SANDS

Stop Atherosclerosis in Native Diabetes Study

The Stop Atherosclerosis in Native Diabetics Study (SANDS) is a 5-year, multi-center, randomized clinical trial focused on cardiovascular disease prevention in American Indians and Alaska Natives with Type 2 diabetes 40 years of age and older. The study is a subcontract between the MedStar Research Institute and BHCAIH, with funding from the National Institutes of Health/National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.

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BHCAIH is home to the only clinical site for this study on the Northern Plains. American Indians have the highest rates of diabetes in the United States. Although once felt to be protected from cardiovascular disease (CVD) they now have incidence rates higher than that of the general US population. The majority of CVD cases in American Indians occur in individuals with diabetes. It is therefore imperative that intervention strategies to reduce CVD be developed and validated in this population.

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The primary endpoint of the SANDS Study is carotid intimal-medial thickness. Secondary endpoints include cardiac function measures by echocardiography, lipoproteins, albuminuria, and C-reactive protein. In addition to Rapid City, the study is also conducted in Indian Health Service/Tribal primary care facilities in Phoenix/Sacaton, Arizona; Chinle, Arizona; and Lawton, Oklahoma, with input from American Indian physicians and community members.

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The results of this study will provide the evidence needed to develop community-based programs to treat and prevent the epidemic of CVD among American Indians and Alaska Natives. The data will also be valuable in understanding the effects of intensive risk-factor reduction on atherosclerotic burden and cardiac function in diabetic individuals in all US populations.