A big congratulations to our colleagues in the Cardiometabolic Research Group, part of UNSW’s Cardiovascular & Metabolic Medicine (CVMM) Theme community, for their recent publication in Nature Reviews Endocrinology.
Big congratulations to our colleagues in the Cardiometabolic Research Group on their recent publication in Nature Reviews Endocrinology. Blake Cochran, Thomas King, Kevin Chemello, Shane Thomas, and Kerry-Anne Rye have uncovered a fascinating connection between heart health and diabetes—specifically, how HDL ("good cholesterol") might help the body manage blood sugar.
We usually think of HDL as the body's clean-up crew, removing excess cholesterol and keeping blood vessels healthy. But this research shows it may also help improve insulin response and reduce inflammation—both major challenges for people living with diabetes.
“The prevalence of diabetes continues to increase, so there’s a real need for better ways to prevent and treat it.”
What's particularly interesting is that the relationship goes both ways. While HDL can help improve blood sugar control, diabetes can actually damage HDL, changing its structure and making it less effective. This could explain why people with diabetes face higher cardiovascular disease risk.
"A lot of studies have tried to raise HDL to reduce cardiovascular risk, but the results have been disappointing," Blake explains. "However, increasing HDL has shown promise in improving diabetes. Our review helps explain how this might be happening and what it could mean for developing new treatments."
The team is already working on the next phase—testing small peptides derived from HDL proteins that could treat both diabetes and cardiovascular disease simultaneously.
“Kerry and Shane foster an environment where we’re encouraged to pursue our own lines of enquiry and follow interesting—even confusing—results,” Cochran adds. “That freedom has led many of our projects in unexpected directions, helping us uncover new insights and keeping our work exciting.”
This publication highlights the deep connection between heart and metabolic health—and the importance of tackling both together.
