American Heart Association-funded study explores influence of estrogen on aortic aneurysm progression

Krashn Dwivedi will investigate the effect of the sex hormone estrogen on thoracic aortic aneurysm development and develop patient-specific biomarkers to manage the disease

Shawn Ballard 03.31.2025

Krashn Dwivedi is a postdoctoral research associate in Jessica Wagenseil’s lab in the Department of Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science. (Photo: Wagenseil Lab)

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Ascending thoracic aortic aneurysm (ATAA) is a bulge or weakening in the upper (thoracic) part of the aorta, the body’s largest blood vessel that supplies oxygen-rich blood to the rest of the body. ATAA can be life-threatening, and outcomes differ between males and females, yet factors that influence ATAA progression, including the influence of sex hormones, remain poorly understood.

A new project by Krashn Dwivedi, a postdoctoral research associate in mechanical engineering & materials science in the McKelvey School of Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis, will investigate the effect of the sex hormone estrogen on thoracic aortic aneurysm development. Dwivedi will also develop patient-specific biomarkers to manage ATAA. The work is supported by a $156,640, two-year award from the American Heart Association.

“It is well known that serious cardiovascular conditions like aorta aneurysm and its dissection are life-threatening and manifest differently in women than in men,” said Dwivedi, who is a member of the Vascular Mechanics Lab led by Jessica Wagenseil, vice dean for faculty advancement and professor of mechanical engineering & materials science. “That’s also true for conditions like ATAA that don’t have obvious external presentations. This work will fill in part of that gap in our understanding of women’s cardiovascular health.”

Previous studies of ATAA outcomes in patients with certain genetic disorders suggest that variations in sex hormones influence aneurysm growth, risk of rupture and other markers of ATAA progression. Dwivedi will use a preclinical model to study the effect of estrogen on inflammation, smooth muscle cells, tissue remodeling, aortic geometry, stresses on the wall of the aorta and lifespan.

“The outcomes of this study will be used to identify potential sex-specific therapeutic approaches and ATAA management to reduce the risk of rupture,” Dwivedi said. “This research, and the work of Professor Wagenseil’s lab more broadly, aligns with the American Heart Association's mission to be a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives.”