Reducing heart risk in kidney disease patients with ticagrelor
Official title: Effect of Platelet Inhibition with Ticagrelor to Reduce Inflammation and Surrogate Cardiovascular Markers in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease
Funded at Univ of Arkansas for Med Scis · NIH-11423446 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A patient-friendly trial will test whether a heart medication called ticagrelor, added to standard care, can lower inflammation and markers linked to heart risk in people with chronic kidney disease.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Univ of Arkansas for Med Scis NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Little Rock, United States) |
| Project start | September 10, 2026 |
| Project end | July 31, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $700,797 |
| NIH project number | 1R01HL187306-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11423446 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with chronic kidney disease who are not currently experiencing an acute cardiovascular event and meet the study’s eligibility criteria.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with CKD who have contraindications to ticagrelor/aspirin or those who do not have elevated inflammatory markers may not benefit.
What this research studies
This study builds on prior observations that platelets may drive inflammation in CKD. Researchers will test ticagrelor, a platelet blocker, along with aspirin, to see if it lowers inflammatory signals like IL-1β and other surrogate heart risk markers. The study will enroll CKD patients and measure changes in inflammatory biomarkers and cardiovascular indicators over time. If successful, the approach could offer a new way to reduce lingering heart risk for CKD patients already receiving guideline-directed treatments.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients with CKD might experience lower heart risk and fewer inflammatory markers.
How similar studies have gone: Preliminary data showed ticagrelor plus aspirin reduced inflammatory cytokines in a small CKD group, supporting further testing.
Where this research is happening
-
Univ of Arkansas for Med Scis
Little Rock, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Jain, Nishank — Univ of Arkansas for Med Scis
- Study coordinator: Jain, Nishank
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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.