Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Carotid Artery Subclincal Atherosclerosis

描述（由申请人提供）： Jarett D.贝瑞，医学博士，已收到任命生效，2008年7月在预防医学系（小学）和医学系，心脏病科（中学）在西北大学。候选人的长期目标是联合收割机结合心血管医学的职业生涯与研究的独立性，在人口研究中使用磁共振成像（MRI）方法进行斑块表征的研究。候选人以前在心血管疾病流行病学方面的研究经验主要集中在风险估计的替代统计建模策略上。新兴的成像方法，如颈动脉MRI可以准确地量化和表征斑块负荷（即“易损斑块”）。然而，目前尚不清楚如何将斑块成像数据纳入临床决策，因为人们对其与整个生命周期的传统风险因素的关联知之甚少。拟议的职业发展计划包括生物医学工程，MRI图像采集，MRI图像分析和数据分析的高级培训，通过结构化的课程，研讨会和培训经验相结合。目前的建议是一个辅助研究，以现有的NHLBI资助的研究，“芝加哥健康老龄化研究”（CHAS），其中个人的危险因素，在20世纪60年代测量年龄在25- 44岁，将重新检查存在的冠状动脉钙，炎症和身体功能几十年后，在65-79岁。由于这些参与者在年轻时测量了风险因素，因此将颈动脉MRI测量添加到CHAS中提供了一个独特且具有成本效益的机会，可以比较25-44岁时测量的风险因素与65-79岁时颈动脉MRI斑块特征之间的关联。主要具体目的包括：（1）确定25-44岁低风险（LR）状态与65-79岁颈动脉粥样硬化MRI测量值的相关性;（2）确定65-79岁颈动脉粥样硬化MRI测量值与冠状动脉和外周动脉床亚临床动脉粥样硬化同步测量值的相关性。这项研究将填补我们对LR状态的长期后果的认识的关键空白，这可能最终导致公共卫生和预防策略的改善。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Jarett D. Berry, MD, has received an appointment effective July, 2008 in the Department of Preventive Medicine (primary) and the Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology (secondary) at Northwestern University. The candidate's long-term goal is to combine a career in cardiovascular medicine with research independence in the study of plaque characterization using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) methods in population studies. The candidate's previous research experience in cardiovascular disease epidemiology has focused on alternative statistical modeling strategies for risk estimation. Emerging imaging methods such as carotid MRI can accurately quantify and characterize plaque burden (i.e. "the vulnerable plaque"). However, it remains unclear exactly how to incorporate plaque imaging data into clinical decision-making because little is known regarding its association with traditional risk factors across the lifespan. The proposed career development plan incorporates advanced training in biomedical engineering, MRI image acquisition, MRI image analysis, and data analysis through a combination of structured coursework, seminars, and training experiences. The present proposal is an ancillary study to an existing NHLBI-funded study, the "Chicago Healthy Aging Study" (CHAS) in which individuals with risk factors measured at age 25- 44 years in the 1960s will be reexamined for the presence of coronary calcium, inflammation, and physical functioning decades later at ages 65-79 years. Because risk factors were measured in these participants at a young age, the addition of carotid MRI measures to the CHAS provides a unique and cost-effective opportunity to compare the association between risk factors measured at ages 25-44 years and carotid MRI plaque characteristics at age 65-79 years. The primary specific aims include: (1) to determine the association of low-risk (LR) status at ages 25-44 years with MRI measures of carotid atherosclerosis at ages 65-79 years; (2) to determine the association of MRI measures of carotid atherosclerosis measured at ages 65-79 years with concurrent measures of subclinical atherosclerosis in the coronary and peripheral arterial beds. This research will fill critical gaps in our knowledge of the long-term consequences of LR status, which may ultimately lead to improvements in public health and preventive strategies.