasma concentration (>150 pmol/L) of the gut hormone neurotensin (NTS) leads to enhanced uptake and central storage of fat, which increases the risk of liver steatosis and later cardiometabolic morbidity and mortality.

We now test if the drug orlistat, which inhibits the production of neurotensin (vs placebo) can reverse NTS-driven liver steatosis.SUBPROJECT 3: We have shown that 2% of the Malmö population have genetic loss of function of the antimicrobial enzyme myeloperoxidase (pMPOdef) and markedly increased risk of cardiovascular diseases and death.

We will test the external validity of this finding in the world´s largest population based cohort with genetic biobank.

We also test if screening of pMPOdef in healthy individuals motivates life-long statin therapy and coronary evaluation with CT-angiography.