Research groups All groups >>

A multidisciplinary team of investigators with expertise in Preventive Medicine, Epidemiology, Biostatistics, Cardiology, Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, and Bioinformatics.

The principal line of activity in this group is the study of cardiovascular disease, its determining genetic and environmental factors, and its effects on public health. The ultimate objective is the identification of new markers and the development of new instruments that permit the prevention of cardiovascular disease in the population. Group members maintain working relationships with the health authorities, scientific societies, and the population, with the goal of guaranteeing the translation of all the acquired knowledge.

The group has three specific areas of knowledge, directed by investigators of recognized prestige:

• The Area of Research in Applied Cardiovascular Epidemiology designs and executes projects related to measuring the frequency of the disease, the estimation of cardiovascular risk, and the prevalence of protective factors. Population-scale intervention studies are also undertaken.
• The Area of Research in Population Genetics coordinates the DNA and serum biobanks, which hold more than 13,000 samples from healthy individuals and cardiovascular disease patients, and designs genetic studies at the population level.
• The Area of Data Management and Biostatistics supports the researchers in the other two knowledge areas with complex statistical analyses of epidemiology and epigenetic data.

Another key objective of this group is to prepare highly qualified investigators in the area of cardiovascular epidemiology. This internal program is open to external collaboration at the national and international levels.

Latest publications

• Ramos R, Garcia-Gil M, Comas-Cufí M, Quesada M, Marrugat J, Elosua R, Sala J, Grau M, Martí R, Ponjoan A, Alves-Cabratosa L, Blanch J, Bolíbar B Statins for Prevention of Cardiovascular Events in a Low-Risk Population With Low Ankle Brachial Index. J. Am. Coll. Cardiol. 2016; 67: 630-640

  View abstract

• Sayols-Baixeras S, Subirana I, Lluís-Ganella C, Civeira F, Roquer J, Do AN, Absher D, Cenarro A, Muñoz D, Soriano-Tarraga C, Jiménez-Conde J, Ordovas JM, Sentí M, Aslibekyan S, Marrugat J, Arnett DK, Elosua R Identification and validation of seven new loci showing differential DNA methylation related to serum lipid profile: an epigenome-wide approach. The REGICOR study. Hum. Mol. Genet. 2016; 25: 4556-4565

  View abstract

• Emdin CA, Khera AV, Natarajan P, Klarin D, Won HH, Peloso GM, Stitziel NO, Nomura A, Zekavat SM, Bick AG, Gupta N, Asselta R, Duga S, Merlini PA, Correa A, Kessler T, Wilson JG, Bown MJ, Hall AS, Braund PS, Samani NJ, Schunkert H, Marrugat J, Elosua R, McPherson R, Farrall M, Watkins H, Willer C, Abecasis GR, Felix JF, Vasan RS, Lander E, Rader DJ, Danesh J, Ardissino D, Gabriel S, Saleheen D, Kathiresan S Phenotypic Characterization of Genetically Lowered Human Lipoprotein(a) Levels. J. Am. Coll. Cardiol. 2016; 68: 2761-2772

  View abstract

• Sala-Vila A, Guasch-Ferré M, Hu FB, Sánchez-Tainta A, Bulló M, Serra-Mir M, López-Sabater C, Sorlí JV, Arós F, Fiol M, Muñoz MA, Serra-Majem L, Martínez JA, Corella D, Fitó M, Salas-Salvadó J, Martínez-González MA, Estruch R, Ros E Dietary α-Linolenic Acid, Marine ω-3 Fatty Acids, and Mortality in a Population With High Fish Consumption: Findings From the PREvención con DIeta MEDiterránea (PREDIMED) Study. J Am Heart Assoc 2016; 5:

  View abstract

• Velescu A, Clarà A, Peñafiel J, Grau M, Dégano IR, Martí R, Ramos R, Marrugat J, Elosua R Peripheral Arterial Disease Incidence and Associated Risk Factors in a Mediterranean Population-based Cohort. The REGICOR Study. Eur J Vasc Endovasc Surg 2016; 51: 696-705

  View abstract

• Trends in adult body-mass index in 200 countries from 1975 to 2014: a pooled analysis of 1698 population-based measurement studies with 19·2 million participants. Lancet 2016; 387: 1377-1396

  View abstract

• Baena-Diez JM, Peñafiel J, Subirana I, Ramos R, Elosua R, Marín-Ibañez A, Guembe MJ, Rigo F, Tormo-Díaz MJ, Moreno-Iribas C, Cabré JJ, Segura A, García-Lareo M, Gómez de la Cámara A, Lapetra J, Quesada M, Marrugat J, Medrano MJ, Berjón J, Frontera G, Gavrila D, Barricarte A, Basora J, García JM, Pavone NC, Lora-Pablos D, Mayoral E, Franch J, Mata M, Castell C, Francés A, Grau M Risk of Cause-Specific Death in Individuals With Diabetes: A Competing Risks Analysis. Diabetes Care 2016; 39: 1987-1995

  View abstract

• Garcia-Gil M, Parramon D, Comas-Cufí M, Martí R, Ponjoan A, Alves-Cabratosa L, Blanch J, Petersen I, Elosua R, Grau M, Salvador B, Ramos R Role of renal function in cardiovascular risk assessment: A retrospective cohort study in a population with low incidence of coronary heart disease. Prev Med 2016; 89: 200-6

  View abstract

• Marrugat J, Elosua R, Grau M, Sayols-Baixeras S, Dégano IR Prevalence and Prognosis of High-risk Myocardial Infarction Patient Candidates to Extended Antiplatelet Therapy. Rev Esp Cardiol (Engl Ed) 2016; 69: 480-7

  View abstract

• Herrera S, Guelar A, Sorlì L, Vila J, Molas E, Grau M, Marrugat J, Esteve E, Güerri-Fernández R, Montero M, Knobel H The Framingham function overestimates the risk of ischemic heart disease in HIV-infected patients from Barcelona. HIV Clin Trials 2016; 17: 131-9

  View abstract

All publications