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Smoke rises above the Los Angeles skyline during the January 2025 wildfires. In the week after the fires ignited, members of Kaiser Permanente Southern California made 42% more virtual health care visits for respiratory symptoms, according to new research led by Kaiser Permanente and the UW. Credit: Erick Ley, iStock

When uncontrolled wildfires moved from the foothills above Los Angeles into the densely populated urban areas below in January 2025, evacuation ensued and a thick layer of toxic smoke spread across the region. Air quality plummeted. Local hospitals braced for a surge, but it never came.  

Research led by the University of Washington and Kaiser Permanente Southern California sheds new light on how the Los Angeles fires affected people’s health, and how people navigated the health care system during an emergency. In the rapid study, published Nov. 26 in JAMA Health Forum, researchers analyzed the health records of 3.7 million Kaiser Permanente members of all ages living in the region. They found that health care visits did rise above normal levels, especially virtual services.  

In the week after the fires ignited, Kaiser Permanente members made 42% more virtual visits for respiratory symptoms than expected. Those living near a burn zone or within Los Angeles County also made 44% and 40% more virtual cardiovascular visits, respectively, than expected. 

In-person outpatient visits for respiratory symptoms also increased substantially. Members who lived near a burn zone or within Los Angeles County made 27% and 31% more virtual cardiovascular visits, respectively, than expected. 

Extrapolating to all insured residents of the county, the researchers estimated an excess of 15,792 cardiovascular virtual visits, 18,489 respiratory virtual visits and 27,903 respiratory outpatient visits in the first week of the fires. 

The results suggest that people may rely more heavily on virtual health care during climate-related emergencies, and that providers should better prioritize virtual and telehealth services as they prepare for future crises. 

“We saw over 6,241 excess cardiorespiratory virtual visits in the week following the fire ignition. This represents a substantial increase in care,” said Joan Casey, a UW associate professor of environmental and occupational health sciences and of epidemiology who led the research. “While the fires clearly impacted health, virtual care likely enhanced the ability of providers to meet the health care needs of people experiencing an ongoing climate disaster.” 

In collaboration with Kaiser Permanente Southern California, an integrated health care system with millions of members across the region, researchers analyzed health records of people who were highly or moderately exposed to wildfires. They defined high exposure as living within about 12 miles (20 kilometers) of a burn zone, and moderate exposure as living within Los Angeles County but farther than 12 miles during the time of the fires.  

Researchers looked back three years to estimate how many health care visits to expect in the weeks following Jan. 7 — the first day of the fires — under typical conditions. They then estimated how many people sought care in the first week of the fires, when smoke levels were highest, evacuations took place, and Los Angeles County public schools were closed.

In addition to the spike in cardiovascular and respiratory visits, researchers found a sharp increase in the number of visits for injuries and neuropsychiatric symptoms. On Jan. 7, outpatient injury visits were 18% higher than expected among highly exposed members, and virtual injury visits were 26% and 18% higher than expected among highly and moderately exposed groups, respectively. Among those same groups, outpatient neuropsychiatric visits rose 31% and 28% above expectations, respectively.

While both groups made significantly more visits than expected, proximity to the fires mattered. When researchers zoomed in on respiratory-related virtual visits, they found that minimally exposed members made 31% more visits, moderately exposed members made 36% more, and those living in highly exposed areas made 42% more.  

“While healthcare systems often plan to increase the number of hospital beds available or clinic staffing during an emergency, this work highlights the importance of considering virtual care capacity,” said Lauren Wilner, a UW doctoral student of epidemiology and co-author on the study. “This may be particularly true for climate disasters like wildfires, during which people are advised to stay indoors or when people must evacuate — motivating them to seek care online if at all possible. As climate disasters increase in frequency and intensity, it is essential that health care systems know how to prepare for a sudden and dramatic surge in health care utilization.” 

Other authors on this study are Yuqian Gu, Gina Lee and Sara Tartof of Kaiser Permanente Southern California; Lara Schwarz of the University of California, Berkeley; Timothy Frankland of Kaiser Permanente Hawaii; Heather McBrien and Nina Flores of Columbia University; Chen Chen and Arnab Dey of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego; and Tarik Benmarhnia of the Scripps Institution and the University of Rennes in France.

This research was funded by the National Institute on Aging and the National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences. 

For more information or to reach the research team, contact Alden Woods at acwoods@uw.edu.

Wildfire smoke blankets the Seattle skyline in 2020. A new study finds that pregnant people who are exposed to wildfire smoke are more likely to give birth prematurely.

About 10% of American babies are born prematurely. Birth before 37 weeks can lead to a cascade of health risks, both immediate and long-term, making prevention a vital tool for improving public health over generations. 

In recent years, researchers have identified a potential link between wildfire smoke — one of the fastest-growing sources of air pollution in the United States — and preterm birth, but no study has been big or broad enough to draw definitive conclusions. A new study led by the University of Washington makes an important contribution, analyzing data from more than 20,000 births to find that pregnant people who are exposed to wildfire smoke are more likely to give birth prematurely.

“Preventing preterm birth really pays off with lasting benefits for future health,” said lead author Allison Sherris, a UW postdoctoral researcher in environmental and occupational health sciences. “It’s also something of a mystery. We don’t always understand why babies are born preterm, but we know that air pollution contributes to preterm births, and it makes sense that wildfire smoke would as well. This study underscores that wildfire smoke is inseparable from maternal and infant health.”

In the study, published Nov. 3 in The Lancet Planetary Health, researchers used data from the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) program, a federal research project focused on how a wide range of environmental factors affect children’s health. The sample included 20,034 births from 2006-2020 across the contiguous United States.

Researchers estimated participants’ average daily exposure to fine particulate matter, or PM2.5, generated by wildfire smoke, and the total number of days they were exposed to any amount of smoke. They estimated the intensity of smoke exposure by how frequently participants were exposed to wildfire PM2.5 levels above certain thresholds.

They found that pregnant people exposed to more intense wildfire smoke were more likely to give birth prematurely. In mid-pregnancy, exposure to any smoke was associated with an elevated risk of preterm birth, with that risk peaking around the 21st week of gestation. In late pregnancy, elevated risk was most closely associated with exposure to high concentrations of wildfire PM2.5, above 10 micrograms per cubic meter.

“The second trimester is a period of pregnancy with the richest and most intense growth of the placenta, which itself is such an important part of fetal health, growth and development,” said co-author Dr. Catherine Karr, a UW professor of environmental and occupational health sciences and of pediatrics in the UW School of Medicine. “So it may be that the wildfire smoke particles are really interfering with placental health. Some of them are so tiny that after inhalation they can actually get into the bloodstream and get delivered directly into the placenta or fetus.” 

The link was strongest and most precise in the Western U.S., where people were exposed to the highest concentrations of wildfire PM2.5 and the greatest number of high-intensity smoke days. Here, the odds of preterm birth increased with each additional microgram per cubic meter of average wildfire PM2.5.

It’s possible those results were more precise simply because the West experiences more wildfire smoke on average, making the exposure model perform better, Sherris said. But there may be other factors behind the regional differences. 

The composition of wildfire smoke is different across the country. In the West, smoke tends to come from fires nearby, while in places like the Midwest, smoke has typically drifted in from faraway fires. Smoke’s toxicity changes as it ages and reacts with sunlight and airborne chemicals, which could have affected the results. Researchers also noted that external factors like co-occurring heat or housing quality may have effects that aren’t fully understood. 

Researchers hope that future studies will examine the exact mechanisms by which wildfire smoke might trigger preterm birth. But in the meantime, Sherris said, evidence for a link is now strong enough to take action. 

