Overview
CARAMEL is a project funded by the European Commission under the Horizon Europe programme. Its aim is to develop a personalized prevention approach based on state-of-the-art artificial intelligence models for cardiovascular risk stratification in women aged 40-60 years. These models are trained using large amounts of multi-source data and complemented by digital self-assessment and self-management tools. The CARAMEL consortium brings together a diverse group of 25 organizations, including technology companies and research centers, clinical institutions, as well as experts in ethics, law, and communication.
The CARAMEL-OS study is an observational study aimed at prospectively completing the proposed personalized cardiovascular risk stratification model for women aged 40-60 years that will be developed during the earlier phases of the overall CARAMEL project (https://www.caramel-project.eu/).
The study has a purely observational design, and patient stratification will not entail any clinical intervention. The data collected will be used to complete the design of the personalized stratification model, as well as to develop and validate the performance of the predictive models in an independent prospective cohort, distinct from the retrospective cohort initially used. The performance of the models developed using retrospective data will be assessed in terms of accuracy, discrimination, calibration, and other relevant metrics. In addition, the study will enable the development of new predictive models with short-term prediction horizons, incorporating additional variables that are not available retrospectively.
The study population will be recruited in four European Union countries: Croatia, Spain (Andalusia and The Basque Country - Gipuzkoa), Greece and Lithuania; and in Colombia. A prospective cohort of 3,000 women aged 40-60 will be recruited, with each partner contributing 500 participants.
Description
A prospective observational study involving 3,000 women across six clinical sites will be conducted to generate a comprehensive multi-source dataset for the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk assessment models. In addition to socioeconomic, clinical, biochemical, and imaging data, the study will use novel non-invasive technologies to collect additional potentially relevant variables, aiming to improve understanding of female-specific cardiovascular risk factors and biological changes around menopause age. By refining the CARAMEL stratification scheme based on the most effective approaches, the project aims to provide innovative tools for personalized CVD prevention and risk stratification. This ambitious and integrative approach is expected to advance precision medicine in women's cardiovascular health, support clinical decision-making, and inform future preventive strategies at both individual and population levels. Central to these strategies is the development of the datApp - a mobile application designed to serve as a personalised companion for women throughout their menopausal transition.
Eligibility
Inclusion Criteria:
- Women 40 to 60 years of age, at recruitment.
- Ability to understand and complete the required informed consent for the study.
- Women who are covered by the corresponding healthcare system operating at each clinical site.
Exclusion Criteria:
- Severe comorbidity with less than 24 months life expectancy.
- Lack of basic digital skills to use or carry a smartphone and wearable devices.
