UofL and UofL Health student, faculty and staff participants wore matching t-shirts during the Sept. 21 event to show support of the many heart health initiatives across the organizations.

“I am deeply humbled by the impact our students, staff, trainees, faculty and partners in health care,” said Jeffrey Bumpous, executive vice president for health affairs and dean of the School of Medicine, “Giving both their time and money to this cause further proves the systemwide dedication to improving the future of health care, one step at a time.”

The funds received by the American Heart Association, which celebrates 100 years, work to provide CPR trainings and support research, medical breakthroughs and equitable heart health.

UofL Vice President of Community Engagement, Douglas Craddock, said the university is proud to be a partner with an organization paving the way for heart health through important work and groundbreaking research.

“I am incredibly proud to see the University of Louisville come together for such a vital cause,” Craddock said. “Our partnership with the American Heart Association grows stronger each year, and the success of events like the Kentuckiana Heart Walk highlights our shared commitment to advancing health and wellness in the Louisville community.”

Story by Tonya Augustine, UofL School of Medicine.

Periods of extreme heat often result in an increase in deaths, mostly related to heart conditions. A UofL research study shows that heat also can impair the immune system and increase damaging inflammation, according to Daniel Riggs, assistant professor of environmental medicine and affiliated with .

Riggs and his colleagues recorded levels of immune cells and biomarkers in the blood of 624 participants in Louisville during summer months. They then compared those levels with the Universal Thermal Climate Index for that day, which factors in air temperature, relative humidity, wind speed and ultraviolet radiation levels as a measure of heat exposure.

They found that when it was hotter, the participants had higher levels of immune molecules in their blood, indicating a general immune response and inflammation, as well as lower levels of B-cells, which allow the body to fight specific infections. This means that with higher heat, people may be more susceptible to infection and more sensitive to environmental exposures, which in turn can contribute to worsened heart disease.

“We know that certain changes in the immune system and increased inflammation are a leading mechanism in many types of cardiovascular disease. Our findings suggest that heat exposure could be contributing to these processes that ultimately lead to greater risk of cardiovascular disease,” Riggs said.

Riggs presented at the American Heart Association Epidemiology, Prevention, Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Health Conference in March.

A $750,000 grant from the American Heart Association will allow researchers to advance AI specifically for acute kidney injury and complications during or following cardiac surgery.

Acute kidney injury can result in increased mortality or persistent kidney dysfunction and, because it has a wide variety of contributing factors from patient-specific conditions to procedure complexity, this issue can be difficult for physicians to predict and prevent.

The project is a joint effort between UofL researchers from the , , the , and researchers at , and .

The team will innovate machine-learning AI models to analyze detailed, clinical patient data and develop a personalized risk prediction and decision-making process for managing kidney injury in heart surgery patients. They then will validate the process using independent databases and clinical trials at UofL Health.

UofL’s Jiapeng Huang, professor and vice chair of the anesthesiology and perioperative medicine department, is principal investigator for the project. As a cardiac anesthesiologist at UofL Health, he also sees numerous patients who deal with acute kidney injury.

“Our goal is to use AI and machine learning methodology to do two things. One, to predict in real time when the patient might develop acute kidney injury or if the patient will be at risk for acute kidney injury,” he said. “T��� second thing is to develop a clinical decision-support system to help the clinicians do the right thing for the patients at the right time to reduce chance of acute kidney injury after heart surgery.”

While Huang and UofL faculty member Bert Little focus on the clinical procedures and decision-making process, Lihui Bai, professor of industrial engineering at the Speed School, Xiaoyu Chen, assistant professor of industrial and systems engineering at SUNY Buffalo and George (Guanghui) Lan, professor of industrial and systems engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology, will work with a team of engineers to build the AI technology. The tech will allow physicians to use patients’ clinical information before, during and after surgery to inform physicians of the best sequence of treatment for patients to reduce the chance of kidney injury after heart surgery.

