Dr Xavier (Lewis Group) and the team set out to better understand distinct biological differences between subtypes of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) – a condition where the heart appears to pump normally, but patients experience symptoms of heart failure, and few options for treatment exist. The study combined advanced cardiac magnetic resonance imaging during exercise with comprehensive analysis of blood proteins during imaging.
The research team studied 64 patients with heart failure and revealed important differences between those with very high ejection fraction, and those with moderately preserved ejection fraction. The findings showed that patients with very high ejection fraction had smaller hearts and reduced exercise capacity. Using advanced blood protein analysis, the team demonstrated these patients had distinct patterns in circulating protein changes with exercise, particularly how they processed fats.
Building on these findings, Dr Xavier and colleagues then investigated how different energy sources affected heart function during exercise. They found that giving patients ketones improved how well their heart pumped and relaxed during exercise, regardless of their ejection fraction. The findings suggest ketone metabolism could be an important new therapeutic target and may have implications for better and faster drug development in HFpEF and clinical care in heart failure.
Dr Xavier said: 'It is a great privilege for me to receive this prestigious award and I am deeply grateful for the excellent mentorship from my supervisors and the highly collaborative and supportive environment within the Oxford Centre for Clinical Magnetic Resonance Research which has made this possible.
'We will continue to advance this work to help discover novel therapeutic strategies for difficult-to-treat heart failure.'
Dr Andrew Lewis added: 'We're delighted to see Roshan's work acknowledged with this award, and are also grateful to the wider research and NHS teams in Oxford, our valued scientific collaborators at BMS, the British Heart Foundation and – above all – the patients who kindly took part.'
The research was conducted through a successful collaboration between Oxford researchers and Bristol Myers Squibb, with further funding support from the British Heart Foundation.