A new UK study has identified undiagnosed heart failure in one in four high-risk people living with diabetes.
This is according to the results of the TARTAN-HF study, which were announced by AstraZeneca UK and the University of Glasgow at the American College of Cardiology congress.
TARTAN-HF looked at people with type 1 or type 2 diabetes plus one, or more additional heart failure risk factors making them more likely to develop heart problems, and used a simple, GP-friendly pathway:
- Ask about symptoms,
- Conduct a blood test (NT-proBNP)
- Fast track echocardiography for those who need it.
Using this approach, doctors found that around one in four people had heart failure that had not been diagnosed before.
This pathway helps GPs and specialists spot undiagnosed heart failure sooner and get people on the right treatments earlier.
It is designed to fit how the NHS works today by focusing risk-based tests on those most likely to have heart failure, and targets NHS diagnostic resources where they are most needed, offering a scalable approach for primary care teams and specialists across cardiology, nephrology and diabetology.
Professor Mark Petrie, Professor of Cardiology at the University of Glasgow, said: “The results of TARTAN-HF highlight that a substantial number of people living with diabetes are living with unrecognised heart failure.
“These people have a significant burden of limiting symptoms and impaired quality of life. The screening process tested in TARTAN-HF is easy-to-implement in clinical practice and could significantly benefit people living with diabetes through the earlier identification of heart failure and implementation of evidence-based drugs which improve outcomes and reduce symptom burden.”
Heart failure is common and often missed in people with type 2 diabetes, especially in community care.
TARTAN-HF adds a practical way to find and treat existing disease earlier and adds to international guidelines alongside ongoing efforts to improve use of proven preventive medicines.
Additional analyses, including health economic evaluation, are underway, with further presentations planned at heart failure and diabetes congresses through 2026. A manuscript is in preparation for peer reviewed publication.
Dr Edward Piper, Medical Director at AstraZeneca UK, added: “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 people with diabetes enabling earlier intervention with guideline-directed therapy.
“At AstraZeneca we’re committed to working with academic partners to turn strong science into practical solutions that have the potential to transform patient care.”
