• The PESA study (Progression of Early Subclinical Atherosclerosis) will help prevent atherosclerosis, the leading cause of death in the world, and identify the risk factors and life habits that influence its progression in order to detect it before the onset of symptoms.
• The research study is led by cardiologist Valentín Fuster, General Director of the National Centre for Cardiovascular Research (part of the Carlos III Health Institute) and Director of the Cardiovascular Institute at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York.

The Spanish Secretary of State for Research, Felipe Pétriz, and the President of the Santander Group, Emilio Botín, signed an agreement on 7 April 2010 to launch the PESA (Progression of Early Subclinical Atherosclerosis) CNIC-Santander study, which sets out to investigate the progression of cardiovascular disease.

This is one of the most important research projects in Spain, which takes advantage of partnerships between public and private institutions for the prevention of cardiovascular diseases.

The joint venture between Analiza and Cerba Internacional recently won the tender to complete the PESA CNIC-Santander study into clinical testing.

This study sets out to improve the cardiovascular health of the population by searching for markers that enable the early detection of subclinical atherosclerosis. Among other tests, a series of measurements of biochemical and molecular variables are being performed on the study participants.

The target population of the study consists of employees and former employees of the Santander Group between 47 and 62 years old, who will have access to state-of-the-art imaging and laboratory techniques.

In order to use this information for the benefit of future research, different types of samples are collected from the participants and kept at between -80°C and -170°C, duplicated in two locations, as stipulated by the tender documents.

The PESA study will help prevent atherosclerosis, the leading cause of death in the world, and identify the risk factors and life habits that influence its progression in order to detect it before the onset of symptoms. The research study is led by cardiologist Valentín Fuster, General Director of the National Centre for Cardiovascular Research (part of the Carlos III Health Institute) and Director of the Cardiovascular Institute at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York.

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death around the world, accounting for 1.9 million deaths each year in the European Union alone. In Spain, these diseases account for 35% of all deaths among men and 43% among women. The most frequent etiologic factor is atherosclerosis, which is responsible for the highest number of deaths.

At the start of the project, the General Director of the National Centre for Cardiovascular Research, Valentín Fuster, said that “the PESA CNIC-Santander study will undoubtedly provide better knowledge of the disease and lead to a more effective prevention of its catastrophic consequences. Along with other major studies such as the High-Risk Plaque Study (HRP) or the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA), both being carried out in the United States, will help lay the foundations for the fight against the 21st-century epidemic of heart and cerebrovascular diseases” (source: http://www.estudiopesa.org).