Finding early heart changes after preeclampsia with exercise testing

Identification of Early HFpEF after Preeclampsia by Exercise Stress Testing

NIH-funded research Vanderbilt University Medical Center · NIH-11171578

This project uses exercise heart tests and blood/echo measures to find early signs of a heart-failure type called HFpEF in women who had preeclampsia.

Quick facts

Grant typeR01 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionVanderbilt University Medical Center NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Nashville, United States)
Project IDNIH-11171578 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

If you've had preeclampsia, this project will invite you to come in for exercise stress tests, heart ultrasounds, blood biomarker tests, and special hemodynamic measurements. The team will compare heart function, structure, exercise capacity, and blood proteins between women with and without prior preeclampsia to identify patterns linked to early HFpEF. They plan to enroll diverse women and use exercise-based hemodynamic challenges to reveal subtle problems that resting tests may miss. Results will be used to define a risk profile that could guide future targeted prevention or treatments.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Ideal candidates are adult women (21+) with a history of preeclampsia who can travel to the study site and are willing to undergo exercise testing, echocardiography, and blood draws.

Not a fit: People without a history of preeclampsia, men, or those with established symptomatic heart failure are unlikely to benefit directly from this study.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this work could allow earlier detection and targeted prevention of HFpEF in women who had preeclampsia.

How similar studies have performed: Prior research links preeclampsia to later HFpEF risk, but this large, exercise-based hemodynamic and biomarker approach to defining early HFpEF is largely novel.

Where this research is happening

Nashville, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Last reviewed 2026-06-09 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.