How heart muscle stiffness changes with age and menopause
Official title: Evaluating the natural evolution of myocardial stiffness in aging, sex differences, and through menopause transition in women, using a free-breathing magnetic resonance elastography approach
Funded at Mayo Clinic Rochester · NIH-11261759 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project uses a painless, free-breathing MRI technique to measure heart muscle stiffness in adults, with special focus on changes that happen around menopause in women.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Mayo Clinic Rochester NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Rochester, United States) |
| Project start | January 1, 2023 |
| Project end | December 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $572,414 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HL151379-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11261759 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults across a range of ages are ideal, especially women who are pre-, peri-, or post-menopausal and who can safely undergo MRI scans.
✕Less likely to help
People with MRI-incompatible implants, severe claustrophobia, or who cannot lie still for an MRI are unlikely to be able to participate or benefit directly from this imaging approach.
What this research studies
You would get a non-invasive, free-breathing 3D cardiac magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) scan that maps how stiff your heart muscle is without needing contrast or invasive catheter tests. The team will collect these scans across people of different ages and will follow women through menopausal transition to see how stiffness changes over time. The study compares men and women to identify sex-related differences and aims to establish normal stiffness ranges during aging. Results are intended to create a baseline so doctors can spot early stiffening before typical heart failure symptoms appear.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help detect early heart changes—especially in women around menopause—so doctors can try prevention or treatment earlier.
How similar studies have gone: Magnetic resonance elastography has shown promise for measuring tissue stiffness, but using a free-breathing 3D cardiac MRE across aging and menopausal transition in people is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
Mayo Clinic Rochester
Rochester, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Forghanian-Arani, Arvin — Mayo Clinic Rochester
- Study coordinator: Forghanian-Arani, Arvin
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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.