Gregory Schwartz, MD, PhD

Website

Medical School

MD, Duke University School of Medicine (1982)

Graduate School

PhD, Duke University (1981)

Undergraduate School

ScB, Brown University (RI) (1976)

Internship

University of Colorado (University Hospital) Program (1983)

Residency

University of Colorado, Chief Resident, Internal Medicine (1986)

Fellowships

University of California (San Francisco) Program, General Cardiology (1988)

Languages

English

Department

Medicine-Cardiology

Professional Titles

Professor
Chief - Cardiology Section - VAMC

Research Interests

Clinical trials investigating new lipid and metabolic treatments to improve outcomes after heart attack

Publications

Huang JV, Lu L, Ye S, Bergman B, Sparagna G, Sarraf M, Reusch JEB, Greyson CR, Schwartz GG. Mechanisms of impaired contractile recovery after low-flow myocardial ischemia in a porcine model of metabolic syndrome. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 2013, epub Jan 18.
Zamani P, Schwartz GG, Olsson AG, Rifai N, Bao W, Libby P, Ganz P, Kinlay S. Inflammatory Biomarkers after an Acute Coronary Syndrome and Subsequent Death and Other Adverse Clinical Outcomes in the Myocardial Ischemia Reduction with Aggressive Cholesterol Lowering (MIRACL) Study. J Am Heart Assoc 2013; in press.
Do R, Vogel RA, Schwartz GG. PCSK9 inhibitors: Potential in cardiovascular therapeutics. Current Cardiol Rep 2013; 15:345.
Niesor EJ, Schwartz GG, Suchankova G, Benghozi R, Abt M, Kallend D. Statin decrease in ABC transporter A1 expression via miR33 induction may counteract cholesterol efflux by high-density lipoproteins raised with the cholesteryl ester transfer protein modulator dalcetrapib. American College of Cardiology Annual Scientific Sessions, March 2013.
Schwartz, GG. American Heart Association Annual Scientific Sessions - Late Breaking Clinical Trials: "Effects of the Cholesteryl Ester Transfer Protein Inhibitor Dalcetrapib in Patients with Recent Acute Coronary Syndrome"
Huang JV, Greyson CR, Schwartz GG. PPAR-? as a therapeutic target in cardiovascular disease: Evidence and uncertainty. J Lipid Res 2012; 53:1738-54.
Ahmad H, Lu L, Ye S, Xu Y, Schwartz GG, Greyson C. The calpain inhibitor MDL-28710 preserves talin abundance and right heart function after prolonged right ventricular pressure overload in pigs. Am J Resp Cell Mol Biol 2012;47:379-86.
Ryu SK, Mallat Z, Benessiano J, Tedgui A, Olsson AG, Schwartz GG, Tsmikas S. Effect of high dose statin therapy on lipoprotein-associated and secretory phospholipase A2 mass and activity in patients with acute coronary syndrome. Circulation 2012; 125:757-766.
Sarraf M, Lu L, Xu Y, Reiter MJ, Greyson CR, Schwartz GG. Thiazolidinedione drugs promote onset, alter characteristics, and increase mortality of ischemic ventricular fibrillation in pigs. Cardiovasc Drugs Ther 2012; in press.
Schwartz GG. New horizons for cholesterol ester transport protein inhibitors. Curr Atheroscl Rep 2012; 14:41-48.
Huang JV, Greyson CR, Schwartz GG. PPAR-? as a therapeutic target in cardiovascular disease: Evidence and uncertainty. J Lipid Res 2012; in press.
Sarraf M, Lu L, Xu Y, Reiter MJ, Greyson CR, Schwartz GG. Thiazolidinedione drugs promote onset, alter characteristics, and increase mortality of ischemic ventricular fibrillation in pigs. Cardiovasc Drugs Ther 2012; 26:195-204
Schwartz GG, Olsson AG, Abt M, Ballantyne CM, Barter P, Brumm J, Chaitman BR, Holme IM, Kallend D, Leiter LA, Leitersdorf E, McMurray JJV, Mundl H, Nicholls SJ, Shah PK, Tardif JC, Wright RS. Effects of dalcetrapib in patients with recent acute coronary syndrome. N Engl J Med 2012; 367:2089-2099.
