Trouble getting pregnant and future heart and metabolic health
Impaired fecundity and future health: a prospective investigation of pregnancy planners in North America and Denmark
This project follows couples who are trying to conceive to learn whether difficulty achieving pregnancy is linked to higher risk of heart disease, diabetes, and other long-term health problems.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Stanford University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Stanford, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11318960 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you are planning a pregnancy, researchers combine two large groups of pregnancy planners in Denmark, the U.S., and Canada and follow both partners over time. Participants complete regular online questionnaires about reproductive history, lifestyle, and health, and where available the study uses biological markers and medical data to track outcomes. The combined cohorts include more than 39,000 people and allow comparison between those who conceive quickly and those who experience impaired fecundity. The team will examine whether early reproductive problems precede higher rates of cardiometabolic and other diseases later in life.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are adults in the U.S., Canada, or Denmark who are actively planning pregnancy and willing to complete online follow-up and share health information.
Not a fit: People who are not planning pregnancy, already pregnant, or living outside the U.S., Canada, or Denmark are unlikely to be eligible or benefit from participating.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help clinicians recognize fertility problems as an early warning sign and guide earlier screening or prevention for heart and metabolic disease.
How similar studies have performed: Earlier retrospective studies have linked infertility to later cardiometabolic disease, but large prospective cohorts like these are newer and provide stronger, more reliable evidence.
Where this research is happening
Stanford, United States
- Stanford University — Stanford, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Eisenberg, Michael L — Stanford University
- Study coordinator: Eisenberg, Michael L
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.