Dr. Robert Hoffman presented “Complement and Cardiometabolic Risk in Adolescents” at the 78th Scientific Sessions for the American Diabetes Association(June 22–26) in Orlando, FL.

Doximity discussed the research with Dr. Hoffman at ADA 2018. Below is a transcript of the video interview.

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Doximity: What is the most meaningful implication of this study for clinicians?

Hoffman: Well, the hope would be that we can generate markers of children who are at early risk for cardiovascular disease_-_that we can identify these kids, so that we can then use them, the way we can use complement genetics, to identify kids who are at risk for cardiovascular disease.

This would allow two things: It would allow recruitment of appropriate subjects into research studies to further look into this. Plus, it would eventually be able to allow clinicians to target individuals who specifically need intervention.

Doximity: Does this research have any implications for adults as well?

Hoffman:Well, I think it does, and that's as I say. There's good research from other studies that heart disease has its origins in Pediatrics, so if we're actually going to prevent adult heart disease and adult metabolic diseases, we have to do it in Pediatrics at its origin.

Before the treatments for adults that confound the studies, confound the treatments [and] really create problems_-_if we can prevent it early then we can decrease the problem for adults.

Doximity: Does this research do anything to help confirm that cardiometabolic disease has its own origins in Pediatrics?

Hoffman: I think it does in the sense that we find very early markers of cardiovascular disease, endothelial dysfunction and arterial stiffness, and we find these are related to complement and complement genetics even in the pediatric realm.

If we've seen these early markers of heart disease in pediatric patients, that's saying this is where the beginnings are; this is where the first abnormalities are occurring that are going to deteriorate in adulthood.