Kim Germaine Emiel Smolderen, PhD, MSc
Cards
About
Titles
Associate Professor
Co-Director, Vascular Medicine Outcomes (VAMOS) Program, Internal Medicine; Associate Professor Medicine, Internal Medicine: Cardiovascular Medicine; Affiliated Faculty, Yale Institute for Global HealthBiography
Dr. Kim Smolderen is a licensed clinical psychologist and outcomes researcher and expert in vascular disease, specifically in studying psychological risk factors, including depression, in peripheral artery disease (PAD) and its relationship with outcomes. She also studied the quality of care of depression screening and treatment in acute coronary infarction populations, as well as mechanisms of depression that are linked to cardiovascular outcomes. She is a Belgian native and completed her clinical training at the local Tilburg teaching hospitals in the Netherlands. She obtained her PhD in Health and Medical Psychology from the Tilburg University, the Netherlands in 2009, following which she completed a post-doctoral fellowship in cardiovascular outcomes supported by the American Heart Association at the Saint Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute in Kansas City.
Since 2020, Dr. Smolderen is Associate Professor at the Yale Department of Internal Medicine and Department of Psychiatry, and is the Co-Director of the Vascular Medicine Outcomes Program and co-founder of the integrated cardiovascular behavioral health program at Yale New Haven Health. Dr. Smolderen has designed and led several multi-center international peripheral artery disease (PAD) registries, funded by PCORI grants, a Dutch Career Development award, and industry sponsored work studying trajectories of patients with complex late stage vascular disease, pain phenotypes, the role of behavioral factors, and the interaction with their quality of care and outcomes as they navigate acute surgical management, chronic disease management, and their rehabilitation processes, for which she leads several NIH-supported efforts. She published over 120 peer reviewed articles, and is a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association. She serves as the Co-Chair for the American Heart Association’s PAD national action plan geared towards activating health care systems. She serves on editorial boards of Vascular Medicine, Health Psychology, and Psychosomatic Medicine, and is Board member of the American Psychological Association’s Health Psychology Division 38’s Health Advocacy & Policy Council. She is also co-founder of the newly formed intersectional cardiovascular psychology workgroup at the American College of Cardiology, which will result in a new council directed towards integrated cardiovascular behavioral health, and set standards for the field.
With her work, Dr. Smolderen has been able to put on the agenda, a patient-centered focus for patients suffering from peripheral artery disease, and cardiovascular populations at large. Her work has been accordingly characterized by advocacy and demanding awareness for the patients’ voice, mental health burden of vulnerable groups in experiencing cardiovascular disease, highlighting the patients’ perspective, and working towards novel integrated care models.
Appointments
Cardiovascular Medicine
Associate Professor on TermPrimaryPsychiatry
Associate Professor on TermSecondary
Other Departments & Organizations
Education & Training
- Post Doctoral Training
- Saint Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute (2012)
- PhD
- Tilburg University, Medical Psychology (2009)
- MSc
- Tilburg University, Clinical Health Psychology (2005)
Research
Publications
Variability and Factors Associated With the Use of Embolic Protection Devices in Carotid Artery Stenting
Callegari S, Romain G, Pajarillo C, Cleman J, Scierka L, Smolderen K, Mena-Hurtado C. Variability and Factors Associated With the Use of Embolic Protection Devices in Carotid Artery Stenting. Journal Of The Society For Cardiovascular Angiography & Interventions 2024, 102170. DOI: 10.1016/j.jscai.2024.102170.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchLong‐Term Mortality Predictors Using a Machine‐Learning Approach in Patients With Chronic Limb‐Threatening Ischemia After Peripheral Vascular Intervention
