Can a blood pressure drug shield hearts from secondhand smoke damage?
NCT ID NCT04715568
First seen Aug 19, 2026 · Last updated Aug 20, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This trial tests whether losartan, a common blood pressure medication, can improve heart and blood vessel function in adults who were exposed to secondhand tobacco smoke for many years, such as former flight attendants or casino workers. Participants will receive either losartan or a placebo in a crossover design, and researchers will measure heart function, arterial stiffness, and exercise capacity using MRI and other tests. The goal is to see if this drug can help counteract the hidden cardiovascular damage caused by chronic smoke exposure.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- losartan (an angiotensin receptor blocker, commonly used for high blood pressure)
- What this could lead to
- If effective, losartan could become a treatment to protect heart and blood vessel health in people with a history of long-term secondhand smoke exposure.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage crossover trial. Results may not apply to everyone, and losartan can have side effects like dizziness or 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 4
Runs after approval, following long-term safety and how well the treatment works in everyday use.
- Participants
-
About 100 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
-
Mar 2021
- Expected to finish
-
Dec 2026
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
-
40 years and older
- Sex
-
Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
-
Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide 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: * Must be able to understand and provide informed consent. * Adults \>= 40 years of age. * Must have a history of occupational exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke for at least 5 years such as flight attendants who worked for airlines before the smoking ban on aircrafts went into effect or casino workers who worked at casinos with no smoke-free policies. * Must have never smoked or have a remote history of light smoking defined as follows: * Lifetime smoking history equivalent to \< 1 pack-year and * No smoking history for \>= 20 years at the time of enrollment. Exclusion Criteria: * Inability or unwillingness of a participant to give written informed consent or comply with study protocol. * Subject is pregnant, breast-feeding, or plans to become pregnant. * Current therapy with angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor or angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB). * Known intolerance to ACE inhibitor or ARB. * History of angioedema. * Conventional indication for ACE inhibitor or ARB (e.g., history of myocardial infarction, known cardiomyopathy). * Blood pressure less than 90 mm Hg systolic or 60 mm Hg diastolic while standing or sitting. * Known unilateral or bilateral renal artery stenosis higher than 70%. * Renal insufficiency (Creatinine Clearance \<30 mL/min by Cockcroft-Gault calculation). * Current regular use of NSAIDs defined as daily use on 5 or more days of the week for more than one month. * Potassium supplementation or serum potassium level of 5.0 milliequivalents (mEq)/dL or higher at V1. * Current use of a potassium sparing diuretic. * History of clinically overt cardiovascular disease including: stable or unstable angina; chest discomfort and dyspnea with baseline exertion; symptomatic coronary artery disease (as defined by history of abnormal stress test; cardiac catheterization showing \>70% coronary artery stenosis; history of revascularization; pathologic Q waves on EKG); poorly controlled resting hypertension (SBP\>160/ DBP\>95); congestive heart failure (CHF) (as defined by left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) \<55%; physical exam findings of CHF; symptomatic pulmonary edema); significant (\>mild) valvular heart disease; congenital heart disease; cardiac arrhythmias including frequent premature atrial or ventricular contractions (\>5 per minute). * History of clinically overt pulmonary disease that may interfere with study procedures, including: greater than mild asthma, COPD, emphysema, chronic interstitial lung disease, and pulmonary hypertension. * Neuromuscular disorders or physical disability to perform exercise testing using an ergometer. * Significant history of recreational drug use other than marijuana as defined by: recreational drug use within the last 30 years of recruitment (or) recreational drug use at a frequency of more than once a month before 30 years. * Marijuana use more than once a week. * Other uncontrolled chronic illnesses which in the judgment of the study physician would interfere with completing study procedures. * Failure to keep screening appointments or other indicators of non-adherence. * Concomitant participation in another interventional study. * Subjects with BMI \<15 or \>40 kg/m2. * MRI Scan Participation Exclusion Criteria - The participants will be excluded from the MRI portion of the study if they have a metallic object embedded or implanted in their body that is incompatible with Magnetic Resonance (MR) scanning, including MR incompatible pacemaker or defibrillator.
Get updates
Get notified about this study
Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Cardiovascular diseases are added.
Genom att skicka in godkänner du våra Användarvillkor
Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
-
The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
-
The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
-
A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
San Francisco Veterans' Affairs Medical Center
RECRUITINGSan Francisco, California, 94121, United States
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Can a nurse and a neighbor help tame chronic disease?
- Can pressing six points on the body help older adults sleep?
- Two eggs a day put to the test for heart health
- A soft patch that watches your heart beat in real time
- Can AI-Tailored heat warnings shield chronic disease patients from dangerous temperatures?
- Could a quieter, automated blood pressure check help more people control hypertension?