Zahid Ahmad, M.D.

Zahid Ahmad, M.D., is an Associate Professor in the Department of Interrnal Medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center, and a member of the Division of Endocrinology.

Originally from New Orleans, Louisiana, Dr. Ahmad earned a bachelor's degree in bioengineering and his medical degree from Tulane University in New Orleans. He completed internal medicine residency training and advanced training through a fellowship in endocrinology at UT Southwestern, mentored by Drs. Abhimanyu Garg, Scott Grundy, and Helen Hobbs.

Certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine in endocrinology, metabolism, and diabetes, Dr. Ahmad joined the UT Southwestern faculty in 2010.

Dr. Ahmad's research aims to identify the causes of cholesterol and triglyceride disorders and to develop new treatment options for patients who suffer from them. His clinical and investigative focus is lipid metabolism disorders, including dyslipidemia, chylomicronemia, and familial hypercholesterolemia.

Funded by the National Institutes of Health, Dr. Ahmad and his colleagues are currently working to identify families with these conditions in an effort to better understand their underlying genetic causes – and, ultimately, to improve patient outcomes.

Dr. Ahmad has published a number of scholarly articles and delivered many invited lectures. 

Active in the FH Foundation, Dr. Ahmad also is a member of professional organizations that include the American Heart Association, Endocrine Society, National Lipid Association, and American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists.

Undergraduate School

Tulane University (2000)

Medical School

Tulane University School of Medicine (2004)

Residency

UT Southwestern Medical Center (2007), Internal Medicine

Fellowship

UT Southwestern Medical Center (2010), Endocrinology & Metabolism

• Chylomicronemia
• Familial Hypercholesterolemia
• Genetic/familial disease involving cholesterol or triglycerides
• Invidividuals with very high cholesterol (Cholesterol > 300 mg/dL)
• Pancreatitis due to high triglycerides
• Patients with cholesterol/triglycerides that has been difficult to treat
• Severely elevated triglycerides (Triglycerides > 1000 mg/dL)
• Statin intolerance
• Very low cholesterol (LDL-C < 40 mg/dL) - Hypocholesterolemia
• Xanthomas (skin rash/bumps due to high cholesterol or triglycerides)

Featured Publications

Statin intolerance.

Ahmad Z Am. J. Cardiol. 2014 May 113 10 1765-71

Low prevalence of mutations in known Loci for autosomal dominant hypercholesterolemia in a multiethnic patient cohort.

Ahmad Z, Adams-Huet B, Chen C, Garg A Circ Cardiovasc Genet 2012 Dec 5 6 666-75

Genotype-phenotype relationships in patients with type I hyperlipoproteinemia.

Chokshi N, Blumenschein SD, Ahmad Z, Garg A J Clin Lipidol 2014 May-Jun 8 3 287-95

Cholic Acid for Hepatic Steatosis in Patients with Lipodystrophy: A Randomized, Controlled Trial.

Ahmad Z, Subramanyam L, Szczepaniak L, Simha V, Adams-Huet B, Garg A Eur. J. Endocrinol. 2013 Feb

Lack of cardiovascular disease among old order amish with familial defective apolipoprotein B.

Ahmad Z, Garg A Arch. Intern. Med. 2011 Jun 171 11 1039-40; author reply 1040

Cirrhosis-induced pseudoglucagonoma syndrome in a patient with Type 2 Diabetes: an autopsy study.

Ahmad Z, Shastry S, Vuitch F, Garg A Clin. Endocrinol. (Oxf) 2011 May 74 5 658-60

Homozygous null mutations in ZMPSTE24 in restrictive dermopathy: evidence of genetic heterogeneity.

Ahmad Z, Phadke S, Arch E, Glass J, Agarwal A, Garg A Clin. Genet. 2010 Oct

Early onset mandibuloacral dysplasia due to compound heterozygous mutations in ZMPSTE24

Ahmad Z, Zackai E, Medne L, Garg A Am J Med Genet A. September 2010

Mediastinal paragangliomas: association with mutations in the succinate dehydrogenase genes and aggressive behavior.

Ghayee HK, Havekes B, Corssmit EP, Eisenhofer G, Hammes SR, Ahmad Z, Tessnow A, Lazúrová I, Adams KT, Fojo AT, Pacak K, Auchus RJ Endocr. Relat. Cancer 2009 Mar 16 1 291-9

Large-scale analysis of the Alu Ya5 and Yb8 subfamilies and their contribution to human genomic diversity.

Carroll ML, Roy-Engel AM, Nguyen SV, Salem AH, Vogel E, Vincent B, Myers J, Ahmad Z, Nguyen L, Sammarco M, Watkins WS, Henke J, Makalowski W, Jorde LB, Deininger PL, Batzer MA J. Mol. Biol. 2001 Aug 311 1 17-40

 Featured Books

Novel Lipid-Lowering Agents. In Dyslipidemias

Ahmad Z, Garg A (2015). USA, Humana Press (Springer)

• Community Service Award
  National Lipid Association (2022)
• Fellow
  National Lipid Association (2022)
• Texas Super Doctors Rising Stars
  Texas Monthly (2020)
• Texas Super Doctors Rising Stars
  Texas Monthly (2019)
• Jean D. Wilson Excellence in Scientific Mentorship Award
  UT Southwestern Endocrinology (2017)
• 2nd Renewal - Extramural Loan Repayment Program for Clinical Research Award
  National Institute of Health (2015)
• Featured Poster
  Endocrine Society (2014)
• Young Investigator's Award
  National Lipid Association (2014)
• Renewal - Extramural Loan Repayment Program for Clinical Research Award
  National Institute of Health (2013)
• Top Rated Grand Rounds Lecture
  UT Southwestern Internal Medicine (2013)
• Extramural Loan Repayment Program for Clinical Research Award
  National Institutes of Health (2011)
• Clinical Nutrition Scholars Program
  UT Southwestern Center for Human Nutrition (2010)
• Chief Fellow
  UT Southwestern (2007)

• American Heart Association
• Endocrine Society
• FH Foundation
• National Lipid Association