Erica Spatz, MD, MHS
Associate Professor of Cardiology and Associate Professor of Epidemiology (Chronic Diseases)Cards
About
Research
Publications
2025
Floods and cause-specific mortality in the United States applying a triply robust approach
Chu L, Warren J, Spatz E, Lowe S, Lu Y, Ma X, Ross J, Krumholz H, Chen K. Floods and cause-specific mortality in the United States applying a triply robust approach. Nature Communications 2025, 16: 2853. PMID: 40122917, PMCID: PMC11930965, DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-58236-0.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsCDC's National Center for Health StatisticsNational Center for Health StatisticsCause-specific mortality ratesCenter for Health StatisticsCause-specific mortalityHealth impacts of floodingExcess all-cause deathsLong-term health risksFlood daysLong-term associationDeath recordsHealth StatisticsConfounder adjustmentExternal causesStorm Events DatabaseAll-cause deathHealth impactsImpact of floodsPropensity scorePost‐flood yearMortality rateMyocardial infarctionPost-floodContiguous U.S.Respiratory diseaseAssessment of health conditions from patient electronic health record portals vs self-reported questionnaires: an analysis of the INSPIRE study
Khera R, Sawano M, Warner F, Coppi A, Pedroso A, Spatz E, Yu H, Gottlieb M, Saydah S, Stephens K, Rising K, Elmore J, Hill M, Idris A, Montoy J, O’Laughlin K, Weinstein R, Venkatesh A, Weinstein R, Gottlieb M, Santangelo M, Koo K, Derden A, Gottlieb M, Gatling K, Ahmed Z, Gomez C, Guzman D, Hassaballa M, Jerger R, Kaadan A, Venkatesh A, Spatz E, Kinsman J, Malicki C, Lin Z, Li S, Yu H, Mannan I, Yang Z, Liu M, Venkatesh A, Spatz E, Ulrich A, Kinsman J, Malicki C, Dorney J, Pierce S, Puente X, Salah W, Nichol G, Stephens K, Anderson J, Schiffgens M, Morse D, Adams K, Stober T, Maat Z, O’Laughlin K, Gentile N, Geyer R, Willis M, Zhang Z, Chang G, Lyon V, Klabbers R, Ruiz L, Malone K, Park J, Rising K, Kean E, Chang A, Renzi N, Watts P, Kelly M, Schaeffer K, Grau D, Cheng D, Shutty C, Charlton A, Shughart L, Shughart H, Amadio G, Miao J, Hannikainen P, Elmore J, Wisk L, L’Hommedieu M, Chandler C, Eguchi M, Roldan K, Moreno R, Rodriguez R, Wang R, Montoy J, Kemball R, Chan V, Chavez C, Wong A, Arreguin M, Hill M, Site R, Kane A, Nikonowicz P, Sapp S, Idris A, McDonald S, Gallegos D, Martin K, Saydah S, Plumb I, Hall A, Briggs-Hagen M. Assessment of health conditions from patient electronic health record portals vs self-reported questionnaires: an analysis of the INSPIRE study. Journal Of The American Medical Informatics Association 2025, ocaf027. PMID: 40036551, DOI: 10.1093/jamia/ocaf027.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchElectronic health recordsSelf-report questionnairesSelf-reportHealth conditionsElectronic health record portalsElectronic health record platformsEHR elementsSelf-reported health conditionsElectronic health record dataSelf-reported conditionsAssessment of health conditionEvaluation of health conditionsPrevalence of conditionsPatient portalsTraditional self-reportPrevalence of comorbiditiesHealth recordsEHR dataEHR phenotypesDiagnosis codesHospitalization riskComputable phenotypeNationwide studyCohen's kappaPatient characteristicsShort‐Term Associations Between Ambient Ozone and Acute Myocardial Infarction Onset Among Younger Patients: Results From the VIRGO Study
