How high blood pressure and aging may weaken bones
Official title: Common Inflammation Pathways between Aging and Hypertension That Weaken Bone
Funded at Vanderbilt University Medical Center · NIH-11253314 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Seeing whether treating high blood pressure and lowering inflammation can help protect bone strength in older adults.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Vanderbilt University Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Nashville, United States) |
| Project start | May 15, 2022 |
| Project end | January 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $509,817 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AG076785-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11253314 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Older adults with hypertension or those concerned about age-related bone loss would be the most relevant group.
✕Less likely to help
People without high blood pressure, younger adults, or those whose bone loss is due to unrelated causes (such as long-term steroid use or rare genetic disorders) may not benefit directly from this work.
What this research studies
This project looks for links between high blood pressure and weaker bones as people age. Researchers will stretch blood vessel cells in the lab and place them near human immune cells to see if signals from the vessels encourage bone-dissolving cells to form. They will also lower blood pressure in older mice to see if reducing blood pressure and inflammation preserves bone strength, and study nerve-related signals that could activate immune cells to harm bone. The goal is to find markers or targets that could help detect or prevent bone loss in people with hypertension.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could lead to new ways to detect, prevent, or treat age-related bone loss in people with high blood pressure, reducing fracture risk.
How similar studies have gone: Previous animal studies and observational human data have linked hypertension to bone loss, but this integrated cellular and molecular approach is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Nashville, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Harrison, David G — Vanderbilt University Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Harrison, David G
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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.