Pregnancy chemical exposures and women's heart and metabolic health later in life
Official title: Exposure to phthalates and OP flame retardants and long-term maternal cardiovascular and metabolic health
Funded at Brigham and Women's Hospital · NIH-11319786 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This research looks at whether chemical exposures before and during pregnancy affect women's heart and metabolic health later in life.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Brigham and Women's Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | July 5, 2022 |
| Project end | April 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $682,377 |
| NIH project number | 5R01ES033651-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11319786 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are women who were pregnant or are planning pregnancy and can provide urine samples and medical history, especially those similar to or enrolled in the EARTH cohort.
✕Less likely to help
Men, people who have never been pregnant, or those without pregnancy records or available urine samples are unlikely to be included or directly benefit from this study.
What this research studies
From a participant's perspective, researchers will measure phthalates and organophosphate flame retardant chemicals in urine collected before and during pregnancy and again in midlife, using samples from the EARTH cohort and similar participants. They will compare those exposure levels with later health measures such as blood pressure, body mass index, blood glucose, lipids, and pregnancy history. The team will analyze stored urine samples and clinical records to identify patterns over time that might predict higher cardiometabolic risk. This is an observational study that compares people with different exposure levels rather than testing a treatment.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could identify common pregnancy chemical exposures that increase women's long-term risk of heart disease and metabolic conditions, helping guide prevention and policy.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies, including EARTH cohort analyses, have linked higher phthalate or OP flame retardant metabolites to worse pregnancy outcomes and higher pregnancy glucose, but long-term maternal cardiovascular and metabolic effects remain unproven.
Where this research is happening
-
Brigham and Women's Hospital
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Birmann, Brenda M — Brigham and Women's Hospital
- Study coordinator: Birmann, Brenda M
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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.