What helps older hearts stay healthy
Late-life trajectories of cardiac function to define pathways of cardiac resilience
This project looks at lifestyle, social factors, and blood protein markers in people in their mid-80s to understand why some keep good heart function while others decline.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Ut Southwestern Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Dallas, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11143761 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would be part of a long-running community study of older adults who get heart ultrasound exams, physical function checks, and blood draws. The team will use three heart ultrasounds taken over about 12 years to map how heart function changes in late life. They will also measure proteins in the blood that may signal cellular aging and link those to lifestyle and social factors like exercise, diet, and adversity. The goal is to find patterns that show why some people maintain strong hearts as they age.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are community-dwelling older adults around their mid-80s who can attend clinic visits for echocardiograms, physical assessments, and blood draws.
Not a fit: Younger adults, people unable to attend clinic visits, or those with terminal illnesses are unlikely to be eligible or directly helped by this effort.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to behaviors or blood tests that help prevent heart failure in very old adults.
How similar studies have performed: Prior long-term community studies have linked lifestyle and echo changes to heart outcomes, but combining late-life serial echocardiography with plasma proteomics to define resilience is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Dallas, United States
- Ut Southwestern Medical Center — Dallas, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Shah, Amil M — Ut Southwestern Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Shah, Amil M
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.