STOP ATHEROSCLEROSIS IN NATIVE DIABETES STUDY

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The Stop Atherosclerosis in Native Diabetics Study (SANDS) was 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.  

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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.  

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The results of this study provided the evidence needed to develop community-based programs to treat and prevent the epidemic of CVD among American Indians and Alaska Natives.