How mental stress affects small coronary blood vessels in women
Official title: Mental Stress Reactivity in Women with Coronary Microvascular Dysfunction
Funded at Emory University · NIH-11257272 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at whether women with small-vessel heart disease have stronger stress-driven nerve responses that narrow heart microvessels and cause symptoms.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Emory University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Atlanta, United States) |
| Project start | January 1, 2022 |
| Project end | December 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $708,868 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HL157311-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11257272 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Women who have chest pain or signs of myocardial ischemia but no major blockages on coronary angiography, or who have been diagnosed with coronary microvascular dysfunction, are ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People with significant obstructive coronary artery disease, men, or those unable to undergo PET imaging or stress testing may not be eligible or benefit.
What this research studies
You would be invited to undergo mental stress testing while doctors measure your heart blood flow with PET scans and monitor nervous-system responses and vessel behavior. The team will compare women known or suspected to have coronary microvascular dysfunction with others to see if stress causes the small heart vessels to constrict. Tests include questionnaires about anxiety, measurements of sympathetic (fight-or-flight) activity, and imaging of myocardial flow reserve. The goal is to connect stress responses to reduced blood flow in the heart's microcirculation to guide future treatments.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to treatments that reduce stress-triggered chest pain and lower heart risks in women with coronary microvascular dysfunction.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies show PET can detect microvascular dysfunction and that mental stress can trigger symptoms, but directly linking sympathetic activation to microvascular constriction in women is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
Emory University
Atlanta, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Mehta, Puja Kiran — Emory University
- Study coordinator: Mehta, Puja Kiran
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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.