Schwartz GG, Chaitman BR, Goldberger JJ, Messig M. Effect of high-dose atorvastatin on risk of atrial fibrillation in patients with prior stroke or transient ischemic attack: Analysis of the SPARCL trial. Am Heart J 2011; 161:993-999.
Vale N, Nordmann AJ, Schwartz GG, de Lemos J, Colivicchi F, den Hartog F, Ostadal P, Macin SM, Liem AH, Mills E, Bhatnagar N, Bucher HC, Briel M. Statins for acute coronary syndrome. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2011;6:CD006870.
Nicholls SJ, Cavender M, Kastelein JJP, Schwartz GG, Bash D, Hislop C. Inhibition of secretory phospholipase A2 as a potential cardioprotective strategy: Rationale and design of the Vascular Inflammation Suppression to Treat Acute Coronary Syndrome for 16 Weeks (VISTA-16) Trial. Cardiovasc Drugs Ther 2011; epub Nov 24.
Huang JV, Xu Y, Lu L, Bergman B, Ye S, Greyson C, Schwartz GG. Post-ischemic contractile dysfunction is exacerbated in a porcine model of metabolic syndrome, but ameliorated by restricting fatty acid availability. Circulation 2011;124:A10858.
Briel M, Vale N, Schwartz GG, de Lemos JA, Colivicchi F, den Hartog FR, Ostadal P, Macin SM, Liem AH, Mills E, Bhatnagar M, Bucher HC, Nordmann AJ. Updated evidence on early statin therapy for acute coronary syndromes: Meta-analysis of 18 randomized trials involving over 14,000 patients. Int J Cardiol 2011; epub Feb 3.
Schwartz GG, Chaitman BR, Goldberger JJ, Messig M. Effect of high-dose atorvastatin on risk of atrial fibrillation in patients with prior stroke or transient ischemic attack: Analysis of the SPARCL trial. Am Heart J 2011; in press.
Sarraf M, Lu L, Xu Y, Reiter MJ, Greyson CR, Schwartz GG. Thiazolidinedione drugs promote onset and increase mortality of ischemic ventricular fibrillation in pigs. Under review (in revision).
Ryu SK, Mallat Z, Schwartz GG, Benessiano J, Tedgui A, Olsson AG, Tsimikas S. The effect of high-dose statin therapy on lipoprotein-associated and secretory phospholipase A2 mass and activity and ischemic events in patients with acute coronary syndromes. J Am Coll Cardiol 2010;55(Suppl A):A-165.
Schwartz GG, Chaitman BR, Goldberger JJ, Messig M. Effect of high-dose atorvastatin on risk of atrial fibrillation in patients with prior stroke or transient ischemic attack: Analysis of the SPARCL trial. Circulation 2010;122:A10897.
Xu Y, Lu L, Greyson CR, Schwartz GG. Impaired contractile and metabolic recovery after low-flow myocardial ischemia in a porcine model of metabolic syndrome. Circulation 2010;122:A12121.
Sarraf M, Lu L, Xu Y, Reiter MJ, Greyson CR, Schwartz GG. Thiazolinedione drugs alter the spectral characteristics and increase mortality of ischemic ventricular fibrillation in pigs. Circulation 2010;122:A12678.
Greyson CR, Ye S, Lu L, Xu Y, Schwartz GG, Ahmad H. Acute right ventricular pressure overload disrupts organization of the focal adhesion protein talin. Circulation 2010;122:A16249.
Lee J, Xu Y, Lu L, Bergman B, Leitner JW, Greyson CR, Draznin B, Schwartz GG. Multiple abnormalities of myocardial insulin signaling in a porcine model of diet-induced obesity. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 2010;298:H310-H319.
IRIS Trial Steering Committee. The Insulin Resistance Intervention after Stroke (IRIS) Trial. American Stroke Association. Stroke 2010;48(April):abstract.
Mohammad Sarraf, Li Lu, Ya Xu, Michael J. Reiter, Clifford Greyson, Gregory G. Schwartz. Rosiglitazone Alters Characteristics of Ischemic Ventricular Fibrillation in Pigs. J Am Coll Cardiol 2010;55(March):abstract
Lee J, Xu Y, Lu L, Bergman B, Leitner JW, Greyson CR, Draznin B, Schwartz GG. Multiple abnormalities of myocardial insulin signaling in a porcine model of diet-induced obesity. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 2010;298:H310-H319.