“There are a couple avenues for change,” Sherris said. “First, people already get a lot of public health messaging and information throughout pregnancy, so there’s an opportunity to work with clinicians to provide tools for pregnant people to protect themselves during smoke events. Public health agencies’ messaging about wildfire smoke could also be tailored to pregnant people and highlight them as a vulnerable group.”

Co-authors include Logan Dearborn, doctoral student of environmental and occupational health sciences at the UW; Christine Loftus, clinical associate professor of environmental and occupational health sciences at the UW; Adam Szpiro, professor of biostatistics at the UW; Joan Casey, associate professor of environmental and occupational health sciences and of epidemiology at the UW; Sindana Ilango, postdoctoral fellow of epidemiology at the UW; and Marissa Childs, assistant professor of environmental and occupational health sciences at the UW. A full list of co-authors is included with the paper.

This research was funded by the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) program at the National Institutes of Health under multiple awards. A full list of ECHO funding awards is included with the paper. 

For more information or to contact the researchers, email Alden Woods at acwoods@uw.edu.

Therapies that are sensitive to multiple biomarkers could allow medicines to reach only the areas of the body where they are needed. The diagram above shows three theoretical biomarkers that are present in specific, sometimes overlapping areas of the body. A therapy designed to find the unique area of overlap between the three will act on only that area.DeForest et al./Nature Chemical Biology

Targeted drug delivery is a powerful and promising area of medicine. Therapies that pinpoint the exact areas of the body where they’re needed — and nowhere they’re not — can reduce the medicine dosage and avoid potentially harmful “off target” effects elsewhere in the body. A targeted immunotherapy, for example, might seek out cancerous tissues and activate immune cells to fight the disease only in those tissues.

The tricky part is making a therapy truly “smart,” where the medicine can move freely through the body and decide which areas to target.

Researchers at the University of Washington took a significant step toward that goal by designing proteins with autonomous decision-making capabilities. In a proof-of-principles study published Oct. 9 in Nature Chemical Biology, researchers demonstrated that by adding smart tail structures to therapeutic proteins, they could control the proteins’ localization based on the presence of specific environmental cues. These protein tails fold themselves into preprogrammed shapes that define how they react to different combinations of cues. In addition, the experiment showed that the smart protein tails could be attached to a carrier material for delivery to living cells.

Advances in synthetic biology also allowed the researchers to manufacture these proteins cheaply and in a matter of days instead of months.

“We’ve been thinking about these concepts for some time but have struggled with ways to increase and automate production,” said senior author Cole DeForest, a UW professor of chemical engineering and bioengineering. “We’ve now finally figured out how to produce these systems faster, at scale and with dramatically enhanced logical complexity. We are excited about how these will lead to more sophisticated and scalable disease-honing therapies.”

The concept of programmable biomaterials isn’t new. Scientists have developed numerous strategies to make systems responsive to individual cues — such as pH levels or the presence of specific enzymes — that are associated with a particular disease or area of the body. But it’s rare to find one cue, or “biomarker,” that’s unique to one spot, so a material that hones in on just one biomarker might act on a few unintended places in addition to the target.

One solution to this problem is to seek out a combination of biomarkers. There might be many areas of the body with particular enzyme or pH levels, but there are likely fewer areas with both of those factors. In theory, the more biomarkers a material can identify, the more finely targeted drug delivery can be.

In 2018, DeForest’s lab created a new class of materials that responded to multiple biomarkers using Boolean logic, a concept traditionally used in computer programming.

The diagrams above show linker structures that can perform different logical operations. In box 1, the protein therapeutic (star) is released from a material (pink wedge) in the presence of either biomarker X or Y; in box 2, the protein will release only if both biomarkers X and Y are present.DeForest et al./Nature Chemical Biology

“We realized that we could program how therapeutics were released based simply on how they were connected to a carrier material,” DeForest said. “For example, if we linked a therapeutic cargo to a material via two degradable groups connected in series — that is, each after the other — it would be released if either group was degraded, acting as an OR gate. When the degradable groups were instead connected in parallel — that is, each on a different half of a cycle — both groups had to be degraded for cargo release, functioning as an AND gate. Excitingly, by combining these basic gates we could readily create advanced logical circuits.”

It was a big step forward, but it wasn’t scalable — the team built these large and complex logic-responsive materials manually through traditional organic chemistry.

But over the next several years, the related field of synthetic biology advanced by leaps and bounds.

“The field has developed exciting new protein-based tools that can allow researchers to form permanent bonds between proteins,” said co-first author Murial Ross, a UW doctoral student of bioengineering. “It opened doors for new protein structures that were previously unachievable, which made more complex logical operations possible.”

Additionally, it became practical to use living cells as factories to produce these complex proteins, allowing scientists to design custom DNA blueprints for new proteins, insert the DNA into bacteria or other host cells, and then collect the proteins with the desired structure directly from the cells.

With these new tools, DeForest and his team streamlined and improved many steps of the process at once. They designed and produced proteins with tails that spontaneously fold into more bespoke shapes, creating complex “circuits” that can respond to up to five different biomarkers. These new proteins can attach to various carriers — hydrogels, tiny beads or living cells — for delivery to a cell, or theoretically a disease site. The team even loaded up one carrier with three different proteins, each programmed to deliver their unique cargo based on different sets of environmental cues.

The research team designed protein tails that fold into custom shapes to create sophisticated logical circuits. Box 1 shows a protein designed to be responsive to five different biomarkers; box 2 shows the logical conditions that must be met to fully break apart the tail and release the protein.DeForest et al./Nature Chemical Biology

“We were so excited about the results,” DeForest said. “Using the old process, it would take months to synthesize just a few milligrams of each of these materials. Now it takes us a couple of weeks to go from construct design to product. It’s been a complete game changer for us.”

“The sky’s the limit. You can create delayed and independent delivery of many different components in one treatment,” Ross said. “And I think we could create much, much larger logical circuits that a protein can be responsive to. We’re at the point now that the technology is outpacing what we’ve seriously considered in terms of applications, which is a great place to be.”

The researchers will now continue searching for more biomarkers that proteins could target. They also hope to start collaborating with other labs at the UW and beyond to build and deploy real-world therapies.

The team outlined other uses for the technology as well. The same tools could manufacture therapies within a single cell and direct them to specific regions, a sort of microcosm of how the process works in the body. DeForest also envisions diagnostic tools like blood tests that could, say, turn a certain color when a complex set of cues within the blood sample are present.

DeForest thinks the first practical applications are likely to be cancer treatments, but with more research, the possibilities feel endless.

“The dream is to be able to pick any arbitrary location inside of the body — down to individual cells — and program a material to go and act there,” he said. “That’s a tall order, but with these technologies we’re getting closer. With the right combination of biomarkers, these materials will just get more and more precise.”

Co-authors include Annabella Li, a former UW undergraduate student of chemical engineering; Shivani Kottantharayil, a UW undergraduate student of bioengineering; and Jack Hoye, a UW doctoral student of chemical engineering.

This research was funded by the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health.

For more information, contact DeForest at profcole@uw.edu. 

Evidence shows that school meals are often more nutritious than meals that students eat elsewhere. Credit: SDI Productions/iStock

In the 10 years since the federal government established the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), which enabled universal free meal programs for schools in low-income communities, studies have suggested the policy has wide-ranging benefits. Students in participating schools choose lunches with higher nutritional quality, are suspended less frequently and may perform better academically.

Now, as cuts to food assistance programs threaten to slash access to universal school meals, a new study led by the University of Washington finds another potential benefit to the programs: Students in participating schools were less likely to have high blood pressure, suggesting that universal free meals might be a powerful tool for improving public health. 

