Scientists from the research center Applied Medicine (CIMA) of the University of Navarra participate in a European project focused on preventing heart failure in the elderly. It is the only Spanish center involved in the HOMAGE (Heart OMics in Ageing) study, in which 17 European and US institutions are collaborating. The project is financed with 12 million euros.

The prevalence of heart failure is increasing due to the aging of the population and the increase in the prevalence of risk factors (dyslipidemia, diabetes, obesity and hypertension). "The project has as goal to study new molecules that help prevent this disease in patients at risk of heart failure," explain Drs. Javier Díez, director of the area of Cardiovascular Sciences at CIMA and member of the committee executive of the European project , and Arantxa González Miqueo, researcher at area and coordinator of the project at CIMA.

The project HOMAGE focuses on the search for more sensitive biomarkers, based on "omics" technologies (genomics, proteomics, etc.), that will enable the development of new therapeutic targets to prevent heart failure. "Once the biomarkers in the blood have been identified, we will study their value in predicting this disease and other age-associated alterations, such as impaired renal function or cognitive disorders," add the researchers at CIMA. The next step will be to initiate a clinical essay aimed at developing new personalized treatments for patients at risk.