How sympathetic nerve signals affect blood vessels during the menopause transition
Sympathetic Vascular Transduction Across the Menopause Transition: Contributing Mechanisms
This will test whether medicines that block sympathetic nerve signals change blood flow responses in women before, during, and after menopause.
Quick facts
| Phase | Early Phase 1 |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Enrollment | 75 (estimated) |
| Ages | 18 Years to 70 Years |
| Sex | Female |
| Sponsor | University of Missouri-Columbia Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Columbia, Missouri) |
| Trial ID | NCT06787066 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
The trial gives short-acting alpha- and beta-adrenergic blockers to women at different stages of the menopause transition while measuring sympathetic nerve activity and vascular responses to quantify sympathetic vascular transduction. Participants are assigned female at birth, aged 18–70 with BMI under 30, and must be free of major medical conditions, smoking, or recent hormone use. Exclusion criteria remove those with cardiovascular, neurologic, metabolic, or bleeding disorders and those on interfering medications. All procedures are conducted in person at a single center and this is an early-phase interventional protocol exploring mechanisms rather than testing a long-term therapy.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Assigned female at birth, aged 18–70 with BMI <30 kg/m2, not pregnant or breastfeeding, not using hormonal contraception or hormone therapy recently, non-smokers, and without major cardiovascular, neurologic, metabolic, or other excluded conditions or prescription medications.
Not a fit: People who are male-assigned at birth, have BMI ≥30, are pregnant or breastfeeding, use hormonal contraception or hormone therapy, smoke, have listed medical conditions, or take excluded medications are unlikely to qualify or gain direct benefit.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could clarify why cardiovascular risk rises after menopause and point to treatment targets to protect vascular health in aging women.
How similar studies have performed: Prior studies using alpha- and beta-blockade and nerve recordings have linked sympathetic activity to vascular responses, but using these methods specifically across the menopause transition is relatively novel.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Assigned female at birth * 18-70 years of age * Body mass index (BMI) \<30 kg/m2 Exclusion Criteria: * Assigned male at birth * Pregnancy, breastfeeding * Body mass index ≥30 kg/m2 * Oral hormonal contraception in last 6 months, history of hormone replacement therapy, oophorectomy * Current smoking/nicotine use * Increased risk of bleeding, pro-coagulant disorders, clotting disorders, anticoagulation therapy * Nerve/neurologic disease * Cardiovascular, hepatic, renal, respiratory disease * Blood pressure ≥140/90 mmHg * Diabetes, Polycystic ovarian syndrome * Communication barriers * Prescription medications
Where this trial is running
Columbia, Missouri
- University of Missouri — Columbia, Missouri, United States (Recruiting)
Study contacts
- Study coordinator: Jacqueline Limberg, PhD
- Email: limbergj@missouri.edu
- Phone: 573-882-2420
How to participate
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
- Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.