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In the three-and-a-half years since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to an abortion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the fragmented state of abortion access has put medical professionals in a precarious position. Many states have tightened abortion restrictions, with some enacting criminal penalties up to life in prison for physicians who perform abortions. Medical schools have curtailed abortion-related curricula.

New research led in part by the University of Washington found that the new restrictions are not only affecting the current medical workforce — they may be shaping the next generation of physicians. The study, published March 2 in JAMA Network Open, found that applications to medical residency programs in states that enacted new abortion restrictions dropped sharply following the Dobbs ruling.

The decrease occurred among both male and female applicants. Applications to specialties related to reproductive health — obstetrics and gynecology, family medicine, internal medicine and emergency medicine — saw the largest decreases.

The new study builds on previous research that had shown decreased application rates to residency programs in states with abortion restrictions by applying causal methodologies to understand the impact of the Supreme Court decision and isolating results from male and female applicants.

“This research provides important empirical evidence about how state-level policy changes following Dobbs may influence decisions made by medical trainees about where to pursue their graduate medical education,” said co-author Anirban Basu, a UW professor of health economics and director of the Comparative Health Outcomes, Policy, and Economics (CHOICE) Institute.

To learn more about the research, UW News sat down the paper’s three authors: Basu; lead author Dr. Anisha Ganguly, assistant professor of medicine at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; and co-author Dr. Anna Morenz, assistant clinical professor of internal medicine at the University of Arizona. Both Ganguly and Morenz completed their internal medicine residencies at the UW School of Medicine.

The medical residency match process is quite different from traditional higher-ed applications. Can you explain how that works, and how it relates to your study’s findings?

Dr. Anna Morenz: Applicants may apply to as many programs as they want, with some applying to dozens of programs. At the end of interviews, they’ll rank those programs based on their preferred landing spots. The programs, in turn, will rank all the applicants that they received. A computer algorithm then matches everyone with the goal of filling all the residency slots, and it’s very good at that. We know that almost all open residency slots in the U.S. are filled. So programs are still filling their residency slots even in states with restrictions.

What concerns us about these findings is that there’s an early signal of people avoiding applications to these states. That has potential implications for the quality of the applicants to restricted states, which could not be assessed in our data. There’s typically a high likelihood that people stay where they train for their residency, but if you landed in a restricted state that was low on your rank list, you may be more likely to complete your training and then leave to a non-restricted state. We aim to look at this very important question in projects to come.

Anisha and Anna, you’re both practicing primary care physicians. How big a part of a physician’s training is abortion and other pregnancy-related care? 

Dr. Anisha Ganguly: It’s not a big part of our training traditionally, though there has been a movement to integrate more abortion care into primary care residencies. That’s more the case in family medicine rather than internal medicine, because medication abortion has now become the most common means for abortion care. As internists, we commonly diagnose pregnancies and care for women with medical conditions as they consider family planning.

AM: I do think it’s important to note that a huge percentage of primary care physicians are trained in family medicine. And family medicine physicians are trained in delivery of babies, management of prenatal care, miscarriage management, contraception and abortion. Anisha and I trained in internal medicine, and there is increasing interest to include medication abortion training in internal medicine, as it is fully within our scope of practice.

The effects of the Dobbs decision have been well-documented, and previous work on this topic highlighted changes in OB/GYN residency applications. What’s new in your study specifically? 

Anirban Basu: We had a much longer pre-period than previous studies. We looked back to 2019 to see what had been happening to application rates in these two kinds of states — those that eventually restricted abortion access and those that didn’t — and we showed that these rates had been moving similarly until the ruling. That gives a little more weight to the evidence to say the change is due to the ruling. 

The second big thing is that previous studies did not distinguish whether men and women were changing their behavior similarly. I think that’s a very important finding in our study, that male applicants are changing their behavior at an even higher rate. 

AG: I agree that the gender stratification was an important contribution. The other stratified analysis that we explored was about how specialty type may be driving some of the effects that we saw. A lot of people can reason that OB/GYN applicants would be affected by this directly, and there’s a lot of literature to support that. But what we’re showing is that it’s not just the OB/GYN workforce that’s going to be impacted. It’s the primary care workforce and the emergency medicine workforce. 

We’re hoping that message spreads a little more broadly. This is not just about women’s health. It’s about the future of primary care and the person who’s going to save you from your heart attack in the future.

Let’s talk a little more about that gender stratification. You found that male applicants changed their application preferences at a greater rate than female applicants, which looks like a surprising result. What’s going on there? 

AG: When we generated our original hypotheses, we thought we were going to see increased effects among women applying to residency, but we actually ended up seeing that there were long-term disparities that existed pre-Dobbs between restricted and non-restricted states. This was likely because of the laws targeting abortion providers and other state-level laws that were affecting women’s behavior. What we’re seeing is that women had been reading the tea leaves about access to reproductive health care prior to the Dobbs decision, but the decision did unmask a wider problem that drove a lot of new behavior among men.

One of the messages that we are getting from this paper is this is an “all of us” problem. It’s not just about women physicians. It’s about men who are also making choices about their professional autonomy and also about access to reproductive health care for their families. Women have been and will be considering their personal access to care and autonomy before this decision, but perhaps these state restrictions after Dobbs may have newly increased awareness among men. 

Among all these shifts, you found one group whose application rates didn’t change significantly: people applying to highly competitive medical specialities. What do you think explains that stickiness? 

AG: Anna and I had brainstormed about this being a potential effect modifier, because people who are applying in highly competitive specialties like orthopedic surgery or dermatology apply very broadly and don’t get to exercise a lot of choice about where to go. Whereas for large specialities like internal medicine, family medicine or pediatrics, there are a lot of programs in a lot of places, so applicants have more options. In those cases, state-level policies like abortion restrictions can factor more into people’s decision-making.