“High blood pressure is an important public health problem that isn’t studied as much on a population level as obesity,” said Anna Localio, a UW postdoctoral researcher of health systems and population health and lead author of the study. “We have evidence that CEP increases participation in school meals, and we also have evidence that school meals are more nutritious than meals that kids obtain elsewhere. This is a public health policy that is delivering nutritious meals to children who may not have previously had access.”

For the study, published Sept. 25 in JAMA Network Open, researchers linked two datasets that rarely interact. They obtained medical records of patients ages 4-18 from community health organizations, and used patients’ addresses to identify the school they attended. The data encompassed 155,778 young people attending 1,052 schools, mostly in California and Oregon.

Researchers estimated the percentage of students with high blood pressure before and after schools opted into universal free meals, and compared those results against eligible schools that had not yet participated in the program. They also tracked students’ average systolic and diastolic blood pressure readings. All data were aggregated at the school level. 

They found that school participation in the CEP was associated with a 2.71% decrease in the proportion of students with high blood pressure, corresponding to a 10.8% net drop over five years. School participation in CEP was also associated with a decrease in students’ average diastolic blood pressure. 

Participation in universal free meals was associated with an 11% net decrease in the proportion of patients with high blood pressure over a five-year period. The above chart shows the annual difference in the percentage of students with high blood pressure in participating schools and non-participating schools.

“In previous work on the health impacts of universal free school meals, our team found that adoption of free meals is associated with decreases in average body mass index scores and childhood obesity prevalence, which are closely linked to risk of high blood pressure,” said Jessica Jones-Smith, a professor of health, society and behavior at the University of California Irvine’s Joe C. Wen School of Population & Public Health and senior author of the study. Jones-Smith conducted much of this research while on faculty at the UW School of Public Health. “So in addition to directly affecting blood pressure through provision of healthier meals, a second pathway by which providing universal free meals might impact blood pressure is through their impact on lowering risk for high BMI.” 

Improved nutrition of school meals may have helped drive the decrease, researchers said. The 2010 law that established the CEP also created stronger nutritional requirements for school meals. As a result, those meals now more closely resemble the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet, which studies have shown to be an effective tool for managing hypertension. 

Despite the evidence supporting the DASH diet’s effectiveness, public health officials previously lacked an effective mechanism to encourage people with high blood pressure to follow its recommendations. “We know there are a lot of barriers to people eating this diet,” Localio said, but the combination of universal free meals and increased nutritional standards likely helped students overcome those barriers.

The study also contradicts the common misperception that universal free meals mostly benefit wealthier students, because students from low-income families would already receive free meals. The study sample consists primarily of low-income patients, with 85% of included students enrolled in public health insurance such as Medicaid.

“There is a perception that providing universally free school meals will only improve outcomes for students of relatively higher-income families, but our findings suggest that there are benefits for lower-income children as well,” Jones-Smith said. “Potential mechanisms for this include decreasing the income-related stigma around eating school lunch by providing it free to all students and eliminating the time and paperwork burden of individually applying, thus decreasing barriers to participation in school meals.”

These findings come at an uncertain time for universal free meals. A school is eligible to participate in the CEP if at least 25% of its students are identified as eligible for free meals via participation in a means-tested safety net program. In this way, recent cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the nation’s largest food assistance program, may affect schools’ access to the program.

“We’re in a contentious time for public health, but it seems like there’s bipartisan support for healthy school meals,” Localio said. “There’s legislation being considered in a number of states to expand universal free meals, and these findings could inform that decision-making. Cutting funding to school meals would not promote children’s health.” 

Co-authors on the study include Paul Hebert, research professor emeritus of health systems and population health at the UW; Melissa Knox, teaching professor of economics at the UW; Wyatt Benksen and Aileen Ochoa of OCHIN; and Jennifer Sonney, associate professor of nursing at the UW. This study was funded by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development. 

For more information or to contact the researchers, email Alden Woods at acwoods@uw.edu.

Over its 80-year history, the University of Washington School of Dentistry has trained nearly 7,000 dental professionals, many of whom stay in Washington. But the School’s service doesn’t start at graduation. UW dental students, faculty members and community volunteers provide free care to communities across Washington, serving hundreds of patients each academic quarter.  

The UW’s community collaborations span the state. In recent months, the School of Dentistry has offered care in Toppenish, Moses Lake and Longview, alongside monthly service days at Union Gospel Mission in Seattle and quarterly mobile clinics. Patients receive oral health exams, fillings, tooth extractions and cleanings. 

A patient receives care at a free clinic led by the UW School of Dentistry in Aberdeen, Washington.

“The work we do in communities across the state is a great example of why the UW is often called the University for Washington,” said André Ritter, dean of the UW School of Dentistry. “These programs and partnerships advance the mission of the UW and the School in significant ways through education and clinical care.” 

The clinics are organized through the School’s Office of Educational Partnerships, which is solely focused on improving the oral health of people in the Pacific Northwest. OEP coordinates outreach programs that address the distinct needs of each community. Dental students have the opportunity to serve in outreach clinics or act as mentors for middle- and high-school students, encouraging them to pursue dental education and eventually serve their own communities.  

Dental students typically begin seeing patients near the start of their third year. At the UW, however, students have the opportunity to work in clinical settings in underserved communities the summer after their first year through the Rural and Underserved Opportunities Program (RUOP).  

The School also offers a specific educational track that trains dentists to work in rural and underserved communities. Operated in conjunction with Eastern Washington University and the UW School of Medicine, the program — Regional Initiatives in Dental Education (RIDE) — has seen over 80% of its graduates return to rural and underserved communities across the Pacific Northwest. 

“Oral health is an essential part of overall well-being, and everyone deserves access to high-quality dental care,” said Amy Kim, a UW clinical associate professor of pediatric dentistry and director of the Office of Educational Partnerships. “We recognize that it is our duty and privilege to serve those who need it most.” 

 The UW School of Dentistry will continue its service and outreach programs throughout the fall and winter quarters. For more information or to learn about upcoming service days, contact Alden Woods at acwoods@uw.edu.

• El riesgo de enfermedades cardíacas a largo plazo entre las mujeres con diagnóstico de mioma uterino se elevó en más de un 80% en comparación con aquellas que no los tienen, según un estudio de 10 años realizado en más de 2.7 millones de mujeres estadounidenses.
• El elevado riesgo de enfermedades cardíacas entre aquellas con miomas uterinos se mantuvo en todas las razas y edades, pero fue particularmente contundente en las mujeres menores de 40 años.
• Los investigadores mencionaron que se requieren más estudios para comprender mejor y confirmar la relación entre los miomas uterinos y el aumento en el riesgo de padecer enfermedades cardíacas; por ahora, estos hallazgos indican que las mujeres con diagnóstico de mioma pueden beneficiarse de una mejor atención en términos de salud cardíaca y manejo de los factores de riesgo.

Prohibida su divulgación hasta las 4 a. m. hora central/5 a. m. ET del miércoles 10 de diciembre de 2025

DALLAS, 10 de diciembre de 2025 — El riesgo de enfermedades cardíacas a largo plazo entre las mujeres con diagnóstico de mioma uterino se elevó en más de un 80% en comparación con aquellas que no los tienen, según una nueva investigación independiente publicada hoy en la revista médica Journal of the American Heart Association (sitio web en inglés), una revista profesional de acceso abierto, revisada por especialistas, de la American Heart Association (la Asociación Americana del Corazón).

Los miomas son tumores, predominantemente benignos, que se forman a partir del tejido muscular del útero. La Oficina de Salud de la Mujer de Estados Unidos (sitio web en inglés) destaca que el 20% (y probablemente hasta un 80%) de las mujeres tendrá miomas para cuando cumpla 50 años.

