Clinical Research Directory

Smartwatch-based Intervention for Cardiovascular Health (SWITCH)

This study aims to employ a cluster randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effectiveness of an mHealth-Based Multi-faceted Cardiovascular Health Intervention Model among Overweight/Obese Individuals with Cardiometabolic Preconditions, thereby providing theoretical foundations and practical guidance for the prevention and management of this population.

Efficacy of Nigella Sativa (Nisatol®) in Women With Borderline Blood Pressure Values or a Non-Dipper Blood Pressure Phenotype

This randomized placebo-controlled study evaluates the efficacy of Nigella sativa (Nisatol®) supplementation in women with borderline blood pressure values or a non-dipper blood pressure phenotype. The study aims to assess the effects of supplementation on blood pressure and resting heart rate in women presenting high-normal blood pressure values (≥130/85 mmHg) and/or a nocturnal non-dipper blood pressure pattern. Participants will be randomly assigned to receive either Nigella sativa (Nisatol®) or placebo for 12 weeks. After the treatment phase, a washout period will be followed by a dietary intervention phase combined with alternate treatment according to the study design. Cardiological and nutritional assessments will be performed at predefined time points.

Equity in Prevention and Progression of Hypertension by Addressing Barriers to Nutrition and Physical activitY

The goal of this study is to test an intervention to prevent high blood pressure among rural, Black adults living in Alabama. Black adults in this region have one of the highest rates of high blood pressure in the US. Eating fruits and vegetables and exercising daily lowers the chance of getting high blood pressure. Many problems get in the way of eating a healthy diet and exercising like a lack of grocery stores with fresh foods, few gyms, little money, lack of transportation, and limited support for keeping healthy habits. One place where many Black adults in rural Alabama meet weekly and feel supported is their church. The investigators will connect with 30 churches in rural Alabama. The investigators plan to hold health fairs to find 12 Black adults from each church with blood pressure that is higher than normal but not high enough to need blood pressure lowering medications. The investigators will randomly select 15 churches to get group health education and tablets to access online cooking shows and exercise classes. Adults in the other 15 churches will get support from a health coach over the telephone to help set and meet diet and physical activity goals as well as the group health education and tablets to access online cooking shows and exercise classes. In this study, the investigators will ask church members to sign up to be a health coach. These 15 churches will also get money to help bring healthy foods and/or physical activity opportunities to their communities. The investigative team will train 2 to 3 of their church members to learn how to coach others to eat more healthy food and be more physically active. This study answers two questions. 1) Will this intervention designed to reduce barriers to a healthy lifestyle lower blood pressure among rural, Black adults? 2) Can churches and participants complete the whole two-year study, and can the intervention be used in other communities in a cost-effective way to improve blood pressure? This project will add to the health equity mission of the American Heart Association by finding out if an intervention using health coaches lowers blood pressure among rural Black adults.

Guided Physical Activity Counseling for Hypertension in Primary Care

The goal of this study is to create easy-to-read physical activity reports and counseling guides for primary care doctors. These tools will use activity data collected over time from wearable fitness trackers. The study will also test how helpful and easy the system is for doctors when talking with patients who have high blood pressure. This approach uses technology that already exists and helps solve problems that make it hard to use in medical care. It also has the potential to reach many people and be low-cost for clinics to use.

Sympathetic Overactivity in Post-traumatic Stress Disorder

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a highly prevalent anxiety disorder that is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular (CV) disease and hypertension. One potential mechanism is overactivation of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS), both at rest and particularly during stress. This study will evaluate whether 8 weeks of daily DGB therapy or transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS) therapy improves SNS activity at rest and during stress.

HELP-HY: Health Education and sLeep Program in HYpertension

Hypertension is the major risk factor for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases worldwide. The escalating prevalence of inadequate sleep now parallels that of hypertension. Observational and experimental evidence favoring a causal relation between insufficient sleep and hypertension are particularly compelling - sleeping 6 hours or less per night is associated with a 20-32% higher probability of incident hypertension. Since sleep curtailment is largely voluntary, sleep deficiency may be corrected and the detrimental health consequences potentially reversed. In this study the investigators aim to investigate the effects of 8 weeks of sleep enhancement/extension vs health education in prehypertensive and stage 1 hypertensive subjects who report habitual short sleep (≤6.5 hours/night).

