How changes in SNAP benefits affect heart health
Leveraging SNAP Policies to Improve Cardiovascular Health in the United States
This project looks at whether changes in SNAP food benefits influence heart health for adults across the United States.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11146640 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From a patient view, researchers will compare heart-related outcomes before and after states reduced emergency SNAP allotments, treating those policy changes like a natural experiment. They will link large administrative and health datasets to track rates of heart attack, stroke, medication interruptions, and related health care use. By comparing states that kept higher benefits with those that rolled them back at different times, the team aims to see whether losing benefits led to worse cardiovascular outcomes. The approach uses population-level data rather than enrolling people into a clinical visit-based trial.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults (21+) in the United States, especially people who receive SNAP or are at risk of food insecurity and have or are at risk for cardiovascular disease, are the focus of this work.
Not a fit: People who are not food insecure, not connected to SNAP, or whose heart conditions are driven solely by non-social factors may not see direct benefits from this research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, findings could support policy decisions that protect or expand SNAP benefits to help prevent heart attacks and improve access to medications for vulnerable adults.
How similar studies have performed: Previous research links food insecurity and SNAP participation to worse heart outcomes, but strong causal evidence from staggered policy rollbacks is limited and this work aims to fill that gap.
Where this research is happening
Boston, United States
- Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center — Boston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wadhera, Rishi Kumar — Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Wadhera, Rishi Kumar
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.