“Casi 26 millones de mujeres premenopáusicas en Estados Unidos tienen miomas uterinos y muchas de ellas no presentan síntomas. A pesar de la alta prevalencia, los miomas no se han estudiado lo suficiente y no se comprenden muy bien”, comenta Julia D. DiTosto, M.S., una candidata a Ph. D. en epidemiología de la Facultad de Medicina Perelman de la Universidad de Pensilvania en Filadelfia. “Algunos estudios han demostrado que los miomas y las enfermedades cardiovasculares comparten vías biológicas, como la proliferación de células musculares lisas, la acumulación excesiva de tejido conectivo fibroso, la calcificación y las respuestas inflamatorias”.

DiTosto mencionó que esos hallazgos han enfrentado limitaciones como muestras del estudio de tamaño pequeño que carecen de diversidad y un diseño del estudio insuficiente.

“Nos propusimos abordar estas brechas cruciales mediante el uso de datos extensos y diversos, con un prolongado seguimiento”, expresó. “Nuestros hallazgos indican que los miomas podrían ser un importante marcador de identificación de mujeres con riesgo elevado de sufrir enfermedades cardiovasculares, con un aumento sostenido que persiste hasta 10 años después del diagnóstico”.

Los investigadores analizaron una base de datos estadounidense de información médica entre 2000 y 2022. Estudiaron a más de 450,000 mujeres (edad promedio de 41 años) con miomas, y las compararon con casi 2,251,000 mujeres que no han recibido este diagnóstico. Durante la década siguiente, los investigadores supervisaron las incidencias de la arteriopatía coronaria (sitio web en inglés) (como el ataque cardíaco [sitio web en inglés]), la enfermedad cerebrovascular (ataque o derrame cerebral y otras afecciones relacionadas) y la arteriopatía periférica (sitio web en inglés).

Esto fue lo que descubrieron:

• Después de 10 años de seguimiento, las mujeres con miomas presentaron mayor riesgo de padecer las tres afecciones principales (arteriopatía coronaria, enfermedades cerebrovasculares y arteriopatía periférica).
• El riesgo de padecer enfermedades cardiovasculares fue 81% más alto en las mujeres con miomas que en aquellas que no los tienen.
• A los 10 años, más del 5.4% de las mujeres con miomas habían sufrido un evento cardiovascular, en comparación con el 3% de las mujeres sin miomas.
• Las mujeres con diagnóstico de mioma uterino presentaron mayor riesgo de enfermedades cardíacas en todos los grupos raciales y étnicos (blanco, negro, hispano y asiático).
• En las mujeres jóvenes menores de 40 años, el riesgo de enfermedades cardiovasculares fue 251% más alto (o con probabilidades 3.5 veces más altas) en aquellas con miomas que en las que no los tenían.

“La solidez de la relación entre el riesgo de enfermedades cardíacas y los miomas uterinos asombrosa”, mencionó DiTosto. “Sin embargo, es importante señalar que es necesario realizar más investigaciones para confirmar estos hallazgos en otras poblaciones antes de que se implementen cambios formales en las pautas de evaluación del riesgo cardiovascular. Por mientras, estos resultados refuerzan las conversaciones reflexivas entre las mujeres y sus médicos acerca de la salud cardíaca en el contexto de un diagnóstico de mioma”.

“En este estudio se destaca otro aspecto de los factores únicos que repercuten en las mujeres en cuanto a la principal causa de muerte entre ellas: las enfermedades cardiovasculares”, señaló Stacey E. Rosen, M.D., FAHA, presidenta voluntaria de la American Heart Association, vicepresidenta sénior de salud de la mujer y directora ejecutiva del Instituto Katz para la Salud de la Mujer de Northwell Health en la ciudad de Nueva York. “También es una oportunidad para reconocer la importante función que desempeñan todos los médicos encargados del cuidado de la salud de la mujer en términos de salud general, incluida la salud cardíaca. Debido a que muchas mujeres pueden acudir a consultas anuales de “bienestar de la mujer” con su ginecólogo o con su médico general como principales puntos de atención, estas consultas ofrecen oportunidades excepcionales que van más allá de la salud ginecológica. Estos hallazgos que relacionan los miomas con las enfermedades cardíacas respaldan la necesidad de analizar el panorama general, el cual considera maneras de identificar y reducir el riesgo de sufrir enfermedades cardiovasculares, incluso en las mujeres sin factores de riesgo aparentes”.

Entre las limitaciones del estudio, es posible que no se hayan diagnosticado todavía miomas en las mujeres del grupo de comparación. Si bien los investigadores intentaron explicar un posible subdiagnóstico de los miomas, la limitación puede haber repercutido de cierta manera en los resultados.

Detalles, antecedentes y diseño del estudio:

• El estudio incluyó a 2,701,062 mujeres con una edad promedio de 41 años; 450,177 pacientes con miomas uterinos se compararon con 2,250,885 testigos sin miomas
• Los investigadores de la Universidad de Pensilvania estudiaron las reclamaciones de pacientes hospitalizadas y ambulantes, además de reclamaciones farmacéuticas recibidas de personas con seguro médico comercial entre 2000 y 2022 registradas en la base de datos anonimizados Clinformatics® Data Mart de Optum.
• Los miomas uterinos se identificaron mediante los códigos ICD-9/10, CPT o HCPCS, que requerían ya sea >1 reclamación como paciente hospitalizada o ambulante con ≥1 día de diferencia, o 1 reclamación por miomas precedida por una ecografía transvaginal o una resonancia magnética de la pelvis en un plazo de 30 días.
• El resultado fue un primer diagnóstico de enfermedad cardiovascular ateroesclerótica mayor, como arteriopatía coronaria, enfermedad cerebrovascular y arteriopatía periférica, verificada mediante los códigos ICD-9/10 o CPT/HCPCS.
• Los modelos se ajustaron por factores sociodemográficos (edad, raza/origen étnico), factores de riesgo cardiovascular (tabaquismo, obesidad, apnea del sueño, diabetes, hiperlipidemia, hipertensión), afecciones de salud mental (depresión, ansiedad), antecedentes reproductivos u obstétricos (número de partos, complicaciones del embarazo, síndrome de ovario poliquístico [SOP], infertilidad), cáncer, utilización de cuidados de salud y uso de medicamentos.

Los coautores, las divulgaciones y las fuentes de financiamiento se indican en el artículo.

Los estudios publicados en las revistas médicas científicas de la American Heart Association son revisados por expertos. Las afirmaciones y conclusiones en cada artículo son solo aquellas de los autores del estudio y no reflejan necesariamente la política ni la posición de la Asociación. La Asociación no ofrece ninguna declaración ni garantía de ningún tipo en cuanto a su exactitud o confiabilidad. La Asociación recibe más de un 85% de sus ingresos de fuentes ajenas a empresas. Estas fuentes incluyen contribuciones de personas particulares, fundaciones y patrimonios, así como ganancias por inversiones e ingresos por la venta de nuestros materiales informativos. Las empresas (incluidas las farmacéuticas, los fabricantes de dispositivos y otras compañías) también realizan donaciones a la Asociación. La Asociación tiene políticas estrictas para evitar que las donaciones influyan en el contenido científico y en las posturas de sus políticas. La información financiera general está disponible aquí (sitio web en inglés).

