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.

Research

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Precision CARRS

CARRS Brain

Aims to transform the current cardiovascular disease risk prediction model to a more personalized, precise approach that enables early detection.

  • Specialized CVD imaging

  • Integrative ‘omics analyses

  • Ambient air pollution measurements

  • Wearable technologies

Aims to examine genomic and metabolomic markers linked to prediabetes, T2D phenotypes, and glycemic progression in South Asians.

Aims to characterize midlife cognitive impairment and identify risk factors for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias in participants aged 40 and above.

  • Neurocognitive function

  • Brain imaging

  • Retinal imaging

  • Lab measurements

  • Wearable technologies

CARRS Diabetes Omics

SCIENTIFIC CONTRIBUTION

100+

abstracts presented at international conferences

70

peer-reviewed publications

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Wide dissemination
through the lay press

TRAINING AND CAPACITY BUILDING

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High impact investment in bidirectional (India-US) research capacity building

80+

More than 80 junior
investigators trained

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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, NCD-RisC)

  • Engaging a variety of stakeholders in community and policy spheres

  • Informing prevention and disease management interventions to improve population health