How biological sex shapes metabolism and heart disease risk
The Impact of Sex on the Metabolome and CVD
This work looks at differences in blood metabolites between women and men to find clues about why heart disease risk differs by sex.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Brigham and Women's Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11097170 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This project compares patterns of small molecules in blood (the metabolome) between women and men using data from very large cohorts. Researchers will create sex-specific metabolite signatures and metabolite-class scores from datasets like the UK Biobank, COMETS, the Women’s Health Initiative, and the Nurses’ Health Study. They will then link those signatures to heart disease and stroke outcomes to see how metabolic differences contribute to risk across generations. The work uses existing blood measurements and health records rather than new experimental treatments.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults of either sex with available blood samples or linked medical-record data (including people with and without cardiovascular disease) are the types of participants represented in this research.
Not a fit: People without stored blood/metabolite data, children, or those needing immediate clinical treatment are unlikely to be directly included or helped right away by this grant.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could point to sex-specific biomarkers that improve how we predict or prevent heart disease in women and men.
How similar studies have performed: Previous studies have tied individual metabolites to cardiovascular risk, but comprehensive, cross-cohort sex-specific metabolomic signatures of CVD are largely novel.
Where this research is happening
Boston, United States
- Brigham and Women's Hospital — Boston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Rexrode, Kathryn M — Brigham and Women's Hospital
- Study coordinator: Rexrode, Kathryn M
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 below.