LEWISTON – Central Maine Heart & Vascular Institute has partnered with the Yale University School of Medicine in a study looking at heart disease among young women.

The study is a $9.7 million, four-year effort awarded by the National Institutes of Health to try to build on more than a decade of work studying gender differences in heart disease. Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death in women 55 years old and younger.

“Most women in this age group are relatively protected from heart disease; however, prior research indicates that young women have a much greater risk of dying after a heart attack than similarly aged men. This study will be the first to focus on this high-risk – and highly unstudied – group,” said Dr. Judith Lichtman, the co-principal investigator on the study.

CMHVI will be one of almost 100 sites nationally involved in the study, led locally by Dr. Robert Weiss. The study will enroll 2,000 young women and 1,000 men nationwide for comparison. For those interested in learning more about the trial at CMHVI, contact Weiss’ office at 782-9835 or call 753-3910 to speak to a research coordinator.