The Christ Hospital Health Network’s Odayme Quesada, MD, Receives $3.6 Million NIH Grant

CINCINNATI (August 27, 2026) - Odayme Quesada, MD, Medical Director of the Women's Heart Center at The Christ Hospital Health Network, has received a $3.6 million R01 grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to lead the nation's first clinical trial evaluating a potential new treatment for patients with angina with nonobstructive coronary artery disease (ANOCA) that reverses coronary microvascular disease (CMD).

"Too many patients, particularly women, have persistent chest pain even after testing shows no blockage in their heart arteries because they have disease of the tiny arteries in the heart, known as CMD," said Dr. Quesada. "Unfortunately, we currently do not have treatments that target and reverse CMD once a patient has developed it."

The clinical trial, aDAPt-ANOCA: Dapagliflozin for the Treatment of ANOCA, will be conducted through The Carl & Edyth Lindner Center for Research and Education, and will enroll 120 patients over the next five years. Researchers will evaluate whether the SGLT2i dapagliflozin, an FDA-approved medication used to treat type 2 diabetes and heart failure, is effective treatment for CMD in women and men with ANOCA. Half of the participants will be randomly assigned to receive the study medication, while the other half will receive a placebo. Neither the participants nor the study team will know which treatment each participant received until the study is complete.

Every year in the United States, nearly 1 million patients are evaluated for obstructive coronary artery disease as the cause of their chest pain. Up to 70% are found to have no significant blockages, yet many continue to experience symptoms including chest pain/pressure with rest and/or exertion, shortness of breath and other cardiac symptoms on exertion.

ANOCA disproportionately affects women, contributing to disparities in diagnosis, research and treatment. Despite an estimated annual economic burden of $21 billion in the United States, clinical guidelines and treatment standards remain based on limited evidence because of the lack of randomized, placebo-controlled trials.

"Securing a highly competitive NIH grant of this magnitude is a tremendous distinction and a powerful recognition of Dr. Quesada's leadership placing the Women's Heart Center as one of the top in the country and a major accomplishment for The Carl and Edyth Lindner Center for Research and Education," said Dean Kereiakes, MD, Chairman of The Christ Hospital Heart & Vascular Institute. "Being selected to lead the nation's only study of its kind reflects our commitment to performing meaningful clinical research and translating the results into better treatment options for patients."

The study will be conducted at The Christ Hospital Health Network in collaboration with researchers at the University of Cincinnati. The Christ Hospital Institutional Review Board has approved the study, and patient enrollment is expected to begin in fall 2026. The Carl and Edyth Lindner Center for Research and Education at The Christ Hospital will serve as the sole study site.

If you are a man or woman with chest pain and interested in learning more about the Women's Heart Center or the Coronary Microvascular and Vasomotor Dysfunction (CMVD) program, call (513) 585-2140.

About The Christ Hospital Health Network
The Christ Hospital Health Network consists of an acute care hospital located in Mt. Auburn, a remote hospital location in Liberty Township, five ambulatory outpatient centers and dozens of medical offices throughout the region. For 137 years, The Christ Hospital has provided compassionate care to those it serves. Made up of more than 1,300 physicians and more than 7,600 team members, our mission is to improve the health of our community by providing exceptional outcomes in an affordable way. The Network was recognized by U.S. News & World Report as the #3 hospital in Ohio and named to Newsweek's World's Best Hospitals list in 2026.

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