Project Grant R21AG090810

The University of Delaware received a $880,000 Project Grant (R21AG090810) from the National Institute on Aging (CFDA 93.866 - Aging Research) to conduct a comprehensive scientific study on the relationship between daily stress, sleep, sex hormones, and accelerated vascular aging in midlife women. The research aims to test the hypothesis that greater negative affective responsivity to daily stressors and greater sleep variability are associated with more severe declines in endothelial function in premenopausal midlife women, and that these associations are magnified during simulated menopause. The project will use a multipronged, multidimensional framework to examine behavioral and physiological factors contributing to subclinical cardiovascular disease risk in midlife women, with the goal of informing future trials on behavioral and/or pharmacological interventions to preserve vascular health during menopause. The award period runs from November 2024 through October 2026.