Predictive medicine in action: the PROVIDE project for CVD prevention in diabetes

PROVIDE (Prediction and Prevention of Cardiovascular Diseases in Type 2 Diabetes) addresses the urgent global challenge of Cardiovascular Diseases (CVDs), which remain the leading cause of death worldwide. Specifically, people living with pre-diabetes or type 2 diabetes face a significantly higher risk of developing CVDs.

PROVIDE’s mission is to develop predictive tools and preventive strategies that assist both patients and clinicians in detecting risks early and acting before serious complications arise. By combining data science with clinical research, the project aims to change how CVD is managed in diabetes, ultimately working to reduce hospitalizations, improve quality of life, and lower healthcare costs.

The project began in November 2024 and is scheduled to run until December 2026.

PROVIDE brings together leading European experts in medicine, biomedical engineering, and digital health.

According to the project’s coordinator, Prof. Marco Giorgio Baroni (UNIVAQ), “the strength of PROVIDE lies in its interdisciplinarity, uniting clinicians, researchers, and engineers to translate complex data into practical solutions for patient care”. 

The consortium has already achieved significant progress since its launch. In 2024, the project began with a series of kick-off meetings that set the foundation for the work ahead. Research protocols were defined, and efforts to harmonize clinical and digital data collection were initiated. Later that year, the PROVIDE digital platform went live, enabling the integration of multi-centre patient cohorts across Europe and supporting the release of the first cardiovascular risk-prediction algorithms.

In 2025, the project moves into its next phase, with trial expansion, cross-validation of predictive models, and the development of prevention strategies in collaboration with clinical partners. Finally, in 2026, the project will focus on validating the results at scale. This will include proposing large-scale deployment scenarios and formulating recommendations for integrating PROVIDE’s outcomes into European healthcare systems.

The project was discussed in front of a wide audience at the e-SPACE Cardio-Renal-Metabolic (CRM) live multidisciplinary conference on 5 April 2025.

Expected outcomes include a set of validated digital tools capable of identifying patients at high risk of CVD, along with personalised preventive care pathways.

The PROVIDE project collaborates with the JACARDI team in Work Package 8: Screening high-risk populations and individuals. This involves the collaborative development of standard protocols for CVD and DM risk screenings and Health Examination Surveys (HES), and sharing expertise and tools for screening.

Participants from clinical sites highlight the human dimension of the project: “For many of our patients, the fear of a heart attack or stroke is real. With PROVIDE, we can finally offer proactive monitoring rather than reactive treatment.” Experiences like this underline the importance of predictive tools and their practical impact.

PROVIDE is more than a research project, it’s a step toward smarter, preventive healthcare.

Healthcare professionals, policymakers, and citizens are invited to follow the project’s journey and engage with the results. For more information, visit the project’s website or explore tools and publications.