Schwartz GG, Draznin B, Reusch JEB, Leitner JW, Lu L, Xu Y, Greyson CR, Wang CCL. Insulin-stimulated PI3-kinase activity is blunted, but Akt phosphorylation is preserved, in aortas of pigs with diet-induced obesity. J Am Coll Cardiol 2009;53(SupplA):A435.
Greyson C, Ahmad H, Schwartz GG, Lu L, Ye S, Xu Y. Calpain inhibition attenuates right heart failure and prevents talin degradation during acute pressure overload. Circulation 2009;120(Suppl II):S805.
Wang CCL, Lu L, Xu Y, Greyson C, Jacobs S, Reusch JEB, Gianani R, Draznin B, Schwartz GG. Diet-induced insulin resistance causes isoform-specific abnormalities of Akt signaling in arterial wall of pigs. Circulation 2009;120(Suppl II):S443.
Kinlay S, Schwartz GG, Olsson AG, Rifai N, Libby P, Ganz P for the Myocardial Ischemia Reduction with Aggressive Cholesterol Lowering (MIRACL) Study Investigators. Endogenous tissue plasminogen activator and risk of recurrent cardiac events after an acute coronary syndrome in the MIRACL study. Atherosclerosis 2009, in press.
Fraley AE, Schwartz GG, Olsson AG, Kinlay S, Szarek M, Rifai N, Libby P, Ganz P, Witztum JL, Tsimikas S, for the Myocardial Ischemia Reduction with Aggressive Cholesterol Lowering (MIRACL) Study Investigators. Relationship of oxidized phospholipids and biomarkers of oxidized low density lipoprotein to cardiovascular risk factors, inflammatory biomarkers and effect of statin therapy in patients with acute coronary syndromes: Results from the MIRACL trial. 2009; J Am Coll Cardiol, in press.
Lee J, Xu Y, Lu L, Bergman B, Leitner JW, Greyson C, Draznin B, Schwartz GG. Multiple abnormalities of myocardial insulin signaling in a porcine model of diet-induced obesity. 2009; Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol, in revision.
Schwartz GG. “Acute Coronary Syndromes,” in Ballantyne CM, ed. Clinical Lipidology: A Companion to Braunwald’s Heart Disease. Philadelphia, Elsevier, 2009, pp 473-485.
Schwartz GG, Draznin B, Reusch JEB, Leitner JW, Lu L, Xu Y, Greyson CR, Wang CCL. Insulin-stimulated PI3-kinase activity is blunted, but Akt phosphorylation is preserved, in aortas of pigs with diet-induced obesity. J Am Coll Cardiol 2009;53(SupplA):A435.
Kinlay S, Schwartz GG, Olsson AG, Rifai N, Libby P, Ganz P for the Myocardial Ischemia Reduction with Aggressive Cholesterol Lowering (MIRACL) Study Investigators. Endogenous tissue plasminogen activator and risk of recurrent cardiac events after an acute coronary syndrome in the MIRACL study. Atherosclerosis 2009; 206:551-555.
Fraley AE, Schwartz GG, Olsson AG, Kinlay S, Szarek M, Rifai N, Libby P, Ganz P, Witztum JL, Tsimikas S, for the Myocardial Ischemia Reduction with Aggressive Cholesterol Lowering (MIRACL) Study Investigators. Relationship of oxidized phospholipids and biomarkers of oxidized low density lipoprotein to cardiovascular risk factors, inflammatory biomarkers and effect of statin therapy in patients with acute coronary syndromes: Results from the MIRACL trial. J Am Coll Cardiol, 2009; 53:2186-96.
Schwartz GG, Olsson AG, Ballantyne CM, Barter P, Holme IM, Kallend D, Leiter LA, Leitersdorf E, McMurray JJV, Shah PK, Tardif J-C, Chaitman BR, Mathieson J. Rationale and design of the Dal-Outcomes trial: Efficacy and safety of dalcetrapib in patients with recent acute coronary syndrome. Am Heart J 2009; 158:896-901.
Schwartz GG. HDL cholesterol as a risk factor and target of therapy after acute coronary syndrome. Am J Cardiol 2009; 104:46E-51E.
Schwartz GG. “Acute Coronary Syndromes,” in Ballantyne CM, ed. Clinical Lipidology: A Companion to Braunwald’s Heart Disease. Philadelphia, Elsevier, 2009, pp 473-485.
