Understanding Heart Health in African American Women
Official title: Epigenetic biomarkers of cardiovascular risk in African American Women
Funded at Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill · NIH-11193943 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project aims to understand how changes in our genes, influenced by lifestyle and environment, affect heart health in African American women.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| 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 | September 17, 2024 |
| Project end | June 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $277,918 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HL175681-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11193943 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
This research focuses on understanding heart disease risk in postmenopausal African American women.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who are not African American women or those not at risk for cardiovascular disease may not directly benefit from this specific research.
What this research studies
Heart disease significantly affects African American women, leading to serious health issues. While we know some genetic factors play a role, this project looks at "epigenetics," which are changes to our genes that don't alter the DNA itself but can be influenced by daily life, aging, and surroundings. By studying these epigenetic changes in a large group of African American women from a past health initiative, we hope to find new ways to predict and prevent heart problems. This work could help us better understand how lifestyle and environment contribute to heart disease in this community.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new ways to identify African American women at higher risk for heart disease and help develop more personalized prevention strategies.
How similar studies have gone: While genetic factors for heart disease have been studied, the role of epigenetics, especially in African American women, is less understood, making this a novel approach for this specific population.
Where this research is happening
-
Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Franceschini, Nora — Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
- Study coordinator: Franceschini, Nora
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Cardiovascular risk planning and reduction for men with prostate cancer
A program to better predict and reduce heart disease risk in men treated for prostate cancer, especially older patients.
-
Traumatic Stress, Epigenetic Aging, and Heart Risk in Veterans
A large study using Veterans Affairs data to see if traumatic stress and faster biological aging relate to higher risk of stroke and heart disease.
-
Lifestyle plan to protect muscle and heart health for adults with obesity using GLP-1 medications
A real-world trial tests a combined nutrition and resistance-training program versus standard care for adults starting GLP-1 weight loss drugs to preserve lean mass and cardiovascular health.
-
Role of the body's natural cannabis-like system in diabetes progression and heart risk
This grant studies how the body's endocannabinoid system affects the progression from obesity to diabetes and the associated risk for cardiovascular disease in adults.
-
Community and Peer Support for Reducing Cardiovascular Risk
Aims to understand how community and peer programs can help people lower cardiovascular risk, by analyzing existing programs and how their implementation and social support influence outcomes.
-
CardioPredict ML: A smarter way to gauge heart risk before pregnancy
A machine learning tool helps identify women at risk for pregnancy-related heart problems before conception, using health records and prior pregnancy data.
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.