Screening and treating early heart disease in young and middle-aged adults
Official title: 2/2 PREEMPT: Prospective RandomizEd Evaluation and Management of Premature aTherosclerosis
Funded at Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill · NIH-11382099 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A large study will test the best way to find early artery disease in adults under 50 and whether treating arteries or inflammation helps reduce heart disease risk.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chapel Hill, United States) |
| Project start | July 30, 2025 |
| Project end | June 30, 2032 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $1,692,016 |
| NIH project number | 5U24HL181465-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11382099 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults aged roughly 20–50 who are at risk for atherosclerosis and may have subclinical disease detectable by imaging or biomarkers.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals outside the target age range or without risk factors for cardiovascular disease may not benefit.
What this research studies
This project will screen adults starting in their 20s to 50s for early coronary artery disease using imaging and other tests. It will compare three strategies to detect subclinical disease and then test different treatment approaches, including lipid-lowering and anti-inflammatory options. The goal is to figure out which combination lowers the buildup of plaque most safely and effectively. Results could guide personalized prevention for people who are currently overlooked by traditional risk scoring.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to better screening and tailored treatments that prevent heart attacks in younger and middle-aged adults.
How similar studies have gone: Prior studies have explored imaging-based detection of subclinical atherosclerosis, with emerging evidence supporting prognostic value, but optimal screening and treatment strategies remain to be defined.
Where this research is happening
-
Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Anstrom, Kevin J — Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
- Study coordinator: Anstrom, Kevin J
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Screening and treating early coronary plaque in young and middle-aged adults
A Duke-led study will test how best to screen for early heart artery plaque in adults under 60 and how different treatments might reduce that plaque.
-
Early-aging conditions and their link to artery disease
This project looks for ways to stop early-aging from radiation or progeria from causing artery blockage and heart disease in cancer survivors and people with progeria.
-
Investigating how premature aging affects blood vessel diseases and heart health
This study is looking at how certain conditions that cause premature aging can lead to heart problems, and it aims to find ways to help prevent these issues for people affected by these disorders.
-
Coronary disease and immune activation in people with HIV and tuberculosis coinfection
This research looks at how having HIV and latent tuberculosis together might raise the risk of heart disease, and what immune changes are involved.
-
PFAS may speed up artery disease by changing bile acids
Aims to see if PFAS chemicals make cholesterol rise and arteries more likely to harden, using a human-similar mouse model to understand how this could affect people.
-
IgE antibodies to alpha-gal and heart disease in mice and people
A study to understand how specific IgE antibodies against alpha-gal might influence the development and severity of atherosclerosis in humans and mouse models.
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.