NHS Lanarkshire

TARTAN-HF Trial Reveals One in Four Diabetics Has Undiagnosed Heart Failure

- The TARTAN-HF trial found that 24.9% of diabetes patients with heart failure risk factors had previously undetected heart failure, compared to just 1% in the control group. - The study tested a simple GP-led screening pathway using NT-proBNP blood testing followed by cardiac ultrasound to identify undiagnosed heart failure in diabetic patients. - The screening approach enabled earlier identification of heart failure and initiation of guideline-directed therapy that could slow disease progression and improve patient outcomes. - Researchers are now analyzing how earlier detection could affect NHS care costs for at-risk diabetes patients.