11 Clinical Trials for Various Conditions
Salt sensitivity of blood pressure is a substantial risk factor for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Inappropriate increases in renal sodium reabsorption lead to volume expansion, hypertension and salt sensitive blood pressure. Key homeostatic mechanisms that regulate renal sodium reabsorption are: first, hormonal, e.g., renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system and second, vascular, e.g., renal vasculature. Dysfunction in one or both mechanisms leads to hypertension and salt sensitive blood pressure. The investigators recently documented that striatin plays a novel role in the development of salt sensitive blood pressure. However, the mechanisms that lead to striatin-mediated salt sensitive blood pressure are not clear; defining these mechanisms is the overall goal of this proposal. Striatin is a calmodulin- and caveolin-binding protein that can function as either a scaffolding and/or signaling protein, specifically in relation to the mechanism of action of steroids. In a large study of well characterized subjects from the International Hypertensive Pathotype (HyperPATH) cohort, the investigators documented that hypertensive and normotensive humans who are striatin risk allele carriers have salt sensitive blood pressure. The investigators then developed a striatin heterozygous knockout mouse as a tool to identify potential mechanisms for the salt sensitive blood pressure. The investigators documented that these mice also have salt sensitive blood pressure with higher blood pressure levels and inappropriately increased aldosterone levels on a liberal salt diet.
To examine whether the association between selected hypertensive genes and combined fatal coronary heart disease and nonfatal myocardial infarction in high-risk hypertensives is modified by the type of antihypertensive treatment, leading to differential risks of coronary heart disease.
High blood pressure is one of the most common health problems in the United States. There are many medications to treat high blood pressure, but there is a large variance in how people respond to these medications. It is believed that genetic variations may contribute to the inconsistent treatment response. This study will use genetic analysis to determine whether particular genes interact with high blood pressure medications to modify the risk of certain cardiovascular diseases.
Hypertension is one of the most important preventable contributors to disease and death in the United States and represents the most common condition seen in the primary care setting. Approximately 78 million adults living in the U.S. have hypertension with more than 5 million new diagnoses made each year. Unfortunately, despite a significant impulse in the medical community to move towards an "individualized medicine" approach to patient centered treatment, the current clinical treatment strategy is based on a set algorithm which does not take into account individual patient differences. As a result hypertension is often sub-optimally treated based on "population averages", rather than a person's genetic make-up, with significant burden on our health care system. In fact, 40% of patients who are adherent to their blood pressure therapy (taking their medicines as prescribed by their clinician) do not have their blood pressure under control. Previous work has demonstrated significant functional polymorphisms within the kidney, vessels, and heart that will likely predict a patient's response to blood pressure pharmacotherapy. Previous work by our group, utilizing a retrospective design, has determined that the addition of genetic knowledge to prescribing can improve therapeutic guidance and decrease the time to blood pressure control significantly. Despite this, to date, there are no prospective trials to guide blood pressure therapy using multiple organ systems that are important in the three most common classes of drugs: diuretics, vasodilators, and beta-blockers. The objective of this clinical trial is to determine the efficacy of genetically guided therapeutic options for pharmacologic treatment of essential hypertension in newly diagnosed patients.
High blood pressure affects nearly one third of all individuals in the United States. If left untreated, it can lead to stroke, heart failure, heart attack, kidney failure, or blindness. For many people, the exact cause of high blood pressure is unknown, but it is believed that both genetic and environmental factors contribute to the development of the condition. The purpose of this study is to examine the importance of genetics, inflammation, and stress on the development of high blood pressure.
Peripheral artery disease is a disease that contributes to significant morbidity and mortality of millions of Americans yearly. Very little is known about the pathophysiology of atherosclerosis in peripheral artery disease. We plan to collect peripheral arteries and muscle tissue from patients undergoing amputation for end stage peripheral arterial occlusive disease. By extracting the RNA from these arteries and tissues and comparing them with RNA expression from normal arteries, we hope to have a better understanding of the pathophysiology of atherosclerosis in this setting. We aim to prove the hypothesis that a novel gene expression pattern can be discovered by the successful extraction of RNA from plaques from human peripheral arteries.