Lee J, Xu Y, Lu L, Leitner W, Greyson CR, Bergman B, Draznin B, Schwartz GG. A novel porcine model of diet-induced obesity causes deranged myocardial insulin signaling. J Am Coll Cardiol 2008;51:A321.
Kinlay S, Schwartz GG, Olsson AG, Rifai N, Szarek M, Waters DD, Libby P, Ganz P. Inflammation, statin therapy, and risk of stroke after an acute coronary syndrome in the MIRACL study. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol 2008; 28:142-147.
Greyson CR, Schwartz GG, Lu L, Ye S, Helmke S, Xu Y, Thompson H, Hunsucker S, Fox J, Duncan M, Ahmad H. Calpain inhibition attenuates right ventricular contractile dysfunction after acute pressure overload. J Mol Cell Cardiol 2008;44:59-68.
Lu L, Reiter M, Xu Y, Greyson CR, Schwartz GG. Thiazolidinedione drugs block cardiac KATP channels and may increase the propensity for ischemic ventricular fibrillation in pigs. Diabetologia 2008;51:675-685.
Lee J, Xu Y, Lu L, Leitner W, Greyson CR, Bergman B, Draznin B, Schwartz GG. A novel porcine model of diet-induced obesity causes deranged myocardial insulin signaling. J Am Coll Cardiol 2008;51:A321.
Wang CCL, Xu Y, Lu L, Leitner W, Draznin B, Schwartz GG. Disruption of insulin signaling in a large animal model of diet-induced obesity. American Diabetes Association, 68th Scientific Sessions, June 2008
Huang J, Lu L, Ye S, Xu Y, Ahmad H, Schwartz GG, Baker AJ, Greyson C. Different LV and RV response to inotropic stimulation in vivo. Experimental Biology 2008.
Kinlay S, Schwartz GG, Olsson AG, Rifai N, Szarek M, Waters DD, Libby P, Ganz P. Inflammation, statin therapy, and risk of stroke after an acute coronary syndrome in the MIRACL study. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol 2008; 28:142-147.
Greyson CR, Schwartz GG, Lu L, Ye S, Helmke S, Xu Y, Thompson H, Hunsucker S, Fox J, Duncan M, Ahmad H. Calpain inhibition attenuates right ventricular contractile dysfunction after acute pressure overload. J Mol Cell Cardiol 2008;44:59-68.
Lu L, Reiter M, Xu Y, Greyson CR, Schwartz GG. Thiazolidinedione drugs block cardiac KATP channels and may increase the propensity for ischemic ventricular fibrillation in pigs. Diabetologia 2008;51:675-685.
Schwartz GG. “Acute Coronary Syndromes,” in Ballantyne CM, ed. Clinical Lipidology: A Companion to Braunwald’s Heart Disease. Philadelphia, Elsevier, 2008.
Sparagna G, Xu Y, Lu L, Bergman BR, Greyson CR, Schwartz GG. Pathologic remodeling of myocardial cardiolipin in a model of diet-induced obesity and insulin resistance in pigs. Circulation 2007;116(Suppl II):II-90.
Olsson AG, Schwartz GG, Szarek M, Luo D, Jamieson MJ. Effects of high-dose atorvastatin in patients ?65 years of age with acute coronary syndrome. Am J Cardiol 2007;99:632-635.
Schwartz GG. Lipid management after acute coronary syndrome. Curr Opin Lipidol 2007;18:626-632.
Olsson AG, Schwartz GG, Szarek M, Luo D, Jamieson MJ. Effects of high-dose atorvastatin in patients ?65 years of age with acute coronary syndrome. Am J Cardiol 2007;99:632-635.
Fraley A, Brown JP, Schwartz GG, Olsson AG, Szarek M, Ntanios F, Witztum JL, Tsmikas S. Atorvastatin exhibits differential effects on circulating OxLDL markers in patients with acute coronary syndromes in the MIRACL trial according to the severity of the underlying cardiovascular risk factors. J Am Coll Cardiol 2007;49:337A.
Schwartz GG, Singh D. Intensive statin therapy reduces clinical events at 30 days and after six months in acute coronary syndromes. Evidence-Based Cardiovasc Med 2006;10:35-37.