Recursos adicionales:

• Comunicado de prensa en inglés
• Fotos disponibles en la columna derecha del enlace del comunicado.
• Después del 10 de diciembre del 2025, consulte el borrador en línea (sitio web en inglés).
• Los factores de riesgo de enfermedades cardíacas en las mujeres resaltan la necesidad de mayor concientización y prevención (sitio web en inglés)
• Recursos y herramientas sobre embarazo y salud materna | Go Red For Women (sitio web en inglés)
• Siga las noticias de la American Heart Association/American Stroke Association en X en @HeartNews
• Siga las noticias de la Journal of the American Heart Association @JAHA_AHA

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Acerca de la American Heart Association

La American Heart Association es una fuerza incansable para un mundo de vidas más largas y saludables. La organización ha sido una fuente líder de información sobre salud durante más de cien años y su objetivo es garantizar la equidad en la salud en todas las comunidades. Con el apoyo de más de 35 millones de voluntarios en el mundo, financiamos investigaciones vanguardistas, defendemos la salud pública y proporcionamos recursos fundamentales para salvar y mejorar vidas afectadas por enfermedades cardiovasculares y ataques o derrames cerebrales. Trabajamos incansablemente para hacer avanzar la salud y transformar vidas cada día mediante el impulso de avances y la implementación de soluciones comprobadas en las áreas de ciencia, políticas y cuidados. Comuníquese con nosotros mediante heart.org (sitio web en inglés), Facebook o X, o llame al 1-800-AHA-USA1.

Para consultas de los medios de comunicación y el punto de vista experto de la American Heart Association: 214-706-1173

Cathy Lewis: cathy.lewis@heart.org

Para consultas públicas: 1-800-AHA-USA1 (242-8721)

heart.org (sitio web en inglés) y derramecerebral.org

• Long-term heart disease risk among women diagnosed with uterine fibroids was more than 80% higher than in women without uterine fibroids, according to a 10-year study of more than 2.7 million U.S. women.
• The elevated heart disease risk among those with uterine fibroids persisted among all races and ages but was particularly strong in women younger than 40.
• Researchers said more studies are needed to better understand and confirm the relationship between having uterine fibroids and increased heart disease risk — for now, these findings suggest women diagnosed with fibroids may benefit from enhanced attention to heart health and risk factor management.

Embargoed until 4 a.m. CT/5 a.m. ET Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025

DALLAS, Dec. 10, 2025 — Long-term heart disease risk in women diagnosed with uterine fibroids was more than 80% higher than in women without fibroids, according to new independent research published today in the Journal of the American Heart Association, an open access, peer-reviewed journal of the American Heart Association.

Fibroids are predominately benign growths that develop from the muscle tissue of the uterus. The U.S. Office of Women’s Health notes that as many as 20% — and possibly up to 80% — of women will develop fibroids by the time they reach age 50.

“Nearly 26 million pre-menopausal women in the U.S. are impacted by uterine fibroids and many do not experience any symptoms. Yet despite the high prevalence, fibroids are understudied and poorly understood,” said study author Julia D. DiTosto, M.S., a Ph.D. Candidate in Epidemiology at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. “Some studies have shown that fibroids and cardiovascular disease share biological pathways, including the growth of smooth muscle cells, the excessive buildup of fibrous connective tissue, calcification and inflammatory responses.”

DiTosto noted that those findings have been hindered by limitations including small study sample sizes that lacked diversity and insufficient study design.

“We set out to address these critical gaps using a large, diverse dataset with extended follow-up,” she said. “Our findings suggest that fibroids may serve as an important marker for identifying women at elevated cardiovascular risk, with sustained increased risk persisting up to 10 years after diagnosis.”

Researchers looked at a U.S. database of health information from 2000 to 2022. They studied more than 450,000 females (average age 41 years) with fibroids compared to nearly 2,251,000 females who had not been diagnosed with the fibroids. Over the next decade, researchers monitored for incidences of coronary artery disease (including heart attack), cerebrovascular disease (stroke and related conditions) and peripheral artery disease.

They found:

• After 10-years of follow-up, women with fibroids were at higher risk for all three major conditions (coronary artery, cerebrovascular and peripheral artery diseases).
• The risk of developing cardiovascular disease was 81% higher among those women with fibroids compared to those without.
• At 10 years, more than 5.4% of women with fibroids had experienced a cardiovascular event compared to 3% of women without fibroids.
• Women diagnosed with uterine fibroids were at increased heart disease risk across all racial and ethnic groups (white, Black, Hispanic and Asian groups).
• Among younger women, under age 40, the risk for cardiovascular disease was 251% higher (or more than 3.5 times more likely) in those with fibroids compared to those without fibroids.

“The strength of the relationship between heart disease risk and uterine fibroids was striking,” DiTosto said. “However, it's important to note that more research is needed to confirm these findings in other populations before formal changes are made to cardiovascular risk assessment guidelines. In the meantime, these results support having thoughtful conversations between women and their providers about heart health in the context of a fibroid diagnosis.”

“This study highlights yet another aspect in the unique factors that impact women in regard to the leading cause of death among them — cardiovascular disease,” said Stacey E. Rosen, M.D., FAHA, volunteer president of the American Heart Association and senior vice president of women’s health and executive director of the Katz Institute for Women’s Health of Northwell Health in New York City. “It also is an opportunity to recognize the very important role all of a woman’s health care clinicians can play in her overall health, including heart health. Because many women may use annual “well-woman” visits to their gynecologist or their general practitioner as their primary point of care, these visits offer exceptional opportunities that go beyond gynecologic health. These findings linking fibroids to heart disease support the need to discuss the bigger picture that considers ways to identify and reduce cardiovascular disease risk, even among those women who may not have any other apparent risk factors.”

Among the limitations of the study, fibroids may not have been diagnosed yet in women included in the comparison group. While the researchers tried to account for possible underdiagnosis of fibroids, the limitation may have impacted the results to some extent.

Study details, background and design:

• The study included 2,701,062 females, average age of 41 years — 450,177 individuals with uterine fibroids matched to 2,250,885 controls without fibroids
• Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania studied inpatient, outpatient and pharmacy claims from commercially insured individuals from 2000 to 2022 from Optum's de-identified Clinformatics® Data Mart Database.
• Uterine fibroids were identified using ICD-9/10, CPT, or HCPCS codes, requiring either >1 inpatient/outpatient claim ≥1 day apart, or 1 fibroid claim preceded by transvaginal ultrasound or pelvic MRI within 30 days.
• The outcome was first-time major atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease diagnosis including coronary artery disease, cerebrovascular disease and peripheral artery disease, ascertained using ICD-9/10 or CPT/HCPCS codes.
• Models adjusted for sociodemographic factors (age, race/ethnicity), cardiovascular risk factors (smoking, obesity, sleep apnea, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, hypertension), mental health conditions (depression, anxiety), reproductive/obstetric history (parity, pregnancy complications, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), infertility), cancer, health care utilization and medication use.

Co-authors, disclosures and funding sources are listed in the manuscript.

Studies published in the American Heart Association’s scientific journals are peer-reviewed. The statements and conclusions in each manuscript are solely those of the study authors and do not necessarily reflect the Association’s policy or position. The Association makes no representation or guarantee as to their accuracy or reliability. The Association receives more than 85% of its revenue from sources other than corporations. These sources include contributions from individuals, foundations and estates, as well as investment earnings and revenue from the sale of our educational materials. Corporations (including pharmaceutical, device manufacturers and other companies) also make donations to the Association. The Association has strict policies to prevent any donations from influencing its science content and policy positions. Overall financial information is available here.

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Additional Resources:

• Spanish news release
• Multimedia is available on the right column of release link.
• After Dec. 10, 2025, view the manuscript online.
• Spanish news release (Will be linked once available)
• Heart disease risk factors in women highlight need for increased awareness, prevention
• Pregnancy and Maternal Health Resources and Tools | Go Red for Women
• Follow American Heart Association/American Stroke Association news on X @HeartNews
• Follow news from the Journal of the American Heart Association @JAHA_AHA

About the American Heart Association

The American Heart Association is a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. Dedicated to ensuring equitable health in all communities, the organization has been a leading source of health information for more than one hundred years. Supported by more than 35 million volunteers globally, we fund groundbreaking research, advocate for the public’s health, and provide critical resources to save and improve lives affected by cardiovascular disease and stroke. By driving breakthroughs and implementing proven solutions in science, policy, and care, we work tirelessly to advance health and transform lives every day. Connect with us on heart.org, Facebook, X or by calling 1-800-AHA-USA1.