At an institutional level, what changes could be made to address these trends? 

AG: Institutions can make choices to mitigate some of these effects by supporting candidates with access to reproductive care within the scope of the restrictions that exist. Other industries are building in travel benefits for women who may need to travel to access these services. 

It’s not this aspect of a decision alone that shapes a residency applicant’s choice to go to a specific place or program. But there are other things that institutions can do to make trainees, particularly women, feel supported and valued. If you’re existing in an environment where state policies make women feel a lack of autonomy, then there are workforce policies that can be in place to bolster that sense of autonomy. That could take the shape of parental leave policies, lactation policies, other things that institutions can do to make women feel like, even if this part of your voice has been taken away, we’ll help you with the rest.

AB: One policy that has a long history of literature supporting it is financial incentives. Physicians do respond to financial incentives, but in many cases those incentives need to be quite steep to get people to change their decisions. 

AM: The other option is training opportunities. A lot of programs in states that had laws or restrictions that preceded the Dobbs decision would set up partnerships with organizations in another state where they could send their trainees to learn about pregnancy termination and miscarriage management. That’s a burden on residency programs and residents both. You have to set up housing and travel agreements. But that’s another key thing that programs need to keep in mind in order to recruit applicants. 

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

Over five decades, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) has become known as the nation’s first “food as medicine” program. Low-income families receiving WIC benefits — which provides nutritious food in designated categories, nutrition education and access to other social services — have fewer premature births and infant deaths, eat higher-quality diets, and are more likely to receive regular medical care. 

But many families who are income eligible to participate in WIC aren’t receiving those benefits. Research has found that households who don’t use the full amount of their nutrition benefits are more likely to drop from the program. 

New research by the University of Washington has found that households who redeem more of their benefits in the most popular food categories are more likely to remain in the program long-term. Better understanding these patterns could help WIC agencies identify families who might need a little extra encouragement to stay enrolled.

The study was published Dec. 3 in JAMA Network Open. 

“Finding ways to identify kids and families that are at risk of dropping out of the program is of high importance,” said Pia Chaparro, a UW assistant professor of health systems and population health and first author of the study. “That’s basically what we’ve identified — a way to flag families who may be at risk of dropping off.”

WIC provides families with food benefits in specific categories, with fruits and vegetables and eggs as the most popular. In partnership with Public Health Foundation Enterprises WIC (PHFE WIC), a Southern California WIC agency with a large research and evaluation division, researchers analyzed redemption data from 188,000 participating infants and children 0-3 years old, between the years 2019 and 2023. 

Among those children, higher redemption of fruits and vegetables, eggs, whole milk and infant formula was associated with lower risk of their household discontinuing WIC participation. 

The risk of discontinuation decreased in a somewhat linear fashion as redemption rates increased.

Chaparro hopes that local WIC agencies will build on these findings and seek new ways to engage families at risk of dropping off. All WIC providers must offer nutrition education, which could be an opportunity to target households with lower redemption rates in popular categories. 

The findings come just over a year after the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees WIC, implemented significant updates to the program’s food package. Among other changes, the 2024 rule significantly increased benefits for fresh fruits and vegetables, which has proven popular.

“The expansion of fruit and vegetable benefits for WIC families has been among the most important policy changes of the last decade,” said Shannon Whaley, director of research and evaluation at PHFE WIC and co-author of the study. “Families want more fruits and vegetables, and this research demonstrates that their inclusion in the WIC food package is essential for longer-term engagement in the program.”

Christopher Anderson of the University of Tennessee and PHFE WIC is the corresponding author. This study was funded by The Research Innovation and Development Grants in Economics (RIDGE) Partnership.

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.

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.

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.

“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.

“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. 

DALLAS, March 23, 2026 — Transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy, or ATTR‑CM, is a serious and often underdiagnosed condition caused by abnormal protein buildup that prevents the left ventricle from relaxing and filling properly, impairing the heart’s ability to pump blood. When left untreated, the disease can lead to heart failure and significantly shorten life expectancy.

To overcome gaps in how this condition is identified and treated, the American Heart Association, a relentless force changing the future of health for everyone everywhere, has launched a nationwide effort to strengthen the system of care for people living with ATTR-CM. The quality improvement initiative, financially supported by Alnylam, is designed to improve early diagnosis and coordination of care, ultimately enhancing the patient experience.

Early recognition and diagnosis of ATTR-CM is critical, as timely care gives patients access to treatments that can extend survival, preserve physical function and maintain quality of life. As awareness of ATTR-CM grows and treatment options continue to advance, patients increasingly need coordinated, specialist-led care. However, building and sustaining these multidisciplinary systems remains challenging for many health care centers.

“ATTR-CM is a life-threatening condition that is too often recognized late, when current disease modifying therapy is less effective,” said Mat Maurer, M.D., volunteer member of the American Heart Association’s ATTR Amyloidosis Strategic Advisory Group  and professor of medicine at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York City. “By bringing multidisciplinary teams together to examine the full patient journey — from diagnosis through long-term management — this new initiative is helping identify practical, scalable approaches that can support earlier recognition, more coordinated care and better outcomes for people living with this disease.”

The three-year effort brings together a cohort of 10 multidisciplinary health care teams from across the country in a learning collaborative designed to better understand and improve ATTR-CM care pathways. The initiative focuses on the full patient journey — from diagnosis and referral through treatment and follow-up — with the goal of identifying successful, replicable models of care that can drive change nationwide.

