Watch CBS News

Beaumont Seeks Heart Attack Patients For Study

DETROIT (CBS Detroit) Had a heart attack? Beaumont Hospital has an opportunity for you.

Beaumont Health System Investigators are looking for volunteers for a research study that will track how well a medication that reduces inflammation -- called canakinumab -- works on people who have had a heart attack.

"The five-year study will look at how treatment with canakinumab may reduce the recurrence of major cardiovascular problems, like heart attacks and stroke," says Wendy Miller, M.D., director, nutrition and preventive medicine research, Beaumont Research Institute and the site's principal investigator. "In addition, we will be looking at the drug's safety in patients who've experienced a heart attack and have ongoing increased inflammation."

But it doesn't stop at heart health. The nationwide study will also test if canakinumab can increase insulin secretion and sensitivity in study participants with type 2 diabetes.

And that affects a lot of people, because according to the National Institutes of Health, 90 to 95 percent of all Americans are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, which is the most common form of diabetes in the country.

If you want to be a part of the study, you must:
• Be 18 years or older
• Have a history of a heart attack and are considered stable
• Have elevated hsCRP; or C-reactive protein, a marker of inflammation
• Be willing to take injections of canakinumab and/or a placebo, a medication with no active ingredients, at week two and then quarterly for the duration of the trial.

The study will be held at the Beaumont Health Center on Coolidge Highway in Royal Oak. If you qualify, all research-related procedures, tests, and study medication will be provided at no cost. All participants will be paid for time and travel for each completed visit.

For more information, including eligibility, call Beaumont's Research Institute at 248-655-5865.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.