Zhang S, Chu L, Lu Y, Wei J, Dubrow R, Chaudhry S, Spatz E, Krumholz H, Chen K. Short‐Term Associations Between Ambient Ozone and Acute Myocardial Infarction Onset Among Younger Patients: Results From the VIRGO Study. GeoHealth 2025, 9: e2024gh001234. PMID: 39968338, PMCID: PMC11833228, DOI: 10.1029/2024gh001234.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAcute myocardial infarction subtypeShort-term associationsAcute myocardial infarctionAcute myocardial infarction onsetAMI riskEffect modificationAssociated with increased AMI riskParticipant's home addressNon-Hispanic blacksNon-ST-segment elevation acute myocardial infarctionNon-Hispanic whitesCase-crossover designType 1 AMIConditional logistic regressionIncreased AMI riskMyocardial infarction onsetType 2 AMIAcute myocardial infarction patientsST-segment elevation acute myocardial infarctionLifestyle factorsSociodemographic statusHome addressUS hospitalsStratified analysisSpatiotemporal deep learning approachDifferences in Long COVID severity by duration of illness, symptom evolution, and vaccination: a longitudinal cohort study from the INSPIRE group
Gottlieb M, Yu H, Chen J, Spatz E, Gentile N, Geyer R, Santangelo M, Malicki C, Gatling K, Saydah S, O'Laughlin K, Stephens K, Elmore J, Wisk L, L'Hommedieu M, Rodriguez R, Montoy J, Wang R, Rising K, Kean E, Dyal J, Hill M, Venkatesh A, Weinstein R. Differences in Long COVID severity by duration of illness, symptom evolution, and vaccination: a longitudinal cohort study from the INSPIRE group. The Lancet Regional Health - Americas 2025, 44: 101026. PMID: 40040820, PMCID: PMC11875141, DOI: 10.1016/j.lana.2025.101026.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchPatient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information SystemMental health outcomesMental healthHealth outcomesAssociated with better outcomesOutcomes Measurement Information SystemModerate-to-high stressLong COVIDMeasurement Information SystemCenters for Disease Control and PreventionModerate-to-severe fatigueDisease Control and PreventionLongitudinal cohort studyControl and PreventionStudy of participantsBetter outcomesVaccination statusCohort studyCOVID cohortDuration of long-COVIDWorse dyspneaHealthDuration of illnessHigher likelihoodInspiration groupDepression and Low Social Support Mediate the Association of Marital Stress and 12-Month Cardiac-Specific Quality of Life in Young Adults With Acute Myocardial Infarction
Zhu C, Dreyer R, Li F, Spatz E, Caraballo C, Mahajan S, Raparelli V, Leifheit E, Lu Y, Krumholz H, Spertus J, D’Onofrio G, Pilote L, Lichtman J. Depression and Low Social Support Mediate the Association of Marital Stress and 12-Month Cardiac-Specific Quality of Life in Young Adults With Acute Myocardial Infarction. 2025, 87: 129-137. PMID: 39909011, DOI: 10.1097/psy.0000000000001363.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsLow social supportCardiac-specific quality of lifeNatural direct effectSocial supportMonths post-AMIQuality of lifeAcute myocardial infarctionMarital stressComprehensive secondary preventive strategySignificant depressive symptomsPost-AMISecondary prevention strategiesYoung adultsMyocardial infarctionSociodemographic factorsDepressive symptomsAMI survivorsCovariate adjustmentPrevention strategiesSelf-reportContinuous scoresQoLBaseline QoLCategorical depressionDepressionBlood Pressure Control—Many Paths, 1 Goal
Spatz E, Schwartz J, Frieden T. Blood Pressure Control—Many Paths, 1 Goal. JAMA Cardiology 2025, 10 PMID: 39878963, DOI: 10.1001/jamacardio.2024.5278.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchTen-Year Medicare Use and Spending on the 10 Drugs Selected for Negotiation Under the Inflation Reduction Act.
