Jay Cohn, MD

Jay N. Cohn, MD, FACC
Professor of Medicine
Director, Rasmussen Center for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention

Dr. Cohn is a 1956 graduate of the Cornell University Medical School, and completed his internship and residency at Beth Israel Hospital in Boston. From 1960 to 1965, he was a cardiovascular research fellow and clinical investigator at Georgetown University and the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Washington, DC. In 1965 he became the chief of hypertension and clinical hemodynamics at this VA Medical Center, and a professor of medicine at Georgetown University. Dr. Cohn joined the University of Minnesota faculty as chair of the cardiovascular division in 1974, and served in this position through 1996.

Dr. Cohn is internationally recognized for his numerous contributions to the cardiology field. He fostered applying physiologic principles to the management of cardiovascular disease, pioneered assessing cardiovascular function in patients with hypertension, acute myocardial infarction, shock, and heart failure, and first identified the syndrome of right-ventricular infarction. Dr. Cohn was among the first to advocate bedside hemodynamic monitoring in acutely-ill patients, a concept that led directly to the development of intensive-care units. These seminal discoveries establish Dr. Cohn as a founder of many contemporary therapies for heart disease.

Dr. Cohn’s contributions to the study and treatment of heart failure are many and exemplary. His laboratory and clinical research established that left-ventricular structural remodeling is the basis for progressive heart failure, and he was among the first to identify neurohormonal activation in vasoconstriction as a key contributor to this progression.

Dr. Cohn organized and chaired the first long-term clinical trials in heart failure, the Veterans Affairs Cooperative Study Program on Vasodilator Therapy of Heart Failure (V-HeFT). Known for his leadership in designing and conducting clinical trials that determine the efficacy of potential therapies for heart failure, Dr. Cohn was the first to document and advocate the value of vasodilator drugs in improving left-ventricular function. This discovery led to the development of vasodilating and neurohormonal-inhibiting medications (including nitroprusside, nitrates with hydralazine, and converting-enzyme inhibitors) that are the current standard of care.

In 1994, Dr. Cohn founded the Heart Failure Society of America, now the world’s premier organization dedicated to the diagnosis and treatment of heart failure, and served as its first president. He also founded the first journal dedicated to heart failure, the Journal of Cardiac Failure, and was its editor-in-chief. He serves on the editorial boards of many major journals, is the author of more than 700 scientific publications, and is the co-editor of two texts, Cardiovascular Medicine and Drug Treatment of Heart Failure. Dr. Cohn has written extensively on the topics of circulatory physiology, hypertension, vascular compliance, nervous-system control mechanisms in heart failure, and congestive heart failure and its treatment.

Dr. Cohn’s recent work involves screening asymptomatic individuals for cardiovascular disease, so that therapy can be initiated and disease progression prevented. His innovative early-detection methods include diagnosing stiffening in small arteries. Developed at the University of Minnesota, this methodology is now FDA-approved and marketed worldwide.

Dr. Cohn holds several patents related to pulsewave analysis for arterial-elasticity measurement, and to the use of hydralazine and isosorbide dinitrate to treat heart failure. He has presented numerous honorary lectures worldwide, and has served as a visiting professor at many national and international universities.

Current Research Grants

• Cohn (PI)
• DETECT Trial (GlaxoSmithKline)
• 2007-2010

Honors and Awards

American College of Cardiology, Distinguished Scientist Award (2005)
American Heart Association

• Discovery Award (1998)
• Distinguished Service Award (1982)
• James B. Herrick Award (2003)
• Novartis Award in Hypertension Research (2000)
• Scientific Councils’ Distinguished Achievement Award (1998)

American Society of Hypertension, William S. Harvey Award (1987)
Arrigo Recordati International Prize for Scientific Research,
Lifetime Achievement in Heart Failure (2003)
Arthur S. Flemming Award (1969)
Heart Failure Society of America, Lifetime Achievement Award (2006)
Henry Ford Forum on Heart Failure, Lifetime Achievement in Research Award (2003)
Sir Thomas Lauder Brunton Award (1988)
University of Minnesota

