Arterial Stiffness and Blood Pressure
Trial statusRecruiting
Trial phaseNot applicable
Trial typeInterventional
Biological sexAll
Age60+
SponsorVA Office of Research and Development
About this trial
Hypertension is a common and treatable disorder that remains the leading preventable cause of heart disease. Blood pressure treatment relies mainly on upper arm blood pressure readings and ignores blood vessel physiology and underlying individual genetic information. Older Veterans with hypertension are less likely to be treated to goal blood pressure because there are conflicting recommendations for what constitutes "optimal" in older adults. The investigators have developed a novel way to non-invasively assess the components of blood vessel stiffness that is related to blood pressure (load-dependent stiffness). This project will generate new knowledge about how different blood pressure treatment goals (intensive vs standard) impact different components of arterial stiffness and if these differences can be explained through genetic analysis. Results from this project will offer the VA an updated blueprint for personalizing blood pressure care in older adults, ultimately improving cardiovascular health.
Eligibility criteria
Qualifiers
Male and female participants from VA VISN 7, 9, and 12 will be eligible to participate if they are over age 60 years and have a diagnosis of hypertension or take antihypertensive medications (up to 4).
Veterans will require documented SBP readings on 2 or more office visits that are 140 mmHg or average home blood pressure readings 135 mmHg to be eligible for the trial.
Participants must be willing to be randomized to intensive or standard blood pressure treatment and have blood pressure medications adjusted per the study protocol.
They must be willing to undergo tonometric evaluation of arterial stiffness, and carotid artery ultrasound.
Disqualifiers
Participants who have an indication for a specific BP lowering medication that is not included in the study protocol or a known secondary cause of hypertension will be excluded.
a standing SBP <110 mmHg
past history of a recent CVD event in the past 12 months (i.e., coronary artery disease event/intervention, congestive heart failure exacerbation or heart failure hospitalization, atrial fibrillation, or peripheral arterial disease intervention)
a class I indication for betablocker use including atrial arrhythmias
Trial design
Treatments tested in this trial
- Blood pressure treatment algorithm
Treatment groups
228 Participants
are divided into 2 treatment groupsSponsors and collaborators
VA Office of Research and Development
Lead sponsor
VA Tennessee Valley Health Care System
Collaborator
Birmingham, Alabama VA Medical Center
Collaborator
The Lundquist Institute
Collaborator
University of Wisconsin, Madison
Collaborator
Source ClinicalTrials.gov