See if stopping alcohol can lower blood pressure and heart risk in adults who drink and have hypertension

Is this trial a fit for you?

A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.

What this trial studies

In this randomized trial, adults aged 26 to 49 who drink above recommended limits and have elevated blood pressure are assigned to either stop drinking or continue their usual drinking for 8 weeks. Blood pressure and subclinical cardiovascular risk factors—such as arterial stiffness, endothelial function, and sympathetic nerve activity—are measured before and after the intervention, with ongoing sleep assessments. Participants are asked to maintain their diet and physical activity during the study. The goal is to see if alcohol abstinence can reduce cardiovascular risk in this population.

Why it matters

Who can join: the full rules

Inclusion criteria

* Men and women aged 26 to 49 years
* At-risk drinkers who drink over the recommended limits, defined as those with PEth (≥20 ng/dL) or those with a U.S. Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (USAUDIT) score ≥8/7 for men/women
* Elevated blood pressure or hypertension (systolic blood pressure: 120-160 mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure 80-100 mmHg)

Exclusion criteria

* History of CVD or cardiovascular events (e.g., stroke, myocardial infarction)
* The presence of myocardial ischemia or arrhythmias with abnormal ECG and blood pressure during a clinically-supervised maximal graded exercise test
* Hypertension (systolic \>160 mmHg and diastolic \>100 mmHg)
* On more than one anti-hypertensive medication, or on other physician-prescribed medications (but not including oral contraceptives)
* Major psychiatric disorders, including autism, ADHD, bipolar disorder, major depression, schizophrenia, and substance use disorders
* Alcohol use disorder, PEth ≥400 ng/mL, or USAUDIT score ≥ 25
* Current or history of any tobacco use in the past 6 months (including, but not limited to, cigarettes, e-cigarettes, hookah, Nicorette, snus and chewing tobacco)
* Current or history of illicit and recreational drug use (more than 3 times in the past month and more than 15 times in their lifetime)
* Diabetes type 1 \& type 2 with fasting blood glucose ≥126 mg/dL
* Presence of renal disease with a creatinine \> 1.5 mg/dL
* Presence of liver disease with liver enzymes \> 3x the upper limits of normal
* Anemia with a hemoglobin \< 8 g/dL
* Diagnosis of chronic inflammatory disease such as, but not limited to, cancer
* Diagnosis of chronic autoimmune diseases such as, but not limited to lupus, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis
* Diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pulmonary fibrosis, pneumonia, lung cancer, and cystic fibrosis
* Diagnosis of neurological diseases, including seizure disorders, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, stroke, traumatic brain injury, and peripheral neuropathies
* Body mass index \<18.5 or ≥40 kg/m2
* Unstable body weight (\>5% change during the past 6 months)
* Obstructive sleep apnea
* Night-shift work
* Women who are pregnant (or intend to become pregnant while participating in study), breastfeeding, or postmenopausal

Where it's running

• Science and Engineering Innovation and Research Building (SEIR), University of Texas at Arlington
  Arlington, Texas, United States Recruiting

Study contacts

• Study coordinator: Chueh-Lung Hwang, PhD, PT
• Email: chuehlung.hwang@uta.edu
• Phone: 8172729722

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How to take part

1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
2. Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
3. Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.