Callegari S, Romain G, Cleman J, Scierka L, Jacque F, Smolderen K, Mena‐Hurtado C. Long‐Term Mortality Predictors Using a Machine‐Learning Approach in Patients With Chronic Limb‐Threatening Ischemia After Peripheral Vascular Intervention. Journal Of The American Heart Association 2024, 13: e034477. PMID: 38761075, PMCID: PMC11179837, DOI: 10.1161/jaha.124.034477.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsChronic limb-threatening ischemiaPeripheral vascular interventionsHealth careLimb-threatening ischemiaMortality predictorsLong-term mortality riskMultidimensional risk factorsBody mass indexLong-term mortality predictorsImprove individualized careVascular interventionsIndividualized careAssisted careBiopsychosocial modelMortality riskCareMass indexRisk factorsMedical comorbiditiesRisk profileInterventionMortality rateChronic kidney diseaseMortalityPredictive variablesImpact of Early Intervention on Health Status Outcomes in Peripheral Artery Disease Patients with Chronic Total Occlusion Lesions Using the PORTRAIT Registry
Cerrud-Rodriguez R, Romain G, Hussain Y, Cleman J, Callegari S, Scierka L, Smolderen K, Mena-Hurtado C. Impact of Early Intervention on Health Status Outcomes in Peripheral Artery Disease Patients with Chronic Total Occlusion Lesions Using the PORTRAIT Registry. Journal Of Vascular Surgery 2024 PMID: 38735596, DOI: 10.1016/j.jvs.2024.04.061.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchPeripheral Artery QuestionnairePeripheral arterial diseaseHealth statusChronic total occlusionChronic total occlusion lesionsPAD-specific health statusEarly invasive treatmentMultilevel generalized linear regression modelsPeripheral arterial disease symptomsLower extremity peripheral arterial diseaseBaseline health statusHealth status outcomesInvasive treatmentHealth status trajectoriesNon-invasive treatmentPatients' health statusImpact of early interventionHigh health statusFollow-upPeripheral arterial disease patientsSymptomatic peripheral arterial diseaseMonths of follow-upPresence of chronic total occlusionNon-invasive treatment strategyStatus outcomesVariability in Short-term Mortality Following Repair of Ruptured Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms Across Centers and Physicians
Romain G, Wang K, Scierka L, Cleman J, Callegari S, Aboian E, Smolderen K, Mena-Hurtado C. Variability in Short-term Mortality Following Repair of Ruptured Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms Across Centers and Physicians. Journal Of Vascular Surgery 2024 PMID: 38729585, DOI: 10.1016/j.jvs.2024.05.004.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchPhysician variablesPhysician volumeRuptured infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysmMortality riskPhysician levelAbdominal aortic aneurysmShort-term mortalityProcedure volumeMortality outcomesQuality of careAortic aneurysmMedian odds ratioShort-term mortality outcomesRepair of ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysmMedicare claims dataInfrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysmRuptured abdominal aortic aneurysmVascular Quality Initiative databaseAssociated with short-term mortalityLogistic regression modelsMortality rateCenter-level factorsCare managementClaims dataOdds ratioMulti-modality imaging for assessment of the microcirculation in peripheral artery disease: Bench to clinical practice
Callegari S, Feher A, Smolderen K, Mena-Hurtado C, Sinusas A. Multi-modality imaging for assessment of the microcirculation in peripheral artery disease: Bench to clinical practice. American Heart Journal Plus Cardiology Research And Practice 2024, 42: 100400. PMID: 38779485, PMCID: PMC11108852, DOI: 10.1016/j.ahjo.2024.100400.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchPeripheral arterial diseaseMicrovascular diseasePeripheral microcirculationArtery diseaseEvaluation of response to therapyResponse to therapyManagement of peripheral arterial diseaseImprove risk stratificationOutcomes of peripheral artery diseaseAssessment of perfusionPathophysiology of peripheral arterial diseaseRisk of mortalityMolecular imaging studiesMulti-modal imagesPredictors of amputationRisk stratificationPre-clinicalImaging studiesClinical perfusionProcedural treatmentsClinical practicePersonalized managementMicrocirculationDiseasePerfusionClinician perspectives regarding CYP2C19 genotype testing in patients with critical limb ischemia: A Delphi approach.
