The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA)

The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) is a medical research study involving more than 6,000 men and women from six communities in the United States. MESA is sponsored by the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health. Participants in MESA are seen at clinics in the following universities:

Columbia University, New York
Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore
Northwestern University, Chicago
UCLA, Los Angeles
University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
Wake Forest University, Winston Salem

About MESA

Invitation to New Investigators

We have found in many situations that a collaborative approach to research is advantageous to affiliated and non-affiliated investigators alike. Those who include MESA Investigators in their research are able to take advantage of their considerable knowledge of the MESA dataset as well as knowledge of research and analytic methodologies appropriate for the data. In keeping with this collaborative approach, researchers interested in working with MESA Investigators are welcome to submit a manuscript proposal or ancillary study proposal directly to the study. Please feel free to review additional materials related to establishing a collaborative relationship with MESA at the following links (or send an e-mail to the Coordinating Center at chsccweb@uw.edu).

https://www.mesa-nhlbi.org/Publications.aspx
https://www.mesa-nhlbi.org/ancillary.aspx

MESA Overview

The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) is a study of the characteristics of subclinical cardiovascular disease (disease detected non-invasively before it has produced clinical signs and symptoms) and the risk factors that predict progression to clinically overt cardiovascular disease or progression of the subclinical disease. MESA researchers study a diverse, population-based sample of 6,814 asymptomatic men and women aged 45-84 from six field centers across the United States. Approximately 38 percent of the recruited participants are white, 28 percent African-American, 22 percent Hispanic, and 12 percent Asian, predominantly of Chinese descent. The first examination took place over two years, from July 2000-July 2002. It was followed by three examination periods that were 17-20 months in length, and a fifth exam April 2010 - January 2012. Participants are contacted every 9 to 12 months throughout the study to assess clinical morbidity and mortality. The final 18 months of the study are dedicated to close out and data analysis and publication.

Specific Analytic Opportunities

After careful review of the MESA publication record, the following list of analytic opportunities were identified as general topics where the data have not yet been adequately explored or published. There may be manuscripts in development, so it is strongly recommended that researchers with interest in collaborating on a research topic contact the point person directly (or the Coordinating Center at chsccweb@uw.edu) to initiate discussion and explore collaborative opportunities.

Research Area	Point Person
Adaptive Immune System	Russ Tracy (Russell.Tracy@uvm.edu)
Atrial Fibrillation	Susan Heckbert (heckbert@u.washington.edu)
Bioelectric Impedance	Dick Kronmal (kronmal@uw.edu)
Coagulation	Mary Cushman (mary.cushman@med.uvm.edu)
Cognitive Function	Annette Fitzpatrick (fitzpal@u.washington.edu)
Diabetes	Alain Bertoni (abertoni@wakehealth.edu)
ECG Changes	Elsayed Soliman (esoliman@wakehealth.edu)
Genetic ancestry	Jasmin Divers (jdivers@wakehealth.edu)
Genetic Epi & Gene X Environ Int	Jerome Rotter (jrotter@labiomed.org)
Health Services Research	Chris Delaney (jacd@u.washington.edu)
Heart Failure	David Bluemke (bluemked@nih.gov)
Lipid Subclasses	Rachel Mackey (mackey@edc.pitt.edu)
Lipoprotein A [Lp(a)]	Mike Tsai (tsaix001@umn.edu)
Longitudinal data	Robyn McClelland (rmcclell@uw.edu)
Organ and System Fibrosis	Russ Tracy (Russell.Tracy@uvm.edu)
Policy and Prevention	Gregory L. Burke (gburke@wakehealth.edu)
Race/Ethnicity and Events	Wendy Post (wpost@jhmi.edu)
Stroke Clinical Events	Will Longstreth (wl@uw.edu)

MESA Classic Components by Exam

MESA III Timeline

MESA Calendar

Note: Click on the table below to get the full MESA Calendar image.

