# Resistance Exercise in the Prevention and Treatment of Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction (HFpEF)

> **NIH NIH K99** · UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA · 2024 · $117,789

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is one of the most urgent prevention and treatment
challenges in public health today given its increasing prevalence, limited therapeutic options, and substantial
burden on global health care systems. Exercise-based prevention and treatment strategies for HFpEF have
historically focused on the promotion of aerobic exercise. However, given the coinciding epidemics of physical
inactivity and obesity in the U.S., and the compromised aerobic capacity and exercise intolerance in patients
with HFpEF, long-term adherence to aerobic exercise is generally poor and thus, the prevention and treatment
of HFpEF remains a major public health challenge. Thus, aligned with NHLBI research priorities for HFpEF,
research is critically needed to: (1) identify optimal strategies for improving adherence to exercise in the
prevention and treatment of HFpEF; and (2) examine biological pathways linking exercise to HFpEF. In the
proposed project, Dr. McDonough, an exercise science and public health researcher, will examine the isolated
role of resistance exercise in the prevention and treatment of HFpEF with examination of potential biological
intermediates. With the exceptional mentorship team he has assembled, comprised of prolific epidemiologists,
physician scientists, and methodologists, and the resources available to him through the University of Minnesota,
this Postdoctoral Career Transition Award to Promote Diversity will support Dr. McDonough in filling critical
training gaps and conducting the research necessary to launch his career as an independent investigator utilizing
cohort studies to inform his future clinical trials in the treatment and secondary prevention of HFpEF. To prepare
him for this role, a multifaceted training plan including coursework, mentorship, and research is proposed in: (1)
the analysis of longitudinal data from cohort studies using a variety of multivariable regression modeling
approaches; (2) the pathophysiology and epidemiology of HFpEF and how to safely implement exercise training
in patients with HFpEF; (3) advanced clinical trial methods and statistical analyses; and (4) advanced
epidemiologic statistical modeling of pathways and mediators. The expertise Dr. McDonough develops through
this training plan will be essential for conducting the proposed research. During the mentored K99 phase, he will
leverage NHLBI cohort studies to elucidate the independent role of resistance exercise in HFpEF primary and
secondary prevention (Aims 1-3). In the independent R00 phase, Dr. McDonough will conduct an independent
feasibility clinical trial examining the effect of resistance exercise on liver fat and subsequent functional capacity,
quality of life, and intervention adherence in HFpEF patients (Aim 4). Findings from this project will provide the
requisite preliminary data to support an NIH R01 grant proposal examining novel exercise therapies for improving
hospita...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10862959
- **Project number:** 1K99HL173668-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
- **Principal Investigator:** DJ McDonough
- **Activity code:** K99 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $117,789
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2024-09-09 → 2026-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10862959

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10862959, Resistance Exercise in the Prevention and Treatment of Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction (HFpEF) (1K99HL173668-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10862959. Licensed CC0.

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