Virgo Study

Title: VIRGO Study –  Variation In Recovery: Role of Gender on Outcomes of Young AMI Patients

Study Sponsor: National Institute of Health – Yale University

Principal Investigator: Norma Thiessen, MD

Study Synopsis: The Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation is joining the team from Yale University in the VIRGO study (Variation In Recovery: Role of Gender on Outcomes in Young AMI Patients), a 4-year effort awarded by the National Institutes of Health to study young women with heart disease. Despite perceptions that young women are protected from heart disease, it is one of the leading causes of death in women 55 years and younger. Building on more than a decade of work studying sex differences in heart disease, this landmark multi-site study will enroll 2,000 young women and 1,000 men for comparison. As the largest, most comprehensive investigation of young women with heart attacks, VIRGO will identify key determinants of recovery and discover knowledge that will assist in improving care in this population.

The multidisciplinary research team from Yale University School of Medicine, in collaboration with leading investigators from other institutions, will address questions ranging from genetics to clinical care and outcomes, including:

• 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 collaborating with the American Heart Association's Go Red For Women, a nationwide movement to raise awareness of heart disease as the No. 1 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 Go Red For Women, please call 1-888-MY-HEART (1-888-694-3278) or visit GoRedForWomen.org. Public sharing of this information will drive efforts to improve the prevention, care and outcomes.

Study Status: Open for enrollment

How do I qualify? Patients will be identified when they are admitted to Abbott Northwestern Hospital with signs of a heart attack and are under age 55.

Who do I contact for more information? Denise Windenburg. Study Coordinator, or contact rearch at 612.863.3980