How the right side of the heart uses energy in pulmonary arterial hypertension
Official title: The state of energy in the right ventricle of patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension
Funded at University of California-Irvine · NIH-11249689 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how the right ventricle's blood flow and energy change over time in people with pulmonary arterial hypertension using a 3D echocardiogram technique.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California-Irvine NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Irvine, United States) |
| Project start | January 15, 2022 |
| Project end | December 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $665,926 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HL153724-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11249689 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People diagnosed with pulmonary arterial hypertension who are having follow-up care or who experience unexplained clinical worsening are the best candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People without pulmonary arterial hypertension, those with other causes of pulmonary hypertension that affect the left heart, or patients who cannot get usable echocardiographic images may not benefit from this approach.
What this research studies
If you have pulmonary arterial hypertension, researchers would use a special 3D echocardiography method called Echo-PIV together with 3D speckle tracking to measure blood flow patterns, kinetic energy, work, and energy loss in your right ventricle. They will compare those noninvasive energy measurements to pressures from right heart catheterization and to your symptoms and clinical status. Imaging and measurements will be repeated during follow-up to see how the RV energy state changes as the condition gets better or worse. The team aims to link changes in the RV energy state with invasive pressure readings and patient outcomes to improve monitoring.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could offer a noninvasive way to track right heart function and reduce reliance on repeated invasive right heart catheterizations.
How similar studies have gone: This uses a recently developed Echo-PIV technique that has shown promise in measuring right-ventricle flow and energy in early work, but it is not yet established as a clinical replacement for catheter measurements.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California-Irvine
Irvine, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kheradvar, Arash — University of California-Irvine
- Study coordinator: Kheradvar, Arash
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Understanding how blood flow and pressure affect lungs in PAH
This grant studies how abnormal blood flow and pressure contribute to pulmonary arterial hypertension and how patient factors shape these effects, with the aim of guiding better therapies.
-
Asporin as a double-targeted therapy and biomarker for a serious artery disease
This project tests a protein called asporin as both a treatment and a biomarker for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) to help people with this life-threatening condition.
-
Platelets and fibroblasts linked to energy use in a hard-to-treat blood vessel disease
A research team at the University of Pittsburgh is studying how platelet energy metabolism and fibroblast glutamine use interact in systemic sclerosis-related pulmonary arterial hypertension to improve diagnosis and treatment.
-
A biatrial dual‑lumen catheter to help the heart and lungs in pulmonary arterial hypertension
A new double‑lumen catheter is being developed to unload the right side of the heart and protect the lungs for people with pulmonary arterial hypertension.
-
Endothelial inflammation and Src kinase in early pulmonary arterial hypertension
Researchers are studying how inflammation in the lining of blood vessels and a protein called Src kinase contribute to early lung artery remodeling in people with mild PAH.
-
Cardiopulmonary chip model to study right heart disease from high blood pressure in the lungs
A tiny heart-lung chip is being developed to understand why the right side of the heart enlarges in people with pulmonary arterial hypertension and to test targeted treatments.
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.