Kinlay S, Schwartz GG, Olsson AG, Rifai N, Szarek M, Libby P, Ganz P. Risk of death and beneficial effects of statins in acute coronary syndromes related to inflammatory markers in the MIRACL study. Circulation 2006;114:II-461.
Kinlay S, Schwartz GG, Olsson AG, Rifai N, Szarek M, Waters D, Libby P, Ganz P. Risk of stroke after acute coronary syndromes in the MIRACL study related to baseline inflammatory markers. Circulation 2006;114:II-629.
Ahmad H, Lu L, Ye S, Xu Y, Thompson H, Helmke S, Schwartz GG, Fox J, Greyson C. Cysteine protease inhibition attenuates right heart failure. FASEB J 2006;20:A1448.
Thompson H, Ye S, Lu L, Hunsucker S, Helmke S, Duncan M, Xu Y, Schwartz GG, Ahmad H, Greyson C. Using proteomics to identify protein changes in acute right ventricular pressure overload. FASEB J 2006;20:A65.
Sullivan A, Chmura K, Cool CD, Keith R, Schwartz GG, Chan ED. Pulmonary capillary hemangiomatosis: An immunohistochemical analysis of vascular remodeling. Eur J Med Res 2006;10:1-7.
Xu Y, Lu L, Greyson C, Rizeq M, Nunley K, Bristow MW, Long C, Schwartz GG. The PPAR-? activator, fenofibrate, fails to provide myocardial protection in ischemia and reperfusion in pigs. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 2006; in press (e-pub 12/10/05).
Xu Y, Lu L, Greyson C, Rizeq M, Nunley K, Bristow MW, Long C, Schwartz GG. The PPAR-gamma activator, fenofibrate, fails to provide myocardial protection in ischemia and reperfusion in pigs. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 2006;290:H1798-H1807.
Sullivan A, Chmura K, Cool CD, Keith R, Schwartz GG, Chan ED. Pulmonary capillary hemangiomatosis: An immunohistochemical analysis of vascular remodeling. Eur J Med Res 2006;10:1-7.
Briel M, Schwartz GG, Thompson PL, de Lemos JA, Blazing MA, Disco C, Kayikçioglu M, Arntz HR, den Hartog FR, Veeger NJGM, Colivicchi F, Dupuis J, Okazaki S, Wright S, Bucher HC, Nordmann AJ. Effects of early treatment with statins on short-term clinical outcomes in acute coronary syndromes: A collaborative meta-analysis of randomized trials. JAMA 2006;295:2046-2056.
Schwartz GG. Statins in acute coronary syndrome: The sooner, the better? Am Heart J 2005;149:377-80.
Schwartz GG, Olsson AG. The case for intensive statin therapy after acute coronary syndromes. Am J Cardiol 2005;96(5A):45-53. Note: I have not included any abstracts of as-yet unpublished work, but there have been approximately 6 of these in the past year.
Xu Y, Gen M, Lu L, Fox J, Ahmad H, Zhu P, Greyson CR, Long CS, Schwartz GG. PPAR-gamma activation fails to provide myocardial protection in ischemia and reperfusion in pigs. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 2005;288:H1314-H1323.
Olsson AG, Schwartz GG, Szarek M, Sasiela WJ, Ezekowitz MD, Ganz P, Oliver MF, Waters DD, Zeiher A. High-density lipoprotein, but not low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels influence short-term prognosis after acute coronary syndrome: results from the MIRACL trial. Eur Heart J 2005;26:890-896.
Schwartz GG, Olsson AG, Szarek M, Sasiela WJ. Characteristics of metabolic syndrome: Relation to short-term prognosis and effects of intensive statin therapy after acute coronary syndrome. An analysis of the MIRACL trial. Diabetes Care 2005;28:2508-2513.
Briel M, Schwartz GG, Thompson PL, de Lemos JA, Blazing MA, Disco C, Kayikçioglu M, Arntz HR, den Hartog FR, Veeger NJGM, Colivicchi F, Dupuis J, Okazaki S, Wright S, Bucher HC, Nordmann AJ. Effects of early treatment with statins on short-term clinical outcomes in acute coronary syndromes: A collaborative meta-analysis of randomized trials. JAMA, 2006; in press.
Lu L, Reiter M, Xu Y, Greyson CR, Schwartz GG. Thiazolidinedione compounds block cardiac KATP channels in vivo. 2007; in review.

