- A simple, GP-friendly, community-based pathway has identified previously undiagnosed, symptomatic heart failure in approximately one in four high risk people with diabetes.
- The approach used faster access to echocardiography testing, prompted by symptom inquiry and blood tests (NT-proBNP), to enable earlier diagnosis and guideline directed therapy.
- Findings support the objectives of the NHS England 10-Year Plan and NHS Scotland’s Heart Disease Action Plan to identify and treat cardiovascular disease early and in the community.
- TARTAN-HF was an investigator-initiated trial with funding from AstraZeneca, Roche Diagnostics and Us2.ai.
London, UK, 30 March 2026, AstraZeneca UK and the University of Glasgow today announced new results from the TARTAN-HF study at the American College of Cardiology congress. TARTAN-HF looked at people with type 1 or type 2 diabetes plus one, or more additional heart failure risk factor making them more likely to develop heart problems, and used a simple, GP-friendly pathway:
1. ask about symptoms,
2. conduct a blood test (NT-proBNP)
3. fast track echocardiography for those patients who need it.
Using this approach, doctors found that around one in four people had heart failure that hadn’t been diagnosed before.1,2
This pathway helps GPs and specialists spot undiagnosed heart failure sooner and get patients on the right treatments earlier.1,2 It’s designed to fit how the NHS works today by focusing risk-based tests on those most likely to have heart failure, and targets NHS diagnostic resources where they are most needed, offering a scalable approach for primary care teams and specialists across cardiology, nephrology and diabetology.
Prof Mark Petrie added: “The results of TARTAN-HF highlight that a substantial number of people living with diabetes are living with unrecognised heart failure. These people have a significant burden of limiting symptoms and impaired quality of life. The screening process tested in TARTAN-HF is easy-to-implement in clinical practice and could significantly benefit people living with diabetes through the earlier identification of heart failure and implementation of evidence-based drugs which improve outcomes and reduce symptom burden.”
Heart failure is common and often missed in people with type 2 diabetes, especially in community care.5,6 TARTAN-HF adds a practical way to find and treat existing disease earlier and adds to international guidelines alongside ongoing efforts to improve use of proven preventive medicines.
Additional analyses, including health economic evaluation, are underway, with further presentations planned at heart failure and diabetes congresses through 2026. A manuscript is in preparation for peer reviewed publication.
Dr Edward Piper, Medical Director, AstraZeneca UK, said: “Delayed diagnosis and treatment of heart failure in people with type 2 diabetes contributes to poor long-term outcomes. TARTAN-HF demonstrates that targeted, risk-based screening can identify previously undiagnosed heart failure in approximately one in four high-risk patients with diabetes enabling earlier intervention with guideline-directed therapy. At AstraZeneca we're committed to working with academic partners to turn strong science into practical solutions that have the potential to transform patient care."
