Understanding Coronary Microvascular Disease in Women

Alpha Phi Foundation funding supports Perelman school of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania as the 2022 Heart to Heart Grant recipient

THE HEART TO HEART grant has been a project that Alpha Phis embrace year after year. The research and education funded by the grant aims to improve cardiovascular health among all women, and, since the American Heart Association shares that heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women, the need for more research is clear. Approximately 44 percent of women age 20 and older have some form of cardiovascular disease, including high blood pressure. What’s more, women continue to be underrepresented in most cardiovascular research. For these reasons and more, Alpha Phi Foundation and Fraternity are proud to celebrate the 2022 recipient of the Heart to Heart research grant, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

Project investigators Drs. Marie Guerraty and Shefali Verma are leading the team in their Alpha Phi Foundation funded research called the Genetic Determinant of Coronary Microvascular

Disease in Women. It will explore genetic variants that correlate with the diagnosis of Coronary Microvascular disease (CMVD). They will use Penn Medicine BioBank data to help increase their understanding of how this disease impacts women.

CMVD, often referred to as small artery disease or small vessel disease, is a form of heart disease that affects the walls and inner lining of the small coronary artery blood vessels that stem from the larger coronary arteries. In CMVD, the coronary artery blood vessels do not have plaque buildup, but damage to the inner walls of the blood vessels can lead to spasms and decreased blood flow to the heart.

Women develop CMVD more frequently than men, and it often shows up in younger women. Risk factors for CMVD are similar to risk factors for coronary artery disease with greater risk involved when patients have diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

“CMVD contributes to the higher burden of untreated cardiovascular disease in women,” said Dr. Guerrarty, “Rapid impactful research is urgently needed in this area to improve outcomes in women.” Both doctors are optimistic that the knowledge gained from the research study will open pathways for targeted treatment options for women.

Findings from the research will be shared through Alpha Phi Foundation and through avenues led by Drs. Guerraty and Verma. The Heart to Heart grant would not be possible without the continued generosity of Alpha Phi Foundation donors and volunteers. We look forward to learning more about the research progress and what the team discovers.