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Overnight Heat Stress for High Blood Pressure in Autonomic Failure

This study is looking at whether applying a heating pad to your stomach overnight can help lower high blood pressure (supine hypertension) in people with autonomic failure. Autonomic failure is a condition where the body's automatic functions, like blood pressure control, don't work properly. This can lead to very low blood pressure when standing and high blood pressure when lying down. The study will compare using a heating pad that is turned on to one that is turned off (sham control) for up to 8 hours. Researchers hope to understand why heat affects blood pressure in these patients and if this could be a new way to manage supine hypertension. They will measure your systolic blood pressure (the top number) overnight to see the effects. The study aims to enroll 20 participants and is currently unclear on its recruitment status.

Study design
This interventional study involves 20 participants who will receive either a heating pad or a sham control (heating pad turned off).
What's involved
You would have a heating pad applied to your trunk for up to 8 hours during the night. Your blood pressure will be measured between 10 pm and 8 am.
Compensation
Not stated in the trial record.
Follow-up
Your systolic blood pressure will be measured overnight (10 pm - 8 am) during the intervention.

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NCT03042988

Overnight Trials With Heat Stress in Autonomic Failure Patients With Supine Hypertension

Recruiting
NAAges 18–80InterventionalTreatment
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
~20 participants
Updated 2026-01-16 on ClinicalTrials.gov
What's tested:Heating padSham control

At a glance

Recruiting sites
1 of 1 listed site is recruiting right now
RecruitingSuspended, closed, or not yet open
What they're measuring
Systolic blood pressure
Measured over 10 pm - 8 am

Conditions

Hypertension
Pure Autonomic Failure
Multiple System Atrophy
Autonomic Failure

Explore related trials

HypertensionMultiple System AtrophyParkinson DiseasePure autonomic failure

Where it's being run

1 sites across 1 states
Tennessee1

Study leadership

  • Italo Biaggioni, MD · PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR · Vanderbilt University Medical Center

Who to contact

Bonnie K Black, RN
[email protected]
615-343-6862
Email the study team

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Do you actually qualify for this trial?

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Eligibility criteria

Inclusion

Male and female patients, between 18-80 yrs., with primary autonomic failure (Parkinson Disease, Multiple System Atrophy, and Pure Autonomic Failure) and supine hypertension. Supine hypertension will be defined as SBP≥150 mmHg.
Patients able and willing to provide informed consent.

Exclusion

Pregnancy
Significant cardiac, renal or hepatic illness, or with contraindications to administration of pressor agents or with other factors, which in the investigator's opinion would prevent the subject from completing the protocol including clinically significant abnormalities in clinical, mental or laboratory testing.

What this trial measures

  • Systolic blood pressure10 pm - 8 am

    Maximal change from baseline in systolic blood pressure during the night, measured from 10 pm to 8 am