Hypertension care for Veterans with rheumatoid arthritis to prevent heart disease

Who could benefit from this research

What this research studies

This project focuses on how to better manage high blood pressure in Veterans who have rheumatoid arthritis, a group at higher risk for cardiovascular disease. It will look at how care is currently delivered and identify barriers between rheumatology and primary care that prevent optimal BP control. The team will adapt successful care-coordination strategies from other diseases to fit RA patients. The goal is to help clinicians coordinate care so more patients reach BP goals like 130/80 mmHg. The study is designed with real-world clinics in the VA system in mind, to be practical and scalable if effective.

Why it matters

Where this research is happening

• Durham VA Medical Center
  Durham, United States Active

Researchers

• Principal investigator: Smith, Isaac D — Durham VA Medical Center
• Study coordinator: Smith, Isaac D

Related research

Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.

• Investigating how rheumatoid arthritis affects heart disease risk and identifying biomarkers.

  This study is looking at how inflammation from rheumatoid arthritis might raise the risk of heart problems, and it aims to find specific proteins in the blood that can help predict this risk better, so that people with RA can get earlier help to protect their hearts.

  NIH research Brigham and Women's Hospital · Boston, United States · NIH-11103158

• Gut microbes and methotrexate: boosting RA treatment through microbiome targets

  Researchers are studying how gut bacteria affect how well methotrexate works for people with rheumatoid arthritis, aiming to make MTX effective for more patients.

  NIH research Veterans Affairs Med Ctr San Francisco · San Francisco, United States · NIH-11606746

• Hybrid biomaterial system to boost immunotherapy for rheumatoid arthritis

  A new, patient-facing immunotherapy approach uses specialized particles to retrain the immune system to calm RA in adults.

  NIH research University of Florida · Gainesville, United States · NIH-11552872

• Integrating heart care into HIV services in Botswana using statins

  This project tests a simple, scalable approach to help people with HIV in Botswana start and stay on statin therapy to prevent heart attacks and strokes.

  NIH research University of Botswana · Gaborone, Botswana · NIH-11539151

• A heart-healthy program for aging HIV patients using therapy pets to help blood pressure

  A study tests whether using the human-animal bond from dog ownership can help older adults living with HIV control their blood pressure and improve heart health.

  NIH research University of Florida · Gainesville, United States · NIH-11470327

• Role of Stabilin receptors in rheumatoid arthritis

  A short study to understand how certain scavenger receptors may influence the development and progression of rheumatoid arthritis in adults.

  NIH research Ohio State University · Columbus, UNITED STATES · NIH-11453262

About this research

1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.