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Understanding PTSD, Heart Disease, and High Blood Pressure

This study aims to understand why veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have a higher risk of heart disease and high blood pressure. Researchers will investigate what causes high adrenaline levels in PTSD patients during stress. You may undergo procedures like Microneurography (a nerve test), Handgrip Exercise, and the Cold Pressor Test (submerging your hand in cold water). You might also watch a combat virtual reality video clip and receive Sodium Nitroprusside (a drug given intravenously). The study will also test if Losartan (a blood pressure medicine) can improve adrenaline levels in PTSD patients and if a specific gene is linked to high adrenaline. Success will be measured by changes in Muscle Sympathetic Nerve Activity (MSNA), which reflects adrenaline levels, over up to 14 weeks. This study is currently recruiting veterans aged 18-65 with or without PTSD.

Study design
This is an interventional study planning to enroll 134 participants. It compares veterans with PTSD to those without, matched for age, gender, and race.
What's involved
You may undergo procedures like Microneurography, Handgrip Exercise, and the Cold Pressor Test. You might also watch a combat virtual reality video clip and receive Sodium Nitroprusside.
Compensation
Not stated in the trial record.
Follow-up
Your Muscle Sympathetic Nerve Activity (MSNA) will be measured at the beginning and after the study interventions, for up to 14 weeks.

AI-generated from the public study record. Only the study team can confirm whether you're eligible — confirm details with them before making decisions.

NCT02560805

Role of Sympathetic Overactivity and Angiotensin II in PTSD and CV

Recruiting
PHASE2Ages 18–65InterventionalPrevention
Emory University
~134 participants
Updated 2026-05-18 on ClinicalTrials.gov
What's tested:MicroneurographyCombat virtual reality video clipHandgrip ExerciseCold Pressor Test (CPT)Sodium Nitroprusside (SNP)Phenylephrine

At a glance

Recruiting sites
1 of 1 listed site is recruiting right now
RecruitingSuspended, closed, or not yet open
What they're measuring
Change in Muscle Sympathetic Nerve Activity (MSNA)
Measured over Baseline, after study intervention (up to 14 weeks)

Conditions

Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic

Explore related trials

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Where it's being run

1 sites across 1 states
Georgia1

Study leadership

  • Jeanie Park, MD · PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR · Emory University

Who to contact

Deirdre Dixon
[email protected]
404-321-6111 · ext. 207040
Email the study team

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Do you actually qualify for this trial?

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Eligibility criteria

Inclusion

veterans ages 18-65 years old with PTSD and without PTSD (controls) matched for age, gender, and race.

Exclusion

pregnancy
hypertension
diabetes
heart or vascular disease
illicit drug use
excessive alcohol use (\>2 drinks per day)
hyperlipidemia
autonomic dysfunction
current treatment with clonidine, beta blockers, angiotensin-converting-enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, or angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs)
treatment with monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors within the last 14 days
any serious systemic disease
chronic kidney disease defined as estimated glomerular filtration rate (GFR) \< 60 cc/min
hyperkalemia (serum potassium \> 5 meq/dL)
systolic blood pressure \< 100 mm Hg
diastolic blood pressure \< 60 mm Hg
heart rate \< 50 beats/min
known hypersensitivity to ARBs or beta blockers

What this trial measures

  • Change in Muscle Sympathetic Nerve Activity (MSNA)Baseline, after study intervention (up to 14 weeks)

    Multiunit postganglionic sympathetic nerve activity is recorded from a tungsten microelectrode inserted into the peroneal nerve with a reference microelectrode inserted in close proximity. Efferent nerve signals are amplified, filtered, rectified and integrated (time constant 0.1 s) to obtain a mean voltage display of MSNA. MSNA bursts are automatically detected using the following criteria: burst-to-noise ratio of 3:1 within a 0.5-s search window, with an average latency of 1.2-1.3 s in burst occurrence from the previous R-wave. MSNA is expressed as burst frequency measured a bursts per minute. MSNA will be examined at rest and during mental stress.