Why heart attacks and strokes affect people differently across places and races
REasons for Geographic And Racial Differences in Stroke-Myocardial Infarction-4 (REGARDS-MI-4)
This project follows adults across the U.S. to see how lifelong social and neighborhood factors shape heart attacks, heart failure, and recovery, with attention to Black adults and regions with high disease rates.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Weill Medical Coll of Cornell Univ NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11418586 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
The team uses long-term data from a national cohort (REGARDS) with carefully confirmed heart attack, heart failure, and cause-of-death records. They will link structural social determinants (like neighborhood conditions, policies, and segregation) and intermediary factors (like stress and health behaviors) across the life course to disease incidence, recurrence, and recovery. Analyses are designed to explain racial and geographic differences in outcomes and to provide rigorously adjudicated event data to other investigators. The project also includes a year-long career development program to train early-stage researchers in disparities science.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults in the United States—especially Black adults and people living in regions with high heart disease or stroke rates—are the groups most directly represented by the study data.
Not a fit: People under 21, non-U.S. residents, or individuals from demographic groups not well represented in the cohort may not see direct benefits from this specific project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to specific social or neighborhood targets for policies and programs that reduce heart disease disparities and improve recovery after acute events.
How similar studies have performed: Previous studies have linked social and neighborhood factors to heart outcomes, but few have used a national, life-course approach with rigorously adjudicated events, making this approach relatively novel though grounded in prior REGARDS findings.
Where this research is happening
New York, United States
- Weill Medical Coll of Cornell Univ — New York, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Safford, Monika M — Weill Medical Coll of Cornell Univ
- Study coordinator: Safford, Monika M
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 below.