Faculty Profile

  • Profile Image
  • Peter Kokkinos
  • Professor, Director, Center for Exercise & Aging (CEA)
  • Area: Exercise Physiology/Cardiometabolic Disease
  • End Degree: Ph.D., Exercise Physiology (University of Maryland)
  • Office: Loree Classroom 102
  • Phone: 848-932-7028
  • Email: peter.kokkinos@rutgers.edu
  • Specialization: Cardiovascular Physiology, Clinical Exercise Physiology, Cardiometabolic Disease Prevention, Health and Aging

Courses Taught

01:377:370   Exercise Physiology
01:377:408   Chronic Disease
01:377:410   Exercise Testing & Prescription
01:377:414   Advanced Exercise and Aging
01:377:454   Advanced Exercise Physiology

Research Interests

Dr. Kokkinos’ research emphasis is on the impact of cardiorespiratory fitness on human health, with specific interest in cardiometabolic health and chronic diseases prevention. He is using large datasets to examine the association between cardiorespiratory fitness and major adverse coronary events, kidney function, diabetes, hypertension, obesity and heart failure. Dr. Kokkinos is also involved in the prognostic and therapeutic aspects of physical activity and cardiorespiratory fitness. Specifically, his current research involves the impact of resting and exercise blood pressure on cardiac structure and function in hypertensive and diabetic populations.

Fellowships

Fellow, American College of Sports Medicine     1987-Present

Fellow, American Heart Association     2002-Present

Awards

Steven N. Blair Award for Excellence in Physical Activity Research, March 2013.

Achievement Medal for Civilian Service - National Defense University. January 10, 1987 to May 23, 1990.

Outstanding Performance Award - Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. May 1988 to June 1989.

