Polyunsaturates and KCL to Control Mild Hypertension

December 12, 2013 updated by: Frank M. Sacks, Brigham and Women's Hospital
To test the efficacy of omega-3 fatty acids in untreated mild hypertensives and magnesium, calcium, and potassium supplementation supplementation in non-hypertensives. These clinical trials were conducted in sequence over a four year period.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

BACKGROUND:

The hypothesis that omega-3 fatty acids as well as magnesium and potassium in the diet lowered blood pressure in mild hypertensives needed further documentation, although preliminary and less well controlled studies had suggested such an effect was possible. In a previous study the investigators did not find a hypotensive effect of another polyunsaturated fatty acid, linoleic acid. In addition, findings of lower blood pressures in vegetarians and results obtained from a study in which vegetarian diets were fed to normotensives led to the conclusion that dietary factors other then linoleic acid were responsible for the possible hypotensive effect of vegetarian diets. The nutrients which were selected for further study, omega-3 fatty acids, magnesium and potassium, occur in higher amounts in vegetarian diets.

Dietary supplementation with fish oils had only been done in a few studies with inconclusive results. However, the relationship of omega-3 fatty acids to the synthesis of prostacyclins, which are locally active vasodilators and which decrease with the excretion of the vasoconstrictor thromboxane, provide a possible mechanism for an effect of these compounds on blood pressure.

The role of potassium in the control of blood pressure was first suggested from cross-cultural studies in which populations consuming high levels of potassium displayed lower rates of hypertension and a decrease in blood pressure with age. Cohort studies within this country have also shown a relationship between potassium intake or the ratio of potassium and sodium, as measured by urinary excretion and blood pressure. Most constantly it found that blood pressure differences between blacks and whites have been related to differences in potassium excretion.

The results from human experimental studies involving potassium supplementation in normotensives and hypertensives have indicated mixed effects but blood pressure lowering was most consistently observed in subgroups with a family history of hypertension or those with higher blood pressure.

DESIGN NARRATIVE:

Trial 1: Subjects were randomized to a fish oil treatment group of 6 or 12 grams/day of omega-3 fatty acids or to a placebo group. At the end of 12 and 24 weeks, participants in the three groups were crossed-over to one of the other two treatments for an additional 12 weeks. The primary outcome was clinic blood pressure on 3 days at the end of the treatment period.

Trial 2: Subjects were randomly assigned to one of four treatments and placebo: magnesium supplementation; potassium supplementation; calcium supplementation; all 3 supplements; matching placebos. The trial was double-blinded. Each of the treatments was administered for six months with measurements taken at baseline and at the end. The primary outcome was 24-hour ambulatory systolic BP.

The study completion date listed in this record was obtained from the Query/View/Report (QVR) System.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Phase 2

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

21 years to 70 years (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Mild hypertensives, ages 21 to 70, with no evidence of end-organ damage.. Untreated hypertensives.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Placebo Comparator: Potassium, Magnesium, Calcium, The 3 together, Placebo
Parallel study design, 4 treatment groups
Behavioral: dietary supplements
Dietary supplement: mineral supplements
Dietary supplement: Trial 1: fatty acids, omega-3; Trial 2: Mineral supplements

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Blood Pressure
Time Frame: End of study
14 hour ambulatory BP
End of study

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Brigham and Women's Hospital

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)

Publications and helpful links

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General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
December 1, 1983

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
November 1, 1994

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
November 1, 1994

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
October 27, 1999

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
October 27, 1999

First Posted (Estimate)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
October 28, 1999

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimate)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
December 13, 2013

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
December 12, 2013

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
December 1, 2013

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 30 (AIFA)
  • R01HL034593 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)
  • R01HL034593-05 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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