For the last 10 years, AI has been used in the medical field to analyze large health care data. AI can more easily recognize patterns than the human eye or brain, according to Huang, and can be a significant benefit to patient outcomes.

“This is one of those research (projects) that will benefit patients directly,” he said “Acute kidney injury happens in about 25% of patients after cardiac surgery. This study aims to protect patients from acute kidney injury after heart surgery.”

The three-year project, which is currently in phase 1, began in July 2023. During this early phase, the team is establishing the database and prediction model. In year three, clinical trials conducted at UofL Health will be used to determine whether the predictive modeling and clinical decision support system will reduce the rate of acute kidney injury after cardiac surgery.

UofL Health is an excellent partner for this project as it is one of the premier cardiac programs in the nation, according to Huang. It was responsible for the first heart transplant in the state of Kentucky, as well as many innovations in artificial heart pumps. UofL Health cardiovascular surgeon Siddharth Pahwa and cardiologist Dinesh Kalra, for example, are involved in other studies, including cardiac imaging and data collection in addition to patient care.

“UofL Health always focuses on improving patient safety and outcomes,” Huang said. “UofL faculty and researchers are perfect partners to perform clinical studies to advance our knowledge and benefit our patients at UofL Health.”

Researchers in UofL’s surveyed more than 700 people on a broad spectrum of psychological well-being factors and at the same time, tested the participants’ cardiovascular disease risk factors, including cholesterol levels, blood pressure, triglyceride levels and arterial stiffness, which is associated with the progression of heart disease. They found that participants who scored higher on the well-being survey also had lower levels of cardiovascular disease risk factors.

One of the strongest findings in the study, which was published in the , was that well-being moderated the association between age and arterial stiffness. While study participants with the lowest well-being scores were more likely to have increased arterial stiffness with age, there was no association between age and arterial stiffness for those with high levels of well-being.

Previous studies have showed a correlation between optimism and happiness and lower risk of cardiovascular health events. The survey for this study took a broader approach to assess psychological well-being, said Alison McLeish, associate professor of clinical psychology at UofL and first author of this study.

“In addition to happiness and optimism, overall well-being includes something we call flourishing. It’s when you’re doing things in your work or in your personal life that use your personal strengths and in which you’re striving to reach a goal,” McLeish said. “It might not always bring you happiness in the moment, but there’s an outcome that is exciting and brings you joy and a sense of accomplishment.”

The study’s authors suggested that health care providers may want to incorporate psychological well-being evaluation when assessing cardiovascular risk and recommend well-being interventions to mitigate the effects of age-related decline in cardiovascular health.

Rachel Keith, UofL associate professor of medicine and co-author who coordinated cardiovascular health assessments for the study, said that having an additional option to reduce heart disease that does not involve medication is appealing.

“When clinicians address heart health without medications we typically think about diet, exercise and tobacco cessation. Given that cardiovascular disease is so prevalent in our society, incorporating new and novel approaches that address risk, such as assessing and educating on ways to improve psychological well-being, may provide exciting opportunities to increase health, especially in an aging population,” Keith said.

Individuals can take steps on their own to maximize psychological well-being. McLeish suggested practicing mindfulness activities, for one. This could be seated meditation or intentionally being present in the moment while doing daily tasks such as walking, washing the dishes or even eating. In addition, she suggested what she calls positive psychology interventions.

“Part of that is identifying your strengths and your values so you can start to craft your life and your activities to build on those strengths and utilize them in different ways. You can do activities that use those strengths as a way to feel a sense of accomplishment as well as joy and happiness,” McLeish said.

McLeish said that while more research is needed to determine the extent to which improving well-being will improve cardiovascular disease risk, this study supports the idea that improving mental health can have a positive impact on physical health.

“T��� absence of disease doesn’t necessarily indicate health or well-being. It just gets you to neutral,” McLeish said. “A lot of times, both clinical psychology as well as medicine are focused on the absence of disease. We are trying to say let’s go a little bit further than that.”