Organizational Chart

Key Scientific Personnel

Site Type	Study Site	Key Personnel
Coordinating Center	University of Washington Coordinating Center	Robyn McClelland, PhD (Co-PI) Richard A. Kronmal, PhD (Co-PI) Susan R. Heckbert, MD Bruce M. Psaty, MD Annette L. Fitzpatrick, PhD William T. Longstreth, MD Kayleen Williams, MPH Craig Johnson, MS
Field Centers	Columbia University Field Center	Steven J. C. Shea, MD, MS (PI) Graham R. Barr, MD, Dr. P.H. Benjamin M. Smith, MD, MS, FRCPC Alan D. Guerci, MD Daniel Rabinowitz, PhD Alan R. Tall, MD
	Johns Hopkins University Field Center	Wendy S. Post, MD (PI) Erin D. Michos, MD, MHS Roger S. Blumenthal, MD Pamela Ouyang, MD A. Richey Sharrett, MD, DrPH Moyses Szklo, MD, MPH, Dr.Ph
	Northwestern University Field Center	Norrina B. Allen, PhD(PI) Kiang Liu, PhD (PI) Shah, Sanjiv J.MD Deepak K. Gupta, MD Thomas J. Wang, MD David Green, MD, PhD Philip Greenland, MD
	UCLA Field Center	Karol Watson, MD, PhD (PI) Preethi Srikanthan, MD, MS Alan M. Fogelman, MD Antoinette S. Gomes, MD Sameh Tadros
	University of Minnesota Field Center	Aaron R. Folsom, MD (PI) Lin Yee Chen, MD David R. Jacobs, Jr. PhD Michael Jerosch-Herold, PhD Pamela J. Schreiner, PhD James Pankow, PhD, MPH
	Wake Forest University Field Center	Gregory L. Burke, MD (PI) Alain G. Bertoni, MD Timothy Hughes, PhD Yongmei Liu, PhD Jingzhong Ding, PhD David M. Herrington, MD William G. Hundley, MD
Central Reading/Lab/Analysis Centers	University of Vermont Laboratory	Russell P. Tracy, PhD (PI) Nels C. Olson, PhD Mary Cushman, MD Jon Peter Durda
	Computed Tomography Reading Center UCLA Medical Center Research and Education Institute	Matthew J. Budoff, MD (PI) Robert C. Detrano, MD, PhD Chris Dailing
	MRI Reading Center Johns Hopkins University	Jo�o A. Lima, MD (PI) Bruce Wasserman, MD
	Ultrasound Reading Center New England Medical Center	Joseph F. Polak, MD, MPH (PI) Daniel H. O'Leary, MD
	ECG Reading Center Wake Forest University	Elsayed Z. Soliman, MD, MSc (PI)
	LA BioMed/Harbor UCLA	Jerome I. Rotter, MD (PI) Xiuqing Guo, PhD Kent Taylor, PhD
	University of Virginia Genetic Analysis Center	Stephen Rich, PhD (PI) Josyf C. Mychaleckyj, MA, DPhil Michele M. Sale, PhD Ani Manichaikul, PhD
	University of Minnesota Central Lipid Lab	Michael Tsai, PhD (PI) John Eckfeldt, MD, PhD (Co-PI)
Program Office	National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute	Lorraine Silsbee, MHS Pothur R. Srinivas, PhD, MPH

MESA Risk Score Calculator

An accurate estimate of 10-year CHD risk can be obtained using traditional risk factors and CAC. The MESA risk score, which is available online on the MESA web site for easy use, can be used to aid clinicians in the communication of risk to patients and when determining risk-based treatment strategies.

This online calculator is most appropriate for patients in the 45-85 year age range and in one of the following racial/ethnic groups: Caucasian, Chinese American, African American, or Hispanic.

To use the score you will need information on the following risk factors:

age, gender, race/ethnicity, diabetes (yes/no), current smoker (yes/no), total and HDL cholesterol, use of lipid lowering medication (yes/no), systolic blood pressure (mmHg), use of anti-hypertensive medication (yes/no), any family history of heart attack in first degree relative (parent/sibling/child) (yes/no), and a coronary artery calcium score (Agatston units).