Through shared learning and collaboration, participating sites will work to gain insights into current ATTR-CM practice pathways and amplify approaches that improve coordination of care, support earlier identification and strengthen long-term management for people living with ATTR-CM. By uncovering gaps in care and uniting experts across medical specialties, the initiative aims to help build a more integrated system that improves outcomes for patients nationwide.

“As awareness of ATTR-CM grows and treatment options continue to advance, it is essential that patients have access to well-coordinated, specialist-led care,” said Sameer Bansilal, M.D., M.S., cardiologist and vice president, Global TTR Medical lead, Alnylam Pharmaceuticals. “We are proud to support the American Heart Association’s new ATTR-CM initiative and its focus on understanding gaps in care, sharing successful models and strengthening systems that can improve the experience and outcomes for people affected by this devastating disease.”

For more information about the ATTR-CM initiative and to see a list of participating health care centers, visit heart.org/ATTRCMDiscovery.

Additional Resources:

• Multimedia is available on the right column of the release link.
• American Heart Association Support Network | Cardiomyopathy
• Transthyretin Amyloidosis (ATTR) for Professionals - Professional Heart Daily
• Extra-Cardiac Clues to Amyloidosis | Professional Education Hub
• Follow AHA/ASA news on X @HeartNews

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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: 214-706-1173

Michelle Rosenfeld: michelle.rosenfeld@heart.org

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

heart.org and stroke.org

Puntos destacados de la investigación:

• Según un análisis de los datos de salud de Project Viva, un estudio a largo plazo sobre la salud de las mujeres y los niños en el este de Massachusetts, si los adolescentes sustituyeran 30 minutos de tiempo sedentario al día por dormir o realizar actividad física de moderada a intensa, podrían reducir su resistencia a la insulina y, por lo tanto, el riesgo de padecer diabetes tipo 2.
• Sustituir 30 minutos de tiempo sedentario al día por dormir o realizar actividad física de moderada a intensa redujo una estimación de la resistencia a la insulina en casi el 15%.
• Las iniciativas de salud pública para promover la actividad física o el sueño en lugar de las actividades sedentarias podrían ayudar a mantener la salud cardiometabólica entre los adolescentes de EE. UU.
• Nota: El estudio que se presenta en este comunicado de prensa es un resumen de investigación. Los resúmenes que se presentan en las reuniones científicas de la American Heart Association (Asociación American del Corazón) no son revisados por expertos, y los hallazgos se consideran preliminares hasta que se publiquen como un artículo completo en una revista profesional científica revisada por expertos.

Prohibida su divulgación hasta las 1:30 p. m., ET / 12:30 p. m., CT del viernes 20 de marzo del 2026

BOSTON, 20 de marzo del 2026 — Los adolescentes que sustituyeron solo media hora de comportamientos sedentarios, como sentarse en el sofá o pasar tiempo frente a la computadora, cada día por actividad física de moderada a intensa o dormir, pueden reducir su resistencia a la insulina, un factor clave para prevenir la diabetes tipo 2, según una investigación preliminar presentada en las Sesiones Científicas EPI|Lifestyle del 2026 de la American Heart Association (sitio web en inglés). La reunión se lleva a cabo en Boston, del 17 al 20 de marzo del 2026, y ofrece los últimos avances científicos sobre salud poblacional, epidemiología, prevención, estilo de vida y salud cardiometabólica.

“Me sorprendió gratamente la fuerza de la asociación entre sustituir 30 minutos de sedentarismo por actividad física de moderada a intensa: una reducción del 15% en la resistencia a la insulina es un cambio bastante significativo”, afirma Soren Harnois-Leblanc, Ph.D., R.D., autora principal del estudio e investigadora posdoctoral en el Departamento de Medicina Poblacional del Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute y de la Facultad de Medicina de Harvard, ambos en Boston. “Nuestros hallazgos indican que pasar de comportamientos sedentarios a una actividad física de moderada a intensa o dormir, aunque solo sean unos minutos al día al principio, era beneficioso para la salud”.

Para evaluar el impacto de las actividades diarias habituales en el desarrollo de la resistencia a la insulina en los adolescentes, los investigadores examinaron los datos de salud de Project Viva, un estudio en curso respecto a la salud de niños nacidos en el período 1999-2002 y sus madres. La resistencia a la insulina se midió utilizando el modelo homeostático de evaluación de la resistencia a la insulina (HOMA-IR, por sus siglas en inglés), una prueba que estima la resistencia a la insulina basándose en los niveles de glucemia e insulina en sangre en ayunas. En la primera etapa de la adolescencia, con una edad promedio de casi 13 años, 802 participantes llevaron registros de sueño y usaron un acelerómetro (un sensor que cuantifica las aceleraciones del movimiento, a partir del cual los investigadores pueden deducir la intensidad y la duración de la actividad física) de forma constante durante entre 7 y 10 días, lo que proporcionó un desglose de las actividades de movimiento que realizaban durante un período típico de 24 horas.

Con diferencia, el mayor porcentaje del tiempo diario, el 48% u 11.5 horas al día, se dedicaba a actividades sedentarias. Algunos ejemplos de tiempo sedentario pueden ser estar sentado en clase, hacer las tareas, desplazarse a la escuela y el tiempo libre por la noche, que a menudo se dedica a mirar pantallas de dispositivos electrónicos o ver la televisión.

Otras actividades diarias, registradas durante un período de 24 horas, incluyeron dormir (un 33%), actividad física de baja intensidad (como caminar de manera casual, un 17%) y actividad física de intensidad de moderada a intensa (como correr o nadar, un 2%).

