Portfolio Analysis on Preeclampsia and Pregnancy‐associated Hypertension Research Funded by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute
Authors: Maric‐Bilkan Christine , Galis Zorina 
Published: November 2023

Objectives

Chronic hypertension and preeclampsia are the most common complications of pregnancy and are associated with increased risk of adverse events in both mother and offspring. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) in particular, make significant contributions to support basic and clinical research on pathophysiology of hypertension in the general population. However, since the extramural community may not be aware of this commitment we performed a portfolio analysis of currently NHLBI funded awards related to preeclampsia and pregnancy‐associated hypertension.

Analysis

A list of currently active NHLBI awards (including subprojects) was obtained through an NIH RePORTER search using the following terms: “preeclampsia” and “pregnancy hypertension”. A similar search was performed to asses currently active awards related to these topics across the entire NIH. All awards retrieved from the search were individually reviewed to eliminate “false positive” hits. NHLBI‐funded awards were further categorized according to type of research (basic, clinical, clinical trials and early translational research) and general research topics being funded noted.

Results

Overall, 263 awards related to preeclampsia and pregnancy‐associated hypertension totaling $143.8 million are currently funded across the NIH. Out of these, NHLBI currently funds 67 awards for a total dollar investment of $30.4 million. The NHLBI is the second‐leading NIH institute funding research related to preeclampsia and pregnancy‐associated hypertension, with the leading being the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD). However, the focus of NICHD‐funded awards is primarily onfetal/neonatal outcomes, while the NHLBI‐funded awards are focused on maternaloutcomes. At NHLBI, 43% of these awards are related to basic science research, 16%to clinical studies, 34% to clinical trials and 7% to early translational research. Some of the research topics these awards focus on include: vascular remodeling, placental development, adverse pregnancy outcomes in obesity, sleeps disorders in pregnancy, fetal programing of cardiovascular disease etc. In addition, the NHLBI is supporting the largest yet planned clinical trial to investigate the optimal clinical management of hypertension during pregnancy, called the Chronic Hypertension and Pregnancy (CHAP)study (NCT02299414), currently enrolling.

Conclusions

NHLBI is the leading NIH funder of research on maternal outcomes for preeclampsia and pregnancy‐associated hypertension. The current research portfolio in this field is well balanced, with ongoing studies on basic and clinical science, clinical trials and early translation. The NHLBI welcomes applications from extramural research community with interest in research on preeclampsia and pregnancy‐associated hypertension and will continue to search for potential knowledge gaps in need of support to further this important research field that impacts the health of vulnerable populations.

Support or Funding Information

All authors are employees of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. No specific funding was allocated for this work.