# Case-Control Study of Methamphetamine in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA · 2021 · $851,205

## Abstract

The long-term objectives of this application are to establish the epidemiological association between
methamphetamine use and pulmonary arterial hypertension. Methamphetamine and other stimulant abuse
have been increasing across the United States and the world with several known complications. Pulmonary
arterial hypertension has been suspected to occur as a sequela, however this has never been studied in a
rigorous multicenter epidemiologic study. Preliminary findings have suggested that carboxylesterase 1 (CES1)
may be an important genetic modifier in the setting of methamphetamine use leading to pulmonary arterial
hypertension. The Specific Aims are 1) to determine whether methamphetamine use is associated with PAH in
a case-control study and whether this association is modified by genetic variants in (or activity of) CES1; 2) to
determine the risk factors for clinical worsening in patients with methamphetamine-associated pulmonary
arterial hypertension in comparison with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension in a prospective cohort
study; and 3) to understand if reductions in CES1 activity result in human pulmonary endothelial cell damage in
methamphetamine-associated pulmonary arterial hypertension. Patient-oriented research studies will be
conducted in a multicenter study group to address these epidemiologic questions.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10312558
- **Project number:** 1R01HL159886-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
- **Principal Investigator:** Steven M Kawut
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $851,205
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2021-08-20 → 2026-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10312558

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10312558, Case-Control Study of Methamphetamine in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (1R01HL159886-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10312558. Licensed CC0.

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