How blood sugar, blood pressure, and body fat over a lifetime affect spine strength
Official title: Evaluating the Association between Cardiometabolic Health Over the Lifespan and Vertebral Strength
Funded at Tulane University of Louisiana · NIH-11319047 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project will look at whether long-term heart and metabolic health in adults is linked to weaker bones in the spine.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Tulane University of Louisiana NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New Orleans, United States) |
| Project start | November 16, 2024 |
| Project end | February 28, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $460,965 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AR080868-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11319047 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with a history of type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or abdominal obesity—especially middle-aged and older adults—would be most relevant to this work.
✕Less likely to help
Children, teenagers, and adults without cardiometabolic conditions are less likely to gain direct benefit from this specific research.
What this research studies
They will combine long-term health records about diabetes, blood pressure, cholesterol, and body fat with advanced CT-based bone imaging to measure vertebral bone density and strength. The team will use biomechanics CT (BCT) to generate detailed estimates of vertebral strength and will include blood biomarkers and other cardiometabolic data collected over time. By analyzing how multiple cardiometabolic conditions cluster across the lifespan, the work aims to identify which combinations of problems most affect spine health. The research uses large existing cohorts and imaging data to follow people over time rather than relying on a single snapshot.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help clinicians spot adults at higher risk for spine fractures because of long-term metabolic or cardiovascular problems and target prevention earlier.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has linked diabetes and obesity to lower bone density and greater fracture risk, but many were cross-sectional or could not account for multiple metabolic problems together, so this longitudinal, multi-factor approach is more comprehensive.
Where this research is happening
-
Tulane University of Louisiana
New Orleans, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wright, Nicole C — Tulane University of Louisiana
- Study coordinator: Wright, Nicole C
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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.