Each winner won either a football or basketball autographed by Coaches Scott Satterfield and Chris Mack. Winners were RaDonna Reid (School of Dentistry), Jennifer Coffey (School of Medicine/Admissions), Kerry Charron (College of ����ֱ�� and Human Development) and Chris Newton (Office of University Counsel).

The Sea of Red will overrun the Waterfront in September. Details of the event are below: 

• Saturday, September 21, check-in at 7 a.m.; start at 8 a.m.
• Walk: 1-3 mile Heart Walk through downtown Louisville (no fee). Note: Walkers are eligible for a Heart Walk t-shirt once they have raised a minimum of $100
• Where: Waterfront Park’s Great Lawn at 401 River Road, downtown Louisville
• AHA contact: Olivia.Kenworthy@heart.org

It’s not too late to form your own team or join a UofL Team. See the list of  and find out more about how to register and donate.

earned the award by meeting specific quality achievement measures for the diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients at a set level for a designated period. These measures include evaluation of the proper use of medications and other stroke treatments aligned with the most up-to-date, evidence-based guidelines with the goal of speeding recovery and reducing death and disability for stroke patients. Before discharge, patients should also receive education on managing their health, get a follow-up visit scheduled, as well as other care transition interventions.

“T��� is dedicated to improving the quality of care for our stroke patients by implementing the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines-Stroke initiative,” said Kerri Remmel, MD, PhD, medical director of the UofL Hospital – Comprehensive Stroke Center. “T��� tools and resources provided help us track and measure our success in meeting evidenced-based clinical guidelines developed to improve patient outcomes.”

UofL Hospital additionally received the association’s Target: Stroke Elite Plus award. To qualify for this recognition, hospitals must meet quality measures developed to reduce the time between the patient’s arrival at the hospital and treatment with the clot-buster tissue plasminogen activator, or, the only drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat .

“We are pleased to recognize UofL Hospital for their commitment to stroke care,” said Lee H. Schwamm, MD, national chairperson of the Quality Oversight Committee and Executive Vice Chair of Neurology, Director of Acute Stroke Services, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston. “Research has shown that hospitals adhering to clinical measures through the Get With The Guidelines quality improvement initiative can often see fewer readmissions and lower mortality rates.”

According to the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association, stroke is the No. 5 cause of death and a leading cause of adult disability in the United States. On average, someone in the U.S. suffers a stroke every 40 seconds and nearly 795,000 people suffer a new or recurrent stroke each year.

In this study, the first of its kind, researchers from the University of Louisville investigated the impact of neighborhood greenspaces on individual-level markers of stress and cardiovascular disease risk.

Over five years, blood and urine samples were collected from 408 people of varying ages, ethnicities and socioeconomic levels, then assessed for biomarkers of blood vessel injury and the risk of having cardiovascular disease. The participants were recruited from the and were largely at elevated risk for developing cardiovascular diseases.

The density of the greenspaces near the participants’ residences were measured using the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), a tool that indicates levels of vegetation density created from satellite imagery collected by NASA and USGS. Air pollution levels also were assessed using particulate matter from the EPA and roadway exposure measurements.

Researchers found living in areas with more green vegetation was associated with:

• Lower urinary levels of epinephrine, indicating lower levels of stress;
• Lower urinary levels of F2-isoprostane, indicating better health (less oxidative stress);
• Higher capacity to repair blood vessels.

They also found that associations with epinephrine were stronger among women, study participants not taking beta-blockers – which reduce the heart’s workload and lower blood pressure – and people who had not previously had a heart attack.

“Our study shows that living in a neighborhood dense with trees, bushes and other green vegetation may be good for the health of your heart and blood vessels,” said Aruni Bhatnagar, PhD, lead study author and professor of medicine and director of the UofL and the . “Indeed, increasing the amount of vegetation in a neighborhood may be an unrecognized environmental influence on cardiovascular health and a potentially significant public health intervention.”

The findings were independent of age, sex, ethnicity, smoking status, neighborhood deprivation, use of statin medications and roadway exposure.