Community Park-Based Programs for Health Promotion: The Fit2Lead Prospective Cohort Study

The Fit2Lead prospective cohort study examines the effects of a park-based youth mental health and resilience afterschool program on youth participant mental health, resilience, physical fitness, and violence prevention outcomes. Duke will perform a secondary analysis of the data collected as part of the Fit2Lead prospective cohort study run by Miami-Dade County Parks and Recreation.

Community Park-Based Programs for Health Promotion: Fit2Play Prospective Cohort Study

The Fit2Play prospective cohort study examines the effects of a park-based youth physical activity afterschool program on youth participant fitness and mental health outcomes. Duke will perform a secondary analysis of the data collected as part of the Fit2Play prospective cohort study run by Miami-Dade County Parks and Recreation.

Intervention for High-normal Blood Pressure in Adults With Type 2 Diabetes

Lowering of blood pressure (BP) in high-risk hypertensive individuals reduces major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events. Diabetic patients with hypertension benefit from BP lowering treatment. The present trial, IPAD in brief, is a randomized, open-label, parallel-designed, multicenter study involving nearly 12,000 patients to be recruited and to be followed up for a median of four years. IPAD tests the hypothesis that antihypertensive medications in adults with type 2 diabetes, whose seated BP 120-139 mm Hg systolic and below 90 mm Hg diastolic, results in 20% difference in the incidence of major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events. During follow-up for participants in the intensive group, the sitting systolic pressure should be decreased to below 120 mm Hg, by titration and combination of the study medications of an angiotensin type-1 receptor blocker Allisartan (240 mg/day), a dihydropyridine calcium-channel blocker (amlodipine 5-10 mg/day), and/or other medications if necessary. For those in the standard group, the sitting systolic pressure should be monitored and controlled below 140 mm Hg.

Effects of Pilate Training Versus Moderate Intensity Continous Training in Hypertensive Patients

Hypertension, commonly known as high blood pressure, continues to be the leading cause of both sickness and mortality globally. Generally, individuals in good health might have trouble breathing solely during vigorous exercise or when holding their breath, finding relief by stopping the activity or adjusting their breathing technique. Often patients with hypertension seek various treatments to relieve symptoms. The aim of this study is to compare the effects of Pilates Training and Moderate Intensity Continuous Training on dyspnea and cardiovascular fitness in hypertensive patients. The study would be randomized clinical trial. A total of thirty-four subjects will be assigned randomly by using block randomization into two groups. Group A will be given Pilates training while Group B will moderate intensity training. After confirmation of diagnosis with medical history and physical examination as well as chronic, mild-to moderate, and stable (\>1 year duration) hypertension (systolic blood pressure \[SBP\] between 140-179 mm Hg and diastolic blood pressure \[DBP\]between 90-109 mm Hg) recommended. 3-minute step test, VO2max and Modified BORG scale would be used as an outcome measure tools for cardiovascular parameters and dyspnea. The collected data will be analyzed in SPSS 25.0. Descriptive and inferential statistics will be applied after testing normality of data

Pranayama and Jacobson's Progressive Muscle Relaxation Technique in Pre-hypertensive Patients

Objective of our study is to determine the comparative effects of Pranayama and Jacobson's Relaxation Technique on cardiovascular parameters, stress and quality of life in Pre-hypertensive patients. This study is used to determine the effects of Pranayama versus Jacobson's Progressive Muscle Relaxation Technique on cardiorespiratory parameters, stress and quality of life in pre-hypertensive patients. This randomized clinical trial (RCT) endeavors to enroll \_\_\_ participants, divided equally into Pranayama and Jacobson's Progressive Muscle Relaxation Technique groups. The non-probability convenient sampling technique, followed by random allocation using a lottery method, ensures a diverse yet unbiased sample. Study is being conducted at the Kashmir Medical Complex Sialkot. The Pranayama group(n=25) undergoes sessions three times a week, emphasizing breathing techniques like alternate nostril technique and bellow breathing. The Jacobson's Progressive Muscle Relaxation Technique group(n=25) follows a similar schedule, engaging in full-body relaxation exercises targeting major muscle groups. Parameters will be assessed on 1st day, 3rd week and 8th week by outcome measures, SPSS version 23 will be used for analysis.

Effect of TOTUM-854 on Blood Pressure in Subjects With Moderately Elevated Blood Pressure

This clinical study aims to assess the efficacy of TOTUM-854, a mix of 6 plant extracts, consumed twice a day on automated office blood pressure in subjects with moderately elevated blood pressure. The hypothesis is that TOTUM-854 is superior to placebo for decrease of automated office blood pressure after 12 weeks of consumption.