Post–heart attack fat in the heart and risky heart rhythms
LONGITUDINAL ASSOCIATION OF POST-INFARCT LIPOMATOUS METAPLASIA AND MALIGNANT ARRHYTHMIA
This project looks at whether fat that forms inside the heart after a heart attack is linked to dangerous ventricular rhythms in people who have had a myocardial infarction.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pennsylvania NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Philadelphia, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11159658 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you've had a heart attack, researchers will follow people over time to see how fat replaces damaged heart tissue and whether that change is tied to dangerous rhythms. They will use heart imaging (like cardiac MRI or CT), ECG monitoring, clinical records, and in some cases detailed heart mapping done during procedures to map where fat and scar are located. The team will compare who develops ventricular tachycardia or other malignant arrhythmias to who does not, and study how reperfusion and healing relate to fat formation. The work combines patient scans and follow-up with supporting animal and lab studies to understand the underlying electrical changes.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults with a prior myocardial infarction, especially those with a history of ventricular tachycardia or who are undergoing cardiac imaging or electrophysiology evaluation, would be the ideal candidates.
Not a fit: People without a prior heart attack or those whose arrhythmias come from non‑infarct causes are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help identify patients at higher risk of life‑threatening arrhythmias and guide more precise monitoring or treatments such as ablation or ICD placement.
How similar studies have performed: Animal experiments and prior observational human work have suggested a link between post‑infarct fat and ventricular tachycardia, but long‑term human studies tying lipomatous metaplasia to future malignant arrhythmias remain limited.
Where this research is happening
Philadelphia, United States
- University of Pennsylvania — Philadelphia, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Nazarian, Saman — University of Pennsylvania
- Study coordinator: Nazarian, Saman
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.