A group of researchers from the University of Missouri School of Medicine and NextGen Precision Health received nearly $1.2 million in research grants to address heart disease and obesity in veterans.
The funding comes through the Department of Veteran Affairs.
Veterans tend to develop both cardiovascular disease and obesity at a higher rate than non-veterans, according to MU Health Care. The goal for the study is to find whether a specific medication can help these veterans.
“CVD is the silent battle many veterans continue to fight long after their service ends, and more targeted interventions are needed to address its impact,” said Camila Manrique-Acevedo, a co-principal investigator.
Past research found that a medication used to treat type 2 diabetes, Jardiance, may help with arterial stiffening, which contributes to the development of heart disease. Currently, there are no treatments that specifically target arterial stiffening, but these researchers will try to find one.
“One of our long-term goals is to understand the mechanisms that cause and potentially reverse arterial stiffening,” said Jaume Padilla, a co-principal investigator. “This will help identify and develop effective strategies to reduce CVD in this population.”
This project will last four years and will investigate how arteries become stiffer and determine whether Jardiance reduces arterial stiffness in veterans with obesity and subsequently improves their heart health.
