Paced heart-rate boosts to train and protect the heart
A New Pacing Approach for Cardiac Conditioning and Enhanced Cardioprotection
This project tests whether short, exercise-like bursts of faster heartbeats delivered by pacing can trigger the heart's own protective responses in adults.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Iowa NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Iowa City, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11261048 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This work aims to recreate a key part of exercise by delivering short, controlled episodes of faster heartbeats through an atrial pacing approach while preserving normal heart timing. Earlier mouse studies showed that an exercise-like pattern of heart rate acceleration can trigger protective changes in the heart and increase resistance to ischemic stress. The team will adapt and refine the pacing envelope for adults and use heart monitoring, pacemaker programming, and laboratory measures to track biological effects. If moved into human testing, participants would undergo monitored pacing sessions and follow-up checks to see whether the approach safely induces protective responses.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults with or at risk for heart disease who can safely undergo atrial pacing or who already have a pacemaker that can be programmed are the most likely candidates.
Not a fit: People who cannot undergo pacing, those with certain arrhythmias (for example uncontrolled atrial fibrillation), or healthy younger adults without heart risk factors may not directly benefit.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could reduce heart damage from events like heart attacks and strengthen long-term heart resilience without relying on drugs or extensive exercise programs.
How similar studies have performed: Animal studies, including in mice, have shown protective effects from exercise-like pacing, but human testing of this specific pacing strategy remains novel.
Where this research is happening
Iowa City, United States
- University of Iowa — Iowa City, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Hodgson-Zingman, Denice — University of Iowa
- Study coordinator: Hodgson-Zingman, Denice
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 below.