The North Texas Healthy Heart Study

The North Texas Healthy Heart Study (NIH/NCMHD 1-P20-MD001633-010003; principal investigator: R Cardarelli, project co-principal investigator) assesses the relationship of various psychosocial factors and cardiovascular physiologic markers to better understand potential contributors to cardiovascular health disparities. Participants undergo an extensive interview, body measurements, blood testing, and multi-slice computed tomography of the heart to obtain calcium scores. Investigators have already presented data at three conferences (23rd Annual Frontiers of Cardiology symposium, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Practice-Based Research Networks Annual Meeting, and the American Medical Association Medical Student Conference).

The Relationship of Visceral Fat to Lipid and Inflammatory Cardiovascular Risk Factors

This sub-study of the North Texas Healthy Heart Study (UNTHSC EXPORT Center Intramural grant; principal investigator: J Carroll) assesses racial/ethnic differences in central fat distribution and the relationship to lipid and inflammatory cardiovascular risk factors.

Communities, Communication, and Health Study

This study (UNTHSC Intradepartmental grant; principal investigator: R Cardarelli) assesses the impact of interpersonal processes of care and psychosocial factors on adherence to highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) regimens. The study is a collaborative project with the Tarrant County Public Health Department. It recruited 105 participants in only 20 weeks.

NorTex Needs Assessment

NorTex has secured funding from Pfizer Pharmaceuticals to conduct a needs assessment among its clinics to establish the health care needs of its population.  Each clinician will be asked toreview 5 random charts to assess practice patterns in cardiovascular care, immunizations, and cancer screening.  The goals is to recruit 250 clinicians to participate in the study.  Each clinician will be reimbursed for their time and effort.

North Texas Participant Registry Project (NRP)

This project will aim to involve all NorTex clinics to enroll patients into the NRP.  This voluntary project will have front desk personnel hand out 3x5 cards to all patients checking in for their appointments.  This card will have detailed information about the project on one side of the card and collect demographic and medical histories on the other side.  Patients will then give the cards back to the front desk personnel if they decide to participate.  This informaiton will provide NorTex researchers the ability to contact potentially eligible participants for future projects.  We hopt to grow this database to 10,000 in the first several years.

Cancer Screening Initiative Project

This project is funded by the Moncrief Cancer Foundation and in collaboration with UT Southwestern Moncrief Cancer Resources to conduct a clustered randomized control trial assessing the impact of an education DVD on cancer screening practices by primary care clincians.  This pilot project will help with future projects aimed in clincian education.

Sitemanager: Lee Ann Cunningham, DEAR/NorTex, email: NorTex@hsc.unt.edu
For Technical Issues: webmaster@hsc.unt.edu
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Page last updated: February 28, 2008 4:37 PM