Marjorie Mather: “I would try to persuade anyone to take part in research who feels they can. You would be helping other people in doing so.”
Marjorie Mather, a keen singer and avid reader from North Shields, was the first ever participant to be recruited to the British Heart Foundation SENIOR-RITA trial at Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust. The trial investigates treatment strategies in over-75s presenting with a minor heart attack.
When Marjorie experienced a strange feeling in 2017, she did not immediately know that she was having a heart attack. It was only when the feeling occurred again and a concerned friend took her to hospital that she discovered what had happened.
“It was a big shock when I found out that I had had a heart attack”, says Marjorie. “I have always been very fit and used to go to the gym regularly. I also frequently take vitamin supplements.”
“When I was approached about taking part in the study, I said yes because I always wanted to help other people. If my participation in the study means that older people receive better treatment and care in the future, then that’s fantastic.”
Participants in the SENIOR-RITA trial are randomly allocated to one of two treatment groups. In the first group, patients receive the latest medications recommended in the treatment of heart attacks. In the second group, in addition to these medications, a coronary angiography is carried out to show whether the patient has any blockages in heart arteries. If appropriate, the patient then undergoes coronary angioplasty, a surgical procedure in which blood vessels from the leg or arm are used to treat a narrowed section of a coronary artery. During the trial, frailty scores, cognition measures, comorbidity indices and questionnaires are collected from the participants to evaluate which of the two treatment groups do better over a five year period.
Marjorie was in the first group of study participants who received the latest medications recommended to treat heart attacks. She explained what participating in the study was like: “I only had to go to the hospital once during the process. I was given medications to take and was asked a lot of questions about my health, my lifestyle and many other things - it felt a bit like doing an intelligence test! It was quite a big step for me to take the medications as I have always been fit and healthy, but the researchers were very nice and talked me through every step.”
“I would try to persuade anyone to take part in research who feels they can. You would be helping other people in doing so.”
Dr David P. Ripley, Director of Research and Development at Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, said: “SENIOR-RITA is a fantastic study and one we are proud to offer to our patients here at Northumbria Healthcare. When published, the SENIOR-RITA research trial will answer a very important clinical question. At Northumbria Healthcare we have an acute research team with a daily presence upon the acute cardiology ward which has been fundamental in the successful recruitment of patients to SENIOR-RITA. Furthermore all the ward clinical staff and all the doctors which rotate through the department are familiar with the trial, thus ensuring that all eligible patients are given the opportunity to participate.
“I think the key here at Northumbria Healthcare is that we have a passion for research and have embedded this into our daily practice.”
Dr Vijay Kunadian, Chief Investigator for the SENIOR-RITA trial at Newcastle University, said: “Heart disease and heart attacks are the leading cause of death in the UK and worldwide. Over 60% of heart attacks happen in people aged over 70, but we do not have research evidence on how best to manage such patients. We are conducting the SENIOR-RITA trial to find the best treatment for older adults with minor heart attacks and we can only achieve this with the active participation and support of patients like Marjorie. We are looking to recruit around 1600 participants across 45 NHS sites in England and Scotland and we are now on to 1200 participants already taking part in the trial.”
SENIOR-RITA is an NIHR-supported study which is funded by the British Heart Foundation and sponsored by Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Newcastle University.
If you are interested in taking part in research, please visit the Be Part of Research website to find out how you can get involved.
