Your Body Clock and Heart Health Risk
Endogenous circadian mechanisms underlying cardiovascular risk
This research explores how your body's natural daily rhythms influence your heart and blood vessel health, especially regarding the increased risk of heart problems in the morning.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Oregon Health & Science University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Portland, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11128765 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Our bodies have natural daily clocks, called circadian rhythms, that exist in all our cells, including those in the heart and blood vessels. These rhythms typically help prepare your cardiovascular system for daily activities like waking up and moving around. However, the morning is also a time when serious heart events, such as heart attacks and strokes, are more likely to happen. This project aims to understand how these internal body clocks interact with our daily behaviors to create predictable changes in heart health risk throughout the day. We want to learn why these normal morning responses might become dangerous for people already at risk for heart problems.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: This research may be relevant to healthy adults and individuals who have existing risk factors for heart and blood vessel conditions.
Not a fit: Patients seeking immediate treatment for existing conditions may not directly benefit from this foundational research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new strategies for preventing heart attacks, strokes, and sudden cardiac death by understanding and potentially adjusting for our body's natural daily rhythms.
How similar studies have performed: The lead researcher has previously shown significant findings regarding circadian rhythms in human cardiovascular systems, indicating a strong foundation for this novel approach.
Where this research is happening
Portland, United States
- Oregon Health & Science University — Portland, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Shea, Steven a — Oregon Health & Science University
- Study coordinator: Shea, Steven a
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.