Previous studies also have suggested that neighborhood greenspaces are associated with positive effects on overall physical and psychosocial health and well-being, as well as reduced rates of death from cardiovascular and respiratory diseases and improved rates of stroke survival, according to Bhatnagar. However, these reports are largely limited by their reliance on self-reported questionnaires and area-level records and evaluations, Bhatnagar said.

Co-authors of this study are Ray Yeager, Ph.D.; Daniel W. Riggs, M.S.; Natasha DeJarnett, Ph.D.; David J. Tollerud, Ph.D.; Jeffrey Wilson, Ph.D.; Daniel J. Conklin, Ph.D.; Timothy E. O’Toole, Ph.D.; James McCracken, Ph.D.; Pawel Lorkiewicz, Ph.D.; Xie Zhengzhi, Ph.D.; Nagma Zafar, M.D., Ph.D.; Sathya S. Krishnasamy, M.D.; Sanjay Srivastava, Ph.D.; Jordan Finch, M.S.; Rachel J. Keith, Ph.D.; Andrew DeFilippis, M.D.;  Shesh N. Rai, Ph.D. and Gilbert Liu, M.D. Author disclosures are on the manuscript.

The WellPoint Foundation and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences of the National Institutes of Health supported the study. View the manuscript .

Like other winners, Pardieu is tasked with helping the American Heart Association educate others on how to make similar lifestyle changes with the ultimate goal of improving everyone’s cardiovascular health. 

Pardieu began her journey to change her life because of her family history of heart disease. 

“The goal was simply to live longer. A change was necessary to my well being,” she said. “I lost a brother and a father, so i don’t view this as a choice — it’s a requirement. This award of recognition was amazing to me because it was a reminder that I’m making the right choices in my goal to live longer.”

Those changes began with implementing a regular exercise routine. She at Get Healthy Now. After nine months of personal training, she began to incorporate healthy eating habits. 

Since January 2018, Pardieu has lost 33 pounds. 

“I am continuing this regimen and the Get Healthy team has been with me every step of the way and has kept me motivated,” she said. “I wouldn’t have been able to do this without them. My drive, determination and support from Get Healthy Now definitely got me where I am today.” 

In addition to maintaining her current workout schedule, her next goal is to add one group class per week. 

“I want to continue improving …” she said. Her ultimate dream is to retire healthy and travel. 

Because of her efforts, and well before the American Heart Association’s recognition, Pardieu was named Get Healthy Now’s Member of the Month in April. She is a 16-year employee of UofL. 

This year, for the first time ever, Team Captains can join a Leadership Society for showing their commitment to the Heart Walk. Captains who are able to form a 10-person team, lead that team to $1,500 in donations, make a personal donation of any size, and who provide encouragement and support for their team will become a member of the Leadership Society and be rewarded with a gift from the American Heart Association and a lunch with campus leaders. More information is available on the .

The summit, a high-profile event within the meeting of approximately 25,000 clinicians and researchers from around the world, brings together top international experts who will present the latest and most exciting work in stem cells, cell therapy and cardiac regeneration.

The association meeting is Nov. 11-15; the summit will be held on Nov. 14.

Bolli, director of UofL’s Institute of Molecular Cardiology and scientific director of the Cardiovascular Innovation Institute at UofL, was asked by the association to organize the event this year. He is well-known in the field of stem cell research, and last month he and his team at UofL received a $13.8 million award from the National Institutes of Health to study a promising new type of adult cardiac stem cell that has the potential to treat heart failure.

Bolli also serves as editor of Circulation Research, an official journal of the American Heart Association that is considered the world’s leading journal on basic and translational research in cardiovascular medicine.

He will give the opening introduction, as well as an overview before each part of the summit, which will have two sessions in the morning and two in the afternoon.

“I’m honored to be selected to lead the summit this year,” Bolli said. “It reaffirms UofL’s leadership in the field of cell therapy for cardiovascular disease. This will be an outstanding program and I expect it to be well-received.”