Understanding frailty and recovery in older adults after heart attacks
Official title: Frailty and Resiliency in Older Adults with Acute Myocardial Infarction
Funded at Inova Health Care Services · NIH-10893043 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at older adults who have had a heart attack to create an easy test that helps understand their strength and ability to recover, with the hope of finding better ways to care for them and improve their health outcomes.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Inova Health Care Services NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Fairfax, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | July 15, 2020 |
| Project end | June 30, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $183,120 |
| NIH project number | 5K23HL153771-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-10893043 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are older adults, particularly those over 60 years of age, who have experienced an acute myocardial infarction and may be frail or lack resiliency.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who are younger than 21 years or those without cardiovascular disease may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research focuses on older adults who experience acute myocardial infarction (heart attacks) and aims to develop a simple test to assess frailty and resiliency in these patients. The project will involve designing and analyzing interventions to improve care for this vulnerable population. By enhancing knowledge in geriatrics and conducting pilot studies, the research seeks to evaluate the effectiveness of different treatments for older adults with heart conditions. The ultimate goal is to improve clinical decision-making and patient outcomes in this age group.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to better treatment strategies for older adults recovering from heart attacks, improving their overall health and quality of life.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown promise in assessing frailty in older adults, indicating that this approach could lead to significant advancements in cardiovascular care for this population.
Where this research is happening
-
Inova Health Care Services
Fairfax, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Damluji, Abdulla Al — Inova Health Care Services
- Study coordinator: Damluji, Abdulla Al
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Targeted nanotherapy to calm inflammation, grow new blood vessels, and prevent scarring after a heart attack
A new treatment approach uses engineered secretions from immune cells delivered early after a heart attack to reduce inflammation, promote blood vessel growth, and limit scarring to protect heart function.
-
Real-time multi-lead ECG from wearables to help detect heart attacks early
A new AI-based approach uses everyday wearable sensors to turn simple PPG signals into multi-lead ECG data to monitor for heart attacks in real time, even outside the clinic.
-
Extreme heat and heart attack risk: who is most at risk and why
High heat and air pollution may raise the risk of heart attacks, and this project looks at who is most affected.
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A heart-attack treatment using smart materials that release healing therapies right where the heart was damaged, aimed at people who’ve had a heart attack.
-
Nanoparticle therapy to reduce inflammation and scarring after a heart attack
Tiny engineered nanoparticles will deliver anti-inflammatory and anti-scarring substances to the heart soon after a heart attack to help people recover better.
-
Using ultrasound images and AI to better describe and predict heart attacks
This project uses routine heart ultrasound images plus AI to create detailed profiles that help predict outcomes for people hospitalized with acute heart attacks.
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.