By: IPP Bureau
Last updated : April 06, 2026 2:58 pm
Researchers say simple blood-test and echocardiography pathway could reshape diabetes-related cardiovascular care
A large proportion of people living with diabetes may be living with undiagnosed heart failure, according to findings from the TARTAN-HF trial presented at the American College of Cardiology Conference in New Orleans.
The landmark study, led by the University of Glasgow in collaboration with AstraZeneca, Roche Diagnostics, Us2.ai, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and NHS Lanarkshire, found that one in four diabetes patients with at least one additional heart-failure risk factor had previously undetected heart failure through a screening pathway involving NT-proBNP blood testing followed by echocardiography.
Dr Kieran Docherty, Clinical Senior Lecturer at the University of Glasgow’s School of Cardiovascular & Metabolic Health, said: “Our results from the landmark TARTAN-HF trial, show that we identified heart failure in a large proportion of people living with diabetes, emphasising the need for a heart failure screening strategy in this group of patients.”
He added: “We know that many of the symptoms and signs of heart failure are non-specific and may go unrecognised as potentially being due to heart failure for a long time. The strategy used in our trial is simple and easy-to-implement in clinical practice and will aid in the early identification of heart failure in people with diabetes and facilitate the initiation of medications that we know improve outcomes in patients with heart failure.”
Professor Mark Petrie, who co-led the study, added: “The results of TARTAN-HF demonstrate that screening for heart failure could significantly benefit people living with diabetes. Identifying heart failure early also allows clinicians to effectively treat patients with the proper drugs.”
He further noted: “Further screening strategies could help identify other undiagnosed cardiovascular conditions, including atrial fibrillation and aortic stenosis. Going forward, larger trials in other regions and countries would be beneficial to more widely demonstrate the performance of heart failure screening in these patients.”
Dr Edward Piper, Medical Director, AstraZeneca UK, said: “Delayed diagnosis and treatment of heart failure in people with type 2 diabetes contributes to poor long-term outcomes. TARTAN-HF demonstrates that targeted, risk-based screening can identify previously undiagnosed heart failure in approximately one in four high-risk patients with diabetes enabling earlier intervention with guideline-directed therapy.”
Dr Christian Simon, Head of Global Medical Affairs at Roche Diagnostics, said: “We are proud to have supported the landmark TARTAN-HF trial. These findings demonstrate the transformative power of early, accessible diagnostics like the NT-proBNP blood test.”