A new cloud platform will bring research cohort data together to help scientists test known risk markers and identify new ones.
Australia has launched the Australian Cardiovascular Disease Data Commons, a cloud-based research platform linking major health cohorts with analytical tools. More Australian and international datasets are expected to be added in the future.
The Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute said the platform will combine genomic, metabolomic and proteomic data with stored blood samples. Professor Peter Meikle said researchers could use it to validate existing risk markers and discover new ones.
The platform is also intended to help assess how well polygenic risk scores apply to Australia’s population and to develop an integrated tool combining lipidomic and genetic indicators to detect coronary artery disease.
The institute says up to 27% of heart attack patients have none of the established risk factors—high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes or smoking—when they visit a general practitioner. The project aims to accelerate research and its eventual clinical application.