What are the genetic and neurohormonal factors associated with cardiac arrthymias, and how might these factors be controlled to reduce arrhythmia incidence? How do we identify patients who are at imminent risk of arrhythmic death?

Density mapping of the need and flow of patients requiring acute care surgery vis-a-vis inter-facility transfer, care hand-off failures, post-acute care resource mismatch to articulate a funding plan resource allocation and development akin to what has been done for trauma care.

Dangerous mechanical interaction of the cerebral vascular system with the brain parenchyma during mild traumatic brain injury from either a blast wave or from impact may result from a combination of shear and compression deformation waves that causes non-diffusive extracellular fluid motion. Measure the mechanical response, to a combination of shear and compressive deformation, of animal model specimens containing the... more »

There is developing evidence that sleep disorders, in particular obstructive sleep apnea and inadequate sleep, can influence the course of other chronic diseases. Observational studies show that CPAP treatment of patients with pre-diabetes who have OSA reduces the incidence of future diabetes. Moreover, animal and human data indicate that insufficient sleep and sleep apnea can affect the rate of progression of neurodegenerative... more »

Mortality is similar between HFpEF and HFrEF but we have currently no viable therapeutic option for HFpEF. There have been many large trials, but they all failed. Our basic understanding of the disease is very limited which contributed to failures of many prior trials and wasting $$$. We know very little about the pathophysiology of the disease . It is time to get back to the basic science and use our new tools (e.g.... more »

There is evidence of a higher prevalence of sleep and circadian disorders in different ethnic groups. This is true for both adult and pediatric subjects. There is also evidence that minority populations in lower socioeconomic groups do not seek evaluation for sleep disorders as frequently as other segments of our population. There is also evidence that they are less adherent to treatments such as nasal CPAP for obstructive... more »

What is an appropriate risk score for intervention in valvular heart disease?

At what INR threshold does prophylactic plasma transfusion, in non-bleeding critically ill patients who are planned to undergo an invasive procedure, prevent bleeding complications and improve patient outcomes?

There is a need for the NHLBI to systematically assess CV guidelines that have public health importance and that can be addressed by pragmatic, government-funded trials.

Can cardiorespiratory fitness prior to hematopoietic cell transplantation be improved and will this limit morbidity and mortality following transplantation?

What options for therapy for severe asthma are available for the non-eosinophilic phenotype?

Does early cognitive rehabilitation (while on vent) improve long term cognitive function in ALI survivors?

What is the standard of care for stable COPD and acute exacerbation of COPD that should constitute the reference base for clinical trials?

CC: Despite the potential impact that venous thrombotic events (VTE) have on children with cancer, several unresolved issues remain. To date, we are yet to understand:
- incidence/prevalence of VTE according to cancer type/staging
- ideal imaging modalities to diagnose/follow VTE
- thromboprophylaxis according to thrombosis risk stratification (development of VTE predictors)
- efficacy/safety to anticoagulate children... more »

Are epigenetic changes the cause or the consequence of changes in cell function that contribute to cardiovascular disease?

If they are the cause, what are the mechanisms that lead to changes and how do they impact disease pathogenesis?

If the consequence, do they play any role in disease pathogenesis?

What methods can be used to test if epigenetic changes play a causal role in disease pathogenesis? Thus far studies... more »