A continuación, los investigadores calcularon en qué medida un cambio de tan solo 30 minutos de actividad sedentaria a diversos tipos de actividad física o dormir podría haber influido en los niveles estimados de resistencia a la insulina en 394 de los participantes en el estudio.

Los hallazgos del estudio fueron los que se indican a continuación:

• Los adolescentes que sustituyeron 30 minutos de sedentarismo por actividad física de moderada a intensa (como correr, nadar o jugar al baloncesto) pudieron reducir la resistencia a la insulina, o disminuir su puntuación HOMA IR, en casi un 15%.
• Los participantes que cambiaron 30 minutos de tiempo sedentario por dormir pudieron reducir la resistencia a la insulina en casi un 5%.
• Cambiar 30 minutos de tiempo sedentario por actividad física de baja intensidad (como caminar) no supuso un cambio significativo en los niveles de resistencia a la insulina.
• Si bien la composición de la actividad se asoció a la resistencia a la insulina, no se asoció a los niveles de adiponectina (una hormona producida por las células grasas) ni con los niveles de glucosa en ayunas (una medida que se utiliza frecuentemente para diagnosticar la prediabetes y la diabetes tipo 2).

“Este estudio indica que los adolescentes pasan gran parte del día de forma sedentaria y solo una pequeña parte del tiempo realizan actividad física”, indicó el Dr. Kershaw Patel, voluntario de la American Heart Association y presidente electo del Consejo de Epidemiología y Prevención de la Asociación. “Curiosamente, los adolescentes que realizaban una actividad física de moderada a intensa en la primera etapa de la adolescencia mostraban señales de menor resistencia a la insulina más adelante. La conclusión principal es que llevar una vida activa desde una edad temprana puede marcar una gran diferencia para la salud a largo plazo”. Patel, que no participó en este estudio, es profesor adjunto de cardiología en el DeBakey Heart & Vascular Institute del Houston Methodist Hospital, en Houston.

Las métricas de las Life’s Essential 8 de la American Heart Association (sitio web en inglés) para una salud cardiovascular óptima incluyen estrategias para incorporar un estilo de vida saludable en la vida cotidiana. Por ejemplo, atenuar las luces antes de acostarse, crear una rutina nocturna que no incluya dispositivos electrónicos con pantallas y poner el teléfono en modo “no molestar” (o dejarlo fuera del dormitorio mientras se duerme) puede ayudar a mejorar la calidad y la cantidad del sueño. Integrar las actividades físicas en el tiempo social con amigos, para despejar la mente o reducir el estrés, puede hacer que las caminatas u otros ejercicios sean más atractivos que las actividades sedentarias.

Aunque en el estudio no se encontró una relación entre dedicar más tiempo a la actividad física ligera y una menor resistencia a la insulina, los investigadores instan a realizar más investigaciones sobre este tema.                               

“Dedicar más tiempo a la actividad física ligera puede ser beneficioso para prevenir las enfermedades cardiometabólicas en adultos. La actividad física ligera es un objetivo interesante porque probablemente sea más fácil de integrar en las rutinas diarias”, mencionó Harnois-Leblanc.

El presente estudio tuvo algunas limitaciones, entre ellas que solo se disponía de información sobre la resistencia a la insulina en etapas finales de la adolescencia del 49% de los participantes cuyos datos de acelerómetro se habían recopilado en la primera etapa de la adolescencia. Además, este análisis de datos y estudio de modelización predictiva no permite demostrar la relación causa-efecto entre las actividades diarias y la resistencia a la insulina.

Detalles, antecedentes y diseño del estudio:

• El estudio incluyó información sobre la salud de 802 participantes, de entre 12 y 17 años, nacidos entre los años 1999 y 2002 en el este de Massachusetts, y que participaban en Project Viva, un estudio en curso destinado a mejorar la salud de los niños y sus madres.
• El 52% de los participantes era mujer, el 64% se identificaba como blanco no hispano, el 15% se identificaba como negro no hispano y el 9% se identificaba como hispano.
• Participantes en la primera etapa de la adolescencia (edad promedio de 12.9 años) llevaron un acelerómetro en la muñeca durante un período de entre 7 y 10 días consecutivos y completaron registros de sueño, lo que permitió a los investigadores calcular la cantidad promedio de minutos de cada período de 24 horas que se dedicaban a dormir frente al tiempo sedentario frente a la actividad física ligera frente a la actividad física de moderada a intensa.
• En las etapas finales de la adolescencia (edad promedio de 17.5 años), se realizaron análisis de sangre en ayunas a 394 participantes con datos de acelerómetros para calcular los niveles de adiponectina (una hormona producida por las células grasas), glucosa (azúcar) e insulina. Se utilizaron los niveles de glucosa e insulina en ayunas para calcular el HOMA-IR, con el fin de ayudar a estimar el riesgo de progresar a diabetes tipo 2.
• Los investigadores utilizaron un método estadístico denominado análisis de datos composicionales para examinar la distribución de cuatro tipos de actividades físicas en un período de 24 horas. A continuación, utilizaron modelos para estimar cómo las sustituciones de 30 minutos de un comportamiento por otro podrían influir en los resultados de las pruebas en las etapas finales de la adolescencia. Los resultados se ajustaron según la edad, el sexo, la estación del año en la que los participantes llevaron el acelerómetro, el nivel educativo de la madre y los ingresos familiares.

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

Las afirmaciones y conclusiones de los estudios que se presentan en las reuniones científicas de la American Heart Association/American Stroke Association son exclusivas de los autores de estos estudios y no constituyen 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. Los resúmenes que se presentan en las reuniones científicas de la Asociación no son revisados por expertos, sino que los paneles de revisión independientes los seleccionan y consideran en función del potencial que tengan de ser un aporte a la diversidad de temas y opiniones científicos analizados en la reunión. Los hallazgos se consideran preliminares hasta que se publiquen como un artículo completo en una revista profesional científica revisada por expertos.

