Heart, blood vessel, and kidney health after COVID-19
Official title: Cardiovascular Risk, Vascular and Kidney Damage in COVID-19 Survivors
Funded at University of Pennsylvania · NIH-11239778 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project follows people who had COVID-19 to learn how the infection may affect their heart, blood vessels, and kidneys over months to years.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pennsylvania NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Philadelphia, United States) |
| Project start | January 20, 2022 |
| Project end | December 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $737,758 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HL157108-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11239778 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults who recovered from COVID-19 and receive care within the University of Pennsylvania health system, especially those willing to share health records and attend follow-up vascular and kidney testing.
✕Less likely to help
People who never had COVID-19, who get care outside the participating health system, or who cannot attend follow-up visits are unlikely to be eligible or directly benefit.
What this research studies
If you had COVID-19, researchers will track your medical records to see whether you have more heart problems over time than similar people who did not have COVID. They will also invite a smaller group of survivors to come in for detailed tests that measure blood vessel health, kidney function, and heart markers. The team combines experts in heart and kidney disease and will follow participants over months to years to look for new events and changes. Results will help identify factors that signal higher risk and could guide future monitoring or treatments.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could help doctors spot who is at higher risk for heart, vascular, or kidney problems after COVID and guide better monitoring or care.
How similar studies have gone: Prior work shows community-acquired pneumonia raises long-term heart risk and early COVID studies show vascular and kidney injury, but long-term outcomes after COVID-19 are not yet well established.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Chirinos Medina, Julio Alonso — University of Pennsylvania
- Study coordinator: Chirinos Medina, Julio Alonso
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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.