CMD and HFpEF: Understanding why heart microvessels fail in women
Official title: Project 1: CMD and HFpEF
Funded at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center · NIH-11411349 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A study at Cedars-Sinai will look at why tiny heart blood vessels don’t work well in some people with chest symptoms but no blocked arteries, especially in women, and how this relates to heart failure with preserved ejection fraction.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Cedars-Sinai Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Los Angeles, United States) |
| Project start | September 15, 2025 |
| Project end | August 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $285,026 |
| NIH project number | 5U54AG094168-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11411349 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are adults with CMD symptoms (ischemia without obstructive CAD), particularly women, who may have evidence of microvascular dysfunction and related myocardial changes.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without CMD symptoms or obstructive CAD may not directly benefit from this study.
What this research studies
This project explores coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD) and its connection to HFpEF, focusing on why CMD may lead to chronic heart muscle problems. Researchers plan to use imaging and tissue analyses to study iron buildup, inflammation, and remodeling in the heart’s microvessels. The work emphasizes women, who are more affected by CMD-related HFpEF, and aims to identify mechanisms that could be targeted by new therapies. The effort builds on prior findings and seeks to translate basic insights into better diagnosis and treatment options for patients with CMD symptoms.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the study could lead to new ways to diagnose CMD-related HFpEF and inform therapies that reduce inflammation and iron-related heart damage in women.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work has linked CMD to HFpEF and iron-related inflammation, with growing evidence supporting a role for microvascular pathology in heart failure.
Where this research is happening
-
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Los Angeles, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Bairey Merz, Cathleen Noel — Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Bairey Merz, Cathleen Noel
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.