Regan C, Scierka L, Dardik A, Tonnessen B, Iyad Ochoa Chaar C, Ionescu C, Aboian E, Cardella J, Nassiri N, Guzman R, Attaran R, Nagpal S, Shah S, Smolderen K, Mena-Hurtado C. Clinician perspectives regarding CYP2C19 genotype testing in patients with critical limb ischemia: A Delphi approach. Vascular 2024, 17085381241246318. PMID: 38669051, DOI: 10.1177/17085381241246318.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchDual antiplatelet therapyPeripheral arterial diseaseCYP2C19 testingCYP2C19 mutationsHeterogeneity of treatment effectsPeripheral vascular interventionsConsensus statementKnowledge questionsAntiplatelet therapyGenetic testingVascular surgeryAcademic health systemBarriers to implementationInterquartile rangeCYP2C19 genotype testingVascular diseaseInterventional cardiologyModified Delphi methodPatient's metabolic statusManagement of patientsCritical limb ischemiaPerceived barriersPeripheral vascular diseaseArterial vascular diseaseClinician perspectivesComparison of Mortality and Amputation after Lower Extremity Bypass vs. Peripheral Vascular Intervention in Patients with Chronic Limb-Threatening Ischemia and Comorbid Chronic Kidney Disease
Cleman J, Sierra J, Romain G, Capuano B, Scierka L, Callegari S, Jacque F, Peri-Okonny P, Nagpal S, Smolderen K, Mena-Hurtado C. Comparison of Mortality and Amputation after Lower Extremity Bypass vs. Peripheral Vascular Intervention in Patients with Chronic Limb-Threatening Ischemia and Comorbid Chronic Kidney Disease. Journal Of Vascular Surgery 2024 PMID: 38608966, DOI: 10.1016/j.jvs.2024.04.016.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchChronic limb-threatening ischemiaAll-cause mortalityLower extremity bypassPeripheral vascular interventionsComorbid chronic kidney diseaseLimb-threatening ischemiaComparison of mortalityPreference-sensitive treatment decisionsCox proportional hazards modelsRisk of deathInteraction termsProportional hazards modelLower-extremity bypassChronic kidney diseaseFine-Gray modelMortality riskVascular interventionsAmputationHazards modelOutcome dataFine-GrayAssociated with worse outcomesHigh riskKidney diseasePropensity scorePAIN PROFILES IN PATIENTS WITH PERIPHERAL ARTERY DISEASE: ROLE OF PSYCHOSOCIAL FACTORS AND FEMALE SEX
Alashi A, Hurtado C, Romain G, Callegari S, Jacque F, Sinusas A, Smolderen K. PAIN PROFILES IN PATIENTS WITH PERIPHERAL ARTERY DISEASE: ROLE OF PSYCHOSOCIAL FACTORS AND FEMALE SEX. Journal Of The American College Of Cardiology 2024, 83: 2284. DOI: 10.1016/s0735-1097(24)04274-8.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchASSOCIATION BETWEEN DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS AND HEALTH STATUS OUTCOMES IN PATIENTS WITH SYMPTOMATIC PERIPHERAL ARTERY DISEASE
Jacque F, Romain G, Peri-Okonny P, Sinusas A, Callegari S, Cleman J, Scierka L, Mares A, Hurtado C, Smolderen K. ASSOCIATION BETWEEN DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS AND HEALTH STATUS OUTCOMES IN PATIENTS WITH SYMPTOMATIC PERIPHERAL ARTERY DISEASE. Journal Of The American College Of Cardiology 2024, 83: 2308. DOI: 10.1016/s0735-1097(24)04298-0.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchASSESSING VASCULAR FLOW IN ACUTE AND CHRONIC RABBIT MODELS OF HINDLIMB ISCHEMIA USING HIGH-RESOLUTION 2D ANGIOGRAPHY: IMPLICATIONS FOR PET FLOW QUANTIFICATION
Callegari S, Vermillion B, Alashi A, Burns R, Jang S, Guerrera N, Guo L, Depino A, Zohora F, Smolderen K, Hurtado C, Liu C, Thorn S, Sinusas A. ASSESSING VASCULAR FLOW IN ACUTE AND CHRONIC RABBIT MODELS OF HINDLIMB ISCHEMIA USING HIGH-RESOLUTION 2D ANGIOGRAPHY: IMPLICATIONS FOR PET FLOW QUANTIFICATION. Journal Of The American College Of Cardiology 2024, 83: 2251. DOI: 10.1016/s0735-1097(24)04241-4.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
Clinical Trials
Current Trials
CRUSH PAD: Real-world Outcomes Following Use of the Shockwave Intravascular Lithotripsy (IVL) Technology in Calcified Common Femoral Lesions
HIC ID2000031113RolePrincipal InvestigatorPrimary Completion Date12/31/2023Recruiting ParticipantsGenderBothAge18+ yearsSCOPE-CLI: Shifting Care and Outcomes for Patients with Endangered limbs Critical Limb Ischemia
HIC ID2000028963RolePrincipal InvestigatorPrimary Completion Date09/30/2024Recruiting ParticipantsGenderBothAge19+ years
Academic Achievements and Community Involvement
Links & Media
News
- April 01, 2024
Yale Faculty Present Groundbreaking Clinical Research at the 2024 American College of Cardiology Scientific Sessions
- October 02, 2023
Health Care Systems Should Integrate Mental Health Care Into Treatment of Peripheral Artery Disease
- September 08, 2023
Peripheral Artery Disease Is Poorly Understood—And Yale Researchers Are Striving for Answers
- September 05, 2023
Leg Pain Due to Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) May Curb Physical Activity, Increasing Risk for Depression