Professor and Vice Chair for Academics
Department of Epidemiology
505A Parran Hall
University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh,PA 15261
Voice: 412-624 1122
E-mail: tyrrell@edc.pitt.edu













Research Interests

Dr. Kim Sutton-Tyrrell is Professor and Vice Chair for Academics for the Department of Epidemiology, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh. Her primary scientific area is the application of subclinical measures of atherosclerosis to population studies. To support this area of research, Dr. Tyrrell has founded and now directs the Department of Epidemiology Ultrasound Research Laboratory (URL). This facility provides research quality ultrasound exams for an average of 2,000 study subjects annually. The lab is a shared resource for University Investigators and is supported through grants from institutions such as the National Institutes of Health and the American Heart Association. The lab provides research protocols for numerous subclinical disease measures including carotid intima-media thickness (IMT), arterial stiffness, endothelial function and plaque composition.

Much of Dr. Tyrrell's research has focused on the area of women's health. She has collaborated with other University faculty in the evaluation of cohorts at high risk for CVD such as women with lupus, polycystic ovary disease and rheumatoid arthritis. In addition, she has worked with other investigators to evaluate CV risk factors in women transitioning the menopause.

Another major area of concentration for Dr. Tyrrell has been the application of quantitative methodology to epidemiological studies and the conduct and coordination of multi-center studies and clinical trials. Through her involvement with the Epidemiology Data Center, Dr. Tyrrell has focused on the coordination, data management and statistical analysis of large multi-center studies with an emphasis on clinical trials. She has developed, implemented and published strategies to manage and monitor large multi-center studies. Dr. Tyrrell is currently the PI of the Coordinating Center for the NIA-funded Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN). She is also the PI of a clinical trial to evaluate the effect of sodium consumption on vascular health. http://www.edc.gsph.pitt.edu/swan/

Dr. Tyrrell is the Director of an NHLBI Training Program in Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology. This program supports four (4) pre-doctoral and two (2) post-doctoral trainees.

Dr. Tyrrell's Departmental responsibilities include oversight of the student services office and ongoing development of the Department's curriculum. And faculty support for teaching and mentoring.


Research Support

Principal Investigator


• 2009-2014
  AGO12553 Study of Women's Health Across Nation IV - Coordinating Center



• 2006-2011
  HL077525 Clinical Trial to Reverse Early Arterial Stiffening



• 2008-2013
  1 T32 HL083825-01 - Cardiovascular Epidemiology Training Program
  http://www.cvdtraining.pitt.edu


Co Principal


• 2003-2009
  DK04204-11 Obesity/Nutrition Research Center



• 2006-2011
  R01 AR046588-05 Progression of Cardiovascular Disease in Lupus (Hearts)



• 2007-2012
  HL40962-13 Biobehavioral Studies of Cardiovascular Disease



• 2004-2009
  Ag0125543 Study of Women Health Across the Nation III/Coordinating Center



• 2005-2010
  HL076532-01A1 Fetal Growth Restriction & Maternal Cardiovascular Risk


Scientific Director


• Department of Epidemiology Ultrasound Research Laboratory


Education & Training


• Pennsylvania State University - B.S.N., 1980
• University of Pittsburgh - M.P.H., 1983
• University of Pittsburgh - Dr.P.H., 1986

Selected Publications

Sutton KC, Wolfson SK, Kuller L: Carotid and lower extremity arterial disease in adults with isolated systolic hypertension. Stroke, 18:817-822, 1987.

Sutton-Tyrrell K: Assessing bias in case-control studies: Proper selection of cases and controls. Stroke 1991;22:938-942.

Sutton-Tyrrell K, Wolfson SK and Kuller LH: Treatment of isolated systolic hypertension slows the progression of carotid stenosis. Stroke 1994;25:44-50.

Sutton-Tyrrell K Alcorn HG, Kelsey SF and Kuller LH: Peripheral atherosclerosis and subsequent morbidity and mortality in older adults with isolated systolic hypertension. Stroke 1995;26:1329-1334.

Sutton-Tyrrell K, Bostom A, Selhub J and Zeigler-Johnson C. High Homocysteine Levels are Independently Related to Isolated Systolic Hypertension in Older Adults. Circulation 1997;6:1745-1749.

Sutton-Tyrrell K, Rihal C, Burek K, Sellers M, Jandova R, Hollak B, Trudel J, Lazzam L, Brooks M, Sopko G. Long-term prognostic value of clinically evident noncoronary vascular disease in patients undergoing Coronary Revascularization in the Bypass Angioplasty Revascularization Investigation. Am J Cardiol. 1998;81:375-381.

