My professional interest is in teaching and investigating the beneficial effects of exercise on health. We initiated a project with two other colleagues to design an electronic method to track physical activity and increase compliance with exercise prescriptions. The main goal is to use this novel tracking method along with behavioral strategies implemented via telehealth to improve cardiorespiratory fitness and overall health in patients with low cardiorespiratory fitness. In addition, I am also interested in assessing the cardiovascular and metabolic clinical applications of natriuretic peptides. Natriuretic peptides may have clinical applications in salt-sensitive hypertension, obesity, diabetes, fatty liver disease, peripheral artery disease, and low cardiorespiratory fitness. Lastly, for the last 15 years, I have been the study physician for several clinical trials at the School of Nursing, evaluating the effects of different exercise training programs on peak walking duration in patients with PAD and individuals with cognitive disorder.
Featured Publications:
1. Sanchez OA, Hesse AS, Betker MR, Lundstrom CJ, Conroy WE, and Gao Z. Cardiovascular Fitness
and Associated Comorbidities In An Executive Health Program. Exercise Medicine. Exercise Medicine
2022; 6:5 https://doi.org/10.26644/em.2022.005
2. Shroff GR, Sanchez OA, Miedema MD, Kramer H, Ix JH, Duprez DA, Jacobs DR Jr. Coronary Artery
Calcium Progresses Rapidly and Discriminates Incident Cardiovascular Events in Chronic Kidney
Disease regardless of Diabetes: Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA). Atherosclerosis 310
(2020) 75–82.
3. Ostovaneh MR, Moazzami K, Yoneyama K, Venkatesh BA, Heckbert SR, Wu CO, Shea SJ, Post WS,
Fitzpatrick AL, Burke GL, Bahrami H, Sanchez OA, Daniels LB, Bluemke DA, Lima JAC. Change in N-
terminal pro-B-type Natriuretic Peptide Level and Risk of Dementia: Multi-Ethnic Study of
Atherosclerosis. Hypertension. 2020 Feb;75(2):316-323.
4. Lim N, Sanchez O, Olson N. Impact of 30-day readmission for cirrhotic patients after an educational
intervention: A pilot study. World Journal of Hepatology. 2019 Oct 27;11(10):701-709.
5. Naim Issa, Sanchez OA, Kukla Aleksandra, Riad SM, Berglund DM, Ibrahim HN, Matas AJ. Weight
gain after kidney donation: Association with increased risk of type 2 diabetes and hypertension. Clinical
Transplantation Clin Transplant. 2018 Sep;32(9).
Current projects:
Implementing a behavioral strategy delivered via telehealth to increase compliance with exercise
prescriptions in a preventive wellness program.
Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) and brain function. 11/01/21 to 06/31/2023
This is a cross sectional study to evaluate memory and cognitive function in patients with PAD using an
iPad based method, the NIH Toolbox.
Past Projects:
15SDG25360025 (Sanchez). American Heart Association. 07/01/15 - 06/31/18
Use of novel engineered natriuretic peptide (cenderitide) for the treatment of peripheral arterial disease.
This is a randomized clinical trial to assess the effect of natriuretic peptides on walking duration on patients
with peripheral arterial disease and its correlation with MRI-measures of microvascular and mitochondrial
function.
Medical School / University of Minnesota Foundation/Faculty Research and Equipment Awards Program.
12/01/2015 – 12/31/2017. Use of NT-proBNP as a biomarker to treat salt sensitive hypertensive
individuals. To assess the value of NT-proBNP in diagnosing individuals who are at risk salt-sensitive
hypertension.
Vanderbilt General Clinical Research Center support for pilot studies. 02/2005 - 02/2006. Evaluation of
Endothelial Function Using Near Infrared Spectroscopy.
University of Minnesota Center on Aging. Pre doctoral grant. 04/16/99 – 04/15/00. To study the effects of
long-term diabetes mellitus on the contractile properties of skeletal muscle.
University of Minnesota Center for Muscle and Muscle Disorders Muscle. Fellowship Grant. 09/16/99 –
09/15/01. To study the effects of exercise training in rats on the contractile properties of skeletal muscle in
rats with streptozotocin induced long-term diabetes mellitus.