View All (75 Total)

Professional Memberships

American Heart Association (AHA), Fellow
American College of Cardiology, Fellow
American Physiological Society, Member
International Society for Heart Research, Member

Practice Locations

Rocky Mountain Regional Veterans Administration Medical Center
1700 Wheeling St
Aurora, CO 80045
303-399-8020

Hospital Affiliation

Veterans Affairs Medical Center

Specialty Information

Specialties

Internal Medicine, Board Certification (1985)
General Cardiology, Board Certification (1989)
Cardiology, Board Certification (1989)

Conditions & Treatments

Heart and Circulation - Angina
Heart and Circulation - Arrhythmia
Heart and Circulation - Coronary Disease
Heart and Circulation - Heart Attack
Heart and Circulation - Heart Diseases
Heart and Circulation - Heart Diseases - Prevention
Heart and Circulation - Heart Failure
Heart and Circulation - Heart Valve Diseases
Heart and Circulation - High Blood Pressure
Heart and Circulation

Clinical Interests
Cholesterol/Lipid disorders Heart attack Coronary artery disease Valvular heart disease Heart failure

Care Philosophy
I am dedicated to advance the care of Veteran patients with cardiovascular disease through clinical care and research. I serve as Chief of the Cardiology Section at the Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center. My clinical interests are focused in preventive cardiology, lipids, and acute coronary care. More broadly, the 12 full-time academic faculty members in our Section provide a broad range of consultative and procedural cardiology care, spanning prevention, heart failure, coronary and peripheral arterial disease, electrophysiology, and structural heart disease. The Cardiology Section of the Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center is an integral part of the Division of Cardiology of the University of Colorado Denver. Our Section is committed to advancing cardiovascular medicine through research and education. This includes basic research, clinical trials, health services research, and training of cardiology fellows.

Professor, Medicine-Cardiology