For Media Inquiries and American Heart Association Expert Perspective: 214-706-1173

Cathy Lewis: cathy.lewis@heart.org

For Public Inquiries: 1-800-AHA-USA1 (242-8721)

heart.org and stroke.org

• After 24 months, 34% of veterans who have heart and blood vessel disease and high cholesterol in a quality improvement program that included health care coaches and other resources had improved cholesterol levels to below 70 mg/dL.
• The quality-improvement program increased the number of military veterans with better LDL (“bad” cholesterol) levels of less than 70mg/dL, and more than a third of those ages 75 and older achieved their lower cholesterol goal.
• Note: The study featured in this news release is a research abstract. Abstracts presented at the American Heart Association’s scientific meetings are not peer-reviewed, and the findings are considered preliminary until published as a full manuscript in a peer-reviewed scientific journal.

Embargoed until 3:47 p.m. CT/4:47 p.m. ET, Monday, Nov. 10, 2025

This news release contains updated information from the research authors that was not in the abstract.

NEW ORLEANS, Nov. 10, 2025 — A quality improvement program helped reduce “bad cholesterol” (LDL or low-density lipoprotein) levels among military veterans who have heart and blood vessel disease, according to a preliminary late-breaking science presentation today at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2025. The meeting, Nov. 7-10, in New Orleans, is a premier global exchange of the latest scientific advancements, research and evidence-based clinical practice updates in cardiovascular science.

“Heart disease and stroke are the leading causes of death among veterans, and elevated low-density lipoprotein is a major risk factor for both. While there are medications that work well to lower this bad cholesterol, two-thirds of veterans with heart disease do not have cholesterol treated to goal,” said study author Luc Djoussé, M.D., a research health scientist (cardiovascular epidemiologist) at Massachusetts Veterans Epidemiology Research and Information Collaborative (MAVERIC), the Boston VA Medical Center and an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, all in Boston. “Lowering LDL cholesterol reduces the chances of having another heart attack or stroke. For veterans, keeping LDL cholesterol levels low leads to better heart health and reduces health care costs. This shows how important it is for veterans to manage their cholesterol levels in order to have longer, healthier lives.”

This study investigated if the quality improvement program would expand the use of cholesterol-lowering medications, improve patient adherence to taking these medications and/or increase the percentage of veterans meeting an LDL-cholesterol goal of below 70 mg/dL.

The study identified barriers to lowering cholesterol, including poor medication adherence among veterans, gaps in health information and education support for veterans and professionals on cholesterol management and lifestyle changes, and staffing shortages at Veterans Affairs health care centers. The quality improvement program addressed these issues with a multipronged approach: health care coaches, multidisciplinary teams, engagement lists for at-risk veterans, improved medication prescribing practices and health information and resources about cholesterol and lifestyle management.

The analysis found:                                                                                                       

• A 32% increase in the number of veterans reducing their bad cholesterol below 70 mg/dL during the program.
• For those who were in the program for at least 2 years and had a second LDL cholesterol measurement, 33.5% achieved the LDL cholesterol goal. This benefit was seen in both men and women and in veterans who were 75 years and older.
• Among all participants, there was a 15.9 mg/dL reduction in LDL cholesterol, with the greatest reduction occurring among veterans who initially had the highest LDL cholesterol levels.
• The proportion of veterans being prescribed cholesterol-lowering medication increased from 78% at baseline to 88%, and patient adherence to cholesterol-lowering medications improved from 65% to 77%. These benefits were observed in both men and women.
• Among veterans ages 75 and older, 36% achieved the goal of LDL cholesterol or less than 70 mg/dL.

“We were surprised to see similar reductions in LDL levels among veterans ages 75 and older. This is important because fewer older adults have been included in previous clinical trials of LDL cholesterol medications. This knowledge, if confirmed by ongoing large trials among older adults, could change clinical practice for this age group,” Djoussé said.

The study’s strengths include the large number of participants — veterans of various ages and races, both men and women, which means the results may be more widely applicable to the general population. In addition, the use of a health coach and simple, inexpensive approaches can lead to a significant improvement in cholesterol management.

Limitations include that the program was not designed to evaluate its impact on heart attacks or strokes, so its impact cannot be directly tied to those events. Also, participating veterans were not required to give blood samples at frequent intervals, so researchers relied on LDL cholesterol measurements taken as part of routine clinical care.

Study background, details and design:

• Approximately 160,000 veterans with heart and vascular diseases are enrolled in the VALOR-QI program, which started in December 2022 and will conclude in December 2025. This analysis covers data through June 2025 for the select participants in this study.
• The current analysis is based on 83,232 veterans who had prevalent ASCVD, LDL cholesterol of 70 mg/dL or higher at baseline and had another measurement of LDL cholesterol during the program.
• Participants’ average age was 70 years old; 7% of participants were women; 69% self-reported they are white adults, and 22% self-identified as Black adults.
• 50 VA health care sites participated in the VALOR-QI program. Each site is headed by a local clinical champion who leads a team of health care professionals and health care coaches who work with American Heart Association consultants to identify and address site-specific barriers to optimal cholesterol management among participating veterans.
• Adherence to treatment plans was assessed via prescription refills and cholesterol lab values recorded in participants’ VA electronic health records.
• In addition to continuing to follow participants’ health, the researchers are evaluating the impact of the quality improvement program on health care costs.

“For patients, our study results mean participation in the quality improvement program increased the likelihood of improvement in cardiovascular health. Many tools and strategies used in VALOR-QI were simple, inexpensive and accessible to clinicians and patients at each point of care. This is important for sustainability within the VA system and could lead to adoption of these strategies throughout the vast VA system and also non-VA health care systems,” Djoussé said.

The Veterans Affairs Lipid Optimization Reimagined Quality Improvement (VALOR-QI) program — a collaboration between the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the American Heart Association — is the first large-scale quality-improvement program designed to support former military service personnel with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) or who are at high risk of a cardiovascular event. Nearly 160,000 veterans have been engaged in VALOR-QI since it launched in 2022, and the program is supported by Novartis.

The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is the largest integrated health care system in the United States, providing care at 1,380 health care facilities, including 170 VA Medical Centers and 1,193 outpatient sites of care of varying complexity (VHA outpatient clinics) to over 9.1 million veterans enrolled in the VA health care program.

Co-authors, disclosures and funding sources are listed in the abstract. Please note: Novartis was not involved in this study.

These statements do not represent the views of the Department of Veterans Affairs or the US government.

Statements and conclusions of studies that are presented at the American Heart Association’s scientific meetings are solely those of the study authors and do not necessarily reflect the Association’s policy or position. The Association makes no representation or guarantee as to their accuracy or reliability. Abstracts presented at the Association’s scientific meetings are not peer-reviewed, rather, they are curated by independent review panels and are considered based on the potential to add to the diversity of scientific issues and views discussed at the meeting. The findings are considered preliminary until published as a full manuscript in a peer-reviewed scientific journal.

The Association receives more than 85% of its revenue from sources other than corporations. These sources include contributions from individuals, foundations and estates, as well as investment earnings and revenue from the sale of our educational materials. Corporations (including pharmaceutical, device manufacturers and other companies) also make donations to the Association. The Association has strict policies to prevent any donations from influencing its science content and policy positions. Overall financial information is available here.