La Asociación recibe más de un 85% de sus ingresos de fuentes que no son 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:

Research Highlights:

• If adolescents replaced 30 minutes of sedentary time each day with sleep or moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, it may reduce their insulin resistance and thus reduce their risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, according to an analysis of health data from Project Viva, a long-term study of the health of women and children in Eastern Massachusetts.
• Substituting 30 minutes per day of sedentary time with moderate-to-vigorous physical activity reduced a measurement of insulin resistance by nearly 15%.
• Public health initiatives to promote physical activity or sleep rather than sedentary activities could help preserve cardiometabolic health among teens in the U.S.
• 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 1:30 p.m. ET/12:30 p.m. CT, Friday, March 20, 2026

Boston, March 20, 2026 — Adolescents who replaced just half an hour of sedentary behaviors, such as sitting on the couch or spending time at the computer, each day for moderate-to-vigorous physical activity or sleep may lower their insulin resistance, a key factor in preventing the development of Type 2 diabetes, according to preliminary research presented at the American Heart Association’s EPI|Lifestyle Scientific Sessions 2026. The meeting is in Boston, March 17-20, 2026, and offers the latest epidemiological science on prevention, lifestyle and cardiometabolic health.

“I was happily surprised with the strength of the association of replacing 30 minutes of sedentary time with moderate-to-vigorous physical activity—a 15% lower insulin resistance is quite a big change,” said Soren Harnois-Leblanc, Ph.D., R.D., lead author of the study and a postdoctoral researcher in the department of population medicine at the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute and Harvard Medical School, both in Boston. “Our findings mean that switching from sedentary behaviors to moderate-to-vigorous physical activity or sleep, even if it is only a few minutes per day to start, was beneficial for health.”

To assess the impact of typical daily activities on the development of insulin resistance in teenagers, investigators examined health data from Project Viva, an ongoing health study of children born between 1999-2002 and their mothers. Insulin resistance was measured using Homeostatic Model Assessment for Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR), a test that estimates insulin resistance based on fasting blood glucose and insulin levels. In early adolescence, at an average of nearly 13 years old, 802 participants kept sleep logs and wore an accelerometer (a sensor that quantifies movement accelerations, from which researchers can derive the intensity and duration of physical activity) constantly for 7-10 days, providing a breakdown of the movement activities they engaged in over a typical 24 hours.

By far, the highest percentage of daily time, 48% or 11.5 hours per day, was spent in sedentary activities. Examples of sedentary time may include sitting in class, doing homework, commuting and downtime in the evening, which often comes with screen time on an electronic device or watching TV.

Other daily activities, reported over a 24-hour period, included sleep (33%), low-intensity physical activity (such as casual walking, 17%), and moderate-vigorous physical activity (such as running, swimming or playing basketball, 2%).

The researchers then calculated how much a shift of just 30 minutes from sedentary activity to various types of physical activity or sleep could have impacted estimated insulin resistance levels in 394 of the study participants.

Among the study findings:

• Adolescents who replaced 30 minutes of sedentary time with moderate-vigorous physical activity could lower a measurement of insulin resistance, or lowering their HOMA IR score, by nearly 15%;
• Participants who exchanged 30 minutes of sedentary time with sleep could lower insulin resistance by nearly 5%;
• Shifting 30 minutes of sedentary time to low-intensity physical activity did not have a significant change in insulin resistance levels.
• While activity composition was associated with insulin resistance, it was not associated with levels of adiponectin (a hormone produced by fat cells) or fasting glucose levels (a measure used to diagnose prediabetes and Type 2 diabetes).

“This study shows that young adolescents spend a lot of their day being sedentary and only a small amount of time being physically active,” said Kershaw Patel, M.D., an American Heart Association volunteer and chair elect of the Association’s Council on Epidemiology and Prevention. “Interestingly, teens who had more moderate to vigorous physical activity early in adolescence showed signs of lower insulin resistance later on. The big takeaway is being active early in life can really make a difference for long‑term health.” Patel, who was not involved in this study, is an assistant professor of cardiology at Houston Methodist Hospital’s DeBakey Heart & Vascular Institute in Houston.

The American Heart Association’s Life’s Essential 8 metrics for optimal cardiovascular health includes strategies for incorporating healthy lifestyle into daily life. For example, dimming lights before bedtime, creating a nighttime routine that doesn’t include electronic devices with screens and putting the phone on “do not disturb” (or leaving it outside the bedroom while sleeping) can help to improve quality and quantity of sleep. Integrating physical activities with social time with friends, to clear your mind or reduce stress can make hikes or other exercise more appealing than sedentary activities.

While the study did not find an association between more time spent in light physical activity and lower insulin resistance, the investigators urge additional research on this topic.                                  

“More time spent in light physical activity may be beneficial to prevent cardiometabolic disease in adults. Light physical activity is an interesting target because it is likely easier to integrate into everyday routines,” said Harnois-Leblanc.

The current study had some limitations, including that insulin resistance information in late adolescence was available for only 49% of participants who had accelerometer data collected in early adolescence. Additionally, cause-and-effect for daily activities and insulin resistance cannot be proven by this data analysis.

