Series: ACTSI Investigators and ARRA Awards at Work

Through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), the NIH provided stimulus grants which will lead to new discoveries, create new jobs, and provide additional educational opportunities for students. Over the next few weeks the eRoundup will review some of the ACTSI's ARRA projects.

Mechanisms Linking Depression to Cardiovascular Risk: The Twins Heart Study 2, Viola Vaccarino, MD, PhD, Emory University

The supplement funded by NHLBI, builds on a previous study of middle-aged male twins from the Vietnam Era Twin Registry. The funding allows for an extended seven year follow-up. The Twin Registry is one of a few longitudinal twin registries in the United States. This study proposes to clarify the role of depression as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. The investigators will study progression of cardiovascular disease comparing one twin who has depression and one who does not utilizing coronary flow reserve measured with positron emission tomography (PET) myocardial perfusion imaging. The investigators will also measure other vascular beds including the carotid vessels with ultrasound (carotid intima-media thickness) and peripheral arteries including the brachial artery (endothelial function).