Winthrop-University Hospital and Kevin Marzo, MD, Chief of the Division of Cardiology, have announced that they have entered into a collaboration with Yale investigators on a research project designed to help doctors and scientists better understand heart disease in young women. The VIRGO Study (Variation in Recovery: Role of Gender on Outcomes in Young Acute Myocardial Infarction Improves [AMI] Patients), a $9.7 million effort funded by the National Institutes of Health, will be looking at a total of 2,000 women age 55 and younger with heart disease, and 1,000 men in a comparison group.

Winthrop is the only site in Nassau County participating in the VIRGO Study. "Collaborating with Yale on the VIRGO study will further add to our understanding of heart disease in women" said Dr. Marzo. "It is in line with our mission of integrating evidenced-based clinical expertise with a plan of care that also addresses modifiable risk factors for Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) such as a sedentary lifestyle, high cholesterol and obesity. We are dedicated to the prevention and treatment of heart disease in women, and are excited about participating in this groundbreaking study."

Despite perceptions that young women are protected from heart disease, it is one of the leading causes of death in women 55 years of age and younger, accounting for approximately 40,000 hospitalizations and 8,000 deaths annually in the United States. Preliminary research indicates that women in this age group have a greater risk of dying after a heart attack compared to similarly aged men. One of the main purposes of this ground-breaking study is to better understand why these young women don't fare as well as men.

The VIRGO study bridges disciplines from basic biology and clinical science to psychology and health services research. It is a large initiative that requires the enrollment of patients who have had heart attacks from more than 100 institutions nationwide.

In collaboration with the multidisciplinary research team from Yale and leading investigators from other institutions, Dr. Marzo and his research team at Winthrop are addressing topics ranging from quality of clinical care to genetics factors, through questions such as:

• How are outcomes of women different from those of men?

• What are the genetic, demographic, psychosocial and behavioral factors that contribute to premature heart disease in women?

• How do delays in clinical presentation and treatment affect the risk and outcomes of women?

• Do women get the same quality of care as men?

Yale is spearheading the VIRGO Study in collaboration with the American Heart Association's Go Red For Women campaign, a nationwide movement to raise awareness of heart disease as the number one killer of women and empower women to reduce their risk by learning about prevention. The investigators will be working closely with the American Heart Association to disseminate study findings through various channels, including online at the American Heart Association's website, goredforwomen.org, and will also distribute information through the American College of Cardiology.

For more information about the VIRGO Study, visit the study website at www.virgostudy.org or e-mail Barbara George, EdD, MSN, RN, Clinical Coordinator for Cardiology Research at Winthrop.