Additional Resources:

• Multimedia is available on the right column of the release link
• View the abstract in the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2025 Online Program Planner
• American Heart Association news release: New program for veterans with high cholesterol, associated cardiovascular disease (March 2023)
• American Heart Association news release: British veterans severely injured in the Afghanistan War had higher risk of CVD (Nov. 2021)
• About Scientific Sessions 2025  
• For more news at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2025, follow us on X @HeartNews,#AHA25

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About the American Heart Association

The American Heart Association is a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. Dedicated to ensuring equitable health in all communities, the organization has been a leading source of health information for more than one hundred years. Supported by more than 35 million volunteers globally, we fund groundbreaking research, advocate for the public’s health, and provide critical resources to save and improve lives affected by cardiovascular disease and stroke. By driving breakthroughs and implementing proven solutions in science, policy, and care, we work tirelessly to advance health and transform lives every day. Connect with us on heart.org, Facebook, X or by calling 1-800-AHA-USA1.

For Media Inquiries and American Heart Association Expert Perspective:

American Heart Association Communications & Media Relations in Dallas: 214-706-1173;ahacommunications@heart.org

Karen Astle: Karen.Astle@heart.org

For Public Inquiries: 1-800-AHA-USA1 (242-8721)

heart.org and stroke.org

• Among 150 adults who had been recently hospitalized for heart failure, those who received deliveries of prepared meals or fresh produce along with dietary counseling reported improved quality of life compared to adults who only received dietary guidance without food delivery.
• There were no differences in the number of hospital readmissions or emergency department visits for heart failure between participants who received food delivery compared to those who did not.
• Note: The study featured in this news release is a research abstract. Abstracts presented at American Heart Association’s scientific meetings are not peer-reviewed, and the findings are considered preliminary until published as full manuscripts in a peer-reviewed scientific journal.

Embargoed until 10:15 a.m. CT/11:15 a.m. ET, Monday, Nov. 10, 2025

This news release contains updated information from the research authors that was not in the abstract.

NEW ORLEANS, Nov. 10, 2025 — Providing healthy, medically tailored meals or boxes of fresh produce along with nutrition counseling with a dietitian led to improved quality of life for people with heart failure compared to people who received dietary counseling without healthy food deliveries, according to a preliminary late-breaking science presentation today at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2025. The meeting, Nov. 7-10, in New Orleans, is a premier global exchange of the latest scientific advancements, research and evidence-based clinical practice updates in cardiovascular science.

“People with heart failure can often experience their condition worsening if they are not eating the right kind of food after they go home from the hospital,” said lead study author Ambarish Pandey, M.D., M.S., FAHA, an associate professor of internal medicine in the division of cardiology and geriatrics at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas and medical director of the center’s heart failure with preserved ejection fraction program. “People need nutritious meals that can provide them with the right nutrients for optimal health, including the appropriate calorie intake, the right amount of protein and limited sodium, sugar and fat.”

This randomized trial included 150 adults who were enrolled within two weeks of being discharged from the hospital for acute heart failure. Researchers assigned participants to one of three groups: one group received medically tailored meals and dietary counseling with a dietitian; the second group received fresh produce boxes and dietary counseling; and the third group received dietary counseling without food delivery. Participants receiving either meals or produce were also divided into two subgroups. One subgroup only received food if they picked up their medications from the pharmacy and attended their follow-up clinic appointments. The other subgroup received food whether or not they picked up their medications or attended appointments at the clinic. The meals and grocery food delivery programs lasted for 90 days.

The study’s key findings include:

• Participants in both food delivery groups (receiving either medically tailored meals or fresh produce boxes) reported a higher quality of life compared to those who received dietary guidance without food delivery, based on their responses in the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire.
• People in the conditional delivery groups (confirmed prescription pick-up) reported higher quality of life compared to people in the unconditional delivery group (no prescription pick-up required).
• Participants who received boxes of fresh produce and were able to use fresh produce in their own meals reported greater patient satisfaction than people who received prepared meals, based on their responses in the end-of-study survey.
• There were no significant differences in the number of hospital readmissions or emergency department visits between participants in the food delivery groups compared with people who did not receive food deliveries, or between the two groups receiving food. The study found a total of 32 hospital readmissions and emergency department visits for heart failure during the 90-day study, with 18% of participants having one or more readmissions or emergency visits.

“These findings indicate the potential for healthy foods to affect outcomes and disease progression for people with chronic conditions like heart failure. If we can identify the best strategy for providing access to healthy food, this could be transformative for people with heart failure who are particularly vulnerable after hospitalization,” Pandey said. “I think healthy food can be as powerful as medications for people with chronic conditions like heart failure.”

Access to healthy food is a social factor that contributes to overall health including cardiovascular disease risk and outcomes. Current evidence indicates that food insecurity, or limited access to enough food, and nutrition insecurity, or limited access to healthy foods, are both associated with more chronic health conditions and worse outcomes. According to the American Heart Association’s 2025 Scientific Statement, Systematic Review of “Food Is Medicine” Randomized Controlled Trials for Noncommunicable Disease in U.S., programs that incorporate healthy food and health care for people with or at high risk for chronic disease showed great potential in improving diet quality and food security.

Study details, background and design:

• 150 adults who had been hospitalized for acute heart failure at UT Southwestern Medical Center or Parkland Hospital in Dallas were enrolled within two weeks of hospital discharge.
• Participants had a median age of 60 years, and 39% were women.
• About 4 in 10 (42%) participants self-identified as Black, about 1 in 3 (33%) self-identified as Hispanic and 23% self-identified as non-Hispanic white.
• 95% of participants had a diagnosis of high blood pressure, and 54% had Type 2 diabetes; 53% of participants reported food insecurity (limited access to enough food); 55% reported nutrition insecurity (limited access to healthy food); and 69% of participants self-reported that they did not regularly take their medication as prescribed.
• Participants in the intervention groups either received medically tailored meals or boxes of fresh produce along with dietary counseling for 90 days. Participants in the third group received dietary counseling without food delivery.
• Participants in the conditional delivery group were required to pick up their medication from the pharmacy and attend their follow-up clinic visits throughout the study period after hospital discharge in order to receive their medically tailored, prepared meals or fresh produce boxes. Participants in the unconditional delivery group received food whether or not they picked up their medications or attended follow-up appointments.

The study limitations include its small size of only 150 patients and short follow-up period of only 90 days. Larger studies with more participants and following patients for a longer time period are needed to assess whether food programs may lower hospitalizations or improve survival rates. Pandey and colleagues are planning a phase 3 trial with 1,200–1,500 people at multiple hospitals.

The trial was funded by the American Heart Association’s Health Care by Food™ initiative. This initiative is conducting scientific research, public policy advocacy and stakeholder education to advance food is medicine interventions that incorporate healthy food into health care to treat, manage and prevent diet-related diseases.

Co-authors and disclosures are listed in the manuscript.

Statements and conclusions of studies that are presented at the American Heart Association’s scientific meetings are solely those of the study authors and do not necessarily reflect the Association’s policy or position. The Association makes no representation or guarantee as to their accuracy or reliability. Abstracts presented at the Association’s scientific meetings are not peer-reviewed, rather, they are curated by independent review panels and are considered based on the potential to add to the diversity of scientific issues and views discussed at the meeting. The findings are considered preliminary until published as a full manuscript in a peer-reviewed scientific journal.

The Association receives more than 85% of its revenue from sources other than corporations. These sources include contributions from individuals, foundations and estates, as well as investment earnings and revenue from the sale of our educational materials. Corporations (including pharmaceutical, device manufacturers and other companies) also make donations to the Association. The Association has strict policies to prevent any donations from influencing its science content and policy positions. Overall financial information is available here.

