Cure My Disease

Don't miss your cure!

 Log in / Sign up

Could the body's 'blood reservoir' veins be a hidden driver of hypertension?

NCT ID NCT02425566

Knowledge-focused Sponsor: Vanderbilt University Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing This study
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Aug 27, 2026 · Last updated Aug 28, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

Researchers at Vanderbilt University are studying whether the abdominal veins, which act as a blood reservoir, contribute to high blood pressure. They will compare how these veins respond in people with and without hypertension, both at rest and after a drug that temporarily blocks the autonomic nervous system. The study involves 12 adults and uses trimethaphan and nitroglycerin to probe vein behavior. The goal is to better understand the role of the sympathetic nervous system in hypertension.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
Trimethaphan and nitroglycerin, given as acute infusions or sublingual doses to temporarily block or affect the autonomic nervous system and blood vessels.
What this could lead to
If the hypothesis holds, it could point toward new treatments for hypertension that target the abdominal veins or sympathetic nervous system.
What could go wrong
This is a small, early-phase physiology study with only 12 participants, so results may not apply broadly. The drugs are given acutely and may cause side effects like low blood pressure.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Phase 1

The first testing in people. Mainly checks safety and dose, usually in a small group.

Participants

About 12 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Started

Apr 2015

Expected to finish

Aug 2028

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

18 to 65 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Accepted

You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Lean and obese, male and female subjects of all races between 18 and 65 years of age. * Normotensive and hypertensive subjects will be enrolled. Hypertension will be defined as a systolic BP ≥140 mm Hg and/or a diastolic BP ≥ 90 mm Hg, taken in the seated position in at least 2 separate occasions. All subjects will be otherwise normal volunteers. * Subjects able and willing to provide informed consent. Exclusion Criteria: * Pregnancy. * Subjects with morbid obesity (BMI \> 40 kg/m2). * Subjects with any chronic disease (other than hypertension) including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, history of smoking, or if they take any medication that have known effects autonomic functions, or other factors which in the investigator's opinion would prevent the subject from completing the protocol including clinically significant abnormalities in clinical, mental or laboratory testing. * Current smokers or history of heavy smoking (\>2 packs/day) * Lean normotensive subjects will be excluded if they have a strong family history of hypertension (both parents treated or diagnosed), diagnosis of sleep apnea or a high score in the Berlin questionnaire for sleep apnea, or if they are highly trained athletes.

Get updates

Get notified about this study

Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Hypertension are added.

Our safety recommendation!

By submitting, you agree to our Terms of use

Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

hypertensive disorder

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Hypertension

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Autonomic Dysfunction Center

    Nashville, Tennessee, 37232, United States

More trials for these conditions

Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.