Dr. Christie Ballantyne, MD
Not yet claimedCardiologist, Preventive cardiologist, Lipidologist · Physician (MD)
Houston, TX
Section Chief of Cardiology and Cardiovascular Research and Professor of Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, holding the J.S. Abercrombie Chair in Atherosclerosis and Lipoprotein Research. Directs the Atherosclerosis Clinical Research Laboratory with clinical focus on preventive cardiology and hereditary lipid disorders.
About Dr. Christie Ballantyne, MD
Updated Sep 20, 2026 · next review Dec 19, 2026Dr. Christie M. Ballantyne is a cardiologist in Houston, Texas, who focuses on preventing cardiometabolic disease. At Baylor College of Medicine he is Chief of the Section of Cardiology and Chief of the Section of Cardiovascular Research, Director of the Center for Cardiometabolic Disease Prevention, and co-director of the Lipid Metabolism and Atherosclerosis Clinic. He is also a professor of medicine, molecular and human genetics, and integrative physiology.
He trained at Baylor College of Medicine for medical school, did internal medicine residency at UT Southwestern, and completed fellowships at Baylor in cardiology and in molecular and human genetics. Directory listings show board certification in cardiovascular disease.
Much of his public record is research. A faculty biography credits him with more than 800 publications on atherosclerosis, lipids, and inflammation, and he has served on a national cardiology writing committee. He has received awards from the National Lipid Association, the American Heart Association, and the American College of Cardiology.
Federal Open Payments data lists $287,601.77 in industry payments to him across 248 records from 2021 to 2025, with the largest amounts from Merck Sharp & Dohme, Eli Lilly, Amgen, Roche Diagnostics, and Novo Nordisk. Payments from drug and device makers to researchers are common and legal, and are reported publicly.
- Baylor cardiology section chief
- He is Chief of the Section of Cardiology and Chief of the Section of Cardiovascular Research at Baylor College of Medicine. diagnostics.roche.com
- Prevention center director
- He directs Baylor's Center for Cardiometabolic Disease Prevention and co-directs the Lipid Metabolism and Atherosclerosis Clinic. cardiometabolichealth.org
- Training background
- He earned his MD at Baylor College of Medicine, completed internal medicine residency at UT Southwestern, and finished cardiology and molecular/human genetics fellowships at Baylor. radcliffecardiology.com
- Board certification
- Directory listings state he is board certified in cardiovascular disease. connect.medicalnewstoday.com
- Large research record
- A faculty biography states he has more than 800 publications on atherosclerosis, lipids, and inflammation. pri-med.com
- Professional awards
- His Baylor profile lists a National Lipid Association award (2024), an American Heart Association Distinguished Scientist Award (2025), and an American College of Cardiology Distinguished Scientist Award. bcm.edu
- Society recognition
- He is a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology, was elected to the American Society for Clinical Investigation in 2000, and appeared on America's Top Doctors lists from 2011 to 2014. health.usnews.com
- Industry payments reported
- CMS Open Payments lists $287,601.77 across 248 records from 2021 to 2025, led by Merck Sharp & Dohme ($67,893.09), Eli Lilly ($51,714.93), and Amgen ($36,684.76). openpaymentsdata.cms.gov
- Hospital affiliations
- A directory lists affiliations including Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital and Houston Methodist The Woodlands Hospital. healthgrades.com
Worth knowing
- A directory listing states he is not accepting new patients; patients should confirm availability directly with the practice. healthgrades.com
- Board certification in internal medicine and clinical lipidology was not confirmed through a primary certifying board source during this research; only cardiovascular disease certification was found in directory listings. connect.medicalnewstoday.com
- He received $287,601.77 in reported industry payments from 2021 to 2025 from companies that make heart and metabolic medicines. Such payments are legal and publicly disclosed, but patients may wish to know of them. openpaymentsdata.cms.gov
- Social media accounts attributed to him on LinkedIn and X could not be independently verified as his own during this research. bcm.edu
Industry payments (CMS Open Payments)
Open the CMS recordFederal law requires drug and device companies to report what they pay clinicians: meals, travel, speaking, consulting, and research. Payments are common and legal; the point is that you can see them.
2021 to 2025
$287,602
248 payments
| 2021 | $44,127 |
| 2022 | $33,811 |
| 2023 | $53,460 |
| 2024 | $97,277 |
| 2025 | $58,926 |
Top payers
- Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC$67,893
- Eli Lilly and Company$51,715
- Amgen Inc.$36,685
- ROCHE DIAGNOSTICS INTERNATIONAL LTD$26,734
- Novo Nordisk Inc$19,891
Payment types
- Consulting Fee$187,766
- Travel and Lodging$58,752
- Compensation for services other than consulting, including serving as faculty or as a speaker at a venue other than a continuing education program$34,785
- Food and Beverage$5,127
- Education$1,172
A word of caution about these numbers
A payment does not mean your doctor is compromised or acting unethically. Most of these entries are drug samples left for patients, or lunch brought in for the office staff, and the amounts are usually small. Research funding and speaking at medical meetings are also normal parts of a clinical career.
As a rough guide, a total under $15,000 a year is usually not a concern. Much larger sums, especially from one company whose product your doctor recommends to you, are worth asking about. You are allowed to ask.
Sources: health.usnews.com · bcm.edu · mychart.bcm.edu · texasheart.org · doximity.com · radcliffecardiology.com · vitals.com · connect.medicalnewstoday.com. Something wrong or out of date? Tell us and we will correct it.
Summary prepared with AI assistance from the public sources linked above, reviewed every three months. It is not a review, a rating, or an endorsement.
Practice location
Baylor College of Medicine - Lipid Metabolism and Atherosclerosis Clinic
6565 Fannin St, B160
Houston, TX 77030
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