• Academic Health Center Academy for Excellence in Health Research (2003)
• Clinical Scholar Award (2006)

Weill Medical College of Cornell University, Alumni Association Award of Distinction (2007)

Professional Organizations

American Association for the Advancement of Science, Fellow
American College of Cardiology, Fellow
American College of Physicians, Fellow and Master
American Federation for Clinical Research
American Heart Association, Fellow

• Council on Basic Cardiovascular Sciences
• Council on Circulation Executive Committee, 1975-1986 (Chair, 1980-1981)
• Council on High Blood Pressure Research

American Heart Association, Minnesota Affiliate

• Board of Directors, 1979-1985

American Society for Clinical Investigation
American Society of Hypertension, Past President
Association of American Physicians
Association of University Cardiologists
Food and Drug Administration

• Cardiorenal Advisory Committee, Chair

Heart Failure Society of America, Founder and Past President
International Academy of Cardiovascular Sciences, Fellow
International Society of Cardiovascular Pharmacotherapy
International Society of Hypertension, Past President

Selected Publications

Giles TD, Materson BJ, Cohn JN, Kostis JB. Definition and classification of hypertension: An update. J Clin Hypertens 2009;11:611-614

Anand IS, Bishu K, Rector TS, Ishani A, Kuskowski MA, Cohn JN. Proteinuria, chronic kidney disease, and the effect of an angiotensin-receptor blocker in addition to an angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitor in patients with moderate-to-severe heart failure. Circulation 2009;120:1577-1584

Cohn JN. Conflicts of interest: To eliminate them or manage them? J Card Fail 2009;15:375-376

McNamara DM, Tam SW, Sabolinski ML, Tobelmann P, Janosko K, Venkitachalam L, Ofili E, Yancy C, Feldman AM, Ghali JK, Taylor AL, Cohn JN, Worcel M. Endothelial nitric oxide synthase (NOS3) polymorphisms in African-Americans with heart failure: Results from the A-HeFT trial. J Card Fail 2009;15:191-198

Cohn JN, Wilson DJ, Neutel J, Houston M, Weinberger MH, Grimm Jr R, Smith DHG, Sun W. Coadministered amlodipine and atorvastatin produces early improvements in arterial-wall compliance in hypertensive patients with dyslipidemia. Am J Hypertens 2009;22:137-144

Masson S, Latini R, Anand IS, Barlera S, Angelici L, Vago T, Tognoni G, Cohn JN for the Val-HeFT Investigators. Prognostic value of changes in N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide in Val-HeFT (Valsartan Heart Failure Trial). JACC 2008;52:997-1003

Duprez DA, Cohn JN. Time to foster a rational approach to preventing cardiovascular morbid events. JACC 2008;52:327-329

Latini R, Masson S, Anand IS, Missov E, Carlson M, Vago T, Angelici L, Barlera S, Parrinello G, Maggioni AP, Tognoni G, Cohn JN; for the Val-HeFT Investigators. Prognostic value of very low plasma concentrations of tropinin T in patients with stable chronic heart failure. Circulation 2007;116:1242-1249

Duprez DA, Florea ND, Jones K, Cohn JN. Beneficial effects of valsartan in asymptomatic individuals with vascular or cardiac abnormalities: The DETECTIV Pilot Study. JACC 2007;50:835-839

Cohn JN, Tam W, Anand IS, Taylor AL, Sabolinski ML, Worcel M; for the A-HeFT Investigators. Isosorbide dinitrate and hydralazine in a fixed-dose combination produces further regression of left-ventricular remodeling in a well-treated black population with heart failure: Results from A-HeFT. J Card Failure 2007;13:331-339

Anand IS, Tam SW, Rector TS, Taylor AL, Sabolinski ML, Archambault WT, Adams KF, Olukotun AY, Worcel M, Cohn JN. Influence of blood pressure on the effectiveness of a fixed-dose combination of isosorbide dinitrate and hydralazine in the African-American Heart Failure Trial. JACC 2007;49:32-39