Study details, background and design:

• The study included health information for 802 participants, ages 12-17, who were born between 1999-2002 in Eastern Massachusetts, and who were enrolled in Project Viva, an ongoing study aimed at improving the health of children and their mothers.
• 52% of participants were female, 64% were self-identified as non-Hispanic white, 15% self-identified as non-Hispanic Black and 9% self-identified as Hispanic.
• Participants in early adolescence (median age of 12.9 years) wore a wrist accelerometer for 7-10 consecutive days and completed sleep logs, allowing researchers to calculate the average number of minutes in each 24-hour period were spent sleeping vs. sedentary time vs. light physical activity vs. moderate to vigorous physical activity.
• In late adolescence (median age of 17.5 years), 394 participants with accelerometer data had fasting blood level tests collected to measure levels of adiponectin (a hormone produced by fat cells), glucose (sugar) and insulin. Fasting glucose and fasting insulin levels were used to calculate HOMA-IR, a measure of insulin resistance that informs on the risk of progressing to Type 2 diabetes.
• Investigators used a statistical method called compositional data analysis to examine the distribution of 4 types of physical activities within a 24-hour period. They then used modeling to estimate how 30-minute substitutions from one behavior to another could affect test results in later adolescence. Results were adjusted for age, sex, the season in which the participants wore the accelerometer, mother’s educational level and family income.

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

Statements and conclusions of studies that are presented at the American Heart Association/American Stroke 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:

The American Heart Association’s EPI|LIFESTYLE Scientific Sessions is the world’s premier meeting dedicated to the latest advances in population-based science. The meeting is Tuesday-Friday, March 17-20, 2026, in Boston. The primary goal of the meeting is to promote the development and application of translational and population science to prevent heart disease and stroke and foster cardiovascular health. The sessions focus on risk factors, obesity, nutrition, physical activity, genetics, metabolism, biomarkers, subclinical disease, clinical disease, healthy populations, global health and prevention-oriented clinical trials. The Councils on Epidemiology and Prevention and Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Health (Lifestyle) jointly planned the EPI|Lifestyle Scientific Sessions 2026. Follow the conference on X at #EPILifestyle26.

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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For Media Inquiries and AHA Expert Perspective:

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

Kelsey Beveridge: Kelsey.Beveridge@heart.org

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

heart.org and stroke.org

Research Highlights:

• A study of nearly 300 thousand adults in South Korea found that individuals with higher blood pressure (≥120 mm Hg/80 mm Hg) for up to 10 years during young adulthood (ages 30 and 40 were more likely to develop heart disease and kidney disease after age 40.
• Having a systolic (top number) blood pressure that remained about 10 mm Hg higher than peers for about 10 years was linked to a 27% higher risk of heart disease and a 22% higher risk of kidney disease.
• Maintaining optimal blood pressure (<120 mm Hg/80 mm Hg) is important at every age and life stage, and it is most beneficial to protect future heart and kidney health.
• 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 11:30 a.m. ET/10:30 a.m. CT, Friday, March 20, 2026

BOSTON, March 20, 2026 — Higher blood pressure during young adulthood is likely linked to a higher risk of heart disease and kidney disease later in life, reinforcing the importance of maintaining healthy blood pressure at younger ages, according to preliminary research presented at the American Heart Association’s EPI|Lifestyle Scientific Sessions 2026. The meeting is in Boston, March 17-20, and offers the latest epidemiological science on prevention, lifestyle and cardiometabolic health.

“Young adults often have a very low predicted 10-year risk of heart disease, even when they have elevated or high blood pressure (a systolic blood pressure measure of 120 mm Hg or higher, or a diastolic blood pressure measure of 80 mm Hg or higher),” said Hokyou Lee, M.D., Ph.D., FAHA, an associate professor of preventive medicine at Yonsei University College of Medicine in Seoul, South Korea. “Our study’s findings show that blood pressure levels in early adulthood are important even if short-term risk appears low. Long-term exposure to higher blood pressure from early life may accumulate damage over time, increasing the risk of heart and kidney disease in midlife.”

According to the American Heart Association’s 2026 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics, nearly half of U.S. adults are living with high blood pressure. It is the leading cause of cardiovascular disease and premature death in the U.S. and worldwide, and it’s the most common and most modifiable risk factor for heart disease and stroke. Maintaining healthy blood pressure is critical to preventing or reducing the risk of heart disease, a major cardiac event or a stroke.

In this study, the researchers reviewed medical records from the Korean National Health Insurance Service database. Their analysis found:

• Adults who had elevated or high blood pressure that stayed higher from age 30 to 40 had a higher risk of heart disease, stroke or kidney disease in midlife, after age 40.
• Having a systolic (top number) blood pressure reading of about 10 mm Hg higher than peers for about 10 years was linked to a 27% higher risk of heart disease and a 22% higher risk of kidney disease.
• Participants with a diastolic blood pressure (bottom number) about 5 mm Hg higher than their peers for about 10 years were linked to a 20% higher risk of heart disease and a 16% higher risk of kidney disease.
• Compared with people in the group with the lowest 20% of cumulative blood pressure levels during young adulthood, those in the highest 20% of cumulative blood pressure levels were more likely to develop heart or kidney disease in midlife:
  • People in the highest cumulative systolic blood pressure group were about 3.5 times more likely to develop heart conditions than those in the lowest cumulative systolic blood pressure group.
  • The risk of kidney disease was about 3 times higher among people with the highest cumulative systolic blood pressure.
• Results in this analysis were similar for men and women.

“Maintaining optimal blood pressure is a concern for every individual, at every age,” Lee said. “Early prevention, diagnosis, monitoring and treatment, if needed, are investments in future heart and kidney health. Timely treatment of elevated blood pressure is essential to reduce the effects of years of exposure, which underscores the importance of monitoring and managing blood pressure as soon as a patient has elevated blood pressure levels.”

The American Heart Association's 2025 High Blood Pressure Guideline recommends treatment of stage 1 hypertension (after 3-6 months of lifestyle modification) in adults with low predicted 10-year risk of cardiovascular disease.

