Surrey scientist given hearty grant for research

People with Metabolic Syndrome have a combination of disorders such as diabetes, high blood pressure, or obesity, which increase the risk of heart and circulatory disease. These people also have high fat levels in their blood after eating a meal.

Previous research has suggested that this may contribute to the increased risk of heart disease in people with Metabolic Syndrome, but measuring fat levels accurately in the blood has been difficult. Professor Umpleby and her team will test their new method of measuring fat levels after a meal, helping to understand why some people retain abnormal levels of fat in their blood after eating.

BHF’s special grants are made every two months to fund research into the causes, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of heart disease, the UK’s biggest killer. In 2007 there were 218 research grants awarded, totalling over £54 million.

Professor Jeremy Pearson, Associate Medical Director at the BHF, said: “This important research by scientists will help us understand how our hearts work, what can go wrong and how we can go about diagnosing and treating heart problems. It will help save lives and improve heart patients’ quality of life in the UK and across the rest of the world.”