Atherosclerosis

Research

Mayo Clinic is on the forefront of research to identify and treat patients who have cardiovascular disease. In early onset atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, Mayo Clinic is involved in two levels of research:

• Basic research, in identifying novel and emerging factors that increase the risk of patients developing heart disease
• Clinical research, in developing new treatments or approaches to reduce the risks of heart attack and other medical problems caused by atherosclerosis.

Currently, Mayo Clinic is leading two major research projects funded by the National Institutes of Health. One project is to develop new strategies to improve cardiovascular risk assessment. The study is looking at tests of how arteries function relates to novel risk factors and calcium in the coronary arteries. A second project is examining novel risk factors and the role of genes in causing peripheral arterial disease, or hardening of the arteries in the limbs.

Read more about cardiovascular research at Mayo clinic on our research Web site.

Recent Mayo Publications Relevant to Early Atherosclerosis

Kullo IJ, de Andrade M, Boerwinkle E, McConnell JP, Kardia SL, Turner ST. Pleiotropic genetic effects contribute to the correlation between HDL cholesterol, triglycerides, and LDL particle size in hypertensive sibships. Am J Hypertens. 2005 Jan;18(1 Pt 2):99-103. [Abstract]

Kullo IJ, Ballantyne CM. Conditional Risk Factors for Atherosclerosis. Mayo Clinic Proc. 2005;80(2):219-230. [No Abstract Availableca]

Cassidy A, Bielak L, Kullo IJ, Klee G, Turner ST, Sheedy PF, Peyser PA. Sex-specific associations of Lipoprotein (a) with presence and quantity of coronary artery calcification in an asymptomatic population. Med Sci Monitor. 2004;10(9):CR493-503.[Abstract]

Barretto SN, McConnell JP, Bailey KB, Rooke TW, Kullo IJ.* Inflammation and Atherosclerotic Burden: Relation of Markers of Inflammation to the Ankle Brachial Index. Vasc Med. 2004;9:171-176. [Abstract]

Kullo IJ, Bailey KR, McConnell JP, Peyser PA, Bielak LF, Kardia SL, Sheedy PF 2nd, Boerwinkle E, Turner ST. Low-density lipoprotein particle size and coronary atherosclerosis in subjects belonging to hypertensive sibships. Am J Hypertens. 2004 Sep;17(9):845-51. [Abstract]

Kullo IJ, Bailey KR, Klee G, Peyser PA, Sheedy, PF II, Boerwinkle E, Turner ST. Lack of Association between Lipoprotein (a) and Coronary Artery Calcification in the Genetic Epidemiology Network of Arteriopathy (GENOA) Study. Mayo Clinic Proc. 2004;79:1258-1263. [Abstract]

Kullo IJ, Cassidy AE, Peyser PA, Turner ST, Sheedy PF 2nd, Bielak LF. Association between metabolic syndrome and subclinical coronary atherosclerosis in asymptomatic adults.
Am J Cardiol. 2004 Dec 15;94(12):1554-8.. [Abstract]

Kullo IJ, Gersh BJ, Markers of inflammation and thrombosis: clues to plaque instability? [article] American Heart Journal 2003 Jun;145(6):941-2. [No Abstract Available]

Kullo IJ, McConnell JP, Bailey KR, Kardia SL, Bielak LF, Peyser PA, Sheedy, PF II, Boerwinkle E, Turner ST. Relation of C-reactive Protein and Fibrinogen to Coronary Artery Calcium in Patients with Systemic Hypertension. Am J Cardiol. 2003;92:56-58. [No Abstract Available]

Barretto SN , Ballman KV, Rooke TW, Kullo IJ.* Early-Onset Peripheral Arterial Occlusive Disease: Clinical Features and Determinants of Disease Severity and Location. Vasc Med. 2003;8:95-100. [Abstract]

Kullo IJ, Bailey KR, Kardia SL, Mosley T, Boerwinkle E, Turner ST. Ethnic Differences in Peripheral Arterial Disease. Vasc Med. 2003; 8:237-242. [Abstract]