Robyn L. McClelland, PhD; Neal W. Jorgensen, MS; Matthew Budoff, MD; Michael J. Blaha, MD, MPH; Wendy S. Post, MD, MS; Richard A. Kronmal, PhD; Diane E. Bild, MD, MPH; Steven Shea, MD, MS; Kiang Liu, PhD; Karol E. Watson, MD, PhD; Aaron R. Folsom, MD; Amit Khera, MD; Colby Ayers, MS; Amir-Abbas Mahabadi, MD; Nils Lehmann, PhD; Karl-Heinz Jockel, PhD Susanne Moebus, PhD; J. Jeffrey Carr, MD, MS; Raimund Erbel, MD, PhD; Gregory L. Burke, MD, MS
10-Year Coronary Heart Disease Risk Prediction Using Coronary Artery Calcium and Traditional Risk Factors: Derivation in the MESA (Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis) With Validation in the HNR (Heinz Nixdorf Recall) Study and the DHS (Dallas Heart Study).
J Am Coll Cardiol. 2015 Oct 13;66(15):1643-53.

MESA Risk Score Calculator please click 'Start' button below:

Start Risk Score Calculator

CAC Score Reference Values

Coronary Artery Calcium (CAC) Score Reference Values web tool will provide the estimated probability of non-zero calcium, and the 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th percentiles of the calcium score distribution for a particular age, gender and race. Additionally, if an observed calcium score is entered the program will provide the estimated percentile for this particular score. These reference values are based on participants in the MESA study who were free of clinical cardiovascular disease and treated diabetes at baseline. These participants were between 45-84 years of age, and identified themselves as White, African-American, Hispanic, or Chinese. The current tool is thus applicable only for these four race/ethnicity categories and within this age range.

At this time, the risk associated with a particular calcium score is unknown. Thus, the information in this tool cannot necessarily be used to conclude that a patient is "high risk", but can indicate whether they have a high calcium score relative to others with the same age, gender, and race/ethnicity.

McClelland RL, Chung H, Detrano R, Post W, Kronmal RA.
Distribution of coronary artery calcium by race, gender, and age: results from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA).
Circulation. 2006;113(1):30-37.

To use CAC Score Reference Values web tool please click 'Start' button below:

Start CAC Reference Values

Arterial Age Calculator

Arterial age provides a convenient transformation of coronary artery calcium (CAC) from Agatston units to age units, to a scale more easily appreciated by both patients and treating physicians. The arterial age for a participant is the age at which the estimated CHD risk (modeled as a function of age) is the same as that for the observed CAC score. Arterial age is then the risk-equivalent of coronary artery calcium. This measure can be considered a more easily understandable version of the CAC score (e.g. you are 55 years old, but your arteries are more consistent with an arterial age of 65 years).

This tool will calculate an estimated arterial age (and 95% confidence interval) given a CAC score input by the user. Optionally, one can also provide the observed age, gender, total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, smoking status, systolic blood pressure and use of anti-hypertensive medications and obtain two versions of estimated 10-year CHD risk based on the Framingham (NCEP) point based equations: one using original age, and the other using estimated arterial age. This does not apply to diabetics.

Robyn L. McClelland, PhD, Khurram Nasir, MD, MPH, Matthew Budoff, MD, Roger S. Blumenthal, MD, and Richard A. Kronmal, PhD.
Arterial Age as a Function of Coronary Artery Calcium (from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis [MESA]), Am J Cardiol. 2009 January 1; 103(1): 59-63

To use Arterial Age Calculator please click the button below:

Calculate Arterial Age

MESA Publications

An Invitation to Outside Investigators

MESA Ancillary Studies

Overview

Definition of an ancillary study:

1) A project that collects new data in MESA, whether directly from participants or from previously collected samples, images, or other sources (e.g., medical records).

2) A project that analyzes existing MESA data as part of a new external funding application, for which additional MESA Coordinating Center (CC) services will be requested beyond downloading of data already available on the MESA website (e.g., analysis by a CC Statistician or preparation of a unique dataset). Note: as of November, 2010, analysis-only grants involving no such additional CC services require the submission of a Manuscript Proposal form, but not an Ancillary Study Proposal Form. Submit the Manuscript Proposal form online and see MESA Publications submission details at: https://www.mesa-nhlbi.org/Publications.aspx. To check the availability of online data, please contact your MESA Sponsor.

Philosophy: MESA investigators are encouraged to consider ancillary studies and to involve other investigators, within and outside of MESA, in this process.

MESA Coordinating Center
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