“This study from Korea emphasizes the risk from high blood pressure begins at an early age and early in the course,” said Daniel W. Jones, M.D., M.A.C.P., FAHA, an American Heart Association volunteer expert and chair of the writing committee for the Association’s Guideline for the Prevention, Detection, Evaluation and Management of High Blood Pressure in Adults. “The opportunity in this study to evaluate cumulative blood pressure over several years was important in understanding that risk. The study should encourage the design of randomized clinical trials to document that early treatment of high blood pressure in young adults is effective at reducing risk for cardiovascular and kidney disease.” Jones, who was not involved in this study, is a past volunteer president of the Association and dean and professor emeritus of the University of Mississippi School of Medicine in Jackson, Mississippi.

Study details, background and design:

• The analysis included health information for 291,887 adults from the Korean National Health Insurance Service database, who were 30 years old in 2002-2004 and received routine health screenings between age 30 (2002-2004) and 40 (2012-2014).
• Participants included in the analysis had no prior history of heart or kidney disease before age 40; 76.3% were men.
• The analysis included those who had three or more health examination records with blood pressure measurements taken by health care professionals at the following time periods: at age 30 (2002-2004); at age 40 (2012-2014); and one or more blood pressure measurements taken in between those periods. The median number of blood pressure measurements for each participant was eight.
• Each participant’s cumulative blood pressure levels from age 30 to 40 were calculated to account for both how high it was and how long it stayed elevated.
• Participants were followed for about 10 years after age 40, during which development of heart or kidney disease was identified through national health service records. In addition, diagnosis of chronic kidney disease was confirmed by laboratory tests conducted during the follow-up period.
• Deaths from heart or kidney disease after age 40 were identified in the national death records.
• Major health and lifestyle factors, such as sex, income, smoking, alcohol use, physical activity and key health measures, including blood sugar and cholesterol levels, were factored into the analysis.

An important note about the study is that participants received care through the National Health Insurance System in South Korea, a universal health care system for all of its citizens with government-set, standardized pricing for all health care, screening, treatments and medications.

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

Statements and conclusions of studies that are presented at the American Heart Association/American Stroke 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:

• A video interview with Daniel W. Jones, M.D., M.A.C.P., FAHA and other multimedia are available on the right column of the release link.
• After March 20, view abstract 61 in the EPI|Lifestyle Scientific Sessions 2026 Online Program Planner
• American Heart Association news release: Millions are unaware of heart risks that don’t start in the heart (Feb. 2026)
•  American Heart Association Guideline news release: New high blood pressure guideline emphasizes prevention, early treatment to reduce CVD risk (Aug. 2025)
• American Heart Association health information: What is high blood pressure?
• American Heart Association health information: Find high blood pressure tools and resources
• For more news from EPI|LIFESTYLE 2026 Scientific Sessions, follow us on X @HeartNews, #EPILifestyle26.

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:

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

Michelle Kirkwood: Michelle.Kirkwood@heart.org

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

heart.org and stroke.org

Research Highlights:

• In a study including nearly 500 pregnant women in three U.S. cities from 2020-2025, sedentary behavior, sleep and physical activity across a 7-day, 24-hour timeframe during each trimester were measured. The amount of time spent sitting and doing light physical activity were found to be the main predictors of developing blood pressure-related conditions (hypertensive disorders) of pregnancy, such as gestational hypertension and preeclampsia.
• Women who limited their sedentary time to about eight hours a day and engaged in at least seven hours of light physical activity, and on average, 22 minutes of higher intensity activity and nine hours of sleep daily had a 30% lower risk of developing hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.
• The researchers say more research is needed to test whether helping pregnant women sit less and move more throughout the day can reduce their risk of developing a hypertensive disorder of pregnancy.
• 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 11:00 a.m. ET/10:00 a.m. CT, Thursday, March 19, 2026

BOSTON, March 19, 2026 — During pregnancy, women can reduce their risk of developing a hypertensive disorder by nearly 30% by limiting sedentary time to no more than eight hours a day and increasing light, everyday physical activity to at least seven hours a day, according to preliminary research presented at the American Heart Association’s EPI|Lifestyle Scientific Sessions 2026. The meeting is in Boston, March 17-20, 2026, and offers the latest science on population-based health, epidemiology, prevention, lifestyle and cardiometabolic health.

“Our study suggests that in the real world, where daily routines vary widely, it may actually be the balance of sitting time and light intensity movement across the entire day that matters most,” said lead study author Kara Whitaker, Ph.D., M.P.H., FAHA, an associate professor in the department of health, sport and human physiology at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa. “This doesn’t mean exercise isn’t beneficial—rather, that when it comes to hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, everyday movement and limiting long periods of sitting may play a bigger role than we previously understood.”

According to the American Heart Association, high blood pressure during pregnancy and other adverse pregnancy conditions are associated with an increased risk of future cardiovascular disease. While physical activity and sleep patterns are related to cardiovascular disease risk, there has not been a lot of research on how 24-hour activity patterns during pregnancy can impact the risk of hypertension.

High blood pressure develops in up to 5%-10% of all pregnancies and is the leading cause of fetal and maternal disease and death. This study aimed to identify optimal 24-hour behavioral and activity patterns across pregnancy trimesters that are associated with the lowest risk of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.

