Cores & Centers | Our Interdisciplinary Research Cores | Cardiovascular Health | Current Projects

Current Research Core Projects

Our Research Core on Cardiovascular Health is currently focusing on understanding and creating optimal rehabilitative and preventative care programs after cardiac events. We have initiated a series of studies addressing the critical question - How can we facilitate and enhance the effectiveness of lifesaving rehabilitative and preventative care after heart attack in women?


We are now examining:

  • whether addictive behaviors (such as smoking, overeating) predict cardiac rehabilitation outcomes, e.g. the impact of current or ever smoking on successful risk factor modification for women during cardiac rehabilitation
  • the effectiveness of smoking cessation medications during cardiac rehabilitation   
  • the effect of pain management on successful weight control
  • the impact of successful cardiac rehabilitation on reducing inflammatory markers of cardiac disease, specifically indicators of damage to cells lining the inside of blood vessels

As increasing evidence suggests that gender-specific approaches in prevention and treatment of disease produce better outcomes, a major aspects of our effort will continue to be examination of gender differences in risk and protective factors, and in response to treatment.