The Heart Attack Research Program (HARP), a prospective, international, multicenter study launched in 2013, aims to determine the causes of heart damage in men and women with open coronary arteries, which means that all major coronary arteries are less than 50 percent narrowed. This condition is known as myocardial infarction with nonobstructive coronary arteries, or MINOCA.

To determine causes of MINOCA, participants in the Heart Attack Research Program undergo multivessel optical coherence tomography (OCT) of the coronary arteries during cardiac catheterization, followed by cardiac MRI. At many participating study sites, participants provide blood samples and complete questionnaires to help us explore the relationships between genetics, circulating biomarkers, and stress and the underlying cause of MINOCA.

Results from the Heart Attack Research Program have been presented at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions as late-breaking clinical science and published in Circulation. We continue to enroll participants in the Heart Attack Research Program to refine our understanding of the causes of MINOCA.

How to Participate

The Heart Attack Research Program is currently enrolling participants who have had a heart attack, are referred for cardiac catheterization, and have no obstructive coronary artery disease.

The Heart Attack Research Program is also enrolling participants who had a prior heart attack, with or without open coronary arteries, into related studies investigating stress and approaches to stress reduction.

Individuals who have stable chest pain syndromes (or ischemia) with open arteries, without a prior heart attack, may also be eligible to participate in the Heart Attack Research Program. Participants with MINOCA will be compared to those without a prior heart attack. Patients with stable chest pain syndromes without a prior heart attack may also be eligible to enroll in a related study to evaluate the function of the microscopic coronary blood vessels.

If you would like more information about opportunities to participate in our study, please contact our research team.

Collaborating Centers

The Heart Attack Research Program study locations include 19 institutions across the United States and Canada.

Trial Sponsors

The Heart Attack Research Program is funded by a generous grant from the American Heart Association.

Resources for Current Investigators

Current investigators can login to access study materials, training videos, and regulatory documents.

Who We Are

The Heart Attack Research Program is led by Harmony R. Reynolds, MD, director of the Sarah Ross Soter Center for Women’s Cardiovascular Research in the Cardiovascular Clinical Research Center at NYU Langone.

Contact Us

For general inquiries about the study, email us at harp@nyulangone.org.