The European Horizon Europe project, CARAMEL (CArdiovascular Risk Assessment in MEnopausaL women via multimodal data analysis enabling personalized prevention strategies) aims to revolutionize the prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in women aged 40-60 by delivering an innovative, AI-supported model for personalized risk assessment and preventive healthcare.
CARAMEL involves 25 partners from 11 countries. It is coordinated by VICOMTECH and includes PARTICLE as technological provider.
Addressing an urgent public health need for women: an innovative approach
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death among women in Europe, with an especially sharp increase in risk during and after menopause. Despite these realities, CVD remains underdiagnosed and undertreated in women, as current risk models often lack consideration for sex- and gender-specific factors. CARAMEL aims to close this gap by creating tailored risk assessment models that are uniquely suited to the needs of middle-aged women.
At the core of CARAMEL’s approach is the integration of multiple data sources – clinical records, medical imaging, wearable devices, and lifestyle information – to develop AI-based models capable of assessing risk levels and tailoring prevention plans. By leveraging emerging technologies, CARAMEL will enable women to take proactive steps toward their heart health through self-assessment tools and a digital ecosystem designed for empowerment and self-management. In addition, the project will incorporate advanced diagnostic tools and new biomarkers, including non-invasive skin nanosensors and NMR spectroscopy-based lipoprotein and inflammation markers, to enable earlier and more accurate risk assessment.
CARAMEL Digital platform for self-monitoring and self-care
CARAMEL’s journey will involve several key milestones, including the development of a digital prevention platform for self-monitoring and self-care. The platform will undergo validation in clinical studies at multiple sites across Europe and Latin America, and it aims to provide new, evidence-based guidelines for healthcare providers and policymakers. The project will also develop clinical guidelines to help healthcare providers integrate these new personalized risk assessment models into clinical practice, thus supporting more effective CVD prevention strategies tailored to women.
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PARTICLE Role in CARAMEL
PARTICLE brings its competences and capabilities in mobile technologies, IoT and network-enabled environments. Its innovative remote patient monitoring solution will be adapted and deployed for the benefit of researchers, doctors and participants.
The platform connects medical proviers and care recipients, allowing prescription of care plans, define periods for feedback and data collection, define surveys and push personalised messages. The mobile app is also designed to integrate multiple solutions and technologies, allowing automatic data collection from medical devices.
PARTICLE solutions will improve healthcare delivery to menopausal woman and ensure the successful realisation of pilots across different Member States and beyond (Colombia).
Funded by the European Union.