Sutton-Tyrrell K, Kuller LH, Edmundowicz D, Feldman A, Holubkov R, Givens L, Matthews KA. Progression of coronary and aortic calcification by electron beam tomography in middle-aged women. Am J Cardiol 2001;87:560-564.

Sutton-Tyrrell K, Kuller LH, Matthews KA, Holubkov R, Patel A, Edmundowicz D and Newman AB. Subclinical atherosclerosis in multiple vascular beds: an index of atherosclerotic burden evaluated in postmenopausal women. Atherosclerosis 2002:160:407-416

Sutton-Tyrrell K, Matthews K, Kuller LH, Wildman R. Extent of cardiovascular risk reduction associated with treatment of isolated systolic hypertension. Arch Intern Med 2003; 163:2728-2731.

Sutton-Tyrrell K, Wildman RP, Matthews KA, Chae C, Lasley BL, Brockwell S, Paternak RC, Lloyd-Jones D, Sowers MF, Torréns JI for the SWAN Investigators. Sex hormone-binding globulin and the free androgen index are related to CV risk factors in multi-ethnic pre and peri-menopausal women enrolled in The Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN). Circulation 2005:111:1242-1249.

Sutton-Tyrrell K, Najjar S, Kupelian V, Simonsick E, Havlik R, Lakatta E, Spurgeon H, Kritchevsky S, Pahor M, Bauer D, Newman A, Venkitachalam L, Boudreau R for Health ABC Study. Elevated aPWV, a marker of arterial stiffness, predicts cardiovascular events in well-functioning older adults. Circulation 2005,20; 111:3384-90.

Bleil ME, Ferrell RE, Sutton-Tyrrell K, Juldoon MF, Manuck SB. Apolipoprotein E polymorphism & preclinical carotid artery disease in untreated hypertensive men. Eur J Cardiovasc Prev Rehabil 2006;13(1):98-100.

Barinas-Mitchell E, Kuller LH, Sutton-Tyrrell K, Hegazi R, Harper P, Mancino J, Kelley DE. Effect of weight loss and nutritional intervention on arterial stiffness in type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Care 2006;29(10):2218-22.

Kuller LH, Kriska AM, Kinzel LS, Simkin-Silverman LR, Sutton-Tyrrell K, Johnson B, Conroy M. The clinical trial of Women on the Move through Activity and Nutrition (WOMAN) Study. Contemp Clin Trials 2007:28(4):370-381

Mackey RH, Venkitachalam L, Sutton-Tyrrell K. Calcifications, arterial stiffness and atherosclerosis. Adv Cardiol 2007:44:234-44.

Catov JM, Newman AB, Roberts JM, Sutton-Tyrrell KC, Kelsey SF, Harris T, Jackson R, Colbert LH, Satterfield S, Ayonayon HN, Ness RB. Associaiton between infant birth weight and maternal cardiovascular risk factors in the Health, Aging, and Body Composition Study. Ann Epidemiol 2007;17:36-43.

Stewart JC, Janicki DL, Muldoon MF Sutton-Tyrrell K, Kamarck TW. Negative emotions and 3-year progressionof subclinical atherosclerosis. Arch Gen Psychiatry 2007;64:2225-233.

Sekikawa A, Hueshima, Kadowaki, Amest, Tokamura, Oomph, Kasiwagi, Edmundowicz D, Murata, Tyrrell KS, Maegawa, Evans R, Kita, Kuller L. Less subclinical atherosclerosis in Japanese men in Japan than in white men in the United States in the post World War II birth cohort. Am J Epidemiology 2007;165(6):617-24.

Gautier C, Stine L, Jennings JR, Sutton-Tyrrell K, Muldoon M, Kamarck T, Kaplan GA, Salonen J, Manuck S. Reduced low frequency heart rate variability relates to greater intimal-medial thickness of the carotid wall in two samples. Coron Art Dis 2007;18(2):97-104.

Farhat G, Newman A, Tyrrell KS, Matthews K, Boudreau R, Schwartz A, Harris T, Lavsky FT, Visser M, Cauley J. The association of bone mineral density measures with incident cardiovascular disease in older adults. Osteoporosis Intern 2007;18(7):999-1008..

