Dr. Reynolds' research group is studying why women with acute myocardial infarction are more likely than men to have reinfarction, bleeding or death. This difference has been hypothesized to be due to older age, treatment delay and comorbidities in women as well as the use of diagnostic and therapeutic modalities. The research team is also looking at cardiogenic shock (CS) which occurs in ~5-8% of patients hospitalized with ST elevation MI. Recent research has suggested that the peripheral vasculature and neurohormonal and cytokine systems play a role in the pathogenesis and persistence of CS. Early revascularization improves survival substantially and new mechanical approaches to treatment are available as well as the feasibility of clinical trials even in this high risk population. Reynolds' group is participating in a large scale trial using rigorous scientific methods to validate or debunk the use of chelation for coronary heart disease. Chelation is widely practiced in the alternative medicine community with little evidence to show that it is effective or ineffective, safe or harmful.