
OVERVIEW OF CARRS
OVERVIEW
The Center for Cardiometabolic Risk Reduction in South Asia Study (CARRS) is a state-of-the-art, population-based cohort of South Asians to address existing and emerging questions related to cardio-metabolic disease.
Heart disease and diabetes are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. India and the South Asian region broadly are at the epicenter of the cardiometabolic diseases epidemic.
The CARRS Cohort follows a diverse population-based sample of more than 20,000 South Asian adults age ≥ 20 years, with ongoing follow-up for clinical cardiovascular risk factors, clinical disease, and mortality. The cohort was recruited in two waves, CARRS-1 in 2010-11 and CARRS-2 in 2015-16, and has high retention rates (70-85% annual follow-up, 88% hybrid tele/in-person attendance even during COVID, and >95% have at least one follow-up or death in 10 years of follow up) with a biorepository of 360,000 stored samples.
EXPANSION OF CARRS
Integrative ‘omics analyses
Wearable technologies (??)
Lab measurements
Wearable technologies (??)
Since its inception, data collection in CARRS has included questionnaires, anthropometric measurements, and biospecimen collection.
As the study continues to broaden its scope, additional measurements (noted below) have been integrated into both recent and upcoming data collection phases.
[Precision-CARRS]
Aims to transform the current cardiovascular disease risk prediction model to a more personalized, precise approach that enables early detection.
[CARRS Brain]
Aims to characterize midlife cognitive impairment and identify risk factors for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias in participants aged 40 and above.
[CARRS Diabetes Omics]
Aims to examine genomic and metabolomic markers linked to prediabetes, T2D phenotypes, and glycemic progression in South Asians.
Specialized CVD imaging
Ambient air pollution measurements
Neurocognitive function
Brain imaging
Retinal imaging
Xxxx
STRENGTHS
Recruitment of adults ages 20 years and older, to understand the development of cardiometabolic risk at different life stages
Scientifically informative and distinctive distribution of exposures (e.g., ambient air pollution, body mass index) relative to other global cohorts
Reliable data on events and causes of death, which are the cornerstone for building a solid evidence base for health policy, planning, monitoring and evaluation
Recruitment of adults ages 20 years and older, to understand the development of cardiometabolic risk at different life stages
Scientifically informative and distinctive distribution of exposures (e.g., ambient air pollution, body mass index) relative to other global cohorts
Reliable data on events and causes of death, which are the cornerstone for building a solid evidence base for health policy, planning, monitoring and evaluation
Recruitment of adults ages 20 years and older, to understand the development of cardiometabolic risk at different life stages
Scientifically informative and distinctive distribution of exposures (e.g., ambient air pollution, body mass index) relative to other global cohorts
Reliable data on events and causes of death, which are the cornerstone for building a solid evidence base for health policy, planning, monitoring and evaluation
SCIENTIFIC CONTRIBUTION
100+
abstracts presented at international conferences
61
peer-reviewed publications
Wide dissemination
through the lay press
TRAINING AND CAPACITY BUILDING
High impact investment in bidirectional (India-US) research capacity building
80+
More than 80 junior
investigators trained
Several institutional training grants connected to the cohort
POLICY IMPACT
Generating evidence for policy to improve health
Contributing to large, pooled studies of health in low- and middle-income countries (e.g., Global Burden of Disease study, the International Diabetes Federation’s Diabetes Atlas)
Engaging a variety of stakeholders in community and policy spheres
Informing prevention and disease management interventions to improve population health