Santoro N, Brockwell S, Johnston J, Crawford SL, Gold EB, Harlow, Matthews KA, Sutton-Tyrrell K. Doctor, When Are My Periods Going to End?" Helping Midlife Women Predict the Onset of the Final Menses? SWAN, the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation' Menopause 2007; 14(3);415-24 PMID: 17303963

Venkitachalam L, Mackey RH, Sutton-Tyrrell K, Patel AS, Boraz MA, Simkin-Silverman Lr, Kuller. Elevated pulse wave velocity increases the odds of coronary calcium in overweight postmenopausal women. Am J Hypertens 2007; 20(5):469-75. PMID: 17485005

Kamarck TW, Muldoon MF, Shiffman SS, Sutton-Tyrrell K. Experiences of demand and control during daily life are predictors of carotid atherosclerotic progression among health men. Health Psychology 2007;26(3):324-32. PMID: 17500619

Catov JM, Newman AB, Roberts JM, Kelsey SF, Sutton-Tyrrell K, Harris TB, Colbert L, Rubin SM, Satterfield S, Ness RB, Health ABC Study. Preterm delivery and later maternal cardiovascular disease risk. Epidemiology. 2007 Nov;18(6):733-9 PMID: 17917602

Nakamura Y, Ueno Y, Tamaki S, Kadowaki T, Okamura T, Kita Y, Miyamatsu N, Sekikawa A, Takamiya T, El-Saed A, Sutton-Tyrrell K, Ueshima. Fish consumption & early atherosclerosis in middle-aged men. Metabolism 2007;56:1060-1064. PMID: 17618950

Muldoon M, Mackey RH, Sutton-Tyrrell K, Flory JD, Pollock BG, Manuck S. Lower central serotonergic responsivity is associated with preclinical carotid artery atherosclerosis. Stroke 2007;38:2228-2233. PMID: 17626900

Sutton-Tyrrell, K, Venkitachalam L, Kanaya A, Boudreau R, Harris T, Thompson T, Mackey R, Visser M, Vaidean G, Newman AB, for the Health ABC Study. Relationship of high and low ankle blood pressures to mortality and cardiovascular events in well-functioning older adults. Stroke 2008;39:863-869. PMID: 18258843

El-Saed A, Sekikawa A, Edmundowicz D, Evans RW, Sutton-Tyrrell K, Kadowaki T, Choo J, Takamiya T, Kuller LH. Coronary calcification is more predictive of crotid intimal medial thickness in black compared to white middle aged men. Atherosclerosis 2008;196:913-918. PMID: 17350026

Sekikawa A, Ueshima H, Sutton-Tyrrell K, Kadowaki T, El-Saed A, Okamura T, Takamiya T, Ueno Y, Evans RW, Nakamura Y, Edmundowicz D, Kashiwagi A, Maegawa H, Kuller LH. Intima-media thickness of the carotid artery and the distribution of lipprotein subclasses in men aged 40-49 years between whites in the United States and the Japanese in Japan for the ERA JUMP Study. Metabolism Clin Exper 2008;57:177-182. PMID: 18191046, PMCID: PMC2245878

Newman AB, Naydeck BL, Ives DG, Boudreau RM, Sutton-Tyrrell K, OLeary DH, Kuller LH. Coronary artery calcium, carotid artery wall thickness and cardiovascular disease outcomes in adults 70 to 99 years old. Am J Cardiol 2008;101:186-192. PMID: 18178404 PMCID: PMC2213559

Thurston RC, Sowers MF R, Sutton-Tyrrell K, Everson-Rose SA, Lewis TT, Edmundowicz D, Matthews KA. Abdominal adiposity and hot flashes among midlife women. Menopause 2008:15(3). 429-34 PMID: 18204407

Wildman RP, Colvin AB, Powell LY, Matthew KA, Everson-Rose SA, Hollenberg S, Johnston JM. Sutton-Tyrrell K. Associations of endogenous sex hormones with the vasculature in menopausal women: the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN). Menopause 2008;15(3):414-421. PMID: 18209686

Thompson T, Sutton-Tyrrell K, Wildman RP, Kao A, Fitzgerald SG, Shook B, Tracy RP, Kuller LH, Brockwell S, Manzi S. Progression of carotid intima-media thickness and plaque in women with systemic lupus erythematosus. Arthritis Rheum. 2008 Feb 29;58(3):835-842 PMID: 18311797

Brach JS, Solomon C, Naydeck BL, Sutton-Tyrrell K, Enright PL, Jenny NS, Chaves PM, Newman AB, for the Cardiovascular Health Study Research Group. Incident Physical Disability in People with Lower Extremity Peripheral Arterial Disease: The Role of Cardiovascular Disease. J Am Geriatrics Soc. 2008;56(6):1037-44. PMID: 18384579

Choo J, Ueshima H, Jang Y, Sutton-Tyrrell K, El-Saed A, Kadowaki T, Tkakmiya T, Okamura T, Ueno Y, Nakamura Y, Sekikawa A, Curb D, Kuller LH, Shin C. Difference in carotid intima-media thickness between Korean and Japanese Men. Ann Epidemiol 2008; April 18(4):310-5. PMID: 17983767

Yeboah J, Sutton-Tyrrell K, McBurnie MA, Burke GL, Herrington DM, Crouse. Association between brachial artery reactivity ad cardiovascular disease status in an elderly cohort: The Cardiovascular Health Study. Atherosclerosis 2008; Apr 197(2):768-76. PMID: 17714717 [

Fowkes G, Sutton-Tyrrell K. Ankle brachial index combined with Framingham risk score to predict cardiovascular events and mortality: A meta-analysis. JAMA 2008:300(2):197-208.

