Pathobiological determinants of atherosclerosis in youth (PDAY) cardiovascular specimen and data library

In 1985, investigators organized a multi-center study, Pathobiological Determinants of Atherosclerosis in Youth (PDAY), to examine the relationships of cardiovascular risk factors to atherosclerosis involving more than 3,000 young persons 15 through 34 years of age who died of external causes. Reports from the PDAY group confirmed that atherosclerosis begins in the teens and showed that the progression of the lesions is strongly influenced by the same risk factors that predict risk of clinically manifest coronary disease in middle-aged adults. The results emphasize the need for early and aggressive control of all risk factors in young persons for long-range prevention of coronary heart disease and related diseases. Recent funding by the Louisiana Cancer and Lung Trust Fund (LCLTF) has assisted Pathology at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center (LSUHSC) in the following objectives: (1) maintaining this national research resources; (2) making the unique specimens available to interested investigators; and (3) continuing support for studies at LSUHSC which investigate the effects of smoking on the development of atherosclerotic lesions.