A researcher from the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix has received a $1.9 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to investigate how dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) progresses to heart failure. This research aims to improve preventive and treatment options for heart failure.
Dilated cardiomyopathy is a condition that leads to the enlargement of the heart and reduced pumping ability, which is measured by ejection fraction. Heart failure associated with DCM is a serious condition, with a nearly 50% mortality rate within five years of diagnosis. Currently, cardiac transplantation is the only definitive cure.
Dr. Inna Gladysheva, a research professor in the Department of Internal Medicine and a member of the Translational Cardiovascular Research Center, will lead the study. Her research will focus on how networks of proteolytic enzymes contribute to the progression from DCM to heart failure. She will also explore how impairments in neurohumoral pathways affect this progression.
The project aims to clarify the role of proteolytic networks in the overactivation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, which is linked to heart failure. The goal is to develop better treatment strategies beyond just heart transplantation.
“Our exciting discovery offers a new approach to managing heart failure,” said Gladysheva. “The long-term aim is to turn this knowledge into new therapies that can prevent or treat heart failure, improving patient outcomes and longevity.”
One major symptom of DCM advancing to heart failure is edema, which involves fluid accumulation in the lungs or other parts of the body. This condition can lead to breathlessness and disability, and it can be fatal. According to the Heart Failure Society of America, about 6.7 million Americans over 20 years old have heart failure, with projections suggesting this number could rise to 8.5 million by 2030.
With statistics indicating that one in four people will develop heart failure in their lifetime, effective treatments are essential.
“I am deeply grateful to my colleagues and collaborators—Guy Reed, MD, MS; Ryan Sullivan, DVM, LATG; Sofiyan Saleem, PhD; and others—whose expertise helped shape this project,” Gladysheva added.
This grant represents a significant step toward understanding and potentially mitigating the risks associated with dilated cardiomyopathy and its progression to heart failure.
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