Preventive Cardiology Research

Why do heart diseases warrant so much attention? The answer is simple. Heart disease is the #1 cause of death, disability and healthcare expense in the United States. Worldwide, heart diseases are responsible for nearly one out of every three deaths each year, and it is estimated that death from heart disease will increase 100% in men and 80% in women over the next 20 years.

Preventive Cardiology is a complex and aggressive strategy to prevent first time events (primary prevention) and recurrent or worsening disease (secondary prevention). A primary goal in Preventive Cardiology is to prevent or modify known risk factors for heart disease, such as diabetes, smoking, obesity, high cholesterol and high blood pressure. Effective treatments include various medications, surgical interventions and procedures, and lifestyle and behavioral changes. These may include exercise and dietary programs, “stop smoking” campaigns and other risk factor modification programs or treatments. With new and more effective treatment strategies and more educational programs for the public and healthcare providers, we will hopefully be able to move from the current pandemic to a preventable and controllable disease.

Current Research Studies:

• PAPP-a and Key Inflammatory Markers of Vulnerable Plaque: Epidemiology and Comparison in a High-Risk Population

Research Studies that are closed to new patients/follow-up only:

• MPLS Trial
• ACTIVATE Trial: A New Drug Study To Reduce The Progression Of Atherosclerosis
• Charisma Study

Click here to view a list of archived Preventive Cardiology Research

• M. Nicholas Burke, MD
• Ivan J. Chavez, MD, FACC
• Kevin J. Graham, MD, FACC
• Jeff Haroldson, PharmD
• Timothy D. Henry, MD, FACC
• John R. Lesser, MD, FACC
• Daniel Lips, MD, FACC
• James D. Madison, MD, FACC
• Michael R. Mooney, MD, FACC
• Sandy Oberembt, PA-C
• Wesley R. Pedersen, MD, FACC
• Anil K. Poulose, MD, FACC
• Robert S. Schwartz, MD, FACC
• Jay H. Traverse, MD, FACC, FAHA
• Yale Wang, MD, FACC, FSCAI
• Barry G. Welge, MD

• Holly MacDonald, RN
• Talia Pierce, RN
• Vicki R. Pink, RN, CCRC

For more information about the preventive cardiology research program at the Minneapolis Heart Institute and Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation, please contact Betsy Wilson at 612-863-7065.