Sharonne N. Hayes, M.D.

The primary goal of this project is to describe the clinical and physiologic characteristics of Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissections (SCAD) in order to increase awareness, understanding, treatment and prevention of a potentially fatal cardiovascular event.

This study will be a retrospective and prospective review of medical course and current health of men and women with SCAD.

The purpose of the research is to identify mutations (defects in the genetic blueprint) that cause spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD), in other words, spontaneous tears in blood vessels that supply the heart.

Some mutations may be inherited (passed on) from a parent without an apparent blood vessel problem while others may develop for the first time in the affected person.

The purpose of this study is to perform and analyze standard transthoracic echocardiography with contrast and strain imaging in 80 consecutive patients seen in the Mayo Clinic Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection (SCAD) Clinic and interpret any prior pre- or post-SCAD echocardiogram studies for comparison.