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If you have diabetes or had a heart attack, a stent placement procedure or a stroke, researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) need your help. They hope to better understand how inflammation — the immune system’s response to injury or infection — affects the body.

“There is emerging evidence that inflammation is a significant risk factor for developing high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, high cholesterol, heart attack and stroke,” said Dr. Nehal Mehta, the principal investigator of a new study, via email.

“In our study,” he said, “we are trying to understand how inflammation affects the blood vessels, blood and skin in those patients with cardiovascular risk factors, such as diabetes or high blood pressure, compared to those without disease.”

Healthy volunteers, too

The study will observe three groups: diabetics, healthy volunteers and cardiovascular disease patients.

Participants will make up to six visits to the NIH campus in Bethesda, Maryland. During the visits, researchers will draw blood and ask a few health-related questions.

The participants will be given an electrocardiogram, which takes less than 10 minutes, and a PET/CT scan, which takes up to an hour. Some people will have an MRI scan or CT scan of the heart, and some will have the option to have small samples of skin and fat tissue taken.

Researchers hope the clinical trial will help flesh out the relationship between the immune response of inflammation and diseases that affect millions of Americans.

“Despite our recent advances in cardiovascular disease, it is still poorly understood how inflammation is linked to cardiovascular disease and metabolic diseases like diabetes,” Dr. Mehta said in an email.

“There is no cost for study-related tests and procedures, and you will receive compensation for participation,” according to NIH.

For more information or to volunteer, call the NIH Office of Patient Recruitment at 1-800-411-1222 (refer to study 13-H-0194 CMD/diabetes).

To learn more, visit  https://go.usa.gov/xQWqE.