How exercise heart MRI could explain heart failure in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
Unraveling The Mechanism of Heart Failure in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy with Exercise CMR
Using exercise cardiac MRI, researchers will look at why people with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy develop heart failure and how treatments like the drug mavacamten compare with surgery.
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-11291323 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You may be asked to have cardiac MRI scans at rest and after exercise, including contrast images that show scarring and measures like T1 mapping and extracellular volume. The team will compare how heart structure, function, and fibrosis change over time in people treated with mavacamten versus those who have surgical myectomy, and they will examine both left and right heart chambers and the left atrium. Advanced image analysis and AI tools may be used to better sort different HCM patterns and link imaging findings to symptoms. Follow-up visits will track safety, heart remodeling, and functional changes over months to years.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (obstructive or non-obstructive), especially those with symptoms or concern for heart failure, who can undergo MRI with contrast and exercise testing are ideal candidates.
Not a fit: People without HCM, those with MRI-incompatible implants, or individuals with severe kidney disease that prevents gadolinium contrast may not be able to participate or benefit.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could help doctors pick the best treatment and predict who is at risk of heart failure by showing how different therapies change heart structure and scarring.
How similar studies have performed: Mavacamten has shown benefit for obstructive HCM and cardiac MRI is established for detecting fibrosis, but directly comparing long-term remodeling after mavacamten versus surgical myectomy using exercise CMR is a novel approach.
Where this research is happening
Boston, United States
- Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center — Boston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Nezafat, Reza — Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Nezafat, Reza
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.