Why heart disease is rising in rural women
Official title: Investigation of Sex Differences in Cardiovascular Risk in Rural Communities
Funded at Emory University · NIH-11309586 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how everyday stress, social factors, and biological changes may raise heart disease risk in adults living in rural Southern communities, with a focus on women aged 25–64.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Emory University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Atlanta, United States) |
| Project start | March 1, 2023 |
| Project end | February 29, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $1,034,979 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HL163998-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11309586 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults aged 25–64 living in rural Southern communities—especially women—and willing to complete surveys, use a smartphone app, and wear a wristband are ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People younger than 25 or older than 64, urban residents, or anyone unwilling to use smartphone tools or wearables are unlikely to be eligible or directly benefit.
What this research studies
The study follows about 3,800 adults aged 25–64 from 10 rural counties in the Southern US through the RURAL cohort. Researchers will collect heart health measures, blood tests for hormones and inflammation, and autonomic data, along with detailed surveys about stress and social conditions. You may be asked to use a smartphone app that tracks everyday stress and to wear a wristband device that records activity and physiological signals. The team will link stress, reproductive-stage hormones, inflammation, and cardiovascular signs to explain why rural women face higher heart disease risk.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to better screening, prevention, and tailored care to reduce heart disease in rural women.
How similar studies have gone: Large cohort studies have linked stress, inflammation, and hormones to heart disease, but combining smartphone stress tracking and wearables in rural women is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
Emory University
Atlanta, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Shah, Amit Jasvant — Emory University
- Study coordinator: Shah, Amit Jasvant
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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.