Researcher aims to reduce heart disease in people with obesity and diabetes
Published in Diabetes Dialogue https://www.diabetes.ca/publications-newsletters/diabetes-dialogue/summer-2018/research-brief/getting-to-the-heart-of-diabetes
What causes heart disease in people with diabetes? Thomas Pulinilkunnil of Dalhousie University, and his research team at Dalhousie Medicine New Brunswick in Saint John, N.B., are working to find out. By identifying new biomarkers (substances that act as a kind of early
warning system for trouble or stress in heart muscle cells), Pulinilkunnil says researchers can develop future treatment options that could potentially improve the function of these cells to stop them from getting damaged. How did you get involved in researching diabetes and the heart? My parents and their siblings all have diabetes so I’ve seen the impact of this disease personally, which was a strong
motivator for me to pursue diabetes research. This disease affects many systems in the body (eyes, skin, nerves) but the primary reason people die from diabetes is due to complications of the heart. In fact, most of my family members with chronic diabetes have now developed heart issues.