Lipid Research Clinic

Mission

The Lipid Research Clinic (LRC) is an academic resource for the College of Public Health and College of Medicine to facilitate studies that evaluate the effectiveness of new drugs or intervention modalities designed to prevent the occurrence and progression of atherosclerotic diseases, as well as diseases related to women's health.

Goals of the LRC

1. Maintain a core methodological unit for the design and conduct of intervention studies.
2. Develop new methods for testing and evaluating prevention strategies.
3. Participate in development of new drugs for prevention of chronic illnesses.
4. Maintain and extend intercollegiate and interdepartmental collaborations.
5. Develop inter-institutional collaborative efforts in evaluating new prevention methods
6. Educate students and practitioners in coronary preventive intervention programs.

History

The Lipid Research Clinic has been in operation for over 30 years. It opened in 1972 under the direction of Drs. Francois Abboud and William E. Connor. Funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), it was started with a $12 million grant to mount a clinical trial to examine the beneficial effects of lowering blood cholesterol and a community prevalence study. The center was one of 12 in the nation to participate in the Coronary Primary Prevention Trial (CPPT), which involved 3,810 male subjects. The Iowa LRC successfully screened over 44,000 age eligible men to obtain 372 participants and became the second largest CPPT site. Dr. Helmut G. Schrott became director of the Coronary Primary Prevention Trial in 1973. The Iowa CPPT achieved high compliance from participants in taking medication, following diet and maintaining study visits. The study ended in 1984 with a five-year follow-up period lasting until 1989 and demonstrated conclusively that the risk of coronary heart disease can be reduced by lowering blood cholesterol.

Since 1986, the LRC has been conducting pharmaceutical industry sponsored research (Phases II - IV studies) on new or established drugs for the prevention of heart disease and risk factor interventions (e.g. lipids, diabetes, hypertension, menopause), offering coronary preventive strategies for the people of Iowa and surrounding states. To date, the center has been involved in more than 90 clinical trials ranging in duration from less than one month to more than five years. Trials have been conducted for over 25 different pharmaceutical companies and Contract Research Organizations (CROs).

Since the end of the CPPT, the clinic has also participated in Nutrition Counseling Programs, the Lipid Disorders Training Workshop (funded by the American Heart Association), the Health Education and Research Trial (HEART - funded by the NIH), and Community Screening Programs.

Organization

The current Program Director, Dr. Jennifer Robinson, is an associate professor in the Department of Epidemiology in the College of Public Health. The LRC reports to the Vice President for Research and the Dean of the College of Public Health. Clinical Director Nancy Merideth facilitates and supervises the activities of clinic components to execute research protocols.

Components

The Lipid Research Clinic includes the following activities: administration, epidemiology, biostatistics, behavioral methods, nutrition, data management, recruitment, screening and evaluation, follow-up evaluation, compliance and protocol adherence, quality control and regulatory adherence.

Capabilities

• Clinical trial design
• Protocol development
• Biostatistical analysis
• Population-based recruitment
• Good clinical practice
• Data collection and data management
• Safety monitoring
• Report and publication preparation

Current Studies

• Cardiovascular Endpoint and Prevention Studies
• Cholesterol Lowering Studies
• HDL Cholesterol Studies
• Heterozygous Familial Hypercholesterolemia Study
• Metabolic Syndrome Studies
• Diabetes Studies
• Hypertension/Diabetes Study
• Anti-inflammatory and Vascular Agent Study
• Female testosterone Study

Areas of Interest

• Clinical trials methodology (recruitment and adherence enhancement)
• Familial aspects of coronary risk factors
• Preventive cardiology (dietary and drug adherence)
• Lipid Disorders
• Cardiovascular Diseases
• Women's Health
• Obesity
• Metabolic Syndrome and Diabetes
• Nutrition
• Hormone replacement therapy
• Contraceptives
• Hypertension
• Osteoporosis

Facilities

The LRC is currently located in the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics (UIHC). LRC facilities are similar to a medical clinic with convenient parking and easy access to encourage and maintain participation in clinical trials. The clinic's purpose is for screening, evaluation, randomization and follow-up of subjects in prevention trials. The LRC’s current location in UIHC facilitates the scheduling of ancillary diagnostic tests. Approximately 1,800 square feet are provided for clinic examination rooms and waiting room, clinical staff offices, recruiting staff offices, data management offices and administrative and clerical offices.

For more information about the LRC, please contact:
Jennifer Robinson (jennifer-g-robinson@uiowa.edu), Nancy Merideth (nancy-merideth@uiowa.edu) or the LRC Main Office at (319) 384-5030 or 1-800-887-6917.