Fairer heart attack and stroke risk prediction for adults with or at risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease
Official title: Optimize Risk Assessment for Incident and Recurrent Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease
Funded at Columbia University Health Sciences · NIH-11129856 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project aims to build better risk tools to predict future heart attacks and strokes for adults with or at risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, including people from Hispanic and Asian communities.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Columbia University Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | July 15, 2021 |
| Project end | June 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $651,548 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HL155081-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11129856 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults aged 21 and older who are at risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease or who have prior ASCVD, especially individuals from Hispanic and Asian backgrounds, are the most relevant candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People under age 21, those without available health records or relevant clinical data, and patients with non-atherosclerotic heart conditions or rare genetic lipid disorders may not benefit directly from the results.
What this research studies
If you take part, researchers will combine medical records, lab measures, and social factors like neighborhood and income to improve 10-year risk predictions for heart attack and stroke. They will test and refine these tools in people who have never had heart disease and in those who have had prior atherosclerotic events to better predict recurrence. The team will pay special attention to groups where current equations underperform, such as Hispanic and Asian adults, and try to quantify how much risk-enhancing factors change an individual's risk. Results will be used to suggest clearer thresholds for starting or changing cholesterol-lowering medicines.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help doctors target cholesterol-lowering treatments more accurately so those who stand to gain the most receive appropriate therapy while others avoid unnecessary medication.
How similar studies have gone: Existing risk scores like the pooled cohort equations are widely used but often underperform in socially deprived or minority groups, so this work builds on established tools while aiming for new, more equitable improvements.
Where this research is happening
-
Columbia University Health Sciences
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Zhang, Yiyi — Columbia University Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Zhang, Yiyi
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.