Metabolic causes of heart failure in South Asian adults

Metabolic effects and mechanisms for heart failure in South Asians

NIH-funded research University of California, San Francisco · NIH-11091662

This project looks at how metabolism and body fat patterns relate to early heart failure and HFpEF in South Asian adults.

Quick facts

Grant typeR01 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionUniversity of California, San Francisco NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (San Francisco, United States)
Project IDNIH-11091662 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

You would be part of the MASALA group of South Asian adults whose health has been measured over time to learn about early heart failure and HFpEF. Researchers will repeat metabolic tests, scans that show fat around organs and in the liver, and heart function checks in about 850 participants. They will compare results to the multi-ethnic MESA study to see which metabolic patterns are specific to South Asians. The team aims to connect diabetes, abdominal or ectopic fat, and other metabolic issues to the biological causes of HFpEF.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Ideal candidates are South Asian adults (age 21+) with metabolic risk factors such as diabetes, obesity, or high abdominal/ectopic fat who can attend visits at participating U.S. centers.

Not a fit: People who are not South Asian, whose heart failure is driven by non-metabolic causes, or who already have advanced reduced-ejection-fraction heart failure may not receive direct benefit from this work.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new ways to detect, prevent, or target treatments for HFpEF in South Asian adults.

How similar studies have performed: Other research has linked ectopic fat and metabolic disease to heart problems, but treatments that clearly improve outcomes for HFpEF are lacking and focused studies in South Asians are relatively new.

Where this research is happening

San Francisco, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Last reviewed 2026-06-10 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.