Blocking aldosterone to improve small-vessel heart blood flow and heart efficiency in high blood pressure
Mineralocorticoid receptor, coronary microvascular function, and cardiac efficiency in hypertension
This trial tests whether adding a medicine that blocks aldosterone helps improve tiny-vessel blood flow in the heart and makes the heart work more efficiently for people with high blood pressure and thickened heart muscle.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Brigham and Women's Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11249637 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would be a person with high blood pressure and left ventricular hypertrophy who is already taking the ACE inhibitor enalapril. Participants are randomly assigned to receive a mineralocorticoid (aldosterone) receptor blocker or comparison treatment and followed with imaging and physiological tests of heart blood flow and energy use. The team will measure changes in coronary microvascular function, how efficiently the heart uses oxygen for work, and structural and functional heart changes over time. The goal is to see if benefits occur even when blood pressure stays the same.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are adults with hypertension and left ventricular hypertrophy who are taking enalapril (an ACE inhibitor) and meet safety criteria for mineralocorticoid receptor blockers.
Not a fit: People without high blood pressure or without left ventricular hypertrophy, or those with contraindications to aldosterone-blocking drugs (for example advanced kidney disease or high potassium), are unlikely to benefit from participating.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could improve small-vessel blood flow and heart efficiency and potentially reduce future heart complications in people with hypertension and thickened heart muscle.
How similar studies have performed: Aldosterone-blocking drugs have improved outcomes in some heart-failure studies, but using them specifically to improve coronary microvascular function and cardiac efficiency in hypertensive left ventricular hypertrophy is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Boston, United States
- Brigham and Women's Hospital — Boston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Adler, Gail Kurr — Brigham and Women's Hospital
- Study coordinator: Adler, Gail Kurr
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.