Taylor AL, Ziesche S, Yancy C, Carson P, D’Agostino R, Jr, Ferdinand K, Taylor M, Adams K, Sabolinski M, Worcel M, Cohn JN; for the African-American Heart Failure Trial Investigators. Combination of isosorbide dinitrate and hydralazine in blacks with heart failure. NEJM 2004;351:2049-2057

Wong M, Staszewsky L, Latini R, Barlera S, Glazer R, Aknay N, Hester A, Anand I, Cohn JN. Severity of left-ventricular remodeling defines outcomes and response to therapy in heart failure: Valsartan Heart Failure Trial (Val-HeFT) echocardiographic data. JACC 2004;43:2022-2027

Latini R, Masson S, Anand I, Salio M, Hester A, Judd D, Barlera S, Maggioni AP, Tognoni G, Cohn JN; for the Val-HeFT Investigators. The comparative prognostic value of plasma neurohormones at baseline in patients with heart failure enrolled in Val-HeFT. Eur Heart J 2004;25:292-299

Cohn JN, Hoke L, Whitwam W, Sommers PA, Taylor AL, Duprez D, Roessler R, Florea N. Screening for early detection of cardiovascular disease in asymptomatic individuals. Am Heart J 2003;146:679-685

Cohn JN, Anand IS, Latini R, Masson S, Chiang YT, Glazer R, for the Val-HeFT Investigators. Sustained reduction of aldosterone in response to the angiotensin receptor blocker valsartan in patients with chronic heart failure: Results from the Valsartan Heart Failure Trial. Circulation 2003;108:1306-1309

Grey E, Bratteli C, Glasser SP, Alinder C, Finkelstein SM, Lindgren BR, Cohn JN. Reduced small-artery but not large-artery elasticity is an independent risk marker for cardiovascular events. Am J Hypertens 2003;16:265-269

Anand IS, Fisher LD, Chiang YT, Latini R, Masson S, Maggioni AP, Glazer RD, Tognoni G, Cohn JN. Changes in brain natriuretic peptide and norepinephrine over time, and mortality and morbidity in the Valsartan Heart Failure Trial (Val-HeFT). Circulation 2003;107:1278-83

Cohn JN, Tognoni G; for the Valsartan Heart Failure Trial Investigators. A randomized trial of the angiotensin receptor blocker valsartan in chronic heart failure. NEJM 2001;345:1667-1675

Exner DV, Dries DL, Domanski MJ, Cohn JN. Lesser response to angiotensin-converting-enzyme- inhibitor therapy in black as compared with white patients with left-ventricular dysfunction. NEJM 2001;344:1351-1357

Carson P, Ziesche S, Johnson G, Cohn JN; for the Vasodilator-Heart Failure Trial Study Group: Racial differences in response to therapy for heart failure: Analysis of the Vasodilator-Heart Failure Trials. J Cardiac Failure 1999;5:178-187

Cohn JN, Goldstein S, Greenberg BH, Lorell BH, Bourge RC, Jaski BE, Gottlieb SO, McGrew, III, F, DeMets DL, White BG; for the Vesnarinone Trial Investigators: A dose-dependent increase in mortality with vesnarinone among patients with severe heart failure. NEJM 1998;339:1810-1816

Cohn JN, Finkelstein S, McVeigh G, Morgan D, LeMay L, Robinson J, Mock J. Non-invasive pulsewave analysis for the detection of arterial vascular disease. Hypertension 1995;26:503-508

Cohn JN. Structural basis for heart failure: ventricular remodeling and its pharmacological inhibition. Circulation 1995;91:2504-2507

Curtiss C. Cohn JN, Vrobel T, Franciosa JA. Role of the renin-angiotensin system in the systemic vasoconstriction of chronic congestive heart failure. Circulation 1978;58:763-770

Cohn JN. Vasodilator therapy for heart failure: The influence of impedance on left-ventricular performance. Circulation 1973;48:5-8

Franciosa JA, Guiha NH, Limas CJ, Rodriguera E, Cohn JN. Improved left-ventricular function during nitroprusside infusion in acute myocardial infarction. Lancet 1972;1:650-654