Improving cardiovascular risk assessment using ultrasound imaging

描述（由申请人提供）：候选人Vijay Nambi，医学博士，是一名接受成人心脏病学和血管医学培训的临床医生，目前是德克萨斯州休斯顿贝勒医学院动脉粥样硬化和血管医学部的助理教授（终身教职）。候选人的长期目标是成为动脉粥样硬化和预防心脏病学领域的独立研究者。为了实现他的既定目标，他参加了临床科学家培训计划，目前正在攻读临床研究博士学位，并得到了博士顾问委员会的正式指导。K-23职业发展奖将为候选人提供机会进行旨在利用新型生物标志物、基因分型和成像改善心血管风险预测的研究，重点是应用超声成像技术的新进展，以改善动脉粥样硬化的评估，并在心血管风险评估和管理方面具有潜在的未来应用。虽然现有的评估心血管疾病风险的方法，如Framingham风险评分是好的，但它们不能识别出几个患有心血管疾病的个体。在Ballantyne博士和一群优秀的顾问的指导下，候选人提出了以下旨在改善心血管疾病风险预测的具体目标：评估颈动脉初始中膜厚度（C-IMT）和斑块的存在是否可以改善心血管（冠心病[CHD]和中风）风险预测评估在C-IMT中加入已知与冠心病相关的9p21染色体单核苷酸多态性（rs1333049）是否会进一步提高冠心病的风险预测3。3 .与磁共振成像和组织学相比，评估离体和体内三维超声成像是否能可靠地估计动脉粥样硬化斑块的体积和组成。评估ARIC研究中颈动脉僵硬度是否与冠心病和脑卒中事件相关，以及采用基于超声心动图的新技术对颈动脉超声成像是否可以可靠地测量颈动脉应变。相关性（见说明）：本研究对公共卫生具有重要意义。改善心血管疾病风险预测的能力可能允许及时干预，减少心血管疾病的发病率，心血管疾病是西方世界的主要死亡原因。（摘要结束）

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The candidate, Vijay Nambi, M.D., is a clinician trained in adult cardiology and vascular medicine who is currently an Assistant Professor (tenure track) in the Department of Medicine, Section of Atherosclerosis and Vascular Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas. The candidate's long term goal is to become an established independent investigator in the field of atherosclerosis and preventive cardiology. In order to achieve his stated goal, he has enrolled in the clinical scientist training program and is currently working towards a Ph.D. in clinical research with formal mentoring by a Ph.D. advisory committee. The K-23 career development award will provide the candidate with the opportunity to pursue research studies aimed at improving cardiovascular risk prediction using novel biomarkers, genotyping and imaging with a focus on application of new advances in ultrasound imaging technology to improve the evaluation of atherosclerosis with potential future application in cardiovascular risk assessment and management. Although existing methods to evaluate cardiovascular risk such as the Framingham risk scores are good, they fail to identify several individuals who develop cardiovascular disease. Under the guidance of Dr. Ballantyne and an outstanding group of advisors, the candidate proposes the following,specific aims aimed at improving cardiovascular disease risk prediction: 1. Evaluate whether carotid initima media thickness (C-IMT) and presence of plaque can improve cardiovascular (coronary heart disease [CHD] and stroke) risk prediction 2. Evaluate whether the addition of single nucleotide polymorphism (rs1333049) in chromosome 9p21 (known to be associated with CHD) to C-IMT will further improve CHD risk prediction 3. Evaluate whether ex-vivo and in-vivo 3-dimensional ultrasound imaging can reliably estimate atherosclerotic plaque volume and composition when compared to magnetic resonance imaging and histology and 4. Evaluate whether carotid artery stiffness is associated with incident CHD and stroke in the ARIC study and whether carotid artery strain can be reliably measured by adapting novel echocardiography-based technology to carotid ultrasound imaging. RELEVANCE (See instructions): This research is of significant public health importance. The ability to improve cardiovascular disease risk prediction may allow for timely interventions that decrease the incidence of cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death in the western world. (End of Abstract)