NIH-funded research Career grant

Understanding how physical activity and sitting time in youth affect heart disease risk

Official title: Informing national guidelines on adolescent and young adult physical activity and sedentary behavior to prevent cardiovascular disease

Funded at University of California, San Francisco · NIH-10909205 · Data updated 2026-11-12

This study is looking at how being active or sitting too much during your teenage and young adult years can affect your heart health later in life, and it aims to find out how much exercise you really need to lower your risk of heart disease, especially if you spend a lot of time being inactive.

Quick facts

Grant typeCareer grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionUniversity of California, San Francisco
NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (San Francisco, United States)
Project startSeptember 1, 2021
Project endJuly 31, 2026
Funding year2024
Award (this year)$173,910
NIH project number5K08HL159350-04
Project IDNIH-10909205 on NIH RePORTER

Who could benefit from this research

Could help

Ideal candidates for this research include adolescents and young adults aged 12 to 20 years who are interested in understanding how their physical activity levels affect their long-term heart health.

Less likely to help

Patients who are already highly active and have established healthy physical activity patterns may not benefit directly from this research.

What this research studies

This research investigates the relationship between physical activity and sedentary behavior during adolescence and young adulthood, and how these factors influence the risk of developing cardiovascular disease later in life. By analyzing data from large longitudinal studies, the project aims to identify the optimal levels of physical activity needed to mitigate heart disease risk for those who are highly sedentary. The findings will help inform national guidelines on physical activity for young people, emphasizing the importance of maintaining an active lifestyle during these critical developmental years.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to improved guidelines that help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease in adolescents and young adults.

How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown that physical activity significantly impacts cardiovascular health, suggesting that this approach could yield valuable insights.

Where this research is happening

  • University of California, San Francisco
    San Francisco, United States
    Active

Researchers

  • Principal investigator: Nagata, Jason M — University of California, San Francisco
  • Study coordinator: Nagata, Jason M

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.