Selected Publications

  1. Peter Kokkinos, Charles Faselis, Barry Franklin, Carl J. Lavie, Labros Sidossis, Hans Moore, Pamela Karasik, and Jonathan Myers. Cardiorespiratory fitness, body mass index and heart failure incidence. European Journal of Heart Failure 2019; 21(4): 436-444. doi:10.1002/ejhf.1433
  2. Kokkinos Peter, Kaminsky A. Leonard, Arena Ross, Zhang Jiajia, Myers Jonathan.  A new generalized cycle ergometry equation for predicting maximal oxygen uptake: The Fitness Registry and the Importance of Exercise National Database (FRIEND). European Journal of Preventive Cardiology 2018; 25(10) 1077–1082. 
  3. Franklin, Barry A, Kokkinos Peter, Lavie Carl J. Do Not Forget Physical Activity and Cardiorespiratory Fitness. American Journal of Cardiology (Editorial) 2018: S0002-9149(18)31650-3. doi: 10.1016/j.amjcard.2018.08.017.
  4. Kokkinos Peter, Myers Jonathan, Franklin Berry, Narayan Puneet, Lavie Carl J, Faselis Charles. Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Health Outcomes: A Call to Standardize Fitness Categories. Mayo Clin Proc. 2018;93(3):333-336 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mayocp.2017.10.011
  5.  Kokkinos Peter, Kaminsky A. Leonard, Arena Ross, Zhang Jiajia, Myers Jonathan.  A new generalized cycle ergometry equation for predicting maximal oxygen uptake: The Fitness Registry and the Importance of Exercise National Database (FRIEND). European Journal of Preventive Cardiology 2018; 25(10): 1077-1082.
  6.  Kokkinos Peter, Narayan Puneet, Faselis Charles. Cardiorespiratory Fitness and the Incidence of Chronic Disease. J Clin Exer Physiology 2018; 7(2): 36-45.
  7. Lavie Carl J, Ortega FB, Kokkinos Peter. Impact of Physical Activity and Fitness in Metabolically Healthy Obesity. J Am Coll Cardiol 2018; 71(7):812-813.
  8. Myers Jonathan, Doom Rachelle, King Robert, Fonda Holly, Chan Khin, Kokkinos Peter, Rehkopf David H. Association Between Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Health Care Costs: The Veterans Exercise Testing Study. Mayo Clin Proc.  2018; 93(1): 48-55.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mayocp.2017.09.019
  9. Kokkinos Peter, Narayan Puneet, Faselis Charles. The Impact of Cardiorespiratory Fitness on Cardiometabolic Risk Factors and Mortality. Journal of Clinical Exercise Physiology 2017; 6(4):71–77.
  10. Kokkinos Peter,  Charles Faselis, Puneet Narayan, Jonathan Myers, Eric Nylen, Xuemei Sui,  Jiajia Zhang, Carl J. Lavie. Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Incidence of Type 2 Diabetes in US Veterans on Statin Therapy. American Journal of Medicine 2017; 130 (10): 1192-1198 doi: 10.1016/j.amjmed.2017.04.042.
  11. Kokkinos Peter, Leonard A. Kaminsky, Ross Arena, Jiajia Zhang, Jonathan Myers.  New Generalized Equation for Predicting Maximal Oxygen Uptake From the Fitness Registry and the Importance of Exercise National Database. Am Journal of Cardiology 2017; 130 (10): 1192-1198.
  12. Kokkinos Peter, Faselis Charles, Myers Jonathan, Narayan Puneet, Sui Xuemei, Zhang Jiajia, Lavie Carl J, Moore Hans, Karasik Pamela, Fletcher Ross. Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Incidence of Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events in US Veterans: A Cohort Study. Mayo Clinic Proceedings 2017; 92(1):39-48.
  13. Myers Jonathan, Kokkinos Peter, Chan Khin, Dandekar Eshan, Yilmaz Bilge, Nagare Atul, Faselis Charles, Soofi Muhammad. Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Reclassification of Risk for Incidence of Heart Failure: The Veterans Exercise Testing Study. Circulation Heart Fail 2017; 10:e003780. DOI:  10.1161/ CIRCHEARTFAILURE.116.003780.)
  14. Faselis Charles, Kokkinos Peter, Apostolos Tsimploulis, Andreas Pittaras, Jonathan Myers, Carl J. Lavie, Fiorina Kyritsi, Dragan Lovic, Pamela Karasik, Hans Moore. Exercise Capacity and Atrial Fibrillation Risk in Veterans: A
     Cohort Study. Mayo Clinic Proceedings 2016; 91(5): 558-566.
  15. Kokkinos Peter, Faselis Charles Myers Jonathan, Sui, Xuemei, Zhang, Jiajia, Apostolos Tsimploulis, Lakhmir Chawla, Carlos Palant. Exercise Capacity and Risk of Chronic Kidney Disease in US Veterans: A Cohort Study. Mayo Clinic Proceedings 2015; 90 (4):461-468.
  16. Kokkinos Peter, Faselis Charles Myers Jonathan, Sui, Xuemei, Zhang, Jiajia, Blair Steven. Age-Specific Exercise Capacity Threshold for Mortality Risk Assessment in Male Veterans. Circulation 2014; 130:653-658.
  17. Kokkinos Peter Cardiorespiratory Fitness, Exercise and Blood Pressure. Hypertension 2014; 64:1160-1164.
  18. Kokkinos Peter F, Faselis C, Myers J, Panagiotakos D, Doumas M. Interactive effects of fitness and statin treatment on mortality risk in veterans with dyslipidaemia: a cohort study. Lancet 2013; 381(9864):394-399.
  19. Kokkinos P., Myers J, Faselis C, Doumas M, Kheirbek R, Nylen ES. BMI-Mortality Paradox and Fitness in African-American and Caucasian Men with Type 2 Diabetes.  Diabetes Care 2012; 35: 1021-7.
  20. Kokkinos P., Myers J, Doumas M, Faselis C, Pittaras A, Manolis, A, Kokkinos JP, Papademetriou V, Narayan P, Fletcher, R. Heart rate recovery, exercise capacity, and mortality risk in male veterans.  European Journal of Preventive Cardiology 2012; 10(2); 177-184.
  21. Kokkinos, P. Myers J. Exercise and Physical Activity: Clinical Outcomes and Applications. Circulation 2010; 112:1637-1648.
  22. Kokkinos P., Myers J, Faselis C, Panagiotakos D, Doumas M, Pittaras A, Manolis, A, Kokkinos JP, Karasik P, Greenberg M, Papademetriou V, Singh S, Fletcher, R.  Exercise Capacity and Mortality in Older Men: A 20-year Follow-up Study. Circulation 2010; 122:790-797.
  23. Kokkinos P., Myers J, Nylen E, Panagiotakos D, Manolis, A, Pittaras A, Blackman M, Jocob-Issac R, Faselis C, Abella J, and Singh S. Exercise Capacity and All-Cause Mortality in African-American and Caucasian Men with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. Diabetes Care 2009; 32:623-28.
  24. Kokkinos P. , Manolis, A,  Pittaras A, Doumas M, Giannelou A, Panagiotakos D, Faselis C, Narayan P,  Singh S,  and Myers J. Exercise Capacity and Mortality in Men With and Without Additional Risk Factors. Hypertension 2009; 53:494-99.
  25. Kokkinos Peter, Myers Jon, Kokkinos, John Peter, Pittaras Andreas, Narayan, Puneet, Manolis Athanasios, Karasik Pamela, Greenberg Michael, Papademetriou Vasilios, Singh Steve. Exercise Capacity and Mortality in African-American and Caucasian Men. Circulation 2008; 117:614-622.
  26. Kokkinos Peter, Pittaras Andreas, Narayan Puneet, Faselis Charles, Singh Steve, Manolis Athanasios.  Exercise Capacity and Blood Pressure Associations with Left Ventricular mass in Prehypertensive Individuals. Hypertension 2007; 49:55-61.
  27. Kokkinos Peter, Chrysohoou C, Panagiotakos, D, Narayan, P, Greenberg M, Singh, S. Beta-Blockade Mitigates Exercise Blood Pressure in Hypertensive Male Patients.  J Am Coll Cardiol 2006; 47:794-798.
  28. Kokkinos Peter, Narayan P., Colleran J. Effects of Exercise on Blood Pressure and Left Ventricular Hypertrophy in African-Americans with Severe Hypertension.  New England Journal of Medicine 1995; 333:1462-1467.