Federal Grant Award Summary

The Medical University of South Carolina received a $188,568 Project Grant from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) under the Cardiovascular Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.837), effective April 1, 2026 through March 31, 2031. This award supports a five-year research initiative investigating regional disparities in skeletal muscle microvascular dysfunction (MVD) in systolic heart failure patients. The research addresses the gap in understanding how peripheral skeletal muscle abnormalities contribute to exercise intolerance in heart failure, which remains poorly understood despite evidence linking early-onset MVD to reduced exercise capacity.

The project will deliver research outputs through two coordinated aims. Aim 1 involves noninvasive and invasive assessments of skeletal muscle MVD in the distal leg, paired with hemodynamic measurements, to determine how well these metrics predict exercise capacity in systolic heart failure patients undergoing cardiac catheterization. Aim 2 involves comparative analysis of gene expression and vascular density between distal and proximal leg muscles through muscle tissue biopsies of the thigh and calf. Upon completion, the research will provide novel insights into whether noninvasive lower extremity skeletal muscle metrics can effectively predict exercise tolerance, advancing clinical understanding of the mechanisms underlying exercise intolerance in systolic heart failure and potentially improving patient outcomes and quality of life.