Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Center

Overview: Prevention as Treatment

The Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Center at the Massachusetts General Hospital Corrigan Minehan Heart Center provides a unique, prevention-as-treatment approach for patients who have heart disease or who are at risk for developing heart disease. Our physicians are international leaders in their fields, and they treat heart disease by giving patients strategies and tools that are necessary to reduce their risks. 

Our specialists aim to:

• Prevent a recurrence of symptoms and ensure the safe recovery of individuals who have experienced a heart attack or other symptoms of coronary artery disease (secondary prevention).
• Prevent cardiovascular disease among men and women without symptoms, but whose family history, physical condition and other factors place them at higher risk for developing coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, or diabetes mellitus type 2 (primary prevention).
• Interpret novel imaging and laboratory tests, including those directly available to patients such as coronary artery calcium scoring, polygenic risk scoring, and metrics from consumer wearable devices.
• Educate patients on how to best prevent heart disease from developing or worsening.
• Conduct research to probe the genetic basis of cardiometabolic disease and improve preventive measures.
• Conduct research to use remote monitoring and smartphone applications to improve preventive measures.
• Train a new generation of preventive cardiology specialists.

Conditions We Treat

• Coronary artery disease, including heart attack and angina
• Congestive heart failure
• Obesity, Metabolic syndrome, and Diabetes mellitus
• Coronary artery calcification
• Pseudoxanthoma elasticum
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol, including familial hypercholesterolemia
• High triglycerides
• High lipoprotein(a)
• High C-reactive protein
• High coronary artery disease polygenic risk score
• Blood cancer precursors linked to cardiovascular disease, including clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP), clonal cytopenia of undetermined significance (CCUS), and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS)

Specialized Programs: Supporting Lifestyle Changes to Reduce Risk

Specialists within the Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Center at Mass General work with encourage patients to make lifestyle changes to reduce the risk of developing heart disease or prevent existing conditions from becoming worse. Our programs support patients through lifestyle changes and help patients understand the connection between cardiovascular diseases and certain behaviors or psychosocial issues, such as depression and stress-related disorders.

Made up of three unique programs, the Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Center offers care for patients of all risk levels who wish to improve their heart health.

• Heart Attack Primary Prevention Program
  The Heart Attack Primary Prevention Program treats patients who are at risk for developing heart disease due to family history. Physicians evaluate personal risks in light of family history to help patients reach their heart health goals

• Cardiac Rehabilitation Program
  Founded in 1979, the Mass General Cardiac Rehabilitation Program is one of only a few programs nationwide offering two models of cardiac rehabilitation to eligible patients: Traditional Cardiac Rehabilitation as well as Intensive Cardiac Rehabilitation/Benson Henry Model. Both Mass General Cardiac Rehabilitation Programs are nationally certified by the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation (AACVPR). These programs assist patients in their recovery from heart attack, angioplasty and cardiac surgery and counsel them on how to make the required lifestyle changes to prevent recurrence. All staff are Certified Cardiac Rehabilitation Professionals (CCRP) by the AACVPR. Kate Traynor, director of the Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Center, is a master fellow of the AACVPR and a past president of the AACVPR
• Cardiac Lifestyle Program
  Specialists in the Cardiac Lifestyle Program help patients who have atrial fibrillation, or are at risk for developing diabetes, to lose weight and manage other cardiac risk factors such as hypertension and high cholesterol through a 12-week program, Learn to Be Lean. This program uses weekly group discussion, medically supervised exercise and education to help patients make better nutrition choices and become more physically active

Learn How to Reduce Your Risk for Heart Disease

The Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Center is committed to supporting and educating patients on ways to improve their cardiovascular health. The center provides strategies and classes on a variety of approaches, including:

• Monitored exercise
• Stress management (Heart Smart Series)
• Nutrition counseling
• Smoking cessation
• Weight management
• Non-imaging stress testing

Clinical Trials

• Are you a healthy participant interested in research?
• High Blood Pressure Study at MGH (MGH Charlestown Navy Yard)
• Radiance High Blood Pressure Study
• Seeking Healthy Volunteers for Study Investigating Salt in the Diet and Blood Pressure
• Understanding the link between magnesium and blood pressure
• Bone Metabolism in Adolescents Undergoing Bariatric Surgery
• Does CPAP help in obesity?
• Effect of Growth Hormone on Liver Fat in Overweight Young Adults
• Effects of dietary habits on metabolic health
• MET-CPET
• Men and Women with Obesity Needed for a Weight Loss Treatment Study
• Obese Men and Women Needed for Research Study to See Effects of Melatonin on Cardiometabolic Risks
• Research Study Seeking Men and Women with Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD)
• Seeking healthy overweight and obese adults aged 35-75 for imaging study!
• Melatonin Sleep Study needs healthy Caucasian non-smokers between the ages of 21-55!