Cardiologist wins NIH grant to tackle heart failure’s hidden toll

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Michele Esposito, MD, an interventional-heart failure cardiologist and assistant professor of medicine at the Charleston-based Medical University of South Carolina, received a Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award, or K23, from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health.

The award will support Dr. Esposito’s research into peripheral microvascular dysfunction in patients with heart failure and provide protected time for research activities, according to a May 28 news release. 

Dr. Esposito’s study, “Regional Disparity of Skeletal Muscle Microvascular Dysfunction in Systolic Heart Failure,” will examine how skeletal muscle and vascular dysfunction contribute to exercise intolerance, a common symptom linked to hospital admissions and mortality among heart failure patients. The study aims to address gaps in understanding why some heart failure patients experience significant limitations in daily activities despite traditional measures of cardiac function, according to the release.

The K23 award will allow Dr. Esposito to dedicate 50% of her time to the project. The research builds on preliminary findings generated through a South Carolina Clinical & Translational Research K12 Award she received in 2024.

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