Janssen I, Powell LH, Crawford S, Lasley B, Sutton-Tyrrell K. Menopause and the Metabolic Syndrome: The Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN). Arch Internal Med 2008:168(14):1568-1575 PMID: 18663170

Kao AH, Waski MCM, Krishnaswami S, Wagner J, Edmundowicz D, Shaw P, Cunningham AL, Danchenko N, Sutton-Tyrrell K, Tracy RP, Kuller LH, Manzi S. C-reactive protein and coronary artery calcium in asymptomatic women with systemic lupus erythematosus or rheumatoid arthritis. Am J Cardiol 2008 Sep 15;102(6):755-60. PMID: 18774002, PMCID: PMC2563802

Catov Jm, Newman AB, Sutton-Tyrrell K, Harris TB, Tylavsky F, Visser M, Ayonayon HN, Ness RB. Parity and cardiovascular disease risk among older women: how do pregnancy complications mediate the association? Ann Epidemiol 2008;18(12):873-9. PMID: 19041585 PMCID: PMC2614660

Thurston RC, Sutton-Tyrrell K, Everson-Rose SA, Hess R, Matthews KA. Hot flashes and subclinical cardiovascular disease: Findings from the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation Heart Study. Circulation 2008;Sep 16;118(12):1234-40 PMID: 18765392

Suresh S, S, Demirci FY, Jacobs E, Kao AH, Rhew EY, Sanghera DK, Selzer F, Sutton-Tyrrell K, McPherson D, Bontempo FA, Kammerer CM, Ramsey-Goldman r, Manzi S, Kamboh MI. Apolipoprotein H promoter polymorphisms in relation to lupus and lupus-related phenotypes. J Rheumatol 2008; Dec 15 (36)2;315-22.PMID: 19132787

Sekikawa A, Curb JD, Ueshima H, El-Saed A, Kadowaki T, Abbott RD, Evans RW, Rodriguez BL, Okamura T, Sutton-Tyrrell K, Nakamura Y, Masaki K, Edmundowicz D, Kashiwagi A, Willcox BJ, Takamiya T, Mitsunami K, Seto TB, Murata K, White RL, Kuller LH. ERA JUMP (Electron-Beam Tomography, Risk Factor Assessment Among Japanese and U.S. Men in the Post-World War II Birth Coort) Study Group. Marine-derived n-3 fatty acids and subclinical atherosclerosis in Japanese, Japanese American and White: A cross-sectional study. JACC 2008; Aug 5;52(6):417-54. PMID: 18672160

Lewis TT, Everson-Rose SA, Colvin A, Matthews K, Bromberger JT, Sutton-Tyrrell K, Interactive effects of race and depressive symptoms on calcification in African American and White women. Psychosomatic Med 2009;71(2):163-70. PMID: 19188530

Rhew EY, Manzi SM, Dyer AR, Kao AH, Danchenko N, Barinas-Mitchell E, Sutton-Tyrrell K, McPherson DD, Pearce W, Edmundowicz D, Dondos GT, Ramsey-Goldman R. Differences in subclinical cardiovascular disease between African American and Caucasian women with systemic lupus erthematosus. Transl Res 2009;153(2):51-59. PMID: 19138649

Schott LL, Kao AH, Cunningham A, Wildman RP, Kuller LH, Sutton-Tyrrell K, Wasko MC. Do carotid artery diameters manifest early evidence of atherosclerosis in women with rheumatoid arthritis? J Womens Health (larchmt) 2009;18(1):21-9. PMID: 19105681

Brinkley TE, Nicklas BJ, Kanaya AM, Satterfield S, Lakatta EG, Simonsick EM, Sutton-Tyrrell K, Kritchevsky SB, for the Health, Aging, Body Composition Study. Plasma oxidized low-density, lipoprotein levels and arterial stiffness in older adults. The Healthy, Aging, and Body Composition Study. Hypertension 2009;53:846-852. PMID: 19332658