Brilakis ES, McConnell JP, Ballman KV, Klee GG, Berger PB. Lack of association between plasma homocysteine and angiographic coronary artery disease in the era of fortification of cereal grain flour with folic acid. Atherosclerosis 2002 Dec; 165(2):375-81. [Abstract]

Kullo IJ, Hensrud DD, Allison TG. Comparison of Circulating Monocytes in Men Grouped by Body Mass Index (<25, 25-30, ³ 30). Am J Cardiol. 2002;89:1441-43. [No Abstract Available]

Kullo IJ, Hensrud DD, Allison TG. Low Cardiorespiratory Fitness is Associated With the Metabolic Syndrome in Middle-aged Men. Am J Cardiol. 2002;90:795:797. [No Abstract Available]

Bayes-Genis A, Conover CA, Overgaard MT, Bailey KR, Christiansen M, Holmes DR Jr, Virmani R, Oxvig C, Schwartz RS. Pregnancy-associated plasma protein A as a marker of acute coronary syndromes. N Engl J Med. 2001 Oct 4;345(14):1022-9. [Abstract]

Schirger JA, Grantham JA, Kullo IJ, Jougasaki M, Wennberg PW, Chen HH, Lisy O, Miller VM, Simari RD, and Burnett JC. Jr. Vascular Actions of BNP: Modulation by Atherosclerosis and NEP Inhibition. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2000;35:796:801. [Abstract]

Kullo IJ, Gau GT, Tajik AJ. Novel Risk Factors for Coronary Artery Disease. Mayo Clinic Proc. 2000; 75:369-380. [Abstract]

Kullo IJ, Simari R, Schwartz R. Vascular Gene Therapy: From Bench to Bedside. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 1999;19:196-207. [No Abstract Available]

Mozes G, Mohacsi T, Gloviczki P, Menawat S, Kullo IJ, Spector D, Taylor J, Crotty TB, O'Brien, T. Adenovirus-Mediated Gene Transfer of Macrophage Colony Stimulating Factor to the Arterial Wall In Vivo. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 1998;17:1157-1163. [Abstract]

Mozes G, Kullo IJ, Gloviczki P, Katusic ZS, O’Brien T. Enhanced Endothelium-Dependent Relaxations After Gene Transfer of Recombinant Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase to the Hypercholesterolemic Rabbit Carotid Aorta. Atherosclerosis 1998;141:265-271. [Abstract]

Kullo IJ, Edwards WD, Schwartz R. Vulnerable Plaque: Pathobiology and Clinical Implications. Ann Int Med. 1998;129:1050-1060. [Abstract]

Kullo IJ, Mozes G, Schwartz RS, Gloviczki P, Tsutsui M, Katusic ZS, O’Brien T. Enhanced Endothelium-Dependent Relaxations After Gene Transfer of Recombinant Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase to Rabbit Carotid Arteries. Hypertension. 1997; 30[part 1]: 314-320. [Abstract]

Kullo IJ, Mozes G, Schwartz RS, Gloviczki P, Crotty TB, Barber DA, Katusic ZS, O’Brien T. Adventitial Gene Transfer of Recombinant Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase to Rabbit Carotid Arteries Alters Vascular Reactivity. Circulation. 1997;96:2254-2261. [Abstract]

Kullo IJ, Schwartz RS, Pompili, VJ, Tsutsui M, Milstien S, Fitzpatrick LAF, Katusic ZS, O’Brien T. Expression and Function of Recombinant Endothelial NO Synthase in Coronary Artery Smooth Muscle Cells. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 1997; 17:2405-2412. [Abstract]

Cable DG, O’Brien T, Kullo IJ, Schwartz RS, Schaff HV, Pompili VJ. Adenoviral Transduction Of Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase Gene Yielding Functional Enzymatic Activity In Porcine Coronary Arteries. Cardiovasc Res. 1997; 35:553-559. [Abstract]