Nighttime CPAP to lower high blood pressure when lying down and reduce daytime dizziness
Official title: Hemodynamic Effects of Positive Airway Pressure to Treat Supine Hypertension and Improve Neurogenic Orthostatic Hypotension
Funded at Vanderbilt University Medical Center · NIH-11241120 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This work uses nighttime CPAP for people with neurogenic orthostatic hypotension and supine hypertension to lower blood pressure while lying down and help reduce nighttime urination and daytime lightheadedness.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Vanderbilt University Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Nashville, United States) |
| Project start | December 1, 2021 |
| Project end | November 30, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $558,202 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HL161095-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11241120 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are people with neurogenic orthostatic hypotension who also have high blood pressure when lying down (supine hypertension), especially patients with autonomic failure and without obstructive sleep apnea.
✕Less likely to help
People whose low daytime blood pressure is not caused by autonomic failure, those with significant obstructive sleep apnea, or those who cannot tolerate CPAP may not benefit from this approach.
What this research studies
You would try using a standard CPAP device at night to raise chest pressure and mimic the benefits of sleeping slightly upright, which can reduce blood returning to the heart and lower nighttime blood pressure. The team will measure blood pressure, heart output, and how often you wake to urinate, and will monitor symptoms of daytime lightheadedness. Early tests showed short-term drops in blood pressure in patients with autonomic failure without sleep apnea, and this work expands those observations into nighttime use and longer monitoring. The approach compares CPAP effects to other positions and tracks whether the nighttime changes translate into fewer daytime symptoms and less nocturia.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could lower harmful nighttime high blood pressure, reduce nighttime urination, and ease daytime lightheadedness and fall risk for affected patients.
How similar studies have gone: Small preliminary studies by the team showed that clinically used CPAP levels can acutely and reversibly lower blood pressure at night in autonomic failure patients without OSA, but larger controlled trials are still needed.
Where this research is happening
-
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Nashville, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Biaggioni, Italo — Vanderbilt University Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Biaggioni, Italo
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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.