In this genomic medicine implementation pilot project, the investigators aim to conduct a randomized trial in a network of community health centers and primary care facilities to study processes, effects and challenges of incorporating information for apolipoprotein L1 (APOL1)-attributable genetic risk for end stage kidney disease in patients of African ancestry with hypertension .
There are many medications available for the treatment of high blood pressure (hypertension), but finding the right one for a specific patient can be challenging. In fact, it is estimated that less than 50% of people with hypertension have their blood pressure under control. The hypothesis is that genetic differences between individuals influence their response to antihypertensive medications. This study is aimed at determining the genetic factors that may influence a person's response to either a beta-blocker or a thiazide diuretic. The hope is that through this research, the investigators may someday be able to use an individual's genetic information to guide the selection of their blood pressure medicine, leading to better control of blood pressure, and less need for the current trial and error process.
Background: The adrenal gland makes the hormone aldosterone. This helps regulate blood pressure. An adrenal gland tumor that makes too much aldosterone can cause high blood pressure and low potassium. The cause of these tumors is unknown, but sometimes they are inherited. Objective: To study the genes that may cause primary aldosteronism in Black individuals. Eligibility: People ages 18-70 who: Are Black, African American, or of Caribbean descent And have difficult to control blood pressure or primary aldosteronism Relatives of people with primary aldosteronism Design: Participants who are relatives of people with primary aldosteronism will have only 1 visit, with medical history and blood tests. Participants with primary aldosteronism or difficult to control blood pressure (suspected to possibly have primary aldosteronism) will be screened with a 1-2 hour visit. If they qualify, they will return for a hospital stay for 7-10 days. Tests may include: Medical history Physical exam Blood tests: Participants will have a small tube (IV catheter) inserted in a vein in the arm. They may drink a glucose-containing liquid or get a salt solution. If medically indicated, they may have invasive blood tests with a separate consent. Urine tests: Some require a high-salt diet for 3 days. Heart tests Scans: Participants lie in a machine that takes pictures of the body. A dye may be injected through a vein. Small hair sample taken from near the scalp. Kidney ultrasound Bone density scan: Participants lie on a table while a camera passes over the body. If the doctors feel it is medically necessary, they will offer participants treatment depending on their results. These treatments may cure the patient of their disease and may include: 1. Having one adrenal gland removed by the Endocrine surgeon under anesthesia. Patients will have follow-up visits 2-4 weeks after surgery. 2. Taking drugs to block the effects of aldosterone Participants may return about 1 year later to repeat testing.
GENOA, the Genetic Epidemiology Network of Arteriopathy, consists of a network of three field centers and biochemical and genetic core labs to study the common polymorphic genetic variations to determine individual differences in blood pressure and essential hypertension in 1,500 sibling pairs in three racial groups. Linkage analyses are performed using an extensive array of candidate genes and anonymous markers throughout the genome.
INTRODUCTION: CHIPS-Child is a parallel, ancillary study to the CHIPS randomized controlled trial (RCT). CHIPS is designed to determine whether 'less tight' control \[target diastolic BP (dBP) 100mmHg\] or 'tight' control \[target dBP 85mmHg\] of non-proteinuric hypertension in pregnancy is better for the baby without increasing maternal risk. CHIPS-Child is a follow up study at 12 m corrected post-gestational age (± 2 m) limited to non-invasive examination \[anthropometry, hair cortisol, buccal swabs for epigenetic testing and a maternal questionnaire about infant feeding practices and background\]. Annual contact will be maintained in years 2-5 and contact will include annual parental measurement of the child's height, weight and waist circumference. OBJECTIVE: To directly test, for the first time in humans, whether differential blood pressure (BP) control in pregnancy has developmental programming effects, independent of birthweight. We predict that, like famine or protein malnutrition, 'tight' (vs. 'less tight') control of maternal BP will be associated with fetal under-nutrition and effects will be consistent with developmental programming.