Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) awarded Massachusetts General Hospital $614,843 on May 1, 2026, under the Cardiovascular Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.837) to support a research project examining the relationship between indexed exercise blood pressure and adverse vascular and ventricular remodeling. The project, which will extend through February 28, 2031, investigates whether systolic blood pressure indexed to oxygen consumption (SBP/VO2) during exercise testing can identify individuals at high risk for heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF)—a condition accounting for approximately 50% of all heart failure cases with limited therapeutic options. The research addresses a critical gap in cardiovascular risk assessment by evaluating whether this readily available metric from clinical exercise tests can serve as a surrogate measure of arterial stiffness and predict adverse cardiac remodeling, particularly in women around menopause when arterial stiffening accelerates.

The deliverables under this award include scientific research findings, data analysis, and peer-reviewed publications advancing the understanding of exercise-indexed blood pressure as a clinical tool for HFpEF risk stratification. This translational research supports the NHLBI's mission to reduce morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular disease by developing improved methods for early identification of at-risk populations and informing clinical decision-making based on currently underutilized data from routine exercise testing.