REACT
Early Cure of Atherosclerosis
REACT is a two-phased international research initiative that will investigate a novel approach to prevent atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), such as heart attacks and strokes, a major challenge to health care systems and the most common cause of death globally.
Atherosclerosis
Since atherosclerosis may start early in life and typically develop over decades before its symptoms and manifestations, there may be a long window of opportunity for prevention or early treatment.
Today, treatment of atherosclerosis and atherosclerotic CVD
(ASCVD) mainly takes place only after one or more of these serious events have already occurred, leaving many patients with poor quality of life, disabling diseases and premature
death (6,7).
Vision, mission and objective
To improve the understanding, prevention and treatment of atherosclerosis and reduce the disease burden globally of ASCVD, the REACT initiative aims to fulfil the following:
VISION
Reduce the global burden of ASCVD by early
detection and personalised treatment of
atherosclerosis.
MISSION
To conduct international collaborative clinical research to generate the evidence needed to change current prevention strategies to be directed against early-stage atherosclerosis rather than against its late-stage manifestation,
ASCVD.
Expected Outcomes
Short-term outcomes
Determine the true
atherosclerosis prevalence
in asymptomatic people from
20 to 70 years of age
Identify the optimal population
target for early personalized
atherosclerosis screening and
treatment
Develop a new atherosclerosis
risk calculator modality to indicate the need for vascular ultrasound screening
Medium-term outcomes
Demonstrate that personalized
preventive treatment for
early atherosclerosis cures or
decreases disease progression
Develop an easy-to-use
device for atherosclerosis
detection by non-experts in
out-of-hospital settings
Engage in health advocacy to
promote public understanding
that atherosclerosis screening
and intervention early in life is
critical for ASCVD prevention
Long-term outcomes
Conduct clinical ASCVD hard outcomes studies and support
societal establishment of a
population-based screening
and intervention program for
atherosclerosis
Change global clinical
practice centered on a precision
medicine-based approach
for ASCVD prevention
Decrease the number of
ASCVD events through early
treatment and lifestyle changes,
as an early result of this
initiative
Dr. Henning Bundgaard
Professor, leader of REACT