Essa M, Ross J, Dhruva S, Desai N, Spatz E, Faridi K. Ten-Year Medicare Use and Spending on the 10 Drugs Selected for Negotiation Under the Inflation Reduction Act. Journal Of The American Heart Association 2025, 14: e034682. PMID: 39846298, DOI: 10.1161/jaha.124.034682.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchClosing the Gap: Digital Innovations to Address Hypertension Disparities
Shanab B, Gaffey A, Schwamm L, Zawalich M, Sarpong D, Pérez-Escamilla R, Dorney J, Cooperman C, Schafer R, Lipkind H, Lu Y, Onuma O, Spatz E. Closing the Gap: Digital Innovations to Address Hypertension Disparities. Current Cardiology Reports 2025, 27: 23. PMID: 39812880, DOI: 10.1007/s11886-024-02171-x.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsHypertension disparitiesCare teamSocial determinants of healthCommunity health workersDeterminants of healthRemote blood pressure monitoringIncrease patient empowermentBlood pressure controlMultidisciplinary care teamBlood pressure machineIntegration of servicesHealth equityHealth inequalitiesHealth disparitiesPatient empowermentPatient engagementInfluence blood pressure controlSocial determinantsHealth workersTelehealth visitsPayment modelsHypertension managementPressure controlHypertension DetectionPatient outcomesA failure to launch: blood pressure control after stroke in a regional health system
Forman R, Xin X, Kim C, Kernan W, Sheth K, Krumholz H, de Havenon A, Spatz E, Lu Y. A failure to launch: blood pressure control after stroke in a regional health system. Journal Of Hypertension 2025, 43: 715-718. PMID: 39995224, DOI: 10.1097/hjh.0000000000003961.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsYale New Haven Health SystemRegional health systemHealth systemSystolic blood pressureDiastolic blood pressureMonths post strokeAverage proportion of patientsBP controlPost strokeBlood pressureProfessional visitsPrimary outcomeBlood pressure controlProportion of patientsAverage proportionVisitsSBP valuesEpic systemPressure controlStrokePatientsGlobal budgetNavigating the 2024 ESC Hypertension Guidelines What Is New, Context, and Future Directions
Lu Y, Spatz E, Krumholz H. Navigating the 2024 ESC Hypertension Guidelines What Is New, Context, and Future Directions. Journal Of The American College Of Cardiology 2025, 85: 556-559. PMID: 39745405, DOI: 10.1016/j.jacc.2024.10.114.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
Clinical Care
Overview
Erica Spatz, MD, MHS, is a general cardiologist who treats a variety of conditions that relate to the heart and circulatory system. In addition to emphasizing prevention to her patients, she is an active researcher who investigates ways to prevent heart attacks and strokes, so that more people can live long and healthy lives.
“The field of prevention is exciting. We are rapidly developing new ways of estimating people’s risk of future heart disease, and we have new medications and tools to reduce that risk,” says Dr. Spatz, who is especially interested in applying “precision medicine” to prevention. This is making conversations with patients in her practice more specific and less generic. “I am thinking, ‘What are the patient’s risk factors? What's unique about their biology, their genetics, and their biography? What are the aspects of their lives that may be contributing to cardiovascular risk or, on the contrary, promoting cardiovascular health? What might be the best strategies for reducing risk and improving their health outcomes?’ The onus is on us as clinicians, physicians, nurses, and pharmacists, to really understand the person before us.”
We need to be working at multiple levels to reduce heart disease, Spatz says. “We need strong policies and coordinated community efforts to promote healthier lifestyles and overall well-being. There is so much we can be doing to make ‘healthy’ the easy choice for our population. At the individual level, there is an opportunity to better capture the personalized biological factors, experiences, and behaviors that inform cardiovascular risk—through digital technology and surveys.”
Lifestyle changes are often considered the bedrock of preventing heart disease, and while this can be difficult for some people—especially if they are overwhelmed with other life challenges—small achievable goals go a long way, Dr. Spatz says. “I try to think about this from a lifelong perspective. Cardiovascular disease prevention is hard work and people can't be perfect all the time, so I try to find specific things people can work on as well as opportunities when this makes sense in a person's life. If I can help them to define a healthier path, then I think the ripple effects can be massive.”
In addition to caring for patients, Dr. Spatz serves as a clinical investigator for the Center for Outcomes Research & Evaluation (CORE), an organization at Yale School of Medicine that focuses on health care quality, where she researches individualized approaches to preventing and managing cardiovascular disease, health disparities across the health care system, and ways to engage patients as partners in their care. She also is a cofounder of Project Access-New Haven—a network of physicians, hospitals, and community organizations partnering to provide donated specialty care to underserved patients in New Haven.
Clinical Specialties
Fact Sheets
Heart Attack (Myocardial Infarction)
Learn More on Yale MedicineFamilial hypercholesterolemia
Learn More on Yale MedicineHypercholesterolemia (High Cholesterol)
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Yale Medicine News
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News
- April 21, 2025Source: The New York Times
Do You Really Need to Cool Down After a Workout?
- April 17, 2025
Lower Blood Pressure May Offer Benefits Even for the Very Elderly
- February 14, 2025Source: WTNH
Is Love Good for Your Heart Health?
- January 03, 2025
Building Clinical Capacity in Cardiovascular Medicine Across the Caribbean
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New Haven, CT 06520-8017
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