Henry C. McGill, Jr. 
Senior Scientist Emeritus | Southwest National Primate Research Center
Phone: 210-258-9408
Education
Doctoral Degree: M.D. Medicine
Vanderbilt University Nashville, TN
Bachelor's Degree B.S.
Vanderbilt University Nashville, TN
Research Focus
I have participated in a multicenter cooperative project, “Pathobiological Determinants of Atherosclerosis in Youth”, referred to by the acronym “PDAY”. Fourteen cooperating centers around the U. S. collected tissue and data from about 3000 young persons 15 through 34 years of age who died of accidents, homicide, and suicide and were autopsied in forensic laboratories. Material was sent to central laboratories for analysis. Pathologists graded the atherosclerosis in the coronary arteries and aorta and other laboratories measured the established risk factors for adult coronary heart disease (lipoproteins, blood pressure, blood glucose, smoking, adiposity). The data management laboratory was directed by Dr. C. A. McMahan at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio.
Tissue collection was conducted from 1987 to 1994. The next several years were devoted to grading the arteries and analyzing serum and other tissues for risk factors. I have worked with Dr. McMahan and other participants to examine the statistical analyses of the data and prepare them for publication. The results shown conclusively that the risk factors for adult coronary heart disease affect the progression of atherosclerosis beginning in the teen age years. These results indicate that prevention of adult coronary heart disease should begin with control of risk factors beginning in adolescence. We are continuing to analyze the data for other relationships between risk factors and atherosclerosis in youth.
Publications
Starting earlier to prevent heart disease.
McGill HC Jr, McMahan CA
JAMA 290 (17): 2320-2322, 2003
PMID: 14600192
Pathobiological Determinants of Atherosclerosis in Youth (PDAY) Research Group. Obesity accelerates the progression of coronary atherosclerosis in young men.
McGill HC Jr, McMahan CA, Herderick EE, Zieske AW, Malcom GT, Tracy RE, Strong JP
Circulation 105 (23): 2712-8., 2002
PMID: 12057983