Additional Resources:

• Multimedia is available on the right column of the release link.
• View the abstract in the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions Online Program Planner
• American Heart Association Science Advisory news release: Excessive ultraprocessed foods (UPFs) and poor nutrition tied to poor health (Aug. 2025)
• American Heart Association Scientific Statement news release: ‘Food is medicine’ shows potential for improving diet quality and food security (June 2025)
• American Heart Association Presidential Advisory: Food Is Medicine (Sept. 2023)
• American Heart Association Scientific Statement: Dietary Guidance to Improve Cardiovascular Health (Nov. 2021)
• American Heart Association health information: Living with Heart Failure and Managing Advance HF
• About Scientific Sessions 2025  
• For more news at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2025, follow us on X @HeartNews, #AHA25

###

About the American Heart Association

The American Heart Association is a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. Dedicated to ensuring equitable health in all communities, the organization has been a leading source of health information for more than one hundred years. Supported by more than 35 million volunteers globally, we fund groundbreaking research, advocate for the public’s health, and provide critical resources to save and improve lives affected by cardiovascular disease and stroke. By driving breakthroughs and implementing proven solutions in science, policy, and care, we work tirelessly to advance health and transform lives every day. Connect with us on heart.org, Facebook, X or by calling 1-800-AHA-USA1.

For Media Inquiries and American Heart Association Expert Perspective:

American Heart Association Communications & Media Relations: 214-706-1173;ahacommunications@heart.org

Amanda Ebert: Amanda.Ebert@heart.org

For Public Inquiries: 1-800-AHA-USA1 (242-8721)

heart.org and stroke.org

• The cholesterol-lowering medication alirocumab, a PCSK9 inhibitor, along with a statin, lowered LDL cholesterol levels more than 50% in patients after a heart transplant, compared to those taking a placebo plus statin, according to the results of a new clinical trial.
• Researchers found alirocumab did not reduce the risk of developing cardiac allograft vasculopathy, a progressive coronary artery disease that occurs after a heart transplant.
• Note: This trial is simultaneously published today as a full manuscript in the peer-reviewed scientific journal Circulation.

Embargoed until 10:00 a.m. CT/11:00 a.m. ET, Monday, Nov. 10, 2025

NEW ORLEANS, Nov. 10, 2025 — The cholesterol medication alirocumab, a PCSK9 inhibitor, combined with a statin appeared to reduce LDL cholesterol levels by more than 50% among patients after a heart transplant, according to a late-breaking science presentation today at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2025. The meeting, Nov. 7-10, in New Orleans, is a premier global exchange of the latest scientific advancements, research and evidence-based clinical practice updates in cardiovascular science.

“Our study found treating patients who have had a heart transplant with a more aggressive cholesterol management regimen was safe and lowered their LDL-cholesterol levels significantly,” said study author William F. Fearon, M.D., FAHA, a professor of medicine and chief of interventional cardiology at Stanford University School of Medicine in Stanford, California. “These results support PCSK9 inhibitors for patients who have high LDL cholesterol levels in conjunction with statin therapy, however, we need more studies testing treatment with PCSK9 inhibitors with longer term follow-up with more participants to confirm if PCSK9s can reduce the development of cardiac allograft vasculopathy.”

According to the American Heart Association, high LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol, known as “bad” cholesterol, has no symptoms, but it can increase risk for cardiovascular issues because it can cause plaque to build up in the arteries. This buildup may block blood flow or break loose and cause a heart attack or stroke.

In this clinical trial, called CAVIAR (Cardiac Allograft Vasculopathy Inhibition with AliRocumab), researchers tested the safety and effectiveness of adding the PCSK9 inhibitor alirocumab to a statin regimen among patients soon after a heart transplant to prevent the development of cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV). CAV is common and the primary cause of death for many patients after a heart transplant. The study, which included more than 100 adults after a heart transplant, also evaluated the change in coronary artery plaque volume soon after the heart transplant through one year later. Participants were assigned to take either alirocumab or a placebo, together with rosuvastatin, a commonly prescribed cholesterol-lowering medication.

The trial results showed that one-year post-transplant, alirocumab plus rosuvastatin was safe and effectively lowered LDL cholesterol. The cholesterol-lowering impact of taking both medications was beyond what was achieved with rosuvastatin alone. Coronary plaque reduction was not significant in either group though, and there was no statistically significant difference between the plaque progression in the groups.

After one year, the study found:

• The average LDL cholesterol levels decreased by more than 50% among participants in the alirocumab group—from 72.7 mg/dL at enrollment to 31.5 mg/dL. The average LDL cholesterol levels among participants in the placebo group did not statistically change from the average 69.0 mg/dL at enrollment.
• Although the coronary artery plaque volume increased numerically in both groups from baseline to 12 months, there was no change in plaque volume between the alirocumab and placebo group.
• Plaque progression was minimal in both the alirocumab groups and the placebo group.
• There were no significant side effects in either group.

The study had some limitations, with researchers noting that because there was less plaque progression than expected between both groups and because the LDL levels were low at baseline in the rosuvastatin alone (placebo) arm, the study power to detect a difference when adding alirocumab was reduced. Based on various research studies, the American Heart Association recommends a "lower is better" approach for cholesterol, especially LDL-C, rather than a single ideal number for everyone. For healthy adults, an LDL-C level below 100 mg/dl is considered ideal. For those with pre-existing conditions like atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease or diabetes, target levels are more stringent and the guidelines focus on reducing LDL-C to 70 mg/dL or lower.

Study details, background and design:

• The study group included 114 adults who had heart transplants; their mean age was 58 years old.
• Stanford University conducted the trial, starting in 2019. Transplant patients were identified at two health care centers: Stanford Medical Center and Kaiser Permanente in Santa Clara, California.
• Participants were enrolled in the trial within eight weeks after the heart transplant and randomly assigned to one of two groups: group one (57 adults) was prescribed 150 mg of alirocumab with rosuvastatin; group two (57 adults) was assigned to take a placebo with rosuvastatin.
• At time of enrollment in the trial and one year after the heart transplant, all participants underwent additional screening procedures to evaluate the blood flow and plaque buildup in their coronary arteries.

CAV, which causes narrowing and blockage of vessels supplying blood to the heart, is a common complication after a heart transplant and a primary cause of death after a transplant. High LDL cholesterol is a contributing factor to CAV, and it is usually treated with statins. Treatment with statins alone, however, often falls short in achieving the target levels for low cholesterol.
Co-authors, disclosures and funding sources are listed in the manuscript.

Statements and conclusions of studies that are presented at the American Heart Association’s scientific meetings are solely those of the study authors and do not necessarily reflect the Association’s policy or position. The Association makes no representation or guarantee as to their accuracy or reliability. Abstracts presented at the Association’s scientific meetings are not peer-reviewed, rather, they are curated by independent review panels and are considered based on the potential to add to the diversity of scientific issues and views discussed at the meeting. The findings are considered preliminary until published as a full manuscript in a peer-reviewed scientific journal.

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Additional Resources:

• Multimedia is available on the right column of the release link
• View the abstract in the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2025 Online Program Planner
• American Heart Association news release: Pay attention to 4 health factors to prevent new heart syndrome (February, 2025)
• American Heart Association health information: Prevention and Treatment of High Cholesterol
• About Scientific Sessions 2025
• For more news at AHA Scientific Sessions 2025, follow us on X @HeartNews,#AHA25

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About the American Heart Association

The American Heart Association is a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. Dedicated to ensuring equitable health in all communities, the organization has been a leading source of health information for more than one hundred years. Supported by more than 35 million volunteers globally, we fund groundbreaking research, advocate for the public’s health, and provide critical resources to save and improve lives affected by cardiovascular disease and stroke. By driving breakthroughs and implementing proven solutions in science, policy, and care, we work tirelessly to advance health and transform lives every day. Connect with us on heart.org, Facebook, X or by calling 1-800-AHA-USA1.

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