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In This Issue:
“America’s Best in Science and Medicine”
“Brilliant individuals with a passion for understanding the world and the ability to concentrate obsessively on a problem until they had solved it,” described Michael Lemonick of TIME magazine. Tens of thousands of scientists and doctors to chose from, but less than 20 were selected. And Paul Ridker, MD, of BWH’s Division of Cardiology was among them.
The August 20 edition of TIME profiled 18 scientists who made outstanding contributions to the health and well being of the world. They were dubbed “America’s Best in Science and Medicine.”
A leader in research on clinical aspects of arterial inflammation and its link to heart disease, Ridker’s expertise earned a nomination on health care’s version of the all-star team. Ridker, a BWH cardiologist for the past decade, was one of the only five medical professionals worldwide to receive this distinguished honor.
For many years cholesterol was pinpointed as the leading, singular cause of heart disease. But, researchers knew that 50 percent of heart attacks occurred in people with normal cholesterol levels. This left cholesterol standing alone only temporarily until another piece of the heart disease equation could be added. That piece appears to be inflammation. Indeed, pioneering laboratory work by several other BWH scientists provided much of the basis for this hypothesis. What remained unknown was whether inflammation would matter in a clinical setting.
Seven years ago, Ridker began his research with a two-part goal. Not only did he set out to provide evidence that inflammation, an immune-system reaction in the arteries, caused heart attacks, but he also sought a method for doctors to detect inflammation for clinical use. Just this past year, Ridker’s team achieved the results they needed. In a series of landmark studies, his group has revealed that the inflammatory biomarker C-reactive protein (CRP) could be used to detect and measure inflammation in the arteries as well as predict first ever heart attacks and strokes. Moreover, they provided critical evidence that life-saving “statin” drugs not only lower cholesterol, but also lower CRP.
The clinical impact of Ridker’s findings are broad and are already changing the way physicians detect risk for heart disease and stroke. In fact, as reported in the New York Times just two weeks ago, when President Bush had his physical exam at the White House, his CRP level was checked along with his cholesterol, a preventive cardiology approach quickly catching on in general practice.