The study results found:

• Of the 470 study participants, 18.6% of the women developed hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (gestational hypertension or preeclampsia).
• Sedentary behaviors and light physical activity were the strongest predictors of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy risk across all trimesters of pregnancy.
• The lowest-risk daily pattern of activity included about six hours of sitting, nearly eight hours of light physical activity, four minutes of higher‑intensity activity (traditional exercise) and roughly 10 hours of time spent resting. This daily pattern was linked to an 8% chance of having hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, compared to 16.9% observed among those with a typical daily pattern.
• Compared to typical daily movement patterns, the optimal combination of activity reduced a woman’s risk of high blood pressure-related conditions during pregnancy by more than half. When compared to the least healthy daily movement patterns measured in the study, the optimal activity combination reduced risk by nearly 80%.
• The risk of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy rose for those who sat more than 10 hours per day or if there was less than five hours per day of light activity.
• These findings highlight sitting time and light physical activity as key modifiable behaviors that may help prevent the development of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, which, in turn, may have important implications for women’s lifelong heart health.

“Both sedentary behavior and hypertension in pregnancy are increasingly common, and in non-pregnant individuals we know that physical activity is associated with reductions in blood pressure,” said Natalie A. Bello, M.D., M.P.H., an American Heart Association volunteer expert and member of the writing groups for AHA’s scientific statement, Prevention and Treatment of Maternal Stroke in Pregnancy and Postpartum, as well as Guideline for the Prevention, Detection, Evaluation and Management of High Blood Pressure in Adults.  “The researchers extend this to the pregnant population where nearly 20% of participants developed a hypertensive disorder of pregnancy. They saw incremental associations between more physical activity and lower risk of developing preeclampsia or gestational hypertension. It remains to be seen whether this association is causal, and future studies designed to increase physical activity and reduce sedentary behavior in pregnancy are needed.” Bello, who was not involved with this study, is an associate professor of cardiology at the Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and director of women’s cardiovascular health & cardiology at Atria Health and Research Institute, both in Los Angeles.

The study results align with the American Heart Association’s Life Essential 8 for Pregnancy recommendations, which encourage women to find ways to move throughout the day, get adequate sleep, eat healthy foods, manage cholesterol and blood sugar, as well as monitor blood pressure.

“These findings have the potential to shift how we think about physical activity and sleep during pregnancy,” said Whitaker. “Right now, there are no clear, quantitative guidelines for how much sitting or light intensity movement is healthiest during pregnancy, and our results provide early evidence that could help shape those recommendations in the future. Ultimately, this line of research could give patients and clinicians more practical, achievable ways to support healthier pregnancies.”

Study details, background and design:

• The study included 470 women, ages 18 to 45 years; 83% self-reported as non-Hispanic white. The participants were enrolled in the study from 2021 to 2024 at three health care centers in Iowa, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
• The women were all in their first trimester of pregnancy (prior to 13 weeks gestation) at enrollment, and they were followed until 6 weeks after delivery.
• Each study participant wore two monitors for 24 hours for seven consecutive days during each trimester of their pregnancy to measure sedentary behavior, sleep and the 24-hour activity cycle (composition of sedentary behavior, physical activity and sleep). This data was analyzed with health records related to hypertensive disorders and other adverse pregnancy outcomes.
• Activity was measured using a small, wearable monitor that tracked the amount of time spent lying down, sitting, standing and walking. A watch assessed the participants’ sleep duration.
• The rates of gestational hypertension and preeclampsia were noted from the study participants’ medical records, and statistical models were used to predict the risk of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy based on data from the 24-hour movement behaviors and calculated by trimester.

The study had several limitations, including that the study participants were mostly white and tended to have higher education and income levels, so the results may not reflect the experiences of people in other population groups. In addition, because the number of cases of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy was relatively small, study researchers were not able to analyze rates of preeclampsia and gestational hypertension separately, and these two medical conditions may have different relationships with physical activity. The authors note that studies with more participants and people from other population groups are needed to confirm the findings and to better understand how specific physical activity patterns may correlate to different hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.

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

Statements and conclusions of studies that are presented at the American Heart Association/American Stroke 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.
• After March 19, view abstract 27 in the EPI|Lifestyle Scientific Sessions 2026 Online Program Planner.
• AHA news release: Risk factors for cardiovascular disease negatively impact health during, after pregnancy (Oct. 2025)
• AHA health initiative: Sedentary Behavior and Light-Intensity Physical Activity During Pregnancy and Cardiovascular Health: A Science Advisory From the American Heart Association (April 2025)
• AHA news release: Personalized screening early in pregnancy may improve preeclampsia detection (May 2024)
• AHA scientific statement: Opportunities in the Postpartum Period to Reduce Cardiovascular Disease Risk After Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes: A Scientific Statement from the American Heart Association (Feb. 2024)
• AHA scientific statement: Optimizing Prepregnancy Cardiovascular Health to Improve Outcomes in Pregnant and Postpartum Individuals and Offspring: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association (Feb. 2023)
• AHA scientific statement: Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes and Cardiovascular Risk: Unique Opportunities for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention in Women: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association (April 2021)
• For more news from AHA EPI|Lifestyle Scientific Sessions 2026, follow us on X @HeartNews, #EPILifestyle26.

The American Heart Association’s EPI|LIFESTYLE Scientific Sessions is the world’s premier meeting dedicated to the latest advances in population-based science. The meeting is Tuesday-Friday, March 17-20, 2026, in Boston. The primary goal of the meeting is to promote the development and application of translational and population science to prevent heart disease and stroke and foster cardiovascular health. The sessions focus on risk factors, obesity, nutrition, physical activity, genetics, metabolism, biomarkers, subclinical disease, clinical disease, healthy populations, global health and prevention-oriented clinical trials. The Councils on Epidemiology and Prevention and Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Health (Lifestyle) jointly planned the EPI|Lifestyle 2026 Scientific Sessions. Follow the conference on X at #EPILifestyle26.

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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