NIH-funded research R01 grant

Understanding Heart Fat Accumulation in Women with Small Heart Vessel Problems and Heart Failure

Official title: Myocardial Steatosis in Women with Coronary Microvascular Dysfunction: Defining the Pathway to Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction (HFpEF)

Funded at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center · NIH-11158866 · Data updated 2026-11-12

This project aims to understand how fat buildup in the heart muscle contributes to a specific type of heart failure, especially in women with issues in their heart's tiny blood vessels.

More Heart Failure research and trials

Quick facts

Grant typeR01 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionCedars-Sinai Medical Center
NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Los Angeles, United States)
Project startJuly 1, 2021
Project endJune 30, 2026
Funding year2025
Award (this year)$626,292
NIH project number5R01HL153500-05
Project IDNIH-11158866 on NIH RePORTER

Who could benefit from this research

Could help

This research is most relevant to women experiencing heart failure with preserved ejection fraction or coronary microvascular dysfunction.

Less likely to help

Patients without heart failure with preserved ejection fraction or coronary microvascular dysfunction may not directly benefit from this specific research.

What this research studies

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is a serious condition, and women are more likely to develop it, yet there are no specific treatments. We know that problems with the heart's small blood vessels, called coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD), are common in women and often lead to HFpEF. Our work suggests that when these small vessels don't work well, it can cause fat to build up in the heart muscle, which might be a key step towards developing HFpEF. This research will explore this connection to better understand why HFpEF develops in women with CMD.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new ways to prevent or treat heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, particularly for women.

How similar studies have gone: Previous work by this group and others has shown a link between coronary microvascular dysfunction, fat accumulation in the heart, and early signs of heart failure.

Where this research is happening

  • Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
    Los Angeles, United States
    Active

Researchers

  • Principal investigator: Wei, Janet — Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
  • Study coordinator: Wei, Janet

